Jaw dropping special effects and cinematography

Rating: 7/10 (22 September 2003)

The second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy literally starts where the last film ended, but provides a slight amount of subtle exposition so that the viewer can remember who the characters are and their mission, but not so much that insults the intelligence of the serious fan.

Not being a fantasy film fan or a Lord of the Rings fan per se, I felt the same after this film that I did after the first installment. While the story may not be in my chosen genre, the production of the film is absolutely amazing. I kept thinking to myself, `Where did this guy come from?' The other Peter Jackson films I have seen other than the Lord of the Rings were The Frighteners and Heavenly Creatures  both good films, but not remotely in the same category or class as LOTR. The special effects were jaw dropping, particularly the presentation of Gollum. I am critical of CGI because it is often done so poorly, but it was hard to believe that his character was not real due to its seamlessness. Additionally, the spectacular fight scenes and images of thousands of men and beasts alike were astounding.
Unfortunately I can only really speak of the technical merits because there are so many characters involved in so many different plot lines that I found myself asking the friend I was with, `Now is that the guy who.' And `Oh wait, they were going to.' Constantly. However, this should in no way be construed as a negative to the film, as it is simply a matter of my general disinterest in the actual plot in favor of the spectacle itself.

Having said that, I definitely look forward to the final installment, after which I will make a day of it, sit down with all three and have a LOTR marathon: Best case scenario, I will actually get into the plot. Worst case scenario, I will experience excellent filmmaking.
--Shelly