LOTR as a genre film

Rating: 10/10 (29 November 2011)

Despite the amazing feat that was The Fellowship and the fact that Return of the King has won the most awards in the trilogy, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers still takes the cake was the best LOTR movie. Although the standards for the movie were already set by J. R. Tolkien, Jackson's direction fulfills (and even surpasses at some points) all expectations of the LOTR fantasy world through the settings, the cast, and special effects.
The fairytale-like settings Jackson achieved by shooting on location in New Zealand do total and complete justice to their counterparts in the books. Rivendell and Hobbiton were absolutely gorgeous as well as accurate, and both are entirely fantastical. Along with the scenery, the special effects were spectacular throughout the entire film. The actors had to be digitally enhanced so the hobbits and dwarfs looked the size they were described in the book. In some scenes were special effects or stunt doubles may have been used, Orlando Bloom's Legolas shines as a rugged elf prince when he performs his own stunts (most notable in the scene where he swings himself up into a horse's saddle during the Warg battle and the scene at the battle of Helm's Deep where he surfs down the stairs on his shield. Jackson went above and beyond fantasy genre standards in his creation of the Two towers. The film continues and even gives further insight into the myths and fairy tales of elves, spirits, dark forces, and the strength of man that is prevalent in every myth. It follows the traditional Hero's Journey arc, and follows it beautifully. It pioneered many filmic techniques on a massive scale was accurate in every detail. Overall, the film stands out on an epic masterpiece and a tribute to the fantasy genre as a whole.