EPIC!

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2002)

As difficult a feat as that might seem, Jackson delivers an even better film than The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Two Towers is the grandest spectacle that has ever graced the screen. As near-perfect as a film can possibly get, no longer comparable to other genre pictures, but to the great classics of the art.
The sheer scope of The Two Towers makes its predecessor look like an idle stroll in the park. It starts with a bang and doesn't quit for the whole three hours of its duration. And like in the first part, Jackson doesn't fall victim to all the eye candy (and there's more than plenty), he injects the endeavour with a sense of humanity and gravitas that transcends fantasy film-making.
Perhaps the greatest surprise is Gollum, a CGI creation that is guaranteed to make your jaw drop. Acted by Andy Serkis and replaced in the final version by a marvelous computer creation by Wetta Digital (surpassing all previous digital characters by miles), he delivers the best performance in the movie. Dynamic, incredibly expressive and ultimately conveying a sense of real pity for the character. And that's no small achievement in a film filled with actors of this calibre.
It all concludes with what is probably the best medieval battle scene ever shown and will leave you with a hunger for more.
The Two Towers is what film's all about. A true masterpiece. And we still have one more film before the trilogy is completed.