The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

I don't know why, but the second part will probably be the best of the whole trilogy for me. It's not because of the story. All the parts are great in this respect. It's rather because of the gloomy atmosphere of the whole movie. Unlike the calm storytelling style of the first part, things are set in motion, the movie has a swifter pace and more action certainly doesn't hurt. The great Peter Jackson has everything worked out down to the last detail. Especially the epic final battle shows his brilliant directing skills. Compared to the first installment, the visual effects have also improved, Gollum in particular is excellent. Although I consider this part the best, I'm not saying that the other parts are inferior. The whole trilogy deserves 5 stars. (25/07/2012)

The most contentious part of the trilogy... The fact that the film is really very good in all aspects only stands out fully in the extended version, in which the otherwise rather broken story of Merry, Pippin and Treebeard is finally concluded; the story of Faramir (eventually one of the best changes) unfolds and the whole film gets some energy. Not energy in the sense of "dynamic forward run", but energy in the sense of "yes, it moves slowly, but I would like it to move even slower, because it is extremely beautiful". I am incredibly irritated by Aragorn's incomprehensible fall into the abyss. Why? But a speck this small can't devalue the impression of a great spectacle. King Theoden's monologue before the Battle of Helm's Deep is another of the moments that will remain in my memory forever, as is the return of the Rohirim to the king... (25/01/2004)

O Elbereth Starkindler, (white) glittering slants down sparkling like jewels from the firmament the glory of the star-host! Fanuilos, to thee I will chant on this side of ocean, here on this side of the Great Ocean! What can I say, The Two Towers is very problematic and I myself have difficulty with it at times. Watching the extended version was therefore a feeling of perfect satisfaction, because I trusted Peter Jackson the entire time, that he would convince me of the presence of another golden masterpiece. The difference in Faramir's character from the original suddenly stops being a violent complication of Frodo's journey, but becomes a perfectly written character full of humanity. Jackson and his screenwriting team prove that they have read the source material inside out and, above all, they convince the viewer of the key aspect – they understood its spirit. It's not about the fact that the elves decide differently than in the book, but about the fact that in that moment, the power of alliance shines through the screen. And just as strong is the romantic storyline concerning Aragorn's actions, and it is expanded in the necessary way. What good would it do for ignorant viewers to know that his whole story is fully told at the end of the book trilogy, in the appendices, when without cuts to the Rohan they would know almost nothing about his past? I simply don't see any mistakes here. Not here, where one unforgettable scene is followed by another and the most intense moments are replaced by those that move me to tears. (24/12/2004)

The Two Towers is such an emotional and visual barrage that the brain is not able to absorb everything it sees at first, and when it was over I couldn't remember what I saw at the beginning. This is not a film to watch once, you absorb it only after a second or third viewing. Die-hard fans of the book will probably squeal in disgust at how Jackson dared to change the plot and character of Faramir. I don’t care, on the contrary, I think those changes benefited the film. I even loved the much-criticised scene with Arwen, in fact, I think it’s one of the best in the film. A film is a film and a book is a book, they are two different worlds. I'm interested in the film and it's well made, it's spectacular and awesome. (17/01/2003)

For me, it's definitely the weakest installment of the series, yet it still contains scenes that other films will never reach. For example, the simple scene where Gandalf arrives to help the Gondorians always moves me to tears. Still, one feels like they are waiting for something big. That something big is, of course, The Return of the King. But if every film had such an interlude within the trilogy, studios would have winners on their hands. Epic and intimate at the same time, emotionally powerful, beautifully crafted in the Hollywood style, but also quite gruesome at times. However, the film works best in the trilogy alongside the other two films. (29/01/2014)