An Excellent Way to Spend 3 Hours of Your Lifetime.

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2002)

You've all heard about it. You've all read the books. You've all seen the first movie. You've all 'wowed' at the $800 million FOTR made worldwide. You've all waited a bloody 11 months to once again, become lost in a world of Tolkien, where Elves, Hobbits, Orcs, Dwarves, and more reign.
The Two Towers, film two in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was said to be one of the biggest challenges filmaking would ever come upon. First, there was Fellowship, which, needless to say, was absolutely magical. How could any film follow that up? And there was Return of the King behind 'TTT', so that meant that this movie would not even have an official beginning nor end. Almost as if it were doomed to fate, TTT stood on the brink of anticipation for almost a year.
The anticipation is over now, and Tolkien fans will definitely NOT be disappointed.
The Two Towers, once again with Peter Jackson's magical touch, immediately draws the audience into Middle-Earth within the first breathtaking scene of the Cahadras. It has a darker, more dangerous side than of Fellowship, while still maintaining the rich magic of Middle-Earth. TTT is packed with action, deceit and doubt. The plot, wicked and black, definitely sets the mood for an extremely tight three hours. Surprises leap from every scene in all circumstances. Much as I wish I could, I'm not here to spoil anything, so we'll go right into the realistic side of the film.
Yet again, the actors and actresses of this film give stunning performances. Orlando Bloom, Legolas, actually does useful things instead of constantly saying, 'Oohh.Orcs!' like in Fellowship. Gimli becomes the comic relief, with all the mirth directed from the Rohirrim toward his height. A big shock was Aragorn, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen. In film one, he was the quiet, brave warrior. However, TTT reveals a side of him that's passionate. Aragorn, burdened with the loss of his love and yet another possible woman, is faced with many situations in which death mocks his face. Viggo was every bit of Aragorn as anybody could be, and definitely deserves an Oscar nomination for supporting actor. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and the other hobbits also give entralling performances.
Then, there's the new characters. Gollum, Treebeard, Theoden, Eowyn, Eomer, Grima, etc. are all introduced. Each character is protrayed exquisitely, through his/her choices and actions. However, one disappointment was Treebeard. He, personally, did not look like a 'tree' to me. But Gollum's performances makes up for Treebeard's lack of. Although at times one can see he is definitely a fake, there are others when the audience questions his reality or not. His movements, snakelike and crafty, give the perfect image of what Smeagol is.
And now, the big question. Is TTT better than FOTR? I say, YES! There are some weak points, but there are more strong ones. There's more depth, more failure, more reality. The Two Towers has lived up to FOTR, maybe even surpassed. Anybody who has ever imagined or dreamed should go and see it. As for those who despise fantasy, this movie should change your opinion, because it's probably as good as any movie will get during this era.

My rating: If I could, an 11, but alas, no such choice. 10.