Towering achievement

Rating: Null/10 (20 December 2002)

Near the end of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," Sam Gamgee, the ever-loyal companion of Frodo Baggins, talks about stories: the "great stories" about darkness and despair, courage and triumph, the stories that help us find hope when we think we've lost it. When he wonders if Frodo will ever be the subject of such a tale, the audience laughs knowingly, because "Lord of the Rings" is indeed one of the great stories--the folklore of our culture, if you will. There is a quality about the tale that is marvelously fantastic and yet at the same time, deeply relevant to the world we live in. And it's fitting that so great a story be given so glorious an interpretation as Peter Jackson's film trilogy of the books is turning out to be.
"Two Towers" essentially picks up where "Fellowship of the Ring" left off: the Fellowship is splintered, and the various factions are doing their part to prevent the ultimate evil from engulfing Middle-Earth. The one fault of the film various threads of the story become difficult to juggle, at times interrupting each other with something just this side of abruptness. But with a high-caliber cast and a world that nearly bursts from the screen with its vivid grandeur, it's hard to complain too much.
Most of the film follows Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and Gandalf (Ian McKellen)--who has returned, almost Christ-like, from seemingly certain death--as they attempt to guard the equestrian-based people of Rohan from the armies of darkness. The threat is internal as well as external: an oily agent of the wizard Saruman, aptly named "Wormtongue" (Brad Dourif) has insinuated himself into the house of Rohan's king. The performances from the returning cast are excellent across the board, and are complimented by the newcomers: Dourif, Bernard Hill as the king, and Karl Urban and Miranda Otto as his brave nephew and niece. The fight for Rohan culmitates in the climactic battle at Helm's Deep, where rank upon rank of vicious orcs throw themselves at the outnumbered heroes who fight with nearly superhuman strength and courage.
Meanwhile, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) continue on their quest to destroy the Ring which has the power to enslave Middle-Earth. Guiding them is Gollem, an emaciated creature and a previous Ring-Bearer, who has become twisted by years of exposure to its corruption. A highlight of the film, Gollem is arguably the most impressive CGI character in a live-action film, both on the technical and the character levels. Creepy yet pathetic, the schitzophrenic Gollem wavers between eagerly helping Frodo on his quest and plotting to kill the `nasty hobbitses' and reclaim his precious Ring. In a film teeming with special effects, the subtle changes in Gollem's face and manner as his personality shifts are probably the most effective. The remaining two hobbits, Pippin and Merry, spend much of their segments among the Ents, mobile, sentient trees who all but equal Gollem for technical merit and potency.
In all fantasy films, the visual element is a key factor, and `Two Towers' repeats the awe-inspiring brilliance of `Fellowship.' Along with `Harry Potter' and `Spirited Away,' this ranks as one of the most beautiful sights of the screen this year. There are `oooh' moments aplenty: characters trudge through magnificent landscapes, enormous towers stand threateningly over vast wastelands, huge armies stretch to the horizon in seething masses of humanity (or more frequently, non-humanity). But when we zoom in for a closer look, we find stunning and meticulous detail-a flourish of the architecture, the shape of the weaponry, the trim on the costumes-which truly gives Middle-Earth a sense of depth. Tolkien also had such an eye for detail, painstakingly creating the histories and cultures of his characters with loving artistry. And this is perhaps one of the many reasons why `Lord of the Rings'-both books and movies-stand out as landmarks, not only in the fantasy genre but in literature and film in general.