Still to this day one of the greatest achievements in cinema history!

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2019)

Before saying anything about this masterpiece, I will say that this is my favorite Lord of The Rings movie by far. While the first is an adventure that is just basically filler from the moment the Fellowship is formed and until it is broken and the third one is basically Deus Ex Machina after Deus Ex Machina, this one is the perfect balance between storytelling and epicness on a biblical level.
Ever since I watched the trilogy as I was a little boy 12 or 13 years old, this was the movie that made me fall in love with middle earth. I still remember the excitement I had as I watched this movie the first time and how amazed I was seeing all the pieces of the movie's story come together in what is one of the best third acts of any movie I've ever seen. So why is this movie for me the best one of the trilogy?

Unlike the first one, where after the Fellowship is formed they basically just pass one obstacle after another with no connection whatsoever between them (not to say that it introduces so much lore and stuff that probably only book fans would know like the ancient creature by the end which serves absolutely no purpose to the story other than killing Gandalf), this movie takes the pieces left by the first movie and just develops such an interesting story with each of the characters. Merry and Pipin have their adventure discovering Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas go to Rohan and prepare for the ineviatable battle which will come upon Helm's Deep, while Frodo and Sam continue their Journey encoutering Smeagol and trying to make him lead them through the mountains towards mount Doom. And that is probably the best part of the movie: the urgency of the situation. The impending doom that's coming from Isengard upon the realm of men and how can they stop this. Every story goes at the beginning it's own separate way just so that by the end they all come full circle and connect with each other for a masterfull ending.

Unlike the third movie this movie doesn't rest on Deus Ex Machina to resolve it's conflicts but rather develops each story in it's own way and lets you think they have nothing to do with each other, only to have them come together by the end in an epic finale. For example: Gandalf's intervention by the end is well developed and is NOT a Deus Ex Machina since he went to get help and by the end of the movie he brings indeed help. Merry and Pipin's story seamingly unimportant at the beginning of the movie it does play and enormous role by the end of this movie and also in the beginning of the next, by having the threes intervene and destroy Isengard.

All the other things about cinematography or visual effects not to mention the music (which is spectacular) make this movie a fantastic fantasy movie and an example on how to adapt a fantasy source material to the big screen. This is and will remain for me the best Lord Of The Rings movie and one of the best acomplishments in cinema history. A shame this movie wasn't nominated for many oscars like the other two did, since it is at least as good as teh other two if not better.