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

The Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers Poster

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) is a epic high fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson and based on the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings. It is the second installment in The Lord of the Rings film series, preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and concluding with The Return of the King (2003). Continuing the plot of The Fellowship of the Ring, the film intercuts three storylines. Frodo and Sam continue their journey towards Mordor to destroy the One Ring, meeting and joined by Gollum, the ring's former owner. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli come to the war-torn nation of Rohan and are reunited with the resurrected Gandalf, before fighting at the Battle of Helm's Deep. Merry and Pippin escape capture, meet Treebeard the Ent, and help to plan an attack on Isengard. Meeting high critical acclaim, the film was an enormous box-office success, earning over $926 million worldwide and is currently the 33rd highest-grossing film of all time (inflation-adjusted, it is the 62nd most successful film in North America). The film won numerous accolades and was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two.

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh (screenplay)
Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen
IMDb Rating: 8.7

Awards:
Won 2 Oscars.
Another 105 wins & 113 nominations.

Movie Review:
Every great adventure story worth telling has a solid hero - someone who puts others before themselves and uses their talents to do their best at keeping the forces of evil at bay even if it means the loss of life and limb. At its core, this movie has eight such heroes and each one lives up to the call. 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 obviously CGI, there was so much emotion in this character that I couldn't help believe he was real! 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. With the obvious success of the first two installments, the release of the final film next December may prove this to be THE BEST trilogy ever made!

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Trailer (2002)