More graphic in its violence and more fantastic in its imaginings than the first film.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:38
Fresh:38
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: The Two Towers continues the LOTR trilogy with few missteps.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for epic battle sequences and scary images
Runtime: 3 hrs 34 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:Dec 18, 2002 Wide
Box Office: $340,478,898
Synopsis: Picking up where the first film left off, Peter Jackson's THE TWO TOWERS throws the remaining members of the Fellowship into the scattered chaos of Middle-earth, now fully under siege by the forces... Picking up where the first film left off, Peter Jackson's THE TWO TOWERS throws the remaining members of the Fellowship into the scattered chaos of Middle-earth, now fully under siege by the forces of Sauron. While Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) journey to the dreaded Mordor, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) are held captive by orcs, and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) search for their abducted companions. Soon Frodo and Sam are joined by the sulking and duplicitous Gollum (portrayed by the voice and motion-captured acting of Andy Serkis), who becomes their guide through the barren lands leading to Mount Doom. Meanwhile Merry and Pippin encounter the looming Treebeard (voiced by Rhys-Davies) and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli find themselves in the land of Rohan, accompanied by an old friend. As the tale continues, each scenario becomes more perilous, and fierce battles erupt at both Isengard, home of the treacherous Saruman (Christopher Lee), and the massive Helm's Deep. After masterfully setting up the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, Jackson continues the trilogy with the increasingly dark and battle-filled TWO TOWERS without skipping a beat. Although the director takes a few more liberties in adapting the second installment, he skillfully cuts from one scenario to the next, creating a tightly woven tapestry with the various storylines. Joining the impressive cast this time around are Miranda Otto as Éowyn; Bernard Hill as her father, King Théoden; Brad Dourif as the aptly named Grima Wormtongue; Karl Urban as Éomer; David Wenham as Faramir; and Serkis under the remarkable CGI facade of Gollum. An intense epic that features one jaw-dropping sequence after another, THE TWO TOWERS more than carries its weight as the crucial centerpiece of THE LORD OF THE RINGS. [More]
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Miranda Otto, Bernard Hill, Liv Tyler, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Cate Blanchett
Director: Peter Jackson
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Producer: Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Tim Sanders
Composer: Howard Shore
Studio: New Line Cinema
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Reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
This second installment in the trilogy ends with Gandalf intoning that the battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin. I'm pumped.
A brilliantly conceived adventure that has the capacity to take your breath away.
What's remarkable is how immediately, after a full year, The Two Towers seizes your attention, and how urgently it holds you through three seamless, action-packed hours.
Spectacular in every sense of the word, even if you don' t know an Orc from a Uruk-Hai.
This film doesn't change my review of the original, but it does have me eagerly looking forward to the final installment. I liked it a lot!
This is what the fans were really waiting for when they envisioned Tolkien's world on film.
A few sloggy spots aside, The Two Towers is an outstanding effort that maintains the integrity and purpose that distinguished The Fellowship of the Ring.
Though Jackson doesn't always succeed in integrating the characters in the foreground into the extraordinarily rich landscape, it must be said that he is an imaginative filmmaker who can see the forest for the trees.
The Two Towers is both a triumph of design and cinematic engineering and, at the same time, long, repetitious and naive.
Once again, director Jackson strikes a rewarding balance between emotion on the human scale and action/effects on the spectacular scale.
It is not faithful to the spirit of Tolkien and misplaces much of the charm and whimsy of the books, but it stands on its own as a visionary thriller.
Latest News for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
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We have an extended chat with the director of Cronos, Pan's Labyrinth and this week's Hellboy II to talk about his career past, present and future and tap him for juicy... More...
March 27, 2008:
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Even while The Hobbit was in legal limbo, Sir Ian McKellen wasn't shy about letting people know he wanted to reprise his role as Gandalf for the Lord of the Rings prequel(s). More...
January 14, 2008:
Elijah Wood: Once a Frodo, Always a Frodo
Count Elijah Wood as one of the millions excited about the news of Peter Jackson's involvement in those planned Hobbit films -- and another member of the Lord of the Rings cast... More...
December 18, 2007:
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Rejoice, nerds! Peter Jackson is heading back to Middle-earth! More...
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