The weakest of the films, but that's not saying much

Rating: 8/10 (26 April 2019)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the weakest chapter of the trilogy - but that's not saying much. Peter Jackson's iconic adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's incredible fantasy universe is a milestone in cinematic history and indisputably one of the greatest film trilogies in history, and this opening statement is more of a testament to the quality of the other two films rather than a criticism of The Two Towers.
The Fellowship of the Ring can be praised for its introduction to a hefty folklore, narrowing the source material down to two and a half entertaining hours. The Return of the King, meanwhile, is a true epic, nearly three and a half hours of pure adrenaline, iconic battle sequences and incredible special effects.
The Two Towers attempts to be a middle ground between the two but finds itself stumbling upon the pitfalls of stretching a film's plot quite so thin. Still, it remains one of the most beautifully-crafted epics ever to grace Hollywood.
Along with the fantastic performances of Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom and others, the cast is joined by the brilliant Andy Serkis, whose portrayal of Gollum is perfect to a tee. As a fan of the novels, I cannot imagine a better interpretation of the character for film than Serkis' brilliant portrayal.
The battle sequences are large-scale and awe-inspiring and the plot itself is engaging over the course of an abnormally lengthy runtime.
However, The Two Towers stumbles slightly whilst trying to jostle with the overarching plot requirements of the trilogy. Whilst trying to wedge itself between The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King, it sacrifices pacing and plot detail for a gratuitous induction to the battle scenes we should come to expect, and favours fan service and CGI over the natural flow of the narrative.
While some transitions felt clunky or rushed, however, there is no denying the quality of the finished product, and when considered as a chapter in the trilogy, The Two Towers more than satisfies. This was the film that originally captured my attention and made me a fan of The Lord of the Rings and while I consider it by far the weakest of the films, I by no means will ever discredit it in any way.
Peter Jackson, you sir have done something special with these adaptations, and if The Two Towers was the worst thing that came from your work on The Lord of the Rings, then you should be very proud of all you achieved.