Epic sequel lives up to "The Fellowship..."

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2002)

Well here we are, one year after THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. I know that many of you out there are all very excited about this release, as you all should be. After all, if THE TWO TOWERS is anything like THE FELLOWSHIP. then it will undoubtedly be good. This is the obvious case. That's what happens when you have a director, Peter Jackson, who is more than just an avid fan of J.R.R Tolkien's fantasy trilogy. Jackson has created two motion pictures that are epic beyond proportion to anything that we have ever seen before theatrically. They are visually stunning, filled with incredible action sequences, and a story that reaches into the very foundations of all of our imaginations. When THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING opened last year on December 19, it was a huge success with an opening box-office weekend upwards of $45 million. What's more, it didn't really fall out of the public's attention after the Christmas holiday; rather it held on. With talk of Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, strong word of mouth from film patrons, critical appeal, and a huge fan base that was already established from the amazing series of books, THE FELLOWSHIP. proved to be a huge success in every aspect. Now, after one year of waiting we have THE TWO TOWERS. George Lucas, creator of the STAR WARS Trilogy and INDIANA JONES said it best during an interview about the original STAR WARS Trilogy. George said that every play has three acts. In the first act, there is a small victory. The second act puts the main characters in the worst possible situation. And in the third act, the hero saves the day, and all's well that end's well. That's the case with THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy. THE FELLOWSHIP. set the stage with a small victory at the end of the film, but establishing the idea of hope and that there is more to come in the story. THE TWO TOWERS pits its characters in the worst possible situation. Naturally, we can expect some fantastic ending to come next year in THE RETURN OF THE KING. As for THE TWO TOWERS, Frodo and Sam are off in the land of Mordor, trying to get to the gates of Mordor to destroy `the one ring.' However, they notice that they are being followed, and who should it be but Gollum, the deformed creature that originally had the ring before it came into the possession of Bilbo. Frodo and Sam capture Gollum and make him lead them to the gates of Mordor. Meanwhile Aragorn, Gimly the dwarf, and Legolas the elf are off to find the two hobbits who were kidnapped during the final battle of THE FELLOWSHIP., Merry and Pippin. But the lands of Middle Earth are in more peril than ever, and Saruman The White is sending his army of Uruk-hai against the lands of Middle Earth. In this case, it is primarily the land of Rohan. It is up to the three companions of the original fellowship to unit with the people of Rohan, and with the help of Gandalf The White, formally The Grey. They lead the people of Rohan into an immense battle in a place called Helm's Deep.
Obviously the plot is far more intricate than that, however, fantasy, at least for me, is a bit difficult to explain. And I'm sure that those of you who haven't seen THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING are probably confused by the plot explanation in the above paragraph. If you are, then watch the first film or read the first book in the trilogy. But THE TWO TOWERS is equally as good as THE FELLOWSHIP. was. I can't really decide which film is better, or which I would prefer to watch. THE TWO TOWERS is more action packed, and there are the occasional jokes that one can't help but be amused at. The acting in the film is good, what would be expected for such a film. But the acting isn't phony either. In fact, the characters seem very heroic you find yourself and other audience members rooting them on. It's a wonderful film, and what a gift for the holidays to have in theaters. If you were not able to see THE FELLOWSHIP. theatrically, I urge you to see this one theatrically. Especially in a digital sound theater if you can. The film is huge and filled with splendor; it needs to be seen on `the big screen' to be truly appreciated for all that it is. It's become more than a film. Rather, the release of THE TWO TOWERS is an event. I was fortunate enough to see it this morning in Albany at Hoyts Crossgates Cinemas 18, which in my opinion are the finest digital theaters around. And believe me, I've been to many megaplexes from here to Florida. The show was sold out, and the crowd cheered, applauded, and rooted the characters on. Like seeing the original STAR WARS on it's opening day reissue back on January 31, 1997, the crowd was half of the fun of going. These films are amazing. See them and love them for all that they are, extraordinary motion pictures. ****