Too much, too little, but overall okay

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2002)

My comments will contain spoilers, so don't read on if you don't want to be spoiled:
This time, Peter Jackson has taken too many liberties with Tolkien's vision. Sacrificed some of the depth of the books for action action action. Added totally unnecessary scenes (might I mention Osgiliath? The attack of the Warg riders? The whole will she/won't she issue with Arwen? C'mon, especially that one lost other more "worthy" characters screen time.) Oh, and how about the miraculous traveling speed of Haldir? Wasn't he the elf that guarded Lorien's borders in movie one? So how did he manage in the space of a few days to hop over the mountains, zip up to Rivendell and then be in Helm's deep in the nick of time bringing a bit of an army? After all, Galadriel decided only well after the fellowship had left Lothlorien that the cause of Middle-Earth could use some elvish help. As for Faramir and Boromir, how did Peter Jackson manage to reverse my opinion of the characters? Didn't care much for Boromir in the books, love him in the movie. Love Faramir in the books, don't care about him in the movie. Two-dimensional as a cardboard cutout and un-likeable. On the plus side, there is Gimli: a little too much comic relief, but oh so wonderfully acted by John Rhys-Davies. How he manages to convey so much through all the make-up is simply adorable. Merry and Pippin are used too little, but what they do they do amazingly well. I can't help but love them. Gollum is a great creation - but I got that schizophrenia thing the first time he went at it, didn't need it again at such length a second time. Frodo and Sam - aren't they just amazing? Elijah Wood managed to bring Frodo to life for me in the first movie and he keeps going stronger. But on the top of my list there is Sean Astin. He is the true hero, unlikely as it may seem, of the books and this second movie. It started with little gestures etc. in the first movie, but now he's really going for it and has convinced and won me completely. Go Sean!!!
Overall, if you're into loads of fantastic action and a bit of colourful plot and know the story from the books, you will like it or even love love love it. Those who aren't that familiar with Tolkien's world will easily be in trouble or puzzled to say the least. Worth seeing two or three times to get all the little details, but I'll probably not go see this ten times plus as I did with the first one.