Wow... Just one or two flaws though.

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2002)

(minor spoilers herein) Having read the series multiple times, I thought the transition to screen was done fairly smoothly for both of the films so far. Naturally some elements were changed for better storytelling, but the overall epic seemed untouched. As for the second chapter in the trilogy, let me say this: The entire last hour is probably one of the most well done battle sequences I have ever seen.
That having been said, here was the only problem. Remember the original Star Wars trilogy, where three or four ministories would be going on at once, and every five minutes or so the scene would change to give us an update about what was happening with each one? Well, Jackson tries to duplicate this, with this undeniable problem: When Lucas cut between scenes, each one maintained roughly the same intensity level at any given time, so consequently the cuts didn't detract from the drama. In this case, particularly as Merry and Pippin's story goes, the intensity doesn't reach a sufficient level for "good cuts" until near the end. In the meantime, the dramatic battle sequence just seems prone to frequent interruptions, leaving the audience wondering... Okay... When do we get back to Helm's Deep?
Despite this, it all tied up wonderfully. The ending, which was altered slightly from the original book, seems to add to the suspense they try to build for "Return of the King", so it works well.
Definitely one of the more surprising standout characters is Gollum. Ever since the days of Jarjar Binks, we've all been dreading the next computergenerated monstrosity that would grace our screens. While Gollum does get a tremendously increased number of lines from the previous movie, I'd have to say I was never even once annoyed by him. In fact, a rather schizophrenic exchange between himself... and himself... Is definitely one of the funnier moments in the film. Also, his computer generated movements and look is virtually flawless. Andy Serkis has proven to be a very versatile actor both in the motion capture that was used to create the character, and in the very memorable voice to go with it. I would not be at all surprised if this entirely "fake" character sets a new precedent by becoming the first of his kind to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Really... He was THAT believable.
So as they said of "Empire", it was far more expansive than the original, and definitely worth your time. Enjoy the show.