The Definition of Epic!

Rating: 9/10 (18 June 2019)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a ripping roaring success. It's in the company of Great sequels that manage to match the original film in nearly every way. it doesn't quite have the narrative focus the Fellowship of the Ring has but it more than matches it in overall quality. The Film delves much deeper into the Lore of Middle Earth than the original film and adds a host of welcome additions to the awesome roster of characters. In short it's pretty much everything you can ever want and more.
As reward for the abrupt ending of the original film The Two Towers picks up right where the Fellowship of the Ring left off. Our heroes are divided and the narrative continuously switches back and forth between multiple storylines occurring simultaneously. For starters we have Frodo and Sam on the most important quest. The Ring bearer must still journey to Mordor and cast The Ring into the fiery pit of Mount doom but they are accompanied by a new companion. The creature Gollum acts as a guide for the two Hobbits and imparts his knowledge of The Dark Lord's minions. He is a vital part of the puzzle but one with a nefarious purpose and an unhealthy obsession with the Ring, one that will lead to his downfall.
The Other primary story follows the remaining members of the Fellowship as they respond to the evil that has come to the great Kingdom of Rohan. We follow Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they grow closer to one another and their friendship tightens. It's not long until they are joined by a revived Gandalf who rides to the aid of King Théoden of Rohan. It is here where the subtitle of the movie is established. The Two Towers refers to the union and alliance between Sauron and Saruman. Between the evil forces of Mordor and Isengard. Saruman sends a Seemingly unstoppable army of ten thousand against The army of Rohan and the suspense builds, keeping the audiences glued to their seats until we arrive at the Battle for Helms Deep at the last half hour of the film one of the greatest War sequences in the history of cinema by far!

Overall this is an Excellent movie that's almost neck and neck with the first film. The cast is once again perfect and the new additions to the roster are seamlessly interwoven in the narrative. Bernard Hill is nothing short of sublime as King Théoden. The scene when he breaks into pieces and cries over his son's death should have gotten him an Oscar Nom alone! A riveting performances! Miranda Otto is also rather stellar as The King's niece Eowyn and the affection and almost child like crush that she develops for Aragorn is very believable, tender and a sharp rival to the rich chemistry He has for lady Arwen who makes a brief return as well. Andy Serkis as Gollum was a scene stealer and most definitely was robbed of an Oscar as well. Absolutely love his character, Brilliant, Naïve and impulsive to a fault, this character has more dimension than what you can shake your staff at. He's learned and has an almost unlimited supply of knowledge though his mind is scrambled and poisoned by the ring, he's tender at times, vicious and duplicitous during others, playful and humorous yet frightening. Sinister and hideous while also being sympathetic. What Peter Jackson and company have achieved with this character is nothing short of remarkable. He is the perfect Anti Hero for a time and is only more believable as a full on 3D Villain by the reveal at the tail end of the film. There is nothing I can truly say to you that really does this character justice.
This film is as relevant today as it was when it was released. Some of the most important lessons and themes about our world are discussed here. From the nature of Evil, addiction, Greed and corruption, the nature of Warfare. Hope in the face of insurmountable odds. The arc with Treebeard and the Ents is Great as well and is a poignant metaphor for nature vs industry. The scene when The Ents along with the brave Hobbits Merry and Pippin overtake Saruman's fortress is Inspiring as is the ending with Gandalf, Eomer and the Return of the Rohirram, saving Aragorn and ending the battle for Helms deep at the last minute. Sam's final Speech to Frodo about the good of this world being something worth fighting for ties all of the threads of the story in a neat little bow as does his proclaimation that their story may be one of the great stories that people will tell their children in years past. All in all The Two Towers is an instant classic and one that will leave audiences eager for the final chapter of this legendary trilogy