Rating: 
Summary: Patchy in parts: let's see how it fits with Part 3
Review: OK, so the whole Tolkien purist thing has been done, done, done. INTERPRETATION. ADAPTATION. "Based on." You'll live, and if you've got to blame someone, you probably want to blame the money-chasing movie industry.Got it? Good. Let's put this aside for the moment and look at the film, free of the baggage: in many parts it's a lot more engaging than the Fellowship (which seemed more about exposition than anything), but why is this so patchy? There's over 40 minutes of extra stuff on the upcoming extended edition, and its absence in the theatrical release makes itself known. There's SO much stuff to cram in, and it's hard to absorb without either some more explanation, or by knowing the story beforehand. It was nice to see that very little time was given to rehashing and the scope of the tale was widely expanded, but there are parts of the story that seemed extremely ill-paced and hard to follow: too much plot, not enough time (come to think, this is probably the reason for the much-maligned Arwen thing -- how else are you going to reveal it?). The equally disputed part where the Elves joined the battle at Helm's Deep seemed to have absolutely no purpose whatsoever other than adding a juicy dramatic death scene to a familiar-but-not-central character. The Ents were practically forgettable, with the exception of the excellent scene at Isengard -- it was as though the forest-wandering scenes were merely pillows in between bits of action, totally devoid of any other purpose. The action rolls along nicely, but the end of the film kind of dangles, neither a cliffhanger nor a gentle 'See you next year!' Meanwhile, some of the more interesting characters' development seemed somewhat lacking, again probably attributable to the missing pieces. A lot more interesting things could have been done with the growing friendship between Legolas and Gimli -- short jokes don't cut it, and both characters were otherwise flat. Elrond's behaviour in the scene with Arwen is, like 'Fellowship,' just a bit more sinister than it really needs to be. It would have been nice to make the most of Eowyn's character, with a little more time spent on her mettle and royalty, and less on the fawning over Aragorn/helping small kids aspect. Put simply, it feels a bit 'unfinished,' and it's not just the middle-of-the-trilogy syndrome. I'd be inclined to wait till the Return of the King is released before making any firm judgment, though. The acting is schweeeet, avoiding the two-dimensionality that comes with Big Epics (and yes, Gollum counts as acting). The cast does a fantastic job despite the lack of attention to their roles' development. David Wenham in particular does a great job with adding some warmth to an otherwise shallow and unnecessarily nasty Faramir. Viggo Mortensen continues to stand out, adding all kinds of depth to Aragorn and avoiding the all-too-common Big Epic stock hero routine you tend to get in films like this. It's also particularly nice to see Elijah Wood doing something other than the 'happy hobbit/scared, bugeyed hobbit' routine. The transfer to DVD is particularly good, with only a small amount of artifacting floating about in the edges of the darker scenes. The surround audio is outstandingly sharp to my ears, and if you're interested in the English subtitles for the hearing impaired, you'll be pleased to note that it sticks like glue to the spoken dialogue. The extra DVD's full of the usual interesting peeks into the filming and so forth, and some fun (but typically cable-fluffy) interviews with the cast, producers and Jackson. Sean Astin's cute short film, The Long and the Short Of It, is entertaining -- but come on, do we need a Making Of for that one? Sheesh. The game preview looks superb. The Two Towers footage is simply amazing. I didn't really want this version, preferring to get the extended edition for a more complete film, but my brother (bless him) gave it to me as a gift. Wait for the extended release if you've become a big fan and really want to get a better idea of Jackson's interpretation, cause my gut says that the missing pieces in the theatre release are contained in those 40 minutes. But if you're pleased with the film as-is, buy now!
