The Two Towers is the second part in the Lord of the Rings series, continuing the quest to destroy Sauron's the Ring and stop his armies from ensnaring Middle-Earth. However, falling in the middle of a trilogy, it shares its narrative position with dozens of other "midpoints in the franchise" that serve mainly to bridge the first and third without much to stand on it's own two feet. So, does The Two Towers fall for this trap, or
does it rise to the same level of quality as it's predecessor?
Short answer; It is brilliant, and gets better with every watch. Everything from the first film is built upon greatly, from the acting, digital effects, character arcs and epic battles. It's extended edition runs for four hours, and every scene carries weight and meaning. Like the first film, the costumes, characters and scenery all look grounded in reality, the exceptions being the CGI characters, which pushed the boundaries of motion capture and digital technologies in the film industry, and still hold up today.
The story continues as Frodo journeys closer to Mordor, now with only the guidance of his friend Sam as they contend with the ring obsessed Gollum, while Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli pursue the captured Merry and Pippin, and face off against the ever-growing forces of Saruman.
What is surprising to me is how the film is structured; three or four different quests coinciding with one another to create a larger narrative, similarly to a tv series. An incredibly well made and acted tv series with a huge budget. That may be what makes it so engaging to watch - no one story lingers too long for it to become dull, as each moves towards a clear final goal and switches over to the other to keep the film rolling. That, and every plot is acted incredibly well, either with the likeable underdogs of the hobbits or the grand sense of scale and honour with the rest of the fellowship and the people of Rohan.
One thing that fascinates me, which I forgot to mention in the last review, is the unique cultures in the series - not only the different races varied in height, appearance and lifespan, but the ways that they interact with one another - be there trust and friendship, even if forgotten by the ages, or long-lasting rivalries, the architecture of each new location always being unique from one another, and the different foods and folktales. In reality, the films only scratch the surface in these regards, but that is what makes it so immersive. An entire mythology had been created by Tolkien, and Peter Jackson's version of the story can draw from and reference it to make it feel like a truly lived in world, not one made up a few weeks before to make some money at the box office.
Personally, I believe that this film is the one with the best battles ever put to screen, making large scale fights and armies feel tangible, while also looking fantastic. I can't give anything else away before the spoiler section, but it is absolutely incredible what was achieved on this film, that really set the bench-mark for all other films to strive towards.
For the sake of balance and impartiality, I'll have to think of something wrong with the film. It's long, and some might not like the pacing I guess. I don't know. I'll get back to you when I think of something.
The Two Towers strikes the best balance of drama, seriousness, optimism and light-hearted moments. It really shows this world at what could be the end of its days, with a terrible waged on every front, and the protagonists pushing themselves further and further away from their own lives, homes and goals and towards their own ruin, from Frodo's struggle with getting the Ring to Mordor to Aragorn's own journey putting him further and further from Arwen. However, it is ultimately about finding a hope through the darkness and the despair which is what makes the struggle endearing, not nihilistic. Plus, the friendship between the characters allows for great comedic relief and a sense of comradery, facing against the troubles of the world together. If you want to read even further into that, Tolkien's experiences in the trenches of World War One may have been an inspiration for this. Whatever the case, it provides the story with a real sense of heart that can rarely be found in such a profound way in the entertainment industry today, and makes for perhaps the most engaging and entertaining films I've ever been fortunate enough to watch. This film breaks the scale. 11/10
11/10
Spoiler Section
Ok. The best battle in all of film is the siege of Helm's deep. First of all, it's build-up was phenomenal - few soldiers actually made it back, but attacking the keep is folly. Except, Wormtongue knows of a secret weakness to exploit; the drain. Saurman has an army of tens of thousands of Uruk-hai, enough to breach the keep should the use the drain. Theoden King is forced to recruit men too old and boys too young to defend the keep, and all seems hopeless, until elves from Lothlorien arrive to fight alongside man once more. The battle commences shortly afterwards, with the keep holding against a sea of Uruk-hai under heavy rain at night, giving the fight an oppressive atmosphere. Eventually the Uruk-hai use the drain to blow a hole in the wall, which forces Aragorn and company to regroup.
From there, it is a series of victories and defeats for both sides, making the battle a story in itself - the Uruk-hai's goal - storm the keep and kill those inside, Rohan's goal - hold out until daylight. And, with a fortress that has a geography that is easy to understand, and the audience knowing where every prominent figure is at any given time, it makes for the most rewarding climax that the film could possibly have.
Frodo and Sam's journey, while much less action focused, is also captivating to watch. They are hunted by Gollum, but manage to capture him and use him as a guide to Mordor. Frodo wants help Gollum, to prove to himself that someone can be brought back after the Ring's influence corrupts them as it is doing to him, while Sam deeply mistrusts Gollum as he knows all he cares for is his "precious" Ring. Gollum himself is an incredibly interesting character to watch. He has two personalities - the one that is ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, be it lying, plotting, and even murdering, and his original self, Smeagol, who is weak, naive and childish, kind but easily influenced by the other. Throughout the film we see both fighting for control, which makes him a sad and pitiful character. He would have lived similarly to a hobbit in peace and happiness, but by stumbling upon the Ring, he had been corrupted, became a killer and was tormented over hundreds of years. This is brilliantly portrayed by Andy Serkis in motion capture, which not only made for one of the most compelling characters in the film, but also for the most convincing computer generated character put to screen up to that point.
I could go on and on forever about everything I love about this film, so I'll just end it there and see you on the next one, finishing off the trilogy with Return of the King.
Fantastic Review!! Couldn’t have said it better myself.