Rating: 
Summary: Just Delete One Scene and It Would Be Perfect
Review: I give this five stars--what a great movie, what a great trilogy. Though The Return of the King has yet to be released, I will say that I would enjoy this second movie much, much more if the producers would delete one scene. I would bet that you know the scene to which I am referring. It is where Legelos takes the shield and slides down the stairs as if the shield were a skateboard or snow board. In a clear attempt to reference modern culture, he slides on the shield and does everything except grab the rail and say, "Dude." Why, oh why, is this scene in the movie. It is as out of place as if the Fellowship were going to get a cappuccino together or if women in Middle Earth were wearing low cut pants with their thongs showing. Well, enough ranting for me. Great movie, must own DVD, just one scene messes up the illusion and fantasy of being in another time.
Rating:
Summary: Peter Jackson is the Lord of the DVD!
Review: Last November, Lord of the Rings fans were completely blown away by what most DVD websites and reviewers called the best DVD set in the history of the format. That was The Fellowship of the Ring, and this year, Peter Jackson and his team have matched that tremendous set with The Two Towers. First in this set are discs one and two, focusing on the film. Like the last set, this version is the "Special Extended Edition" and features an additional 43 minutes of footage. Do not be fooled! These 43 minutes are not deleted scenes that should have remained on the cutting room floor. Each additional sequence or extended scene adds remarkable depth to the characters and story. I just don't imagine myself watching the theatrical edition any time soon. Also, Peter Jackson has seamlessly integrated the new footage - it works brilliantly. Howard Shore has rescored the entire soundtrack for the film so it blends perfectly with the additional scenes. Also on discs one and two are no less than four audio commentaries. I've listened to all four and each is amazing. The director and writer commentary is fun and fascinating. Peter Jackson gives great insights into how it all came together. The design team and production team commentaries are a bit dry, but they still offer so many insights, they make up for it. The cast commentary is great fun too, as everyone jokes around and shares their individual stories. They also discuss what it was like being involved in separate storylines. For example, Elijah Wood and Sean Astin would go for long stretches without really working with any of the actors from the Fellowship of the Ring since they were now trekking alone to Mordor. By listening to these commentaries, you'd think you'd know just about everything there is to know about this film. But this DVD set hasn't even started yet. There's still discs three and four - the appendicies. These discs focus on the making of the film. Disc three zeroes in on turning the book into a workable script - a tremendous challenge. There are documentaries and featurettes on Tolkien, writing the story, and bringing Gollum to life. Like the last set, do not be fooled! These featurettes are not fluffy, lame studio promotional pieces. These are in depth, informative documentaries created just for this DVD. Disc three features some three plus hours worth of documentaries, while disc four has no less than four hours worth of documentaries. That doesn't even include the hundreds of production images, design sketches, atlases, and maps. If you're any kind of a fan of the Lord of the Rings, what could you possibly be waiting for? Not interested in the extras? Then buy this set for the additional footage - it helps the movie jump from "great" to "just about perfect."
Rating:
Summary: The Two Towers--Another Box Office Hit!!
Review: Ever since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring arrived in theaters in December 2001, there has been an ever-growing obsession with J.R.R. Tolkien that has engulfed millions of people world-wide. Director Peter Jackson, and countless other actors believe without a doubt that The Lord of the Rings trilogy has already made cinematic history. With its epic scenes, well-developed characters, and unmatchable special effects, The Lord of the Rings could very well be as excellent as Star Wars, if not better. Peter Jackson could quite possibly be giving George Lucas and run for his money. In Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the heart-wrenching story of four hobbits and the gripping suspense for the battle of Middle-earth will leave audiences begging for more.
Unlike the first movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the characters of Frodo and Sam are much more developed and intensified in The Two Towers. As Frodo and Sam begin their journey alone, in pursuit of the destruction of the ring, Frodo's deteriorating soul is ultimately revealed to the audience. Since the power of the ring intensifies, Frodo unconsciously becomes more dependent on Sam in order to successfully destroy the ring. The damage the ring has on Frodo's mind and well-being causes the audience to wonder what type of fate lies ahead for Frodo.
When Gollum was first introduced to the audience in The Fellowship of the Ring, he remained a mystery as far as who he really was and what his purpose was in the story. As soon as Gollum joins Frodo and Sam in their endeavor, Gollum's severe case of schizophrenia brings his inner turmoil to the audiences' attention. It is also revealed that Gollum's real name is Smeagle and the name of Gollum belongs to his evil alter ego who appears to have full control of Smeagle. Smeagle's battle with Gollum causes the audience to have tremendous pity for him, which alters his persona of a monster to a kind-hearted, suffering soul. In the scene where Gollum engages in a verbal battle with Smeagle, the true spirit of Smeagle is brought to light with an amazing script and an impeccable development of character.
