The film has its problems and its issues that need straightening out but when it's not trying to offend, it is definitely entertaining.

Rating: 6/10 (6 April 2008)

I think the second Lord of the Rings film is more manipulating than it is entertaining or epic. It's true to say that I had only seen this for the first time very recently and did not have the previous viewing that I had going into the first Lord of the Rings film, (which I liked then and liked now) so to say I enjoyed this to a lesser extent may be down to those reasons; maybe it's a film that grows on you with repeated viewings.
But The Two Towers is a somewhat bloated and manipulating film that has its moments of greatness and sheer adventure packed in amongst some shocking issues of representation and general repetition, but the film is an all round success overall. Harking back to the Classical Hollywood days in which if someone was shot or killed, a sudden, stirring and jarring piece of music may start up to officially 'announce' the kill since you could not show the murder itself because of censorship. Here, the music is playing that sort of role again but it is to the opposite sort of effect; every long shot we cut to, every establishing shot of vast mountains and hills (some of which are in CGI format) we see are accompanied by over the top, melodramatic music that brings an odd smile to my face while watching. It's the sort of cue for all of us to hold our hands to our cheeks and gasp in amazement. The film tells us when to be scared, happy, wary, who to like and dislike and when to laugh; which is a shame.
Sticking with the melodramatic theme, some of the situations the characters find themselves in are made all the more so when they need not be. There are numerous insert shots and several lines of dialogue surrounding Aragorn (Mortensen) and another female whose name escapes me as they exchange glances and lines. "I see you're good with the sword" he says after she gives a little teaser as to her skills before the impending doom. Then there are the exchanged looks as he lies down, injured, much later on. But it is to no avail as Aragorn has an off-screen love, but don't worry; she pops up to remind us (and Elrond (Weaving)) of the situation. But the representation and underwhelming attention to detail are the two most frustrating things of this film. I do not know how faithful to Tolkien's book the film is, but from the film I can only gather that either Jackson or Tolkien had a massive problem with short, elderly men who have beards. I'm talking about the dwarfs here and how they are consistently the butt of every joke.
The peak of this embarrassing representation occurs during the castle siege scene. Rows of allies are on the upper levels, looking out at the enemy. Gimli (Rhys-Davies) cannot see but everyone else can. "Would you like me to find you a tool?" asks Legolas (Bloom). Gimli's height is mocked here but it goes deeper than that. All the humour in the film is directly a result of Gimli's antics, thus relegating him to the comic relief character. Aragorn and Legolas are in serious conversation with the king but as these two normal sized, athletic and handsome men talk; Gimli is sitting at a table tucking into a drumstick, alienated from the conversation with the camera cutting to him just once; so he can belch and maybe cue some laughs. After this belch, the camera cuts back to the conversation and everything continues after the 'funny' pitstop.
But it's not the weight, looks and height that is merely targeted; the pratfalls continue when Gimli embarrasses himself after not correctly fixing his armour  it slips off him and he is left to rue an awkward moment when Aragorn and Legolas stare and smirk below Gimli's waist. Furthermore, Gimli is describing what female dwarfs look like (which is a lot like male ones) before his horse bucks and charges off; Gimli is inferior enough not to be able to control the horse and he falls, while everyone laughs at him. Half way through the film, there is a fight on a plain in which Legolas kills many enemies and Aragorn actually comes close to death to defeat the odds but Gimli is relegated, once again, to the butt of the jokes. He has numerous enemies fall on top of him, rendering him incapacitated as he groans and hopes the others do the work for him.
Of course the film is not one long exposure; but an interesting and well un-folded tail about the tiniest of things that can do the largest of damage. The manipulation of time early on is impressive as we discover what happens after other timelines catch up and leave off. Whereas I noted a whole load of bad things about the film, that does not mean I didn't like it. Legolas and Gimli's colloquial approach to the final siege as chaos and murder occurs around them to those of an inferior skill is in bad taste, as is making the enemy men whom ride large elephant creatures look like Arabs; with their clothing and veils. Gollum's schizophrenia and delusion seems a little unnecessary and do drag on but they will suffice, that is all. I do not buy into the mountains of praise the film gets; pretty to look at and reasonably fun to watch, yes, but will it hold up over time? Probably not.