Review: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002) 
Review by Marshall Garvey 
Rating (0 to 5): *****  Grade: A+ 
Starring Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Viggo
Mortensen (Aragorn), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Sean Astin (Sam Gamgee), Billy
Boyd (Pippin), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), Orlando Bloom (Legolas
Greenleaf), John Rhys-Davis (Gimli), Christopher Lee (Saruman),
Miranda Otto (Eowyn), Andy Serkis (Gollum/Smeagol), Brad Dourif (Grima
Wormtongue), Bernard Hill (Theoden)
Directed by Peter Jackson
Produced by Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, and Frances Walsh
Written by Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Jackson
(Based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Original music by Howard Shore
New Line Cinema 
179 minutes
Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and scary images 

    So how do you continue a masterpiece? This is a question I
sometimes ask myself when I think about great sequels that passed
their paramount predecessors. Sequels like "Aliens", "The Godfather
Part II", "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", and "The Empire Strikes Back"
all raised the bar even after their precursors set new standards and
influenced their genres like proud grandfathers. The "Fellowship of
the Ring"/"Two Towers" contrast also comes into play when this matter
is considered, although while some sequels manage to surpass the first
almost easily, even if it be by only a small notch, deciding which of
Peter Jackson's eye-popping masterpieces is the superior one can
sometimes be almost impossible to determine. On one hand, "Fellowship"
made its mark as the best fantasy film since the "Star Wars" movies,
and was made with such compelling ingenuity that it managed to raise
the bar at a time when most Hollywood big budget productions can
rarely be considered masterpieces. Despite running three hours, it
also managed to be engrossing to the final second, and the charm and
grandeur with which it presented the classic figures of the fellowship
was so overwhelming that you would have to be a heartless
misanthropist to not become attached to them through each nail-biting
battle and venture.

On the contrary, the characterization of "The Two Towers" may not be
as favorable as that of the first, for while the unity of the
fellowship was enthralling, the characters here are divided into
different segments. Still, this can hardly be considered a flaw, for
the film's perfect editing helps maintain the pace evenly and
faultlessly. "The Two Towers" also shows little or no fault in
continuing in each and every place where "Fellowship" left off, and
when it finally comes to its end, this exhilarating sequel shows that
lightning sometimes doesn't just strike twice: it can strike harder.

After the breakup of the fellowship, this film continues the tale
through the ventures of each group of characters. First and foremost
is the journey of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Sam Gamgee (Sean
Astin), continuing on their way to Mordor as their hopes grow fainter.
"It's the one place in Middle Earth we don't want to get close to, and
it's the one place we're trying to get to." Says a disgruntled Sam of
Mordor, where the Ring that Frodo carries can be destroyed.

On their journey, the two encounter a feeble, pale-white creature
named Gollum (whose motions are done amazingly by Andy Serkis), who
once possessed the Ring long ago but lost it and has since then hunted
desperately for it (he followed the group throughout the first film).
Gollum tries to take the Ring by force as they sleep, but soon finds
himself at the end of a rope, dragged along by Sam. Gollum's yelps of
pain annoy Sam, and he proposes that they tie him up and leave him for
death. But the creature vows to do anything for the "master of the
precious", and Frodo, convinced, asks him to lead them to Mordor.
Gollum weakly agrees.

The second major half of the story is that of Legolas Greenleaf
(Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Aragorn (Viggo
Mortensen), who continue their search for the other two Hobbits, Merry
(Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), who have been kidnapped by
a band of Uruk-Hai. When the three warriors, each of a different race,
learn from a soldier named Eomer (Karl Urban) that he and his army had
slain a throng of Uruk-Hai near the edge of a forest and left no
survivors, their hopes are diminished.

Frustrations grow when they see the wreckage, with burned bodies piled
on top of each other. However, Aragorn, using his bold instinct, finds
several traces of the Hobbits leading into the wood called Fangorn.
Gimli and Legolas doubt entering it, though. "What madness drove them
in there?" ponders Gimli. Yet they continue, with their weapons ready,
and come upon a strange figure. They quickly attack, only to have
their blows stopped by the person clad in white, and find that he is
not the enemy Saruman: he is Gandalf the White (Ian McKellen), who,
after falling in the Mines of Moria in the first film, has returned to
complete his task.

