Truly amazing

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2002)

I recently just got "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" for Xmas and so it had been the second time I'd seen it since January at the cinemas. After finishing, I couldn't wait until I saw the next installment, and I surely wasn't disappointed with "The Two Towers".
*Possible spoilers ahead*
We continue on where we left of with Frodo and Sam going to Mordor to destroy the ring. Some say that the beginning should have been a re-cap of what happened in the previous installment but if anyone really noticed they were recapping things. For example- what happened to Gandalf (the Grey) when they thought he died, explained how Boromir died, what the love story was between Aragon and Arwen. I mean if you wanted to add recaps, then that would probably take another 15 minutes to do!!
I didn't feel that there was enough of Frodo and Sam, but I suppose they wanted to focus this time on Aragon, Legalos, Gimli, Merry and Pippin. We are introduced to some new characters King Theoden and Eowyn (Shieldmaiden of Rohan). I know that they are trying to introduce Eowyn as part of some love triangle with Aragon and Arwen, but it doesn't work. There's something enchanting about Aragon's love story with Arwen, how there love keeps the both of them going.
Gollum/Smeagol was an interesting character and for once the CGI effects were believable, just like the character of Dobby in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". His mental fight between good and evil was good to watch, with an ending making you want them to hurry up the process of "Return of the King" for at least June of next year!
I give it a 10, I haven't read the books so I can't really agree or disagree with those who believe Peter Jackson has changed the story. People say it's too much about fantasy, my question is what would you liked to have been? Why can't people escape the strangeness of this world and get involved with a whole other world that conveys a whole different way of life? I've also read that some believe this glamourises war, I believe that to be UNTRUE. It's a book that was written a long time ago, little did Tolkien now how screwed up the world would be now but I do not think it was on purpose. Nor do I believe that Peter Jackson is encouraging it either! He's doing what the book has written, nothing more or less.
Elijah Wood and Sean Astin are just fantastic as Frodo and Sam, there's something warm and truthful about the way they convey the characters. There's something about Viggo Mortensen's acting that makes people wonder why they didn't acknowledge him before as an actor, he show's Aragon's torment between his duty and his fear. Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies are classic as Legalos and Gimli, showing the vast difference in thinking between the elf and dwarf. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are fantastic to watch as Merry and Pippin, we got to see a more emotional side to their characters as opposed to their cheery and fun dispositions in "FOTR".
I recommend the "Lord of the Rings" installments for those who enjoy these kind of genres. If your critical of it, by all means you are going to be bored and not really see the value of the storylines.