The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Released: December 18, 2002

Studio: New Line Cinema

Genre: fantasy/adventure/drama

Box Office (numbers in millions):

Domestic: 342.60 Worldwide: 947.94

Adjusted for Inflation:

Domestic: 566.34 Worldwide: 1418.90

Directing: Peter Jackson

Screenwriting: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson

Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, John Rhys-Davies, Liv Tyler

Review:

In the second installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the fellowship has broken. “This is a considerably darker film” ^EM as the “series takes on more of a sweeping, Nordic feel.” ^E18 “Where the first movie developed its emotional tone from the brightness of The Shire to a darker climax, the sequel is more of a one-note affair, shadowy in both look and content.” ^E18

The hobbits Frodo (Wood) and Sam (Astin) continue their journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring, accompanied by the mysterious Gollum. “In an age where computer-generated characters and scenes are commonplace.” ^MSN The latter is “one of the most captivating CGI creatures to date,” ^MSN “a brilliant combination of computer trickery and raspy vocals from Andy Serkis.” ^EM “It does it again with Treebeard, a walking, talking tree that manages to keep the audience enchanted and glued to the screen.” ^MSN

Aragorn the warrior (Mortensen), Legolas the elf (Bloom), and Gimli (Rhys-Davies) the dwarf and the people of Rohan stand up to the evil Sauron’s allies. It all builds up “to Helm’s Deep, a ferocious action crescendo which features gratuitous scenes of dwarf-tossing.” ^E18

“Jackson cleverly tempers the louder, brasher sequences with some heartstring-tugging moments - peasants despondent as they are forced to abandon their villages, Aragorn and Arwen’s troubled relationship, and, of course, the return of Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen, superb as ever), one of the film's most powerful, memorable images that may well leave Ring devotees a little misty-eyed.” ^EM