2002's Greatest film!!!

Rating: 9/10 (25 January 2003)

Until 'The Two Towers' came out, I thought 'Road to Perdition' was the best movie I had seen for the year. 'The Two Towers' blows everything else away!
Peter Jackson has outdone himself. When I saw trailers for 'Towers' I had the feeling it would be more of the same. Not so! The plot and character development are complex and fascinating. Woe to those who haven't seen the first film, and know nothing about Middle Earth!
The battle at Helm's Deep is simply the greatest battle scene in movie history! 'Star Wars II' and its massive clone armies is sterile compared to this, and all other older movies with huge battle scenes now seem out of date.
The buildup to this battle is tremendous, with fights and flights, hatred and wizardy, and moments of love and humor. Many new characters are introduced (wait until you see Gollum!).
The cinematography in beautiful New Zealand is outstanding. Helm's Deep looks as real as it possibly could.
The special effects are perfect! This movie could not have been made as well even five years ago. Gollum is the pinnacle of CGI!

All credit must go to Peter Jackson, who has driven himself and his cast and crew to the breaking point, and come out the other side intact with a classic trilogy in hand (there is no way that 'Return of the King' can be stinker, so I feel confident using the word 'classic').
Remember when you saw the gee-whiz sheen and excitement of 'Star Wars' and then when you saw 'The Empire Strikes Back' you were taken deeper, got more involved, and realized you were witnessing epic history? Same here, and on a grander, more mythical scale.
If 'Fellowship of the Ring' didn't win any major Oscars, then unfortunately 'Towers' won't either. But it will be a shame if Peter Jackson is overlooked. This trilogy will most certainly be the pinnacle of his career, and he deserves recognition for his awe-inspiring direction commitment.
This is grand filmmaking at its finest, and why we go to movies. Make sure you see this on the big screen-- twice at least!