The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with a flashback set to the first film, with Gandalf battling the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, but this time continues from Gandalf's perspective, with the scene continuing to follow both as they hurtle down below, fighting while in free-fall. The moment they hit the water of an underground lake, Frodo awakens from his dream and continues his journey with his trusted and loyal friend, Sam through the rocky region of Emyn Muil, where they become lost. They are then attacked by the ring-possessed Gollum wishing to retrieve "his precious" from the ones he thinks stole it from him. The Hobbits subdue and bind him with Sam's Elven rope given to him by the Elven elder Galadriel in Lórien. Sam distrusts Gollum and wishes to abandon him, but Frodo understands the burden of the creature and takes pity on him. In need of a guide, Frodo removes the rope from Gollum's neck and persuades him to lead them to the Black Gate of Mordor.In Rohan, the pack of Uruk-hai run across the grassy landscape with their captives Merry and Pippin. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are in pursuit, following three days of running, Legolas surmises the Hobbits are being taken to Isengard, where Saruman is marshaling his Uruk-hai forces to do the bidding of Sauron. In the kingdom of Rohan, home of the horse lords, King Théoden is mentally and physically weak due to the enchantments of his steward, Gríma Wormtongue, who is secretly in the service of Saruman. Orcs and Wild Men of Dunland incited by Saruman freely roam the land and kill the people including the king's only son Théodred. Théoden's nephew Éomer interrogates Gríma, angrily realizing he has lustful eyes for Éomer's sister Éowyn and that he is now an agent of Saruman. Gríma banishes Éomer for undermining his authority and Éomer sets forth to gather the remaining loyal men of the Rohirrim throughout the land.Éomer and his Rohirrim ambush and kill all of the Orcs and Uruk-hai holding the two Hobbits captive at nightfall. During the battle, Merry and Pippin narrowly escape their captors by fleeing into the trees. Éomer later encounters Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli and in turn tells Aragorn there were no survivors of the Orc/Uruk-hai slaughter. Upon arriving at the battle site, Aragorn uses his tracking skills and finds hobbit tracks that lead into nearby Fangorn forest. We see Merry & Pippin as they flee into the forest pursued by the orc who previously attacked them. They are aided by Treebeard the oldest of the tree-like creatures, the Ents, who takes them to the one he calls the white wizard, whom Merry & Pippin assume to be Saruman; we leave them looking up at him.Frodo and Sam traverse the Dead Marshes, passing the undead fallen warriors of the Second Age who haunt the marshes. Frodo becomes enchanted by the spirits living in the waters of the marsh and falls in. He's pulled out before he drowns by Gollum. The three also hide from a newly-seated Ringwraith on his flying fell beast.In Fangorn Forest, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli discover the mysterious white wizard who is ultimately shown to be Gandalf reborn, now known as Gandalf the White. He speaks of his ordeal w/ the Balrog, & we see his defeat of the creature. Gandalf summons Shadowfax, the lord of the Mearas - an ancient & noble race of horses - & the quartet proceed to Edoras. Meanwhile, Frodo, Sam & Gollum reach the Black Gate, finding it to be heavily guarded, (they observe a contingent of Easterlings from Rhûn arrive to reinforce the garrison) only to have Gollum reveal to them a less risky path; Sam remains distrustful, but Frodo gives him the benefit of the doubt & begins calling him Sméagol. While observing the gate, the rocky ledge on which Sam lays gives way and he tumbles down the cliff. Frodo rushes to help him and, in desperation, throws the cloak given him by Galadriel over them both. Easterlings who'd wandered over to investigate the disturbance, are unable to see them under the cloak which has the appearance of a boulder.Gandalf & company approach Meduseld in Edoras, where Theodred has just died w/ Éowyn at his bedside. After much ado, they exorcise Saruman's spirit from King Théoden and banish Wormtongue. Théoden is confronted with his dead son and, rather than risk open war, decides to flee to a large fortress called Helm's Deep which in times of trouble has saved the people of Rohan. Gandalf leaves to find Éomer and his Rohirrim, promising to return within five days, as a strong attraction draws Éowyn to Aragorn during the journey to Helm's Deep. Wormtongue flees to Orthanc and tells Saruman of Rohan breaking from their grip; Saruman then decides to destroy Rohan.In Ithilien, Sméagol battles his split personality in an attempt to befriend Frodo and Sam and ultimately banishes Gollum, his "evil" half. The two hobbits are witness to an ambush of Southrons