The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Zac Weber

The battle scenes are very impressive given the early-2000s GCI work. Many of the action sequences feel like a fitting payoff after longwinded portions of the first film, but the dialogue is rather forgettable at times here.

Ethan

This is my favorite of the trilogy mostly because of its excellent battle sequences and this one seems to move faster than the others.

HKFanatic

This would probably be my second favorite in the trilogy if we could just edit out Peter Jackson's ill-advised attempts at humor, like the Gimli short jokes and Legolas surfing down a flight of stairs. Otherwise, the battle at Helm's Deep is as good as action gets in Lord of the Rings: not as epic in scope as the battle in RotK but much more intimate and personal of a fight, and therefore more exciting to watch.

filmcapsule

Significantly spottier than the folksy, charming first one, but it gets by on passion. There's a lot of high-fantasy mythologizing that would make me roll my eyes in another film, but it's earnestly sold and you can sense real belief behind the filmmaking. With almost 15 years of hindsight, Gollum does seem thin, but there's something so captivating, low-fi, even classical, about the way the creature was realized.

Richard Tines

for all the grandeur, the sound and fury, the epic battles, one man in a mocap suit steals the show and sticks in your memory....Gollum, the tragically heinous victim of the Ring....

Noiresque

Surprisingly, a dud. Endless grey monologues, pointless side-plots, key uncharismatic performances from, to start with, Hill and Otto. None of the wistful earthiness and even passion of the first film (perhaps due to the absence of Bean and Holm). Brad Dourif's small role as Grima Wormtongue is so good that the film plunges into dullness on his departure. The reliablity of Wood and Astin bring the only solidity.

Malattia

Something says that is not as good as the first chapter, 'cuz is the middle film of a trilogy... Wrong, is even more exciting and the real story of the Lord of The Rings starts moving. Wow.

Jessica McFarland

The strongest of the three - a perfect balance of relational, emotional, and plot-driven drama. Much more subtle than the others, with Andy Serkis and Bernard Hill stealing scenes left and right and powerful performances also by Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, and Sir Ian McKellen. A beautiful climax that still makes me weep after 10 years of viewing.