With this middle chapter, Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy hits its stride. The Two Towers is darker, more suspenseful, and more richly textured than its predecessor. It’s also more focused and dramatically satisfying than Return of the King. (These critiques come with the caveat that all three films are top-tier cinema.) Much like The Empire Strikes Back, this sequel supplies its entire franchise with a mystique of self-assured mastery. If The Fellowship of the Ring represents the first steps of Tolkien’s sweeping adventure, then The Two Towers brings us to a full sprint.
Both the film and this review assume you’ve complete Jackson’s introductory installment. If not, block out three hours and head to Middle Earth. Towers begins where Fellowship left us. The quest to destroy the One Ring is in grave danger, and our heroes are scattered across the map. Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) continue their trek into Mordor, with the pallid, impish creature known as Gollum (Andy Serkis) in hot pursuit. Fellow hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) have been scooped up by a platoon of Saruman’s Uruk-hai. In response, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) mount a desperate rescue, racing day and night to save their friends from certain torture and death.
Meanwhile, the neighboring kingdom of Rohan finds itself in growing peril. King Theodon (Bernard Hill), an otherwise just and noble ruler, suffers from an enchantment that renders him wizened and mumbling. This puts Rohan under the de facto leadership of Saruman (Christopher Lee), who uses Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), an odious, oily underling, to carry out his evil plans. All who oppose Saruman are banished, including Eomer (Karl Urban), the king’s stalwart nephew and military commander. If Rohan falls, much of Middle Earth will likely follow.
As with any great sequel, The Two Towers strikes a fine balance. All the characters you love return, and everyone gets played to note perfection. At the same time, Jackson and company deftly introduce an impressive roster of newcomers, who quickly become vital to the franchise. Hill makes a strong presence as the proud and capable Theodon, who must deliver his kingdom from almost certain annihilation. Miranda Otto is equally strong as Eowyn, Thedon’s niece. This could’ve been a thankless role–Eowyn spends much of her time pining for Aragorn–but Otto also adds fierce frustration and warmth to her aspiring warrior. Dourif excels as the sniveling, stringy-haired Grima, who always seems to emerge from the shadows. Finally, we get to meet Faramir, the Captain of Gondor with some serious daddy issues.
With all that said, the new star of this franchise is Serkis, as the gnarled, emaciated Gollum. It’s an absolute crime that Serkis was never Oscar-nominated for his work here. (The Academy responded with some claptrap about how Gollum’s CGI status eliminated Serkis from contention. That sounds like a load of, you know, crap.) Gollum is one of the most nuanced villains in of film history–funny, pathetic, conniving, and tragic. Serkis’ voice work is so indelible that it’s impossible to read a quote from Gollum and not hear the actor’s voice. His performance adds much to the trilogy’s enduring legacy.
That goes ditto for Jackson’s incredible set pieces. The Battle of Helm’s Deep gets expanded into a massive cinematic spectacle. Thousands of Orcs, Humans, and Elves brawl it out in a driving rain storm, with ladders, catapults, and giant bombs deployed. It’s a masterwork of directing, editing, and cinematography. Toss in Howard Shore’s booming score, and you’ve got one of the most memorable action scenes in movie history.
As with Godfather II or Terminator 2, I’m comfortable with a simple proclamation: If you enjoyed Fellowship of the Ring, you’ll like this one even more. The action is brawnier. The stakes are much higher. There aren’t heaps of exposition on the way to something cool. Even at three hours, Jackson’s film flies. Lord of the Rings is the greatest trilogy in all of cinema, and The Two Towers is a big reason why.
179 min. PG-13. MAX.
