Review

Review Date: 22-December-02
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Jubilation!

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

I imagine the only thing harder than making a great epic film is making one twice (or three times) in a row, as Peter Jackson has set out to do. Last year's triumph, "The Fellowship of the Ring," showed that Jackson and his crew had hit upon the right look, feel, and scope of "The Lord of the Rings," and the fact that they shot the entire trilogy in one long stretch suggested that the second and third movies would be triumphs as well. We will have to wait until next year to discover if this suggestion proves correct, but so far it continues to hold: although "The Two Towers" evinces a slight bit of middle child awkwardness, it retains much of the power of "FOTR" and is a remarkable achievement from beginning to end.

"The Two Towers," deviating in some ways from J.R.R. Tolkien's original work, follows the continuing adventures of the Fellowship after the disbandment shown in the first movie. We find Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli tracking abducted Hobbits Merry and Pippin and then joining the men of Rohan to fight the battle of Helm's Deep, the first major encounter of the high stakes war between the evil Sauron and his puppet, the wizard Saruman. We also watch as Merry and Pippin meet up with an ancient forest creature, Treebeard, and wage their own separate battle with Saruman. And finally, we see the most important character of all, Frodo Baggins, as he and his trusty gardener Sam continue their impossible quest, tramping toward the hellish land of Mordor where they hope to destroy The One Ring under the very nose of the fiend who seeks it. (Well, Sauron, being just an eye, doesn't have a nose, but I'm sure you'll pardon the expression.)

The movie also introduces several important new characters. Bernard Hill, in the film's most developed role, shines as King Theoden of Rohan, who has to reach deep inside himself to cope with the end of the world as he knows it. David Wenham joins the cast as Faramir of Gondor, adding a delicious gravity to the tale and reminding us of the power of the Ring, which was more clearly emphasized in "FOTR." Miranda Otto breathes life into the gloomy Eowyn, who is sparsely used here but will play a major role in the final installment. Most of all — in a technological coup of unsurpassed brilliance -— Andy Serkis lends his voice and body movements to the computerized Gollum/Smeagol, one of the great characters in literature and now, with Jackson's wizardry, one of the great characters on film. Rarely has any human actor been able to generate such an intense array of conflicting emotions, but the fascinating, tortured, and treacherous Gollum/Smeagol, who becomes Frodo's guide and nemesis, elicits pity, affection, disgust, shock, amusement, and fear, and pretty much steals the show.

This time around, the characters (including a resurrected Gandalf) are less the wary travelers from "FOTR" and more out-and-out heroes — the time for questioning their goals and each other is over, and the time for action has arrived. Indeed, "The Two Towers" is principally about action; it is the bridge that connects the trilogy's alpha and omega, in which everyone is rapidly moving forward and Fate is rushing to meet them. With so much going on, the movie sometimes feels a bit choppy, but it never ceases to be exhilarating. The battle scenes are spectacular (especially the long siege of Helm's Deep which serves as the film's centerpiece), the special effects surpass anything I have ever seen, and the scenery is even more incredible than in the first film. There are a couple of quieter moments that work as well, including a gorgeous and touching vision of the possible future of Aragorn and his Elf lover Arwen, and scenes of a wiser (and increasingly important) Sam Gamgee, whom Sean Astin embodies perfectly.

Although Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf lose some depth in becoming Middle Earth action heroes, Jackson makes sure they stay accessible by giving them a greater sense of humor (which works wonderfully in several scenes but, in my opinion, verges on disrespect to the Dwarf). The camaraderie of the characters also helps to flesh them out and render them engaging — indeed, in many ways this film is more about fellowship than the first. From the jovial competitiveness of Legolas and Gimli to the misused but steadfast loyalty of Eomer; from the historic reunion of Elves and Men on the battlefield to Merry's chastisement of the Ents for not recognizing that they are "a part of this world;" from the strange tie between Frodo and Smeagol to the warrior bonding of past and future kings Theoden and Aragorn, the theme of the film is highlighted again and again: strength lies in solidarity, courage blossoms in brotherhood, and survival depends upon the union of all nations and races that would be free.

"The Fellowship of the Ring" required repeated viewings because of its beauty, its whispered seduction of mysterious powers and faraway lands, and its novelty — we really hadn't seen anything like it before. "The Two Towers" requires repeated viewings because of its enormous scope and growing sense of both terror and the hope that combats it. The shadow of evil is creeping across Middle Earth, and by now we have no choice but to follow those who would go to meet it until the bitter end. Luckily for us, the journey continues to be a spectacular one.

Copyright © 2002 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.