My third comment of this stunning film.

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2003)

Hey, I just HAVE to comment on this wonderful film AGAIN to start the new year off.
I, who am known by my friends and family as a "Lord of the Rings" obsessee, went to see this film opening night with high expectations. Peter Jackson did such a wonderful job with the first installment, I felt no need to worry about the second being any worse. I went in shaking like a leaf, full of anticipation and excitement. I left dazed and limp. Like the first film, the special FX are incredible, the acting superb, the landscape breathtaking, the creatures believable, and the sound editing mind-blowing. I must comment specifically on the latter two, using the Ents as an example. Imagine how difficult it would be to pull off a walking, talking, thinking tree. I was more worried about Treebeard being believable, than I was Gollum. I needn't have fretted over it. The floor of the theatre actually rumbled when Treebeard talked, an aspect of his personality and character that Tolkien described vividly in the books.	The acting is absorbing, particularly Gollum's fight with his split personality. That was such a powerful and moving scene, my eyes watered. Peter Jackson captured him beautifully, showing that he isn't entirely evil but isn't entirely good, making him an incredibly sad character that twists and tugs at your emotions. His Gollum matches Tolkien's Gollum perfectly.
Aragorn giving battle commands in Elvish on the walls of Helm's Deep were also great scenes -- speaking fluently and powerfully, the fierceness in his voice mixed with the determined look in his eyes was thrilling to watch. Elijah Wood was also amazing, somehow altering his feelings toward the Ring and actually becoming a different person. This I found impressive, since they shot totally out of sequence when they made the movies.
Merry and Pippen, who provided much of the comic relief in "The Fellowship of the Ring," still have a certain cute flare, but are much more aware of the seriousness of the situation now that they are alone and without the protection of the Fellowship. They seemed to have handed over the puns and cute lines to Gimli.	Bottom line: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! Even if you don't like fantasy (which I didn't until I saw "The Fellowship of the Ring"), the Battle of Helm's Deep is well worth the seven bucks.