Overrated but Visually Stunning.

Rating: 6/10 (4 March 2016)

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002): Dir: Peter Jackson / Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis: The Two Towers is suppose to represent good and evil but the subplots do not interlink very well due to spacing. It opens where Fellowship of the Ring left off within a battle. Frodo and Sam are joined in their quest by a scheming Gollum, which they captured then they continue their quest to destroy the ring. There are tree creatures that are the film's biggest treasure. Then we are given another useless cliffhanger within a huge battle. Director Peter Jackson tenses the action with impressive visual wonders. Ian McKellen as the wizard Gandalf returns after having apparently died in his battle concluding the first film. Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn is involved in much combat until nearly meeting his death after a horrendous fall. Elijah Wood as Frodo and Sean Astin as Sam struggle as keepers of the ring and the deceit as the Gollum attempts to sabotage their friendship. Andy Serkis is the Gollum and his performance is all the better because of what viewers do and don't see with his performance. The special effects are overwhelming and top notch with detailed structure but the film cannot stand alone. Fans of the books may enjoy it, otherwise it is an overrated spectacle with the two towers being the previous film and the next one to which viewing this relies. Score: 6 / 10