Middle Earth goes to war

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2007)

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is the second installment in Peter Jackson's fabled adaptations of Tolkien's novels. Once again the costumes, scenes, sets, models, effects and epic score of Howard Shore work together to create a great atmosphere.
The core cast from the first film is back and once again proves adept. Several new characters appear in this film and are once again well-cast. Bernard Hill is authoritative and inspiring as King Theoden of Rohan. Miranda Otto is notable as Eowyn, though her best moments would come in the third film. Brad Dourif was a perfect choice for the conniving Grima Wormtongue. David Wenham and Karl Urban are effective as the warriors Faramir and Eomer. John Rhys-Davies, in addition to playing Gimli, is memorable for providing the voice for Treebeard.
Like with the first film, this film streamlines Tolkien's work but largely remains faithful to it to create a well-paced film. The conflict at Helm's Deep is spectacular and the second best fantasy battle ever filmed next to the battle in "Return of the King" (2003). My only complaint with this film is the alterations to Faramir's character. The "Two Towers" book made a clear distinction between Faramir and Boromir's personalities, but in this film they are homogenized. However, this is a minor blemish in what is otherwise an outstanding film. As with the last film, I found that the added scenes for the extended edition were interesting but didn't add much above and beyond the theatre cut.