A breathtaking 3-hour long climax of a terrific motion picture.

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2008)

My Take: Even better than the first. Bigger and definitely better.
No matter how excellent, breathtaking or expensive the original adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING was, it would seem like a dress rehearsal compared to its follow-up, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS. Recalling the second of the original STAR WARS trilogy THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, THE TWO TOWERS is but a bridge connecting the original to the finale of Tolkien's "Rings" trilogy, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING which was released the following year. Although not everything is concluded here in TWO TOWERS, it does have its beginning and end (and the flavorful inside at the middle). Think of it as one breathtaking climax of an entire movie, and have yourself a great time.
This follow-up continues, but not necessarily concludes, the events portrayed in the first film. Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) continue their quest to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mordor, while two Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) find allies with the Ents (tree-like giants) in the dark forests. While looking for Merry and Pippin, much of the real story unfolds with Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) join forces with the Rohan people to fight against an out-numbering army created by the evil Saruman (Christopher Lee) bent to destroy Middle-Earth. The unforgettable battle climax (of a climax) is breathtakingly wonderful, made even more impressive by the fact that it's been made with combinations of miniatures, digital rendering, real people and other technology possibly available.
But like the first film, this isn't all just technical advancements and special effects. THE TWO TOWERS doesn't water down Tolkien's story into a big-budget blunder. The film also isn't just made for a limited audience. Whether you know what's what or not about Tolkien's trilogy, this movie will still be enjoyable and entertaining. Once again, director Peter Jackson has made a movie for the audiences, not simply for a limited audience. The big-budget shows throughout the film, but it also shows that it's a great film with its storyline, characters and screen-writing. Few of today's Hollywood minds usually forget it, but Jackson couldn't afford to commit those sidesteps.
Rating: ***** out of 5.