A very involving continuation of LOTR (slight spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2002)

I enjoyed this film about the same amount as the first, maybe just a little less. I really liked the leisurely introduction to the characters that FOTR allowed. This time around the sweep of events overtakes the character development somewhat, but not to the extent that this is secondary to the plot. Perhaps I didn't view the film in the best frame of mind, as I was slightly distracted by the swooning gasps of the Aragorn/Legolas estrogen brigade seated in the row behind me, these films really do appeal to folk for all sorts of reasons...
Jackson does a superb job of weaving the three story strands together. Tolkein was adamant in his objection that those retelling the tale shouldn't intercut between the separate storylines in the book. Though for this film it really was the most appropriate choice. My one slight reservation was that Merry & Pippin's story seemed to stall a little in the middle, but it has a great, and visually spectacular, pay-off with the Ent's attack on Saruman's forces.
Most of the characters are given a good amount of screen time. Frodo's struggle against the ring's power begins to threaten his relationship with Sam, which adds a lot of pathos to thier story, fine and nuanced acting from Wood and Austin here. Aragorn's personal struggles become increasingly prominent, expanding on what we know about him from the book. Legolas and Gimli have more of a presence as well. Some might object to Gimli serving as the comic relief, but John Rhys Davies, who perfected the quietly amusing supporting role in the Indiana Jones movies, plays it just right. He's funny without being bufoonish, and brings a good deal of humanity to the film. There's much less of Gandalf this time round, and when he's on screen he seems more subdued than his old cantankerous self from FOTR. Readers of the books will know that there is a reason for this, but I do miss Gandalf the Grey. I was also sorry not to see Ian Holm's Bilbo this time round, but again that's down to Tolkein.
The new additions all make a strong impression Brad Dourif's haunted and reptilian Wormtounge and Bernard Hill's conflicted Theoden are standout. Miranda Otto's Eowen is also impressive, it would have been good to see more of her during the Helms Deep battle. Golum is, as many have said, one of the most thoughtfully created and technically accomplished CGI creations yet brought to the screen. Eomer and Faramir are well realized and give strong support as well.
This is a fine continuation of FOTR, and well worth seeing in the theater (particularly for the Helms Deep sequence). Yet again the major digressions from the novel are well thought out, and serve to make the cinematic story telling more involving. Here's to Return of the King.