A Majestic Movie

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2002)

It is rare that a sequel outdoes the orignial (The Bride of Frankenstein and The Godfather Part II are the exceptions). While The Two Towers really is not a sequel in the true sense of the word, it is a movie that overtakes "The Fellowship of the Ring," and is deserving of Best Picture consideration when Oscar time comes around next March.
What makes the picture is the last hour, as Good and Evil fight their first big battle. The combination of real and computer graphics were astounding, showing the true promise of the mariage of digital images and film can offer. In addition, unlike the first two chapters of the Star Wars series, this movie does not sacrifice the humanity of Tolkien's story in favor of the special effects, a fine line that most moviemakers (like James Cameron) have crossed. Even if you have read the book dozens of times, you still have emotional interest in these characters.
This movie alone justifies New Line's gamble of filming the trilogy in at one time. Jackson and his crew are on the way of creating one of the great achievements in cinema history, and I for one can't wait to see how Return of the King will play out. The movie gets ****.