Rating: 
Summary: The Features of the Extended Version
Review: This 4 disc dvd will be the same thing as last one, but the Movie will be 40 mins longer, so that makes the total of 208 mins of the movie. Next year will be the Return of the King, same discs, but a different footage of the movie. Want to look more about ROTK? Go to Lordoftherings.net to see the photos of the ROTK, and the extended version of the Two towers. The Two towers releases on November 18, and Return of the King hits theatres in December 17 or 18, Try the 3rd game of LOTR, coming November. See it, or miss it. P.S I think P.J will try to do the Hobbit, or not? If some people never watched LOTR: T.T.T.? Heres the scoop, the fellowship is broken, and separeted in three groups, the Hobbits, Frodo and Sam continue their journey to Mordor, with Gollum as their guide. The second, Merry and Pippin, were captured by the Uruk-Hai, an army bred by the traitor, Saruman, then they ended up with Treebeard, an Ent of Fangorn Forest. The warriors, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Legolas, son of Thranduil, and Gimli, son of Gloin, track the Orcs who had Merry and Pippin, and that led them to Rohan, a kingdom that has horses as carriers of the army of Rohan, and home of Theoden, king Of Rohan. While the Hobbits are near Mordor, the wizard Gandalf returns once again as Gandalf the White. The remaining memebers of the fellowship are about to prepare the last war of Sauron, The dark lord. The armies of Rohan and Lothlorien prepare for battle against 10,000 Uruk-hais marching their way to Helm's Deep, the Fortress of Rohan. That is where it began, that is where the "War of the Ring" begins. Want to know more about the end? Buy the Two Towers on VHS or DVD, or wait for the Special one this November. Let the war Begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: Wow, this movie is just awesome. The combat scenes are simply amazing. I can't wait for the special extended edition.
Rating:
Summary: Part Two of the Epic Fantasy Trilogy
Review: Being a movie fan who has never read any of the Lord of the Rings books, I was a bit skeptical about whether or not I would like this movie or not. I had seen the first movie and liked it fairly well, but I was not prepared for the incredible movie experience of The Two Towers. As many mid-trilogy films are, this movie is darker than the first and probably the next movie. All hope seems lost as the fellowship of the ring is broken up and travels separately. If you have not read the books, it may surprise you that Frodo is not in nearly as much of this movie as he was in the last, because the movie follows each of the broken up groups of the fellowship of the ring. From what I heard, I expected the movie to be almost constant fighting and battle scenes that would get old after awhile. While there are plenty of thrilling fighting scenes, there is also plenty of deep character development, especially since all the characters have already been introduced in the first movie. There are plenty of special effects, such as Smeagle/Gollum and the epic battle scenes, but they are blended into the movie and advance the story; they don't create a sense of showing off like many over hyped movies seem to do. [possible spoilers here]
Ian McKellan returns as Gandalf, and his acting is superb as usual. Elijah Wood as Frodo is excellent as well; however, as I mentioned before, he is not in the movie as much as in the last one. He portrays Frodo quite well, as Frodo has grown to appreciate the Ring more and more and begins to act kind of eerie or creepy. The other two hobbits, Pippin and Merry, play a more important part in this film. And of course, there is Gollum, who is completely computer generated character, but is not reminiscent of the dreadful Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace. In conclusion, I think that anyone who has either read Tolkien's books or just likes action, adventure, or fantasy stories would very much like this movie. It very likely may be the greatest film of the year and has been called the "Star Wars" of this generation. Peter Jackson's second Lord of the Rings movie is an excellent show and a movie that will be famous years from now.
Rating:
Summary: Sensational, Rich and Visually Stunning
Review: "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is that rare breed of film that combines a dense plot, immaculate storytelling and awe-inspiring visuals. Not since "Star Wars" perhaps has film captured the essence of all 3 elements as beautifully as this film does. To be sure, the first instalment of LOTR - "The Fellowship of the Ring" - was a grand epic in and of itself. But, "Two Towers" is not only a continuation of that initial glimpse into Middle Earth - it's much much more. It rises above the first film if only because the middle of any great piece of art often becomes a stepping stone towards the end. A great book can sag in the middle, when an author starts tying together the pieces that result in the climax. Like that, a great film series (think "The Empire Strikes Back") often uses the middle installment to move the story along - though not too much - so that filmgoers are primed and ready for part 3. The middle installment is like the middle child - the "Eve Plumb/Jan Brady" of moviemaking - somewhat lost between the shuffle of its older
