The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

For the better part of a year or so, I've been on a quest to re-read The Lord of the Rings. Truthfully, it might as well count as my first time reading it because I was previously too young (6th/7th grade) to really understand/effectively read them. 

This endeavor has been really rewarding; the books are so well written, enjoyable, and often gripping and, being quite familiar with the all-time-classic films, actually makes the process more exciting as I can picture many of the characters, settings, etc. 

Recently revealed to me, my wife has never seen these movies or read the book. The book miss is forgivable - it's a beast - but the film gap in her resume was appalling! My friends were shocked I hadn't checked this before we got married ;-)

She's a good sport, so in preparation for The Rings of Power, the new Lord of the Rings show from Amazon (and reportedly the most expensive show ever made), we've been watching my Extended Edition copies across various settings. 

Many years back, I'd reviewed the fantastic first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, which, on any given day may be my favorite of the trilogy (though it's honestly hard to pick). Now, I commit to finalizing the trilogy on this site because it's a pretty big miss with regard to content and timely with the show arriving. 

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the 2nd film in the trilogy named after the 2nd book in the series. It's a different film than its predecessor as its focus is split across several groups. In a very minor way, it's a bit of a lesser film for it. In my younger days, this was my go-to "least favorite" film, but time has been kind to it and it's hard to say that anything is my least favorite when it contains the Battle of Helm's Deep. The hopping around does seem excessive near the end, building up tension sure, but also breaking away at key moments that almost had me groaning audibly. Some of that I attribute to the extended edition having more to do with the Ents, but it's present in the theatrical run too...a minor blemish on an otherwise great film. Somewhat uncontrollable, it also has "middle child" syndrome, even with director Peter Jackson choosing different starting and ending points (that are better than the book's) but again, that's a minor issue in a day and age that you can just queue the next film. 

I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND PLEASE!

The CGI for Gollum is almost even more
impressive now 20 years later

Otherwise The Two Towers continues the Rings' supremacy as one of the best trilogies of all time. The stakes are shockingly even higher, many of our heroes are pushed to their brink, new characters are introduced, and the plot proceeds logically, but not in a boring way. Sauron's army is building in Mordor while Saruman's army is ready in Isengard (directionally before our main group gets to Mordor). Having read the book and now seen the movies several times, the plot-path and war maneuvers are very interesting, and Two Towers is full of them. Frodo and Sam are basically spies behind enemy lines, Aragorn and Co. are the front line defense, while the Ents are a "new entrant" needing convincing to join the battle (among other analogies). Each story is compelling and has its highlights and even though the Ents bring everything to a screeching halt at times (seriously, going from peak Helm's Deep to an Ent discussion is jarring), there's value and enjoyment in all of them. 

Across the board, performances remain iconic, even for new characters. Gollum (Andy Serkis) is an Oscar-nomination-worthy performance while all the hobbits, particularly Sam (Astin) and Frodo (Wood), bring an innocence and determination to their characters. Gandalf (McKellen) and Aragorn (Mortensen) get a lot to do in their top-of-career roles and it's hard to even remotely spot a weak-link in the bunch. They're bolstered by strong original material from Tolkien and a wonderful adaptation by people who really understood and respected the source material, such as Peter Jackson. His direction remains showstopping as cinematography, editing, and the practical effects and real New Zealand landscapes are breathtaking. Even today, much of the CGI holds up and the moments it doesn't aren't so jarring that they look awful, just obvious. And of course, all of this is accompanied by one of the most memorable and suited original scores in the history of cinema from Howard Shore. 

Still one of the best fantasy battles ever made

We're also treated to what was, at the time, the biggest on-screen battle ever with Helm's Deep. It's a collection of invigorating scenes, many of which are not described in detail in the book itself. That fact alone makes it impressive, and I was surprised to reminisce just how damn awesome it is. In a day and age where action can get repetitive and shaky cam is the norm, this is a prime example of why orchestrating specific scenes - and filming techniques for those scenes - can make a lasting impression. 

Having nearly finished the final book now, with only a few more chapters and the movie to go, I can say that this revisit to The Lord of the Rings, both film and book, and with my wife, no less, has been special. I forgot how incredible the films are and am discovering, basically for the first time, how well-written the books are. Here's hoping The Rings of Power lives up to either...I certainly don't envy it. 

CONS

• Probably a little too much bouncing back and forth between the various groups, especially near the end
• Transitioning from key Helm's Deep moments to the Ents talking is jarring
• "Middle child" syndrome

PROS

• Despite being much different than the first, the organization is impressive and I enjoyed all the war "tactics"
• Packed with iconic characters, many giving career-best performances. There's not a weak-link in the bunch
• Continues to be a great, legendary fantasy story
• Impressive direction from Jackson, along with stunning cinematography, great editing, and a use of practical effects that is to-this-day still the gold-standard
• CGI that holds up, even 20 years later
• One of the best original scores of all time
• The Battle of Helm's Deep is jaw-dropping and peppered with memorable sequences
• What a damn good film...these things were truly special

Retro Rath's Review Score |

10/10 - Instant Classic