Deep and Moving, Dark and Brooding, Beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (24 December 2002)

The second part of this epic trilogy has been masterfully crafted on film. I found myself deeply moved by the emotional richness of The Two Towers, though it be in darker spirits than the first.
Acting was high caliber (for the most part) bringing each character's strengths and frailties to life. Gollum takes my Best Actor award as well as compliments on FX.
Battle scenes were aplenty, if a little too fast-paced at times for my taste. Cinematography and score left little to be desired; though I wondered where "Lux Aeterna" resounded!
Do not attempt to compare the book and the film too closely. They are different media, each with their own inherent strengths and failings. I feel Jackson did an excellent job of stitching together the complexities of this story in the ever-so-short time alloted, balancing well struggles both epic and personal. Most importantly, he captured the essence of looming despair and the undying flicker of hope that made The Two Towers my favorite in the trilogy.
Oh, and if you do not shed tears when you see "Arwen's Mortal Love" sequence (as I like to call it), then you have not felt the movie, nor do you possess the capacity to appreciate pure cinematic bliss.