wiser sibling and the pitter patter of its adorable, always-preferred baby of the family. What makes Towers so unique in this regard is that the film stands on its own two feet (like those awesome trees that avenge their own destruction) with mind-blowing effects that overwhelm your senses and literally take you to another world. This is a movie worth repeat viewings - the dialogue is sometimes hard to follow, and of course, and many of characters and themes enjoy other-worldly terms and dialects that add to the challenge of keeping up. But this is a film that is sure to please both diehard fans of the Tolkien story (of which I am not) AND the average moviegoer who is simply looking to be blown away by the wonder of special effects, some of which are simply awesome. The story takes us forward towards the inevitable showdown between good and evil that's promised in the final film, yet it brings us closer than ever into the worlds of Hobbits and Orcs, of wizards and demons. Gollum - a slimy character that literally comes to life despite its computerized DNA - is a stunner, and the scenes of war and mayhem, the battle of Rohan, and the return of Gandalf simply have to be seen to be experienced in their full majesty. Any film like this is best seen first on a huge screen with a full capacity audience. Yet, in the privacy of home, the DVD allows us to re-live those sensations while digging deeper into specific sequences that might have been obscured or glossed over in a movie theater. We're awed by the majesty of New Zealand's grandeur, and brought to earth by the delicate friendship between Sam and Frodo, which in this film becomes truly human. A wonderful, visually stunning movie that even mortals like me can enjoy over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Lord Of The Swords
Review: I've seen this movie in the theatre and I must say that I like this movie because it's a good movie to watch. I like how Peter Jackson stays true to Tolkien's books. The reviewers who gave it one star are probably under the influence of the ring, and do not understand this movie. After I saw it in the theatre, I was kind of anxious during the battle at Helms Deep because I was wondering if the elves were going to win, or lose. I'm glad I read this books to understand what this movie was missing. I can't wait for the next one to come out in December of this year. I highly recommend this to future fans of LOTR.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: I'll start with the things I didn't like about the movie, and get that out of the way, but keep in mind that I give this five stars and will still give it five stars after the following mini-rant. Faramir -- WHAT is with this? This isn't Faramir! This is reincarnated Boromir at his worst! I understand that it adds to the drama of the movie, but it screws up characterization so bad it's ridiculous. And since RotK is both the climax of the trilogy and Faramir's biggest role, characterization should matter more just now, not adding unnessecary tension. He did go back to normal at the end, though, which is something, and he's supposed to be back in character for RotK. So while this didn't mess up the plot as badly as it might have, it's going to confuse people who haven't read the books. Gimli -- Gimli is not comic relief. Gimli rocks. The lagging behind Aragorn and Legolas, the Wargs piling on top of him, were a little much. The "Toss me" lines were classic, though, and I liked "If I had time I'd get this adjusted, it's a little tight across the chest," and "Shall I describe it to you, or would you like me to find you a box?" And I'm glad they kept his competition with Legolas to see who would kill more orcs, and that they kept some non-comical lines for him. So, like the Faramir thing, it turned out okay, but it's also going to give people the wrong impression. Gimli has one or two amusing moments, but no more than anyone else. Aragorn and the cliff -- Obviously, this was done to establish Eowyn's loving Aragorn and to reinforce Aragorn and Arwen, but it wasn't in the book. I approve of PJ's doing something with the romantic tension between Aragorn and Eowyn -- maybe it was just me, but when Faramir mentioned it in the RotK book, I thought, "What? What'd I miss?" -- but really, it could have been more subtle, and while it didn't interrupt the plot line too much, it was totally unnessecary and there was enough hinting already that didn't interrupt the plot AT ALL. Got that out of my system. Now, onto things I liked...it's hard to pick out specific things the way you can do with errors, so this will be ramble-tastic. Bear with me. The emotion at the end between Frodo and Sam convinced me that RotK is going to be the tearjerker movie of the year. (The RotK preview in the special features is practically proof too.) Gollum was excellently done -- another example of special effects magic and of Andy Serkis's talent. The acting was terrific as usual. I thought Miranda Otto was amazing as Eowyn, and the actor who played Grima Wormtongue, I don't know his name, but Christ Almighty, THAT is talent. I know the battle at Helm's Deep wasn't nearly that big or dramatic in the book, but honestly, I don't care. Call me a traitor to Tolkienites everywhere, but aside from the elves being there, there was nothing in it that didn't mesh with the books. Besides, give me an epic battle scene and I'm in love. If they had to cut out Shelob, then this was the big moment in TTT, and it was wonderfully done, not to mention an excellent set-up for RotK, when the war begins in earnest. (Can you tell I've got Return of the King on the brain? I can't help it, if PJ doesn't make too many mistakes, it'll be the best of the three and my new favorite movie. If he screws it up, heads will roll.) All in all, an excellent movie, worth seeing and worth the three hours. I only wish it were longer.
Rating:
Summary: LOTR - The Two Towers - Even better than the first film!
