Raises the bar

Rating: 10/10 (26 December 2009)

This might actually be a little better than The Fellowship of the Ring. There is less annoying comic relief, and, as you probably already know, we get to really *see* Gollum, in all his fully rendered, entirely CGI glory. This was probably one of the first times such a large role was so successfully entirely digital, and definitely that it had such an impact. You feel for him, and you frankly forget that he's not "really" there. He can also be kind of funny. The humor in general is good. This picks up where the first one left off, and with several nifty surprises(for those not familiar with the novels, or who haven't had it spoiled) along the way, the plot progresses nicely. The pace is smooth, and this doesn't seem as if it actually is the three hours long that it is. This creates moods well, being creepy, light, gloomy, etc. at different points. The action and battle sequences are exciting and awesome, not to mention well-choreographed. Every acting performance is spot-on. Even baby-face Wood and dull Bloom are impeccable. The effects are astonishing. This has an epic scope, and has a magnificent, grand score. The characters are interesting and credible. This leaves you wondering what will happen next, and I'm very much looking forward to catching the last one. There are scary scenes in this, and it might be beyond what some children can handle. I recommend this to anyone that can imagine liking it, and who have watched the first one. 10/10