As the other three search for them, Pippin and Merry encounter
somebody in Fangorn they did not expect: a talking tree named
Treebeard (voiced by Rhys-Davies) of a species called the Ents ("I am
no tree!" he exclaims). Treebeard is somewhat alarmed by Pippin and
Merry at first, calling them "Little Orcs". He is soon convinced that
they aren't, but not without a little discussion with some other Ents
that takes a few hours. He detests Saruman, claiming that he has a
"mind of metal and wheels". Treebeard provides some very subtle and
true echoes of nature.

Outside of the broken fellowship's members, the story also introduces
some newer figures that could turn out to be key characters in the
upcoming "Return of the King". The greatest is King Theoden (Bernard
Hill, who played Captain Smith in "Titanic"), a withering ruler of the
land of Rohan whose soul is possessed by Saruman. Theoden's kingdom is
crumbling all around him, with his son killed in battle and his
deceitful servant Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) slowly gaining
control over his decisions. The only person who tries to overcome the
decay of this empire is Theoden's niece, Eowyn (Miranda Otto). The
courageous Eowyn, with the spirit of a fighter, says to Aragorn, "I
fear neither death nor pain." "What do you fear?" asks Aragorn. "To
stay behind bars until use and old age accept them." She says.

The main villain of the story is Saruman the White (Christopher Lee),
who under the rule of the Dark Lord Sauron continues to create a
massive army bred for a sole purpose: destroy all mankind. Unlike
"Fellowship", Saruman's screen time is limited, but his villainy and
menace remain as powerful as ever thanks to Christopher Lee, who seems
to be born for the role. "There will be no dawn for man" he says in a
disturbingly chilling way as he watches his army march out of
Isengard, where smoke rises from the ground and evil dominates all.

Each year, The Stinkers, the biggest bad movie awards group on the
internet, give out an award for the most annoying nonhuman character
in a movie. Now you may expect me to say that Gollum received a
nomination in 2002, but as a matter of fact he didn't. True, some may
see Gollum as a Jar Jar Binks equivalent, and I didn't see all of the
greatness of his character when I first saw the film in theaters.
Since then, however, I have watched it three times, once more in the
cinema and twice on DVD, and every time I have focused more and more
on Gollum's characterization. During each viewing, I see a little more
depth to his personality, from Peter Jackson's powerful presentation
of his feeble, tortured character to his quarrels with his inner
conscious Smeagol. In one scene, as Sam and Frodo sleep, Jackson uses
a fresh approach by changing camera views while Gollum and Smeagol
argue. Even knowing the outcome, the direction of that scene always
retains its effect, and shows the layers of Gollum's amazing
character. On a lesser standard, just look at the unbearably annoying
Moaning Myrtle ghost from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets",
who plays a key role but never goes beyond her irritating personality.
Here, though, Andy Serkis and Jackson bring one of the most important
characters to life faultlessly, and without driving the viewer crazy.

Some of the greatest films ever hold their impact in part because of
the way they end or climax. "Aliens", "Chinatown", "The Wild Bunch",
and "Apocalypse Now" are part of this category, not because of the
violence, but because their endings answer to everything else we've
seen in a way that won't be forgotten. "The Two Towers" is different
because of its more convoluted storyline, and indeed it is only the
second part of the trilogy. Still, it ends with two great battles, one
of which is among the greatest in cinematic history. That battle
occurs at a fortress known as Helm's Deep, where Theoden, after having
his spirit freed by Gandalf, has evacuated his people to. When the
Uruk-Hai army arrives, Jackson stages it in suspenseful, stylish
fashion by adding rain as the man and elf armies prepare to meet their
fate. Once the battle begins, it's only better, and although the army
of Isengard is in the ten thousand range the CGI never completely
overrules the sequence. The editing by Michael Horton and Jabez Olssen
also helps, and the battle avoids incoherence. Still, it's so fast and
exhilarating that whenever the film cuts to the more peaceful meeting
of the Ents you'll feel your nerves cool down. Between the carnage and
sword fights, there's also a little humor with Gimli, Aragorn, and
Legolas, all of whom whip Isengard's forces with such energy and
agility that you might end up pumping your fist and cheering as if
though your favorite sports team were winning. It's not all for men
and elves, however, for Isengard has a few weapons that help in
breeching the wall.

