A Disappointment

Rating: 3/10 (1 January 2003)

The second installment in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's
trilogy loses none of the epic feel or the original, and adds a
considerable amount of action/adventure to fill out the bill.
One can admire the first-rate special effects and certain aspects of
the visual design. A new character, one of the most realistic
animatronic creatures yet conceived, almost steals the show. But
even in spite of all this, The Two Towers comes off as a bit
bloated, repetitive, and even occasionally dull..
The characters aren't particularly interesting. Ian McKellan as the
White Wizard is again the standout performance; most everyone
else lacks star quality. In particular, Liv Tyler speaks as if she's in
a trance. Ironically, the most fascinating characters here are
computer-generated: the talking trees, and a misshapen creature
who once owned the Ring.
Most of the film is painted in broad strokes, at once giving it a
mythic sense while making it feel too simple. The characters move
back and forth between being captured and released with very little
emotional payoff. The occasional humor boils down to characters
falling falling on their faces.
Worst of all, the film's dialog is completely generic, devoid of
crackle and originality. No Oscar nominations for script this year.
I was sitting next to some Ring fans on opening day. As the
closing theme came up and people began to leave, one of them
said, "Gee. That was a disappointment." His pal nodded.