but are taken captive by soldiers of Gondor.Meanwhile, along the journey to Helm's Deep, Éowyn becomes more attracted to Aragorn. When the travelers are attacked by Saruman's Wargs and their Orc riders, an unhappy Éowyn is tasked w/ seeing the people of Edoras safely to Helm's Deep. During the battle, Aragorn is dragged by a Warg and falls off a cliff into a raging river as the grief-stricken survivors reluctantly move on to the fortress.In Isengard, Saruman reveals his huge army to Wormtongue & sends them off to make war on Helm's Deep; Merry & Pippin in the company of Treebeard, realize the war is starting; in Rohan, Aragorn washes up on the river's edge and is nudged back to consciousness by his horse, Brego. Battered but undaunted, he rides to Helm's Deep; & in Rivendell, Elrond knows that the age of Elves is ending and convinces Arwen that it is hopeless to stay and she should leave for the Grey Havens. Elrond shows her a prophetic vision that if she waits for Aragorn, even if he succeeds in destroying Sauron and becomes King of Gondor, he will still succumb to mortality; Arwen will suffer grievously once he is dead and will be left to wither away...she reluctantly agrees to leave. Meanwhile back in Gondor, Frodo and Sam are taken to Henneth Annûn and brought before Faramir, where they learn their captor is the younger brother of Boromir. Sméagol eluded capture and, in order to save his life, is lured unknowingly into a trap by Frodo, bringing back his Gollum alter-ego. Faramir learns of the One Ring and, seeking to prove his worth to his father, decides the Ring shall go to Gondor.On his way to Helm's Deep, Aragorn passes Saruman's army of Uruk-hai, which numbers at least 10,000 strong. His arrival is met with relief but it is short-lived with the news that there are only 300 men in the stronghold. He counsels Théoden to send for aid, but his pleas fall on deaf & despairing ears. At Fangorn forest, Treebeard and the other Ents, w/ Merry & Pippin along for the ride, hold a Council to decide on the role of the Ents in the war with Saruman. Back at Helm's Deep, every male old enough to hold a sword is called to service, & the women fall back into the fortress. Night falls, the defenders ready for attack; then, in the midst of despair, a battalion of Elven archers from Lórien, led by Haldir, arrives to assist in the ensuing battle.The defenders wait on the walls as lightning reveals Saruman's massive army. In the pouring rain, an old man on the wall accidentally lets loose an arrow, killing an Uruk. The battle of Helm's Deep begins with a flurry of arrows from both human and Elven archers cutting down dozens of Uruk-hai. Scaling ladders are placed upon the Deeping Wall, and the Uruk-Hai swarm up to engage the defenders. Meanwhile, back at the Entish council, Merry & Pippin become frustrated by the slow progress. Back to Helm's Deep...The defenses are slowly being breached and the enemy manages to breech the wall through its sewer drain - which the treacherous Wormtongue told Saruman of - using a rudimentary explosive device created by the wizard. Despite Aragorn and Gimli's best efforts, the Uruk-hai manage to penetrate the main gate and soon the stronghold is overrun. In Fangorn, Treebeard and the other Ents have decided to not have any involvement in the war. In the midst of battle, Haldir is slain and the few remaining Elves fall back into the Keep. In the Hornburg,the Uruks have scaled the walls, and have breached the gate, forcing the defenders to also retreat into the Keep. Frustrated further by the Ents' decision to not participate in the war, Pippin cleverly takes Treebeard to the section of Fangorn Forest near Isengard that Saruman has decimated to build the forges necessary to make weapons for his army. Treebeard is filled with rage at Saruman's betrayal and commands all the Ents to seek vengeance. They gather and embark upon 'the Last March of the Ents' toward Isengard.At the ruins of Osgiliath, Faramir talks of sending his father a great gift, the ring, to be used as a weapon that will help win the war. Sam tells him that the ring drove Boromir to madness & dishonor. Meanwhile, as the Keep is now under attack, and remembering Gandalf's words before he departed - of looking for him at dawn on the 5th day - Aragorn and the rest make one last gallant ride on horseback to attack the Uruk-hai army, in a desperate bid to allow the Rohirrim's women and children to escape into the caves behind the Keep. As the riders are surrounded and all seems lost, Aragorn looks up to see Gandalf at the top of the tall hill before the fortress. Wtih him are Éomer, and two thousand Riders of the Rohirrim; as they descend, the sun rises over the mighty hill, blinding the Uruk army. Elsewhere, the Ents also attack Isengard, tossing stones and rocks while collapsing a dam to flood its surroundings and destroy the system of tunnels and foundries beneath it, while Saruman looks on frantically from his tower.
