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

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the weakest of the trilogy, in my opinion, but still makes for a fine movie. There are some pacing issues, as this movie feels more uneven than the first, considering that the characters are now separated. I also think that this movie spends the least time on the real heart of the series — the relationship between Frodo (Elijah Wood, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Sam (Sean Astin, Rudy) — of all three movies.

Of course, in avoiding that, there’s some good stuff. And it’s not like that relationship is completely abandoned. They definitely come back to it at the end of the movie.

But so much of this movie seems like it’s building up towards a battle — a battle which of cousre the main Hobbit characters are completely unaware of. I mean, the battle is great, don’t get me wrong. As a visual spectacle, as an action sequence, it may be the best the series has to offer.

But there’s definitely a disconnect. A disconnect that I think would be remedied in Return of the King, even though the characters would largely remain separated.

As for Frodo and Sam, they of course come across Gollum (Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes). He’s a really compelling character, and you can’t overstate how influential Serkis’s motion capture performance was.

Gollum ends up being the most interesting character in the movie, even if his little split-personality argument scenes are a bit silly.

I think much of the reason I view this as the weakest of the series is that it’s just the middle chapter. Like The Fellowship of the Ring, it doesn’t have a satisfying conclusion, and in this case, it doesn’t even have a beginning. I love the way The Fellowship of the Ring begins; it really sucks you into the world. This movie doesn’t have that, unfortunately.

It’s still a good movie. The action is quite good. The cast continues to do very well. And the movie is still a visual treat.

Rating: 8/10