The Ultimate in Action-Packed Disappointment

Rating: 2/10 (18 December 2002)

I gave Peter Jackson the benefit of every doubt I heard prior to my first viewing of the Two Towers. For this reason was I doubly shocked to see that it is no more than Mr. Jackson's own version of the story with nothing more than original names and settings. There was not one aspect of the book he did not manage to alter. This would not be such a problem, were it not for the fact that this book NEEDED NO ALTERING!!! These movies remain the most ambitious cinematic endeavor to date, but this most recent installment makes me desperately hope for an even greater one in the future. This movie shows no respect for the actual story, changing timelines, personalities, events, and everything else that could be changed while still seeming to be based on the book. In conclusion, the best thing I can say about this last effort is that it was thorough...thorough in its deforming the story, and thorough in disappointing this avid Tolkien reader.