A major restoration of hope arrives and perpetuates when Gandalf returns to the story after falling to shadow in The Fellowship of the Ring. The exasperation of excitement and relief heard in the theaters when Gandalf appeared on the screen only solidified this idea. With Gandalf back in the picture, the Battle at Helms Deep is anticipated with victory. Instead of the title Gandalf the Grey in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf's reincarnation promoted him to Gandalf the White, making him much more powerful. Since Gandalf was somehow reincarnated, his fate lies in the unknown as well.
While the story continues, the world-wide anticipation for the final movie will only grow in massive proportions. Although The Two Towers answered many questions that arose from The Fellowship of the Ring, it only gave birth to new questions and inquiries that can only be answered with the release of The Return of the King. After witnessing the success of the first two movies, it can only be expected the third movie will indeed earn colossal success. In addition, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is sure to establish its place in box office history. Until December 17, 2003, when The Return of the King is released, the audience will be anxiously awaiting.
Rating: 
Summary: Missing/Duplicate Discs
Review: I purchased this set from amazon and it arrived with multiple disc three's and no disc four. I returned it to amazon, and to my great misfortune I received multiple disc two's and no disc one. I have not had any trouble playing the discs but I can't get all four in the same box at the same time! My advise to you is buy this set because the movie is quite good, but purchase it somewhere in person so you can return it faster and easier if/when you get a defective or incomplete set.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant, and way better than advertised.
Review: I have been a fan of Tolkien since reading the books in grade school. I was initially skeptical that these classics could be brought to life in a film, but those fears were completely erased after the first film was released. That one, The Fellowship of the Ring, was even better with the extended release. However, the difference is not nearly as profound as the Two Towers extended version. Simply put, this extended release changes the film in a dramatic way. New scenes depict a rich tapestry of relationship that was not allowed to develop, being buried under an avalanche of battles in the theatrical release. This is not the same version with added "deleted scenes" but rather a different film altogether! My special favorite was the one scene I looked forward to, and was dismayed to see not in the theatrical release: Merri and Pippen raiding the stores of Sauroman and finding barrels of Shire "pipe weed"! If you are at all a fan of this series, DO NOT MISS this extended version. It is easily worth the price. You will never watch the cut version again. Absolutely brilliant!
Rating:
Summary: What does this say for the last movie?
Review: It seems to me that the reason that this version of the movie flowed better was the things that Peter Jackson left on the cutting room floor that got added again. Scenes made sense because they were set up fully, and not just thrown together. There were a lot of things that he left in the theatrical release that tied to things that were part of this release, as well as things that were only in the extended edition of the first and second movie. The original edition was all right by itself, but seemed choppy and jumped around. This just feels like a more complete movie.
Rating:
Summary: Critics: Heal Thy Selves
Review: As an artist of various mediums, myself, I watch The Lord of the Rings and my critical analysis runs like this: Compared to the accomplishment this film project represents, I feel like I can't skip and chew gum at the same time. And if I live a thousand years, I may never create the likes of this work by Jackson and his friends. My considered advise to detractors of the film: Take a look at the sum of all your contributions to art, and if you still feel you qualify to comment, then by all means go for it. In that case we may elect to be drug down by your disappointment. Otherwise, as they say, better keep your day jobs.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie.. Bad Disks
Review: I just got the 4 cd extended edition and disks 3 and 4 didn't work for me either. Not only that, the internal case was damaged, and one of the dvd's was chipped. The external packaging looked fine. The movie played fine, but disks 3 and 4 would only play on my pc's dvd. My dvd player is an Aiwa XD-DV370.
Rating:
Summary: Two Towers Extended version - Excellent!
Review: This is a must see for those people out there who left the cinema scratching their heads over the surprising trip to Osgiliath of Frodo, Sam and Gollum. I had reserved judgement on the changes until I saw the extended version and now it makes a lot more sense. The extension of this scene brings out Faramir's 'true' character. I was even more taken with this edition than the extended Fellowship DVD. The extra scenes are superb and add so much more to the film; for those people who have not read the books it gives a clearer explanation of who and what the characters are, for those who have read and loved the books it tells a more complete and satisfying tale. The ent draft scene is particularly entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: BEST FANTASY MOVIE EVER MADE!!!!!
Review: This movie totally rocked. It is so much better than the first one. It has better and more special features, the movie is longer, it's more interesting, and the special effects are ASTONISHING!! This movie has really good parts like the battle at Helm's Deep or when the ents went to get revenge on Saruman at Isengard for cutting many of their other ent friends. I really am amazed of how terrific this movie is. It beats the first one and other fantasy movie. I can't wait till the third part appears at cinemas. If you haven't seen this movie you should go rent it because probably anyone would love this movie.
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