Ground-breaking cinema at its finest.

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 2008)

One of the most annoying complaints people had for the first film was about the ending. Well, if any of them was a little more interested in it then they would have learned that it was, in fact, a trilogy. Well, duh!
The film picks up exactly where the film left off, with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli racing off to try and save their hobbit friends, Merry and Pippin from the fearsome Uruk-Hai who have them in their grasp, and are racing back to Isengard with them for their master, the wizard Saruman, who believes that the two hobbits have the One Ring, which he hopes to get for himself. Saruman betrayed everything he once fought for to join Sauron, but even so, he is subtly trying to make Sauron fall.
Our other hobbits, Frodo and Sam, are journeying ever closer to Mordor with each new day, where their journey will end only once Frodo has destroyed the One Ring. But, quickly into the film, the pair capture the creature Gollum, whom they take as their guide to get to Mordor. Is Gollum trustworthy? Who knows. In years gone past, he had possession of the One Ring, and that indeed was the reason he was caught: he was trying to reclaim the Ring for himself. Will his evil alter-ego finally take control of his consciousness? Or will he revert to his former self, Smeagol?
With so many people searching for the One Ring, the chances aren't good for Frodo ever making it to Mordor. But if he doesn't, and the Ring goes back to it's master, Sauron, then all of Middle-earth is doomed. This is part of the defining trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, and while all films in the trilogy were critically acclaimed, this received the most acclaim. Personally, I think that the director, Peter Jackson, has saved the best till last, with the Return of the King.
But, all of the three films are as good as it gets, and this one is certainly no exception. The stunning special effects thanks to WETA workshops render every orc, troll and other beast that appears in this movie utterly believable.
The beautiful landscapes that are the backdrop of this film also give it its credibility. Without doubt, if it had been shot in a studio, there would be no comparison between the two. New Zealand will forever now be considered as Middle-Earth.
In shortgroundbreaking cinematic history. It'll be awhile before something quite like this ever pops up again.