Back in Osgiliath, the Hobbits are confronted by a Ringwraith and its fell beast. With the help of Sam, & Faramir's well-aimed arrow, Frodo - who is feeling more & more the pull of the ring - narrowly escapes the Ringwraith's efforts to capture him. As we watch the army at Helm's Deep rout the evil army & the Ents succeed in demolishing Isengard, Sam narrates how the story must go on & they must finish their quest, regardless of the danger, b/c there is still good in the world & it's worth fighting for. Faramir hears & decides to free them.Gandalf and the others now admit a full war is inevitable (as Sauron will surely seek retribution for the defeat of Saruman) and their only hope rests with Frodo and Sam, who have resumed their journey to Mordor. Accompanying them once again and feeling betrayed after his mistreatment by Faramir's men, Gollum's darker nature returns and decides to reclaim the ring by leading Frodo and Sam to "her".

Tags: mystery, boring, fantasy, anti war, cult, violence, atmospheric, flashback, good versus evil, action, melodrama, tragedy, romantic

Review:
When Treebeard and his army of Entz tear down Isengard, the destruction and the battle is so immense in size, that you truly have to see to believe.In size and scale, Peter Jackson has truly redefined the word "epic" and he also pays attention to the small things that truly elevate this movie from great to amazing.
It seems ridiculous to want to add my own comments to a slew of others that are already in IMDB's records, but I feel like I cannot sleep nor cease the throbbing in my chest until I release some of what I have so recently seen.Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings is one of the bravest projects ever attempted by a filmmaker.
Mr Jackson deserves every ovation he will receive, every award, every bit of the praise and adoration that will be spoken and written.This second installment of the story is a masterpiece in every sense, forget your prejudices about the books, they are another way of looking at this beautiful story (I know this is slightly against the rules, but a I cannot resist saying that a previous writers comment - a comment that compared the Lord of the Rings Films and Books to the difference between Romeo and Juliet in screenplay and ballet formats - was entirely accurate).Gollum was an excellent amalgam, so easily could he have been an annoying Jar-Jar-Binks-Alike.
This is beautiful way to see middle earth, don't pass it up - The books are the ultimate fantasy epic - the pictures you draw in your head are better than anything you can imagine, but The Lord of the Rings "The Two Towers" is one wonderful interpretation of that epic story.Go, Laugh, Cry, and Sit in Awe of this cinematic treat..
From Pippin and Merry, the lost hobbits who aid the Ents in battle, to Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas who held back the hordes at Helms Deep to Frodo and Samwise who continue to make their dangerous and arduous trek to Mount Doom.
All of these characters are heroes and they're played with love, respect and meaning.Though the acting in this film was top notch throughout, I found myself amazed by Gollum's (motion captured body and voice by Andy Serkis) overall performance.
