Reel News - 'The Two Towers'

Reviewed by Justin Colburn & Keayn Dunya

The Fellowship is broken. Frodo and Samwise set out to take the Ring of Power back to Mt. Doom where it can be unmade. The burden of carrying the ring is taking a heavy toll on Frodo, as the ring is growing in power, and they are forced to list the most unlikely ally to guide them on their journey. As Frodo and Sam approach Mordor, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are pursuing the Uruk-hai who have captured Merry and Pippin. The trail leads them to the Kingdom of Rohan where they join forces with the aging King Theoden against the Uruk-hai of Isengard. Taking shelter in the remote fortress of Helm's Deep, the army of Rohan prepares for a full on assault by the forces of Saruman. Meanwhile Merry and Pippin try to convince the Ents, ancient forest guardians, to join the war against Isengard and Mordor.

Justin:

Last year when Fellowship came out I stated movies should be reviewed for what they are and not compared to the books they are based on because they are rarely live up to the books. Two Towers reinforced that opinion strongly. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoyed the movie. The strongest asset a movie has over book is the ability to visually create the world the story is set in, this is especially important in fantasy and science fiction stories where the setting is supposed to appear extraordinary, and this Two Towers created a beautiful world that really allowed the characters to come to life. The special effects were very smooth and the animation moved fluidly which added greatly to the idea they were living, breathing creatures.

The characters that were focused on were portrayed very well. The internal struggle between Gollum and Smeagol was done very intelligently. Legolas and Gimli's initial distrust of one another shifted easily into the beginnings of a strong friendship and the physical burden of the ring was very visible through Frodo. On the down side, Theoden was a stereotypical proud king and lacked of any depth, though the physical change he went through was done very well. Jackson's attempt to portray the love triangle between Aragorn, Arwen and Eowyn felt forced and completely superfluous.

The scene that made the movie for me was the battle at Helm's Deep. For a long time I have wanted to see a large scale fantasy battle portrayed on screen and this was close to what I was looking for. The action was able to keep a chaotic feel while at the same time giving the characters a chance to interact and develop as the battle raged on. This is another scene where the strong visuals were helpful in drawing you into the movie.

As a movie I truly enjoyed Two Towers, but as a representation of the book it fell very short. As I walked out of the theatre I thought to myself, "This is the new interruption of Lord of the Rings?" For all of the people who lack either the patience, the desire, or the motivation to read the series this will serve, to them, as an accurate depiction of the story? That thought disturbs me. I have always been a movie buff and I have always thought that movies were just as capable of providing an intelligent and thought provoking story as a book, though unfortunately they seldom do. In this situation the movie serves, to me, as little more than a watered down version of the books. I want to relive the story, but I don't have to reread the books so I'll just watch the movies. For anyone who has yet to read the books I urge you not to cheat yourself, don't let this version of the story become the Lord of the Rings to you. Let it serve as the Cliff's Notes version of the literary classic that it is and don't deny yourself the chance to experience the real thing.

Keayn:

It's clichéd but it's true, whenever you get a group of individuals together invariable some type of bible appears. Something is held up as cannon. The works of Tolkien have taken on that almost religious fervor. The worst thing you can do is offer up your own interpretation or call it into question. That's what Peter Jackson is up against in making the Fellowship of the Ring Trilogy.

The Two Towers expands on what groundwork was laid in the Lord of the Rings. In fact the opening of the movie is one of the things that I like the most. These films are being made as a continuation of each other. There are no halfhearted attempts to try and bring the viewer up to speed. This trilogy is epic in scope. It offers not just itself but its past and its future. Almost everything in The Two Towers was on the mark. The effects were spectacular. I tip my hat to Weta Digital for the superb graphics. Even the computer generated characters looked realistic and had a life of their own. Along with the varied landscapes and the beautiful cinematography the characters, real or otherwise, helped to create a world utterly removed from our own.

The main characters were well played. The bonds that grow between the characters enhance the understanding that these were people who you depended on for your health and wellbeing. The strongest being the bond of friendship between Sam and Frodo. The trust that Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli show one another is also well played, including the competition between Legolas and Gimli. The love triangle between Aragorn, Arwen and Éowyn was a little forced. It seemed to diminish what I believed to be a great effort. The other moving portrayal was that between Gollum and Sméagol.

There has never been a movie that has had such a large scale fantasy war as this one. The siege of Helm's Deep was one the more exciting scenes in the movie. Apart from some rather "extreme" tactics by Legolas, this is one of the more moving scenes in the movie. There have been many war films and quite a few historical films but there have never been a large scale fantasy battle. This is one the things that makes this movie such an epic event. It also served to give you insight into the characters of Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas.

All in all I think Lord of the Rings deserves all the accolades that it has received. In attempting to do what has never been done before Peter Jackson has succeeded in creating a unique movie-going experience. As we've always said the movie is not the book and this is one case that calls that into question. It's hard to look at the Fellowship of the Ring books and not compare them to the books. Many people will. Still the movie exits as Peter Jackson's interpretation of The Fellowship of the Ring not as the New-Tolkien Movement. The books are good, the movie is great but they are and can exist as seperate entities. If you want to read the books that's fine, it's a great if dry read. If you want to watch the movies, get the extended DVD it expands on a number of scenes in amazingways. But take upon yourself to make up your on mind. Movie or book. They are both great. Which one is better is up to you.