I was blown away

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2002)

My overall impression of The Fellowship of the Ring was that I thought it was a technical masterpiece for bringing Middle Earth to life but I was a little less than enthused with the story. I can't say I ever really got totally absorbed by the story or character is in Fellowship of the Ring. So while I looked forward to seeing more incredible cinematography in The Two Towers I never expected to be blown away in quite the way that I was.
The very first scene totally grabbed me in a way that few movies have ever done before. I was expecting a fairly standard recap with a narrator explaining what happened in the last movie and where we are now. Instead, the movie opens with some stunning vistas of the Misty Mountains. We hear the sounds of shouting and fighting echoing through the mountains and then we suddenly zoom right into the heart of the mountains where we see a thrilling fight between Gandalf and the Balrog. When this happens, its like the viewer is suddenly thrown right into the story. It's a feeling that doesn't leave until the closing credits. Because of the way it immediately immerses you in the story I think this scene was the best in the movie and considering what followed that's saying a lot.
What followed is the truly awesome Battle at Helm's Keep, the climax of the film. It is a truly grand spectacle that I can't really put in words except to say that you just have to see it. On a big screen. The view of the approaching army is firmly planted in my mind.
Some characters who were fairly peripheral in FOTR get much bigger roles this time, particularly Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. In some ways, Aragorn is the main character of Two Towers and Viggo Mortenson turns in a terrific performance. That said, the very best character of the Two Towers is Gollum. I've never been a big fan of 100% CGI-based characters but Gollum is truly exceptional. He seems so hopeless, pitiful, horrifying and dangerous all at once. There's just no telling what he's going to do.
I was absolutely blown away by The Two Towers. It's easily the best movie I've seen this year. In fact, it's one of the best movies I've seen in any year. I eagerly look forward to The Return of the King.