Fell even harder

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2003)

For those so-called "Tolkien" fans who keep bashing this movie along with the first: get off it. No, neither movie so far has stuck exactly to everything in the books. Yes, a lot of stuff is exaggerated. But true "Lord of the Rings" fans should realize that it is impossible to put Tolkien's world onto a screen perfectly. True Tolkien fans should realize that Tolkien's world is something that exists differently in the minds of each reader. These are Peter Jackson's movies; they are HIS versions of the Tolkien world.

"The Two Towers" exceeds "Fellowship" in various ways. First, there's Gollum. Gollum is absolutely wonderful in this movie. After a bit you forget that Gollum is mostly a computer trick and you see him as a real creature. Gollum offers many things: comic relief, foreshadowing, plot revelation, etc. But he also brings out different aspects of Sam and Frodo's personalities. Gollum brings out the protective nature of Sam and the loyal nature of Frodo. Gollum being as great as he is is probably one of the key elements to this movie's success.

Another improvement in this movie is the character development we see. Each character's personality is revealed much more in this film than it was in the first. We see the determination that lies in Merry. We see the bravery come out in Pippin. We see the friendship that's developing between Legolas and Gimli. We see Gimli as a die-hard, determined fighter and Legolas as a noble protector. More of Aragorn's past and future are revealed in this movie. All this character revelation makes "Two Towers" more satisfying for any view, Tolkien fan or not.

And then there's the romance between Aragorn and Arwen. Now for all those who have read the books, come on; who didn't want to know more about that?? I think that maybe Tolkien left that relationship hazy so that each reader would dream up a story to fit in. And that's exactly what Jackson did. Before i saw "Fellowship," i had only read "The Hobbit" and had no real desire to read "Lord of the Rings." Then i saw "Fellowship." I immediately ran out, re-read the Hobbit, and then finished the series. I was not disappointed. Pater Jackson may have disappointed many Tolkien fans, but he inspired another.

I fell in love with "Fellowship;" I fell even harder for "The Two Towers."