The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Movie Review

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

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Written by: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Stephen Sinclair & Peter Jackson (screenplay)
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, Hugo Weaving, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.

Verdict
This doesn't have the setup of the first movie or the payoff of the third, but you have to watch this for the complete story. It's completely worth it, and the battle of Helm's Deep and Isengard is on a scale we still don't see.  This movie continues the grand adventure, splitting into three story lines that maximize adventure, emotion, and humor. This is even more of a spectacle than the first movie with some amazing battles and CGI.
Watch It.

Review
All three Lord of the Rings movies were filmed simultaneously, which certainly helped the budget and production. The production design is simply amazing. This truly feels like Middle-earth which helps fortify the entire movie.

This one picks up soon after the first movie with the Fellowship of the Ring in three distinct groups. All are headed in the same direction.

Andy Serkis, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood play Gollum, Sam, Frodo

Frodo (Elijah Wood), Sam (Sean Astin), and Gollum (Andy Serkis) are headed to Mordor to destroy the ring. Already the ring is changing Frodo, slowly corrupting him. We get to see what Frodo could become with enough time, Gollum.

Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) spend most of their time with a tree. There's a bit of humor here, but it's the weaker story until the trees attack at the end of the movie.

Ian McKellen, John Rhys-Davies, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom play Gandalf, Gimli, Aragorn, Legoloas

Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) chase orcs, defend townspeople traveling to safety, and then defend Helm's Deep.

My memory was that this movie felt like filler, bridging the gap between the start and conclusion, but this movie boasts impressive visuals. The Dead Marshes, Helm's Deep, and Isengard all are settings for impressive visuals. In this movie we also see a lot more of Gollum. With this movie Andy Serkis has made a career out of being a go to for motion capture.

This one doesn't stand on its own as much as I'd like. I've never watched just one of the Lord of the Rings movies. I always watch them consecutively. This would be the third time, but these movie were never made to stand alone.
This is much better than I remember. It's full of fights and hopeless battles, ending in much the same way as the first movie with Frodo and Sam on a perilous journey to Mordor.