Amazing sequel.

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2007)

One of the best sequels of all time, and that's saying something when the first one is one of the greatest movies of all time.
The Two Towers picks up pretty much where the first one left off: Frodo and Sam are traveling on their own to Mordor, Merry and Pippin have been taken by a band of Orcs and Uruks with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli hot on their tail. Saruman is now building a great army, Merry and Pippin run into a giant race of Middle Earth, Aragorn and co. go forth to save the kingdom of Rohan, and Frodo and Sam have some unexpected company in the form of Gollum. New paths are crossed, old ones are found; each and everyone of them as captivating as possible.
Once again, everything is exceptional. From the sets to the acting to the visual effects - everything is top notch.
Peter Jackson and crew have done a tremendous job of topping the original in terms of storytelling. The lines are bolder, the cinematography even better, and the direction spot on.
Throughout the film, you can see Frodo being taken in by the Ring's power. It is also obvious that Sam is trying hard to keep Frodo from falling into the Ring's power, whilst Gollum's character arc is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the movie.
Aragorn's struggle as he comes to face the realization that he must take on the responsibility of his forefathers' is done extremely well. Comic relief comes in the form of Legolas and Gimli's relationship (Elves and Dwarfs don't usually get along), and how hobbits Merry and Pippin react to the ways of the Ents. By no means aren't they informative, because they are, but they are at the same time humorous.
The action pieces are once again on par with the drama and have clearly gone beyond what was done in "Fellowship". From the Warg attack to the climactic battle at Helms Deep, Peter Jackson truly shows his imagination is leaps and bounds beyond any other director.
The cinematography is once again superb, and it deserved every bit of the Oscar it won. Sets are realized on a greater scope than Fellowship of the Ring. Edoras is truly a magnificent town upon the hill, whilst Osgiliath looks like it really has been war-torn.
I didn't mention Howard Shore's score in my review of "Fellowship", but my thoughts on his music for the first film are the same for this one: It's amazing. Simply amazing. The score is now synonymous with the term fantasy. A melodious orchestra piece highlights the drama, whilst the trumpet sounds as the the bodies pile up during the fights.
Like the first film, my gripe is that this is quite a long movie. This is necessary for an adaption which source is amazingly detailed, and besides, you won't get bored easily. Also, major characters could be off screen for over half an hour, almost as though they have been forgotten. But you'll be so intrigued by what's going on screen, that you too will forget about the other characters. It also helps that the change in character plots are seamlessly changed from one to the other.
Peter Jackson has once again made a must-see movie. This will be loved by the most die hard Tolkien fan to the most ignorant of fantasy. As Saruman said in The Two Towers: "A new power is rising". With hindsight, we now know what that means.