Starring Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Billy Boyd, Domenic Monaghan, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Miranda Otto, Bernard Hill, Brad Dourif, Cate Blanchett. Directed by Peter Jackson. Frodo (Wood) and Sam (Astin) are lost on their way to Mordor, when they come across the mysterious former ringbearer Gollum, warped by the ring. They promise to let him live if he takes them to the Black Gates of Mordor. Meanwhile, across Middle-earth, Aragorn (Mortensen), the Elf archer Legolas (Bloom) and Gimli the Dwarf (Rhys-Davies) encounter the besieged Rohan kingdom, whose once great King Theoden (Hill) has fallen under Saruman's deadly spell through the manipulations of the sinister Wormtongue (Dourif). Eowyn (Otto), the niece to the King, recognizes a leader in the Human warrior Aragorn. Aragorn is drawn to Eowyn, but is constantly reminded of his enduring love for the Elf Arwen (Tyler) and the pact they made together. Gandalf (McKellen) miraculously survived his no-way-in-hell-he-could-survive fall into the cavern, and has been reborn as Gandalf the White, and reminds Aragon of his destiny to unite the Human peoples of Rohan and Gondor. The captured Hobbits Merry (Monaghan) and Pippin (Boyd) have escaped from their captors, fleeing into Fangorn Forest, where they discover an ally among the ancient trees - Treebeard, a living tree, whose forest Saruman (Lee) has decimated. Saruman unleashes a 10,000 plus force of deadly soldiers upon the kingdom of Rohan in order to destroy their last stronghold at Helm's Deep and all the Humans who dwell there. Can the forces of good survive this powerful axis of evil? After the huge success of the Fellowship Of The Ring, director Peter Jackson has followed it with a visually magnificent epic filled with fine effects and as spectacular battle scenes as you've seen. The final battle combines both special effects and live-action and seems to last close to half-an-hour. For me the most interesting conflict occurred with the walking trees at Mordor, where the onrushing water flowing down the mountain creates wonton destruction in Saruman's kingdom of evil. Several times, though, I couldn't help but think of the knights of Nicht prancing into battle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, perhaps because I longed for somebody other than the dwarf with a sense of humour. At about three hours long, there are a few lulls, but the story and action make the passing of time seem less. One tendency that began to become a bit annoying is for characters to stop every once-in-a-while and deliver a serious, pseudo-deep soliloquy. But overall, things move along well. It must have cost him a fortune in helicopters and planes, but Jackson makes very good use of the gorgeous New Zealand mountain and valley scenery with many sweeping shots in the mountains - it's enough to make one consider a vacation there in the not too distant future. A second positive feature during the ending credits is the theme song sung by Bjork, a moody, haunting melody, as is her usual. Concerning the film's faithfulness to the original texts, I have never read the books, but my viewing companion told me the first film was more faithful to the book. For him, the first film was less spectacular, but more compelling viewing. For all the large action and epic adventure going on, the most successful feature of The Two Towers is the creation of Gollum. I found myself most interested whenever he is on screen. His animation is outstanding, and I was impressed and found believable the way in which his two personalities, evil and sweet, were shown to be in conflict. Gollum seems the most human character on screen, and the most real, because every other character is either overwhelmingly virtuous, or stupefyingly evil. It is difficult to identify with, or really care about the characters because we rarely have a chance to see inside them, Frodo and Aragon occasionally excepted. Despite an excellent cast, several talented performers are wasted. We get to see Cate Blanchett all of about 10 seconds. Ian McKellan, the best feature of the first film, pops up in the middle of this one but is given very little to do except look good in white. On the positive side, Viggo Mortensen exudes both valour and humanity, and is among the most real of the characters. Rhys-Davies provides much longed for comic relief as the courageous, spirited dwarf. Brad Dourif makes an excellent, creepy pawn of Saruman. Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers is a beautifully constructed film, with masterful cinematography and spectacular battle scenes. It is worth seeing if you are a fan of the books, or if you like a good action film. There has been considerable effort put into it, but the film lacks the heart and characterization to make the film as great as it looks. For something closer to that, see Harry Potter. If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail Press Here To Go To The Review List Page