Though "Final Fantasy" was the only movie that created the most realistic CGI characters that dominated an entire film, Gollum is lightyears ahead with the simple fact that this deformed li'l hobbit seemed human.
He had the spark of life behind those eyes that the FF "cast" lacked.As a film, this movie has it all - action, drama, comedy - but none of it would've worked without characters we cared about, villains we despised and heroes we cheered for.
The opening scene of The Two Towers provides an outstanding, yet very brief, taste of action, cinematography, and special effects, only to be matched (and far surpassed) in the final hour of the film.
The stunning events of the third hour of The Two Towers are undoubtedly the centerpiece of the film, and while the first two hours serve finely as story development, they primarily build anticipation for the final hour, which mostly depicts the battle of Helm's Deep.
It's a shame that such a gap has to exist between the first minute and the final hour, but I take no reservations in saying that despite how you feel about the first two hours of the film, the final hour will make the wait entirely worth its while.As stated, the road to the battle of Helm's Deep can be enormously long and painful for any viewer aware of what breathtaking scenes await towards the end of the film.
It's difficult to comprehend how such scenes came to exist in the rather short amount of time Peter Jackson has had to create six hours (so far) of finished film.
The battle of Helm's Deep is simply unreal; it's unlike any event that has come to pass since fantasy films gained, and regained, popularity.As assumed, The Two Towers begins where The Fellowship of the Ring ended.
The majority of the film follows four separate groups and their story lines: Frodo and Sam; Aragorn and Legolas, Merry and Pippin, and Saruman and his army.
However, here he is more of a leading character and a 'star,' and his convincing dual-personality, stabbing voice, and well-choreographed body movements make him consistently eye-grabbing and the center of focus of nearly every scene in which he appears.As was The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers is a visual delight.
The choreography of the battle, the visual effects, the pacing, acting, cinematography, and music, all work together in perfection to achieve grand filmmaking which is as entertaining and enjoyable as film can be.
Specific mention goes to both John Rhys-Davies in his well enjoyed comic turn, and very largely to Andy Serkis, who was a major role in creating the most realistic and brilliantly well-performed CGI character I've ever seen (Gollum).For the most part, and as a fan of the books, I take no offense to the slight plot modifications.
Not only is it the middle child, but the very structure of the book makes it hard to craft a linear story with all the plot lines in tact and interesting.But I think Peter Jackson and company did a very good job.
Return of the King may have won more of the Oscars as the culmination of Peter Jackson's magnificent cinematic achievement, but history will in fact adjudge "The Two Towers" as the greatest of the three Rings.
Peter Jackson doesn't treat this like a sequel, it's just the continuing story of heroes battling the forces of evil.Frodo, now alone except for his buddy Sam (Sean Astin), is on his epic journey to Mount Mordor to destroy The One Ring.
The Fellowship of the Ring was a monumentally entertaining film, the Return of the King was an amazing wrap-up to the epic of our times, but the most dramatic moment for me came at the end of the Two Towers.
So the journey continues with 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.' This review will assume you have seen the first film, 'The Fellowship of the Ring.' Which is fine because Peter Jackson, at the helm of this massive production, assumes you have seen it as well.
Gandalf had fallen; Merry and Pippen were kidnapped by the evil forces; Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli seek their smaller comrades without the help of Boromir, who has also died; this leaves Frodo and Sam on their way to Mount Doom, the one ring still in their grasp.'The Two Towers' is more successful than 'Fellowship' because the storytelling becomes more complex without drowning us in information.
The encompassing story leads to a heroic battle sequence fought on two fronts, while all the time we wonder how long Frodo can hold on to his sanity as the ring slowly takes power over him.The pacing, which was an issue with 'Fellowship,' is not problematic at all the second time around.
These flaws were probably necessary to make the film but the hard core Tolkien fans such as myself were disappointed to see Faramir drag poor Frodo and Sam to Osgilliath which is only mentioned in the book but never seen.
Gollum is quite simply the most interesting film character in the last decade and this relates both to the ground breaking special effects but also Serkis' performance, which was most unfairly not deemed fit for an Oscar nomination.