Through the half hour that this sequence takes up, you may feel almost
every human emotion known to man, from the darkest and most hopeless
moments to the more victorious. Even after four viewings, the Helm's
Deep sequence has lost none of its punch, and when seen in theaters it
might have helped if I had a seat belt. I will not, however, reveal
its best moments, for it would be a waste time. The other great
battle, to keep it simple and avoid too much detail, involves an army
of Ents and Isengard itself, but I won't go any further to spoil it.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is as much a cinematography
film as it is a fantasy film. The cinematographer, Andrew Lesnie,
provides such stunning background shots and views of New Zealand that
it makes we want to go there even as I write this review. You might
wonder where your breath has gone just focusing on the setting, which
has as much beauty as the most exquisite painting of nature
imaginable. Just don't forget the movie as well.

Outside of the obvious absence of Sean Bean, the only major actor from
the first film that's not here is Ian Holm. While it's hard to except
Holm, one of my favorite character actors, from the cast, everybody
else does their part. My personal favorite is John Rhys-Davies as
Gimli, who brings both laughs and thrills. "We Dwarves are natural
sprinters." he pants as he lags behind Aragorn and Legolas during
their hunt for Merry and Pippin. Other lines of his include, "Bring
your pretty face to my axe" and some funny commentary on popular
belief about Dwarf women (who are often mistaken for men because of
their beards).

While Hugo Weaving (as Elrond) and Cate Blanchett (as Galadriel) have
smaller roles as their elf characters this time (Blanchett has but a
brief appearance and a little dialogue), the film still gives some
time to the romance story of Arwen (Liv Tyler) and Aragorn (the scenes
are some of the slower moments in the movie, but the love is
powerful). Yet while other characters are in the background, other
characters' roles become more prominent. Gandalf, for one, continues
to make his mark as one of the greatest fictional characters of all
time. McKellen's performance nearly defies description, and it is
indeed a crime that he didn't receive recognition from the Academy.
Seeing him makes me even more excited for "Return of the King", as if
I weren't enthusiastic enough.

It is difficult to create an entire world with CGI convincingly, and
there are often times when the special effects are the weakest aspect
of a film. Not so here, for Jackson and his special effects crew have
constructed Middle Earth so amazingly that it seems realistic.
Combined with the superlative cinematography, the overall impact is
tremendous. Of course, the designs of Middle Earth aren't the only
ones worthy of credit: the graphics for Treebeard, Gollum, and the
army of Isengard are all equally astounding as well.

>From what I can remember from the book, the movie is a faithful
adaptation in a number of ways, especially in the sense of nature that
Tolkien always provided. Throughout the film, several of Treebeard's
lines reflect upon nature and man's attitude towards it. "He no longer
cares for growing things." Says Treebeard of Saruman, who has cut down
numerous trees to carry out his mission of destroying humanity. For
those of you who see this film as a simple fantasy and nothing more,
take a close look at this and the other messages in the story, such as
bravery, friendship, and self-sacrifice. It is sad, though, that some
people may not see the messages and under-appreciate the film, when
its morals are realistic and powerful in every way.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" DVD is superb, with a second
disc of features full of treats such as a short film by Sean Astin
called "The Long and Short Of It" and a preview of the extended
version, which is currently available. While the longer version is
close to 4 hours, there's no doubt that adding to this film would only
make it better, even if it would be longer. Honestly, there's nothing
to be cut, so it all makes sense to me (and to those who believe the
movie could be more faithful to the book).

There is so much that makes this film classic, but what really gives
it heart are the leads Elijah Wood and Sean Astin. These two are so
amusing together that one hopes their partnership won't end after the
trilogy is completed. Hopefully, they'll work on more projects
together. If not, then at least we'll always have this.

So do I think "Return of the King" might surpass "Two Towers"?
Perhaps. For one, it will have Ian Holm, and if Jackson can still
provide the chemistry each character has had so far it just might
happen. Either way, "The Two Towers" will still be among the best of
all fantasies, and one of the grandest movies of all time. My
precious…

This review is purely of my doing, and I do not copy off other
reviewers.

So, what does this rating system mean anyway? 
*****-A masterpiece of filmmaking that should be seen at all costs
****1/2-A fabulous movie. An absolute must catch. 
****-An excellent show. Be sure to see it.
***1/2-A good film. Recommended. 
***-Decent movie that could be a lot better. 
**1/2-Average movie with a number of flaws. 
**-Pretty bad with a few saving graces. 
*1/2-Bad. Don’t see it. 
*-As much fun as having your seat kicked for two hours.  
1/2-Just plain awful. 
0-Death may come

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X-RT-RatingText: 5/5