Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful
Review: When i first heard about these great works of Tolkien being filmed i was doubtful to say the least. As a long time fan of the Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy i just didnt think it could be done correctly. I was wrong. This extended version is nothing short of stunning in every aspect. The directors cut is much more cohesive just as the Fellowship uncut version is. If your a fan of Tolkien or not, this is part two of an epic that will set the standard for future epic films. Five stars are not nearly enough.
Rating:
Summary: ANOTHER HOMERUN!
Review: After my great experience with "The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)", I didn't hesitate a minute with the extended release of the two towers. Great stuff!Again, I wonder why they just didn't show this version in the theaters? Not really that much longer than the original and much more entertaining and clear. Closer to the book in a variety of ways and for you Gollum lovers there's a lot more of the slimy little creature with all of his enduring qualities. The four-disc set is also packed with extra features up the ying-yang. And don't viewing everything until you've found the hidden extra feature hosted by Peter Jackson himself. That's all I'm saying. A must for every serious LOTR fan. Douglas McAllister
Rating: 
Summary: Just a little slow
Review: Good movie, a little slow in spots (too much running everywhere!), but great visuals as usual.
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: The additional forty minutes makes the movie much less choppy and explains a lot of things. Faramir, for example, who I thought was a rather weak character in the original version makes a lot more sense. The extras provided on this DVD set are outstanding as well. I really enjoyed watching how Gollum was actually done and Peter Jackson and the writers explaining their reasons for adapting the book the way they did. In all, a great entertainment value. After I watch the extended editions and the extras on them, I can't help but feel that this adaption of Tolkien was a true work of love by its creators and will not be equalled again in my lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: just when you thought it couldn't get any better...IT DID
Review: The theatrical version of the Two Towers was awesome. The drama, the locations, the battles, the performances of the actors, everything. Well, just as was done with the Fellowship of the Ring extended cut, the whole movie gets a huge upgrade from its' already excellent status in this 4 DVD set. There is 45 minutes worth of scenes that were not in the theatrical cut. And they all seem to do one of 4 purposes. 1: Give us more scenes and/or more lines from the book, including an homage to Tom Bombadil by Treebeard. 2: Explain and expand the plot and the characters of the Two Towers to a greater extent. 3: help set up events in the Return of the King much better. 4: add more witty and humurous moments. A perfect example of No. 2 is Faramir. He has some additional scenes towards the start of the second disc that, without giving it away, GREATLY help his character and his characters motivations. I know this was one of the critisisms of the theatrical version, that Faramir was a weak and weightless character. Those who have critized Pete Jackson and Co. for this should really watch this extended cut. As with the first movie extended cut, the 4 movie commentaries are all fascinating(if VERY time consuming!). The whole set is just awesome. I could ramble on all day about this. Just get it and experience it for yourself!
Rating:
Summary: A true fantasy movie...
Review: I confess: I never really liked the first movie, the plotline was shortened, the acting never lived up to my expectations and the whole thing had a feeling of cheap and poorly written D'n'D adventure. But the second movie simply redeems the first. First of all unlike FoTR TT preserves the epic tolkien feeling that was in the novel, and the soundtrack is just awesome. Though Eliajah Wood as Frodo still bothers me a bit (by his a la Leonardo di-Caprio appearance, not by acting) I daresay its the best movie I've seen for a very long time. Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf was great, not to mention Chris Lee as Saruman. The style is just epic (no other way to describe it) and the beginning will just left you breathless (as the batlle of Helm's Deep). The whole movie got a slight Warcraft feeling to it but it only adds to the movie. In short: if you want to see a perfect fantazy epic(and you liked the original novel), this movie is just for you.
Rating:
Summary: Much bettter than the theatrical release
Review: Unlike many in this forum, I was quite dissapointed with the theatrical release of the Two Towers. While the cinematography was quite stunning, the first half of the movie felt quite rushed and the changes Jackson, et al, made in the story was quite annoying and unnecessary. Enter the extended version! Both of my complaints with the theatrical version have been answered. With the extra material, the movie no longer feels rushed. And, with the extra explanation, the alterations are not annoying, as they finally make sense. Unlike the first movie, there are a few flaws in the extension. The added elven rope and extended Taming of Smeagol scenes feel tacked on. This is due more to the cinematographic differences (rainy, night time versus day) than illogical progression, but the placing of the additions was enough to keep me from losing myself in the story. Fortunately, these scenes are short and near the beginning. The second flaw is far more subtle. As one of the added scenes merges into older content, the entire sound track goes blank for about a second, highlighting the fact that there is new content. As this flaw happens in the change of a scene, it may be a DVD flaw that is not present in the film. Engrossed in the film at the time, it was jarring to me. Things to really like: * The hobbit's escape from capture flows.
* The Ent's decision to go to war feels natural, not forced.
* Theoden's human side shows quite a bit more
* You better understand the nature of Aragorn, as one of the last of the Dúnedain. While this still does not explain his near superman quality (being blown hundreds of feet in the air and getting back up to fight), it at least adds a level of plausibility.