Overall the acting is excellent like in the first film and all actors manages to develop their characters in ways that are at the very least acceptable.The effects and fight scenes in this second film are among the best ever and is perhaps only bested by some of the effects in the third film in the series.
Dramatic purposes.Overall The Two Towers serves as an excellent link between the Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King and it deserves every bit of praise coming to it.
As with the last film, the acting is great, the effects are groundbreaking (Gollum changed CGI), and the action scenes are well choreographed and exciting.
Peter Jackson himself has admitted The Two Towers was the hardest part of the trilogy to achieve, at least in terms of narrative structure since, unlike The Fellowship of the Ring, it has no proper beginning and no emotionally packed climax (Boromir's death in Fellowship was one of that film's most moving moments).
It picks up exactly from where its predecessor ended: the Fellowship is split in three separate groups, all with their own problems to take care of:Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) continue their journey to Mordor in order to destroy the One Ring, and find an unexpected guide in that item's previous owner, vicious creature Gollum (Andy Serkis); Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) reunite with the reborn Gandalf (Ian Mckellen) to save the dying kingdom of Rohan from Saruman's (Christopher Lee) evil clutch; Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) have a close encounter with the Ents, ancient creatures which have unfinished business with a certain bad wizard...This second opus is less talking and more fighting: key characters are reduced to cameos (most notably Galadriel) and new people are quickly introduced so that we can be dragged into some huge battles, culminating in the 40-minute long combat at Helm's Deep, quite simply the movie's highlight.
If, however, you want more insight on the characters and their motivations, get the extended cut, whose additional sequences are essential to understand pivotal moments of the third film.Helm's Deep aside, the movie's most remarkable element is the mad, schizophrenic Gollum.
But the two Towers is not a failure but it does not match up to the quality of the Fellowship of the Ring.The Two Towers continues the adventures of the fellowship as they separate and take their own routes; Frodo makes his way to Mordor with Sam, and his guide Gollum, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli head to find Merry and Pippin and to defend Helms Deep from Isengard.
After the first movie i was looking forward to this one, not having read the books, i didn't know what was coming next.All the characters were there again, even Gandalf, who i thought was dead (ahh, but this time he's Gandalf the white) the visuals were as good as expected and some of the cinematography blew my mind.For me though, Golem stole the show, a very compelling computer generated character like nothing I've seen before.
'The Two Towers' is unparalleled in cinema history -except, of course, by it's predecessor 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'- and sets new standards in film effects and story telling.
The second part of the movie adaptation of 'The Lord of the Rings' books, this is a good-looking creation albeit not much else.
The screenwriters, which ones I don't know, have done a poor job of translating Tolkien to the screen (and no, capturing Tolkien's spirit is difficult but not impossible in a movie so don't throw out that straw man), and contrary to what Peter Jackson stated on the special edition DVD of FoTR, they have not stayed as close to the original story as possible and HAVE thrown their own spin in.
The hobbits manage to wind up in the hands of an Ent  a wise old walking tree and steward of the forest, who they try to convince to join in the fight against Saruman and Sauron.Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas continue their dogged attempt to rescue Merry and Pippin, and an old friend unexpectedly re-enters the story as several components of the Fellowship come together to devise an improbable defense of the land of Rohan against the overwhelming force of Mordor.Like The Fellowship, the Two Towers manages to capture the essence of Tolkien's story and characters while rearranging portions for better cinematic continuity and emphasizing interpretive connections which are not wholly obvious in Tolkien's writing.
Other members of the Fellowship help each other in similar ways as Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas prepare for battle and Gandalf works hard to repair the damaged bonds between Rohan and Gondor.The darkest and most uncomfortable of the three movies, The Two Towers is also, in some ways, the most powerful.
After the wonderful realization of "The Fellowship of The Ring," I was greatly anticipating the next installment with "The Two Towers." As a writer I can understand that some changes need to be made to adapt a book to a film; however, I think the title given to this movie should have been "Peter Jackson's Two Towers." The plot changes and additional scenes with Arwen were absolutely unnecessary for translating the book to film.
