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
Rating:
Summary: Great middle segment to incredible epic
Review: Every once in a while a movie comes along that really sticks with you. It goes beyond trying to dazzle you exclusively with special effects or grandiose story lines. Don't get me wrong, Two Towers certainly has these two down. But it doesn't stop there. The visuals are stunning. Ice capped mountains, lush forests, and ornate castles are so detailed, so crisp, that you may forget this is just a movie. The characters are developed with much effort and love. From Frodo, to Aragorn, to the evil Sarumon, you know their motivations,passion and conviction to have their victory. And you will find yourself rooting for some and against others. The battle for Helms Deep is intense. As the rain pours down thousands of individual can be seen locked in combat. And it looks absolutely great! Some of the best mass battle scenes in film. Watch this trilogy. I hope it stirs your heart as it did mine.
Rating: 
Summary: The Two Towers-Overall Well Done
Review: As an avid fan of the Lord of the Rings books, I must say that I was overall impressed with the Two Towers movie. I had been warned ahead of time that it was the movie that Peter Jackson had changed the most out of all three films, so I went into it expecting some changes. Little changes didn't bother me (like the whole thing with Pippin taking the brooch off with his mouth, as mentioned in an earlier review). I did enjoy the beefing up of the female characters, and the fact that Jackson showed what was happening with Arwen, because I often found myself wondering about that while reading the book. And while some of the larger changes were a little different(what's up with the whole Aragorn falling off the cliff thing?), making me wonder if I was watching the right movie, I think the changes I was most disappointed in were the changes that made the characters look bad. For example, the fact that Faramir took them all the way to Osgiliath before he finally decided to let Frodo go. One of the things that really impressed me in the book was how Faramir resisted the temptation of the ring almost right away, in stark contrast to his brother Boromir. It just made him seem a little flakier. Also, the fact that the Ents didn't decide to get involved in the war until Pippin's quick thinking. This made Pippin look good, but made the Ents worse characters. I understand why Peter Jackson made these changes, because both made for a more dramatic movie, and I realize he has to think of the people who haven't read the books and keep them interested as well. It just was kind of disappointing to see those characters portrayed in that way. The only other thing that I had to chuckle over was the battle of Helm's Deep. It is a battle that takes up one chapter in the book, and it took up at least 45 minutes of the movie. It was excellently done...just plan on being in the theater for five hours for The Return of the King! With all that still needs to happen from The Two Towers that was left out, we'll be there a while!
I think it's easy to find fault with any movie converted from a book, because a book can include more detail. And let's face it: if you've grown up reading a story, and have loved it for many years, it's always a little disappointing to have it change in a movie. I think, though, that we need to imagine what an overwhelming task it must be to convert a well-known book trilogy to three movies. There is no way that everyone will be happy. Also, I think that Peter Jackson has done a great job at paying attention to detail that many other directors may have overlooked. Overall, I think he did a great job. I enjoyed the Two Towers, and I'm looking forward to seeing the extra footage in the extended edition!
Rating:
Summary: Dazzling fantasy epic that never bores or fails to excite
Review: There isn't very much at all to be said about this film that hasn't already been said ad nausem. It totally manages to outdo the first film in the series in every way possible, especially in entertainment value. The characters are well developed and always interesting, and the massive battle scenes (especially the Battle of Helms Deep) are undoubtedly the best ever filmed for medeviel epic, and that includes Braveheart. Anyone that even vaguely enjoys any kind of fantasy/action and has two and a half hours to kill should pick this up as soon as possible. An essiential piece to any DVD collection!
Rating: 
Summary: Willow 2003
Review: I finally sat through this second installment (though it required several catnaps and mild inebriation) and though I guess it was better than the first, it's still pretty empty outside the visual. The only advantage it has over a movie like "Willow" is that it had the good fortune of being filmed 15 years later. That said, many of the special effects in "The 2 Towers", combined with a moving score, are awesome, particulary the long, final battle. And it's a sad state of affairs when the best actor in the movie is a computer-generated goblin. But mixed in with all of that is a good hour's worth of tedium, soap-opera dialogue, and general meandering (to what end, I don't know...perhaps the greater running time has become a symbol of prestige). The director is skilled at combining the effects with the live action, but he is comically inept in other areas. Take for instance the locations, which are beautiful and vast. Jackson's standard trick when introducing a new setting is to have the camera circle around it thoughtfully. I can't remember who perfected this trick, maybe Kubrick or Ridley Scott or someone like that, but to use devices like this incessantly is really a cliche of cinema grammar. Nevertheless, Jackson is a master compared to that other trilogy-pusher Lucas, who's movie-making skills have mysteriously regressed to a fetal state.
There really is too much to sit through for someone not infatuated with the original books. The talking trees just about put me to sleep. This is an action/fantasy masquerading as a deeper drama, but there is no deeper drama. Cutting half an hour or an hour would pep up this movie immeasurably, and probably make it great. So it's ironic as hell that the filmmakers wait a couple of months, then push an extended version of the film on DVD. This edition could quite possibly rid the world of insomnia. For a quicker dose of fantasy, try "Willow". Not only do they have wizards, trolls and other assorted midgets, they've got 2 bickering "brownies"--both an inch high, like characters from Sherwood Forest zapped by Rick Moranis' shrinking machine--and Val Kilmer, in that ambiguous post-Real Genius, pre-Batman period, wooing Joanne Whalley onscreen.