Review: This review is for LOTR - The Two Towers theatrical release DVD. The long awaited release of the theatrical version DVD is finally available and it is an absolutely incredible film and DVD. From the moment that it was announced that Peter Jackson would be filming "The Lord of the Rings," many Tolkien fans, casual or diehard expressed both joy and anxiety over the filming of this literary classic. They expressed joy over finally being able to see this extraordinary story in film and anxiety over whether director Peter Jackson would be able to be true to the original story and do justice to it. Despite the theatrical releases of both the first and second films being three hours each, Peter Jackson still couldn't fit everything in, but that's what the Extended versions are for and if the Extended version being released in November is anywhere near as good as the first one, it should be an exceptional experience that brings the film closer to being true to Tolkien's original work. As to Peter Jackson being able to do justice to Tolkien's literary masterpiece; he not only does justice to it, the first two films have been nothing less than extraordinary! Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davis, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Brad Dourif and Karl Urban all deserve high praise for bringing their great performances to this classical story that will certainly go down in the history books as the finest set of films ever to be produced. Even higher praise goes to Andy Serkis, who brought Gollum to life, despite never actually being seen in the film, without his efforts, the reality of Gollum would never have made it to the film. High praise should go to Director Peter Jackson for his use of special effects in the manner in which he has in this and the first film. The special effects are quite obviously there, but they're not what drive the film, but an asset to it. Many directors could've easily used special effects to drown out the most important part of this film, the characters, their individual stories and how they interact with one another. The premise: As "The Fellowship of the Ring" closed; Boromir has been killed in battle with the Uruk-hai , Frodo and Sam have lead off on their own to reach Mordor and Merry and Pippin have been captured by the Uruk-hai. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli have vowed to catch up with the Uruk-hai to free Merry and Pippin... As "The Two Towers" opens up, we see Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in pursuit of the Uruk-hai in hopes of freeing Merry and Pippin and we see Frodo and Sam, on their quest to find Mordor, though they're having problems finding their way through the mountains. They soon discover that they're being followed and capture their pursuer, Gollum, who once possessed the ring for a very long time, and is now an ancient creature, who at one time had been Hobbit like, but he's been "distorted" by his possession of the ring, or more specifically, the rings possession of him. We're soon brought to the return of Gandalf, who is now Gandalf the White after his epic battle with the Balrog which is a cinematically beautiful battle between a wizard and demon. What follows from there is nothing short of one the most entertaining films ever created. The Battle of Helm's Deep alone is so epic in proportion that it somewhat lessens the experience of other films where there were "epic" battles. {ssintrepid} Special Features: - Revealing the Secrets Behind the Production of the Epic Adventure:
- On the Set-The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- Return to Middle-Earth
- A Short Film Directed by Sean Astin - "The Long and the Short of it"
- The Making of "The Long and the Short of it"
- Featurettes:
- Created for lordoftherings.net, Take a Closer Look at the People and Places of Middle-Earth:
- Forces of Darkness
- Designing the Sounds of Middle-Earth
- Edoras: The Rohan Capital
- Creatures of Middle-Earth
- Gandalf the White
- Arms and Armor
- The Battle of Helm's Deep
- Bringing Gollum to Life
- Exclusive 10-minute Behind the Scenes Preview of "The Return of the King"
- Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
- "Gollum's Song" Music Video by Emiliana Torrini - Preview of Electronic Arts' Video Game - "LOTR - The Return of the King
- An Inside Look at the Special Extended DVD Edition of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
Rating:
Summary: It's only the best movie of all time...
Review: Well, I would just like to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Sure, some extra scenes were added, but this doesn't destroy the movie. Sure, some things were left out, or changed, but so what?? Peter Jackson and the cast and crew of LOTR did a fabulous job. Everything was filmed perfectly and was completely flawless. I especially love the scenery (considering it was filmed in beautiful New Zealand), and Gollum in particular was just as I imagined he would be when reading the book. Another impressive point to consider is the wonderful music. I think Howard Shore did such a good job on this. So, let me round this off by saying, that if you are a true fan of LOTR, you won't let a few minor changes destroy the movie when it has so much else going for it. This is just my personal opinion, though. I can understand (kind of) that some people don't like the movie because it's just not the sort of thing they like or because it's too long, but being a so-called "Tolkien Purist" is just stupid. I personally have read the books myself several times, and Tolkien is an absolute genius. Peter Jackson and company are only really there to make tribute to his amazing imagination and ability as a writer.
Rating:
Summary: I thought this was superb!
Review: I thought this was superb - the acting was magnificent, the scenery was breathtaking and apart from a few liberties from the Tolkien original (presumably to meet changing times....) it was altogether fully up to expectation. Christopher Catherwood (author of CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE, Zondervan 2003 - and a graduate of Tolkien's old university
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