The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Review

So next on my list of films to watch is The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers and here is my review for it. The Premise of the film sees Frodo and Sam get closer to Mordor with the help of Gollum, while the rest of The Fellowship must stand against Saruman and his huge army. 

Main Character

Viggo Mortenson really shines in this film, he is given more to do and really gets given the shine and he is a great lead protagonist. You see how his character has taken up more of a leadership role in this film and his part of the film is great and interesting. He nails the action scenes and it makes Aragorn really stand out and shine in this film, he develops well and he gives a really great performance here. Elijah Wood is still good as Frodo, he maybe is in the shadow of Mortenson a bit in this film but he still stands out. You see how the ring is really affecting Frodo, more then the first film and the introduction of Gollum really enhances his character and makes him more interesting then he was in Fellowship Of The Ring. 

Supporting Characters

Onto the show stealer of the film and that is Andy Serkis as Gollum, this character is fascinating and a really ground-breaking character. This performance really changed the game, it really is iconic and Gollum was such a great addition to the Frodo & Sam story making it a much more interesting plot point. Lets face it without Gollum, you wouldn't have the brilliant motion capture performances that you get now, so real credit to Peter Jackson & Andy Serkis for taking the risk and knocking it out of the park. Orlando Bloom & John Rhys Davies as Legolas and Gimli are given much more to do in this film and they are fantastic and add some nice comic relief here that never feels out of place. The friendship between Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn is one of the best parts of the film and really sells the relationship, and feels like a natural progression from the first film. Sir Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf The White this time and he does a great job, he isn't in this film as much but when he is on screen he is awesome and nails this change of character. Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd & Dominic Monaghan  are great in there roles and prove that these Lord Of The Rings casts are probably the greatest of all time. 

Story 

The story is bigger and larger in The Two Towers and it does work, there are three story arcs going on, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli's, Frodo, Sam & Gollum's & Merry, Pippin & Treebeard and they are interesting. The Aragorn plot gets the most screen time and it adds a new dynamic to Middle Earth and these films and make them feel larger then the previous film, even the Merry & Pippin stuff, though slower is good to watch and has a great conclusion to it which makes it worth it. The three stories work really well as they all feel a bit different and add something to the film in their own ways leading to The Battle Of Helms Deep which is possibly the greatest battle in film history. 

Script  

The script is great, it has the right balance of drama and humour and it just does a great job of making these characters feel unique and interesting. This film does have a darker feeling and tone then the previous film and it shows but it knows where to find the times to lighten the mood without going against its overall feeling and it does a great job. 

Style 

The style of the film is fantastic and raises the stakes. The action scenes are bigger and better, Bloom & Mortenson in particular standout with some great action scenes, leading as I said above to one of the greatest battles of all time that feels epic in nature but very real due to great stunts and great fight scenes. The film has great CGI and Motion Cap work, whether it be Gollum or Treebeard it looks great and Gollum in particular changes the game and allowed characters like Caesar, The Hulk & Thanos to exist in the future and this was his start. The film is 3 hours long but never drags, the stories are balanced really well and keep you interested throughout and expand on the films really well. 

Overall 

Overall, just like its predecessor this is one of the greatest films ever made and is a must watch. One of the greatest second films in a franchise ever and raises the stakes in a great way and sets up the final film in the most grand way possible. 

Rating - 10/10