nothing special

Rating: 6/10 (25 April 2003)

This movie has beautiful cinematography, but that is pretty much its only superior quality, and even the beauty of the scenery is tempered by obviously computer-generated effects.
If you are not a fan, don't let the hype raise your expectations too much. It is just a continuation of the first film, although more action makes it less boring -- and harder to follow. And it's surprisingly much more morbid and depressing than the first (although someone pointed out this was par for the second part of a trilogy).
Why people are seeing this over and over again is completely beyond me. The characters are shallow, typical fantasy characters, the plot is inane, and the dialogue is only a bit more intelligent than that in "Star Wars Episode II." And, aside from a few of the elves and humans, the characters aren't even that physically attractive.
I think it must be necessary to read the books first in order to care about these movies, and unfortunately, seeing the movies doesn't even make me want to read the books.
Congrats to the "Lord of the Rings" team on making a popular blockbuster and apparently a great adaptation of a classic fantasy story, but people should be aware that this is not a great film. It does not belong in the IMDB top 250, and if you didn't like the first one, you are unlikely to like this one either.