* The elves' aid at Helm's Deep makes more sense.
* Faramir's character begins to shine, which will be more important in Return of the King.
* A crucial set up for ROTK is set up with Merry and Pippin (will not spoil for those who have not read the books). In addition, there are some fun scenes that many avid LOTR fans have been waiting for, like the Ent Draft scene. While this does not necessarily add much to the story line, the added scenes do give a bit more depth to the characters. Much like the Fellowship extended, the extra material lacks a certain amount of production quality. The material is excellent, however, for those who want to know more about both the original story and the film. I am torn with 4 and 5 stars with this review and wish I could give 4.5. While I am definitely a fan, there are a couple of flaws that make it hard for me to give it a perfect score.
Rating:
Summary: This is what we should have seen in the theatre!
Review: I liked the theatrical version of "The Two Towers." That being said, the Extended Edition is definitely a stronger, more consistent film. It tightens up so many of the loose ends, and gave more reason for some of the changes made from the books. From Eowyn's heartfelt singing at Theodred's funeral procession to Merry and Pippin's extended roles to Faramir's siginificantly more defined character, the new scenes add to the story and to the character development dramatically. The plot flows better in general, and my wife's comment upon seeing the new material was "It makes sense now!" That sums it up pretty well. The DVD extras (on Discs 3 and 4) live up to the high standard set by the Extended Edition of "Fellowship of the Ring." We get to see some of the technical wizardry in the creation of Gollum, and we get insights into the massive amounts of creative energy expended on crafting this grand film, including the reasoning behind changing key elements of the books. What is abundantly clear in each presentation is that everyone involved in making these films is passionately devoted to doing it well, ad no decisions were made haphazardly. It's so rare to find DVD extras that live up to the film they accompany, but the extras on the set definitely do so admirably. And be sure to keep your eyes open for a couple of great easter eggs! When it comes to the films themselves, "Fellowship of the Ring" was different. The theatrical release was very good, and the Extended Edition was very good. Some of the individual scenes in the "Fellowship" Extended Edition were cut better, but overall I like both versions equally, for different reasons. For "The Two Towers," it really seems like the Extended Edition is the better film. Diehard Tolkien fans or movie fans who never read the books should both enjoy the Extended Edition more.
Rating:
Summary: Extended version DVD
Review: I never saw the short version, and don't intend to, so this is strictly about the extended version. I have two complaints about pointless deviations from the book; one, the way the ents made up their mind, and two the side trip with Faramir. Well, so what, because all the characters are present and pretty much faithfully execute the general themes. I have no objections to side issues like what the heck were the elves doing at Helm's Deep and so forth. It's a movie, not the book, I've managed to live with that concept quite comfortably. And what a movie! Like I said, I don't know about the theatrical version, but this one is an excellent two-night experience, exciting and interesting throughout. I really liked some of the stuff not covered in the book, like the flashback with Boromir and Faramir, that was really good. And I thought the Arwen twist combined with the possible earthly Aragorn/Eowyn connection was a good plot element to add. No objections at all, I found all the elvish chat with Elrond most entertaining. Oh yeah, Brad Dourif is perfect as Grima, played that to the hilt. Maybe more "name" actors would have been better in some of the roles, they are known for a reason, they are good at their craft, as Dourif illustrated well. Petty, petty complaints. This is wonderful stuff. I'll look forward next year to the last extended set!
Rating:
Summary: Much Better Than Released Version
Review: MOVIE - 5 STARS; COMPANION DVD'S - 4 STARS *SPOILER ALERT**SPOILER ALERT**SPOILER ALERT**SPOILER ALERT** When I first heard that the elves would be at Helm's Deep in the Two Towers, I, like many others, was outraged. When I saw the completed theatrical release, I realized something. Helm's Deep would have been a total wash for the world of men if they didn't have good archers on that battlement. The difference in the media of print and film makes some changes necessary. Of course it reads well without the elves, but when one actually sees that battle, the viewer's perspective is necessarily changed. A lot of that happens with the new and extended scenes in this DVD set. Some of it is extremely unnecessary for the telling of the story, but relates the tale in different perspectives. For instance, the added scene between Eowyn and Aragorn gives you Aragorn's age and reminds the viewer that he is not of the normal race of men. Reading the book, the reader cannot forget this unless they put the book down for a year. I must say, Viggo Mortensen has aged well. The companion dvds are a bit of a disappointment. The same interviews and statements are repeated throughout. There is some new info, though. At least it was new to me. The guy who trained the stunt persons in swordplay was Erroll Flynn's stunt double. The guy looks amazing for his age. I guess foiling and swordplay keep one in shape. One really great thing -- the Easter Egg on this dvd set is in the same place as on the FOTR dvd. Go to select a scene on the first dvd. Go to the last scene and hit "down" one more time so that "new scene" is highlighted. Hit "play". It's Andy Serkis'/Gollum's acceptance speech at the 2003 MTV movie awards. I've never laughed so hard in my life.
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