These changes simply represented how the director wanted the books to go and the heck with Tolkein.There was much to like about the movie in terms of art direction and special effects.
I can [barely] accept the whole 'Arwen as Frodo's saviour' from The Fellowship Of The Ring, but what Jackson has done this time made me feel nauseous - I actually felt the desire to vomit while watching this movie.
The Two Towers follows several different plot threads: Sam and Frodo continue their quest to get to Mount Doom, as a creature named Gollum accompanies them; Aragon, Gimli, and Legolas all go in search of the Hobbits, and later head to Edoras in Rohan to assist in battle; Merry and Pippin are taken captive by Urku-hai and later meet a Ent that may help them in their quest.This is probably my least favorite of the three films, let me just tell you that before we begin.
Astin really works well with Wood, making Sam more than just a sidekick, but both a rock and friend that Frodo needs in his times of desperation.The special effects are just as good as the previous films, if not better.
Every scene where groups are riding to battle and scenes where we see sweeping shots of landscapes look amazing, and you can tell that Jackson and anybody else working on that part of the film really wanted it to look good.
Peter Jackson has done it again, with the second movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "The Two Towers".
An excellent film, but it is my least favourite in the trilogy.Sam and Frodo continue their journey towards Mordor to rid Middle Earth of the One Ring, while Aragon, Gimli and Legolas prepare to do battle with the armies of the dark.
I don't know Peter Jackson, and I've never been to New Zealand, but after the experience of this film, I don't need to.THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS is one of the greatest, perhaps the greatest, movies ever made.Jackson wisely does not attempt to duplicate the books--that would be artistic suicide because Tolkien's trilogy is unfilmable.
Here the film manages perfectly with a good level of action and story that is consistent and builds to the battle for Helm's Deep as it's climax.
Here we have a film that's well done in some ways yet in the grand scheme of things it was never needed, the books stand alone and this trilogy of movies are a perhaps selfish project?
Problem with LOTR films is that they are always going to be compared to the books and peoples imaginations - and those of us with better imaginations than others often think of cooler things they'd rather have seen in the movie than others, or shown in different ways.Getting away from that what you have isn't worth a film.
You never get any kind of attachment to the characters - Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are getting on my nerves already and I was banking on Jackson straying completely from the book and bumping those two off - meanwhile Frodo and Sam look destined to lead a clandestine homosexual arrangement, because that's what it is - a big boys book of camping in woods and fending off mystical beasties.Maybe if you watch all 3 films end to end it'd make sense - but right now the first film stands alone as an excellent piece of work, almost worthy of Tolkiens words whilst the second film goes back on the principle of 'enlightenment' and filling in background gaps by throwing everything in quickly and with little or no care for the people who haven't read the book.
To put it in short I think Jackson is a second rate director who only got these films through blind enthusiasm, rather than ethical ability or quality of work.The two Towers is an insult to everything Tolkien wrote, Peter Jackson for some unexplained reason has gone from following the book of FOTR pretty well to just doing what he wants in TTT.
But I'm not here to talk about what is to come, I am here to tell you about what is now...and that, my dear friends, is The Two Towers.Everything that was good about Fellowship of the Ring and everything that made it one of the best films of all time is right here in The Two Towers.
She actually BELIEVES she can improve upon Tolkien...On changing Faramir in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) script: "If you're trying to up the tension, you don't have your main characters captured by someone who sort of interrogates them, but, not really, who then offers them a cup of tea and says, 'I'll do anything I can to help you.' It's death on film.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is the second installment in Peter Jackson's fabled adaptations of Tolkien's novels.
Having read the lord of the Rings trilogy, before ever hearing about the film, i knew i needed to see these movies.
I think Peter Jackson has created a film that reflects a book as good as possible, especially an epic story like TLOTR, which at one point can be looked at as a mythology of England.