brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (20 February 2003)

Excited wasn't the word for this. I was giddy as a school girl (so to speak) and was looking forward to a cinematic treat. And I wasn't disappointed.
Firstly I have to say a big thanks to new line for not giving us too many spoilers. I know us fans know what happens (hey, we can read!) but we don't know how it happens (if you follow me). For example, we had tantalising glimpses of Gollum in FOTR. But he was kept carefully under wraps. And for that, new line, I salute you. In the week leading up to the original MIB I had seen trailer upon trailer, music videos, making of's and every interview and clip you can think of. I had, essentially, seen every moment of that film. So the impact had been lost and my enjoyment dulled. Not so The Two Towers.
As I went in blind, everything blew me away. Sure, the adverts gave us a few minutes of Helms Deep and a Bit of Eowyn here and there, but nothing major. Everything came to me fresh and kicked a lot of ass. Amazingly enough, the thrill was still there even on my second and third viewings. High praise indeed.
With a few viewings it becomes obvious that PJ has captured the essence of the second book, while skilfully leaving out the things he could get away with. For example, the meeting of the Ents and all their songs are, quite frankly, dull and we are well rid of them. The pacing is superb. It never seems to drag and every scene is welcome. It was a hard job following the superb Fellowship but PJ has done us proud.
Helms Deep, the centre piece of the film, is just enthralling. From the tear jerking scenes of young boys getting tooled up for war to the rousing sight of Gandalf leading the charge, we are assaulted by a bombastic mix of sound and sights. I can safely say, without hyperbole, that it is simply one of the most phenomenal scenes in cinematic history.
A review of Two Towers wouldn't be complete without a mention of the Gollum. The character is just brilliant. Retaining all the pitiable characteristics of the book. The inner conflict scene had me close to tears!
The standard has now been set. The bar has been raised. Fellowship and The Two Towers stand head and shoulders above almost any film I have seen. The quality of them is awe inspiring. My problem now is waiting for the extended DVD. And Return of the King.
And how hard is Legolas? He is just a killing machine!