Rating:
Summary: Cry Babies!!!
Review: Tolkien Purists should stop complaining about 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' movie. The Special Extended Edition hasn't even been released on DVD yet and here they are whining and crying like babies because they actually think that 'The Two Towers' does not hold true to the books. Who cares anyway! I've read the books, loved them, but I'm not complaining. 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' is a spectacular movie sequel that I highly recommend you buy on video or DVD. It is a movie sequel that is actually worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Movies Ever!!!!
Review: This was a great movie! It was better than the first one, though at first, i wondered how you could get better than FOTR. The battle scenes were so cool, and anything with Legolas and Gimli is going to be funny! The extras were good too, like the sneak peak and the music video. They could've made this movie six hours long and I wouldn't have cared. It's pretty true to the book, and the Aragorn and Eowyn thing is pretty close to how it is in the books, which i've read about a billion times apiece. You have to see this Movie!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Can't remember the book... Still a great film!!
Review: It's been about 23 years since I've read the books. I do think they were the greatest books I've ever read. Of course, I don't remember all of the details which is probably why I totally enjoyed this film so much. I certainly can't fault the "Purests" for being upset about some of the changes. The whole "Faramir" thing is something I vaguely remembered when viewing the film and it did bug me a little. I know they were going for a darker feal to this film but let heroes be heroes. That said, I still loved the film as is. So, it's not sticking to the book. I'm just glad they (Hollywood)actually made a worthy depiction of the concept in general! After sitting through the Ralf Bakshi(?) debacle this was an awesome relief. As a film, no matter my fealings about "accuracy", I just could not give it less than 5 stars. I love fantasy movies and this series is undeniably the benchmark. I kind of feal sorry for the "purests" for their inability to separate this film from the books. Maybe take a break from the film, clear your mind and view the film later... as a separate entity. You can't deny this is a spectacular and well made film. It's OK to be disapointed about story and character "tweaking", just don't deny yourself the joy of a film that will get you as close as your ever going to get to seeing The LOTR trilogy with your own 2 eyes. Some disappointment? Of course! However, you'll be doing yourself a favor if you can get over it and get into this story. Then you can have a favorite book trilogy AND a favorite film trilogy. I will bet anything that this will not be re-made ever again. This is it.... ... or you could act it out in your mom's basement!!! Oh yea, the DVD is great yadda yadda..
Rating:
Summary: they just keep getting better...
Review: I was crazy not to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in the theaters because if that film looked THAT amaZinG on my own big screen tv at home (which it did) then Oh MY...i could only imagine how spectacular, how intensifying it would look on the giant silver screen. This sequel engaged me from beginning to end. I learned to love several characters while hating others. Never has the battle of good versus evil looked so awing. You know how after you keep seeing the good guys win again and again in so many films that you kinda get sick of it and wish the bad guys would conquer for once?? well...I can almost guarantee you will be rootin' on tHeSe good men til the very end. I mean, their sheer passion to protect what is good, upright and noble is so compelling that you can almost taste the blood spilt on their behalf. You are so much drawn into every scene that you almost forget your own surroundings. Unlike the first movie The Fellowship of the Ring, this second film focuses more on each individual character for the nine original members of the fellowship have split up into three different subgroups (as you see at the end of the first movie). This allows for a larger scope of action that will bind you to your seat. And is it just me or do those Oks keep getting uglier and uglier?? *shudders* haha Clearly, this film isn't big on romance, but if you're curious to see if it follows the blossoming love between Aragorn and Arwen the daughter of the master elf...they do have some brief but substantial scenes together. I have several favorite scenes in this film--all of which are parts in the battle of Helm's Deep (or is it Keep?). I won't say exactly what they are so as not to spoil it for those of you who have not yet seen Two Towers. It is all very exciting tho and sincerely impressive I must say. This has to be my favorite movie of the year and that says alot because I usually favor romantic comedies. Two Towers is filled with action, adventure, lust, and emotion. They call the great battle: the War of the Ring. I call it the war of good vs. evil. They did an awesome job of creating the special effects...and the animated characters possess so much realism that you may think they are people dressed in costume and an extreme amount of makeup. I must add, if you are a huge fan of the handsome Legolas (Orlando Bloom)--like I am (of course ;) hehe)--you will be happy to find that he has more parts in this one than first. And he shows off his fighting skills in addition to his expert archery talent. Hmmm...and I have to say...i love it when he speaks Elf...it's smooth...rich and sexy! haha Basically, if you loved the first one, you will be enchanted by its sequel (Two Towers) and I am more than anxious to see the final addition to the trilogy (The Return of the King) for I'm sure it will not dissapoint. =) As long as they keep making 'em, I'm gonna keep seeing 'em. ;)
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Absolutely amazing. Totally fantastic. Can't believe that somebody can make such a stunning movie.
The only problem is that the men of Rohan, don't actually look anything like what the book describes them as. But that is a miner defect.
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