Middle child rocks

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2002)

As the second part of the trilogy, The Two Towers is like the middle child. The first movie had been greatly anticipated, and the last movie would be the mother-of-all cataclysmic battles (and of course the grand finale). The middle movie serves to bridge the introductions to the finale. A bridge indeed; it's the Khazad-dum of bridges, and it will make 3 hours seem like 3 minutes.
Faithfulists beware, however, as there are much more 'artistic freedom' present in this installment, although all serve Tolkien's major theme: Pluralism. The defeat of Saruman is not, and cannot be attributed to a singular being or group, and the movie is faithful to that point. However, I did take an exception, despite Frodo's encounter with the Nazgul (never happened), despite Faramir's apparent desire for the Ring (book serves as a contrast to the personalities of the brothers), at the Lorien elves' joining of the battle of Helm's Deep. While their involvement definitely adds to the movie, the book is very clear that the time of Elves had passed, and the book is really a historical perspective of the passing of the elves and the rise of men. For that, I had to take a point off--but my recommendation to see the movie does not change one bit.
The movie must have been incredibly difficult to adapt, as the members of the fellowship have separated and independently pursue their goals. Peter Jackson does a great job keeping the audience involved by interweaving the different plots which all happen pretty much at the same time. Had he followed the book, Frodo and Sam would have made their appearance in the second half, after the breathtaking battle of Helm's Deep. The interweaving is similar to The Return of the King, and with further separation of the Fellowship, the movie due next year should follow the same format.
If there is one thing that stood out, it's the creature Gollum. The sympathy Jackson creates for the creature is almost enough to forgive his major theme deviation (see above), and I think personally he did better than Tolkien did. His inner monologue--with his 'evil' Gollum side vs. his 'nice' Smeagol side--while the Hobbits sleep is indeed memorable and frightening (can you say bipolar?). If there can be an award for a digital character, then Gollum has my vote for best actor.
Those unfamiliar with the novel may find some parts confusing and perhaps unnecessary, as there are still many characters introduced. Do yourselves a favor and read the book; even at over 1,000 pages (including the appendices), time will fly. And most important, you'll appreciate the movies even more.