WOW...I mean...WOW...

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2002)

WOW...There are almost no words to say about this film- it's that good. It takes what happened in the first film and multiplies EVERYTHING by ten. The stakes
are higher, the action is stronger, more intense and intriguing and the
characters are deepened. This has to be the best sequel since "The Empire
Strikes Back". It is that much deeper than the first film, "The Fellowship of the Ring"- as "Empire" is much deeper in scope than the original "Star Wars".
Character-wise, if "Fellowship" was Gandalf's film, this is Aragorn's film. Viggo Mortensen's intensely good performance gets better here as his love for the elvin Arwen is put in jeopardy. Everything in this movie works. Gollum is an amazing presence. He is the anti Jar-Jar. Gollum is the first CG character to accomplish the feat of forgetting that he is a CG character. His "schizo" scenes are especially effective. Frodo also deepens and Elijah Wood is able to show
more of his acting chops as the ring begins taking control. Merry and Pippen are also put to better use here, as they meet up with perhaps the strangest and most magical character in the film. The visuals too are spectacular, especially at the battle for Helm's Deep- probably the best castle-siege scene ever put onto
celluloid. The lingering problems with the first film disappear here as the story deepens. This is going to go down as the best trilogy ever- better than the first Star Wars Tril. (but influenced by it- as that trilogy was influenced by these books)- and MUCH better than the NEW "Star Wars" trilogy (ie. BAD Star Wars
trilogy) --While "Attack of the Clones" takes the story given to us in "The
Phantom Menace" and mangles it and gives it back to us unrecognizable, this
film takes what was there (from "Fellowship") and beautifies it, expands upon it, and gives us the "bridge" in what will surely be an amazing trilogy.