Guest Review by AJ Gonzalez
Without a doubt you've been hanging out on a limb after the ending of the previous installment of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring) series, even if you read the books or know of the story. But being as long as the story is, it is only appropriate to present it as a trilogy.
The Two Towers, the second episode in a series of three, wastes no time in getting down to business. Director Peter Jackson resumes the story as if it were the same movie, throwing us directly back into the picture. This latest installment is absolutely enthralling as Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) are off on their own to Mordor where they will almost immediately meet the repulsive personage Gollum. At first, I couldn't decide what type of character he is. He is definitely of a split personality and at times I wanted to view him as cute and cuddly. Meanwhile, the three of our other heros, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli (Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, and John Rhys-Davies) are on the hunt for their two captured friends, Hobbits Merry and Pippin.
In a long series of events, the story follows three plot threads: Frodo and Sam; the battle of the Helms Deep, and the two hobbits Merry and Pippin. The epic battle sequences can be argued as the best battle sequences ever created for film. The cinematography is absolutely amazing, giving very realistic depictions of battle even though the movie is total fantasy. The macho factor here, gentlemen, is very high with great battle sequences that often creatively mask much of the blood and carnage. Be wary of this movie for children. In a way, it is a kid's story, but the fight scenes are quite engaging and will be inappropriate for most children.
The acting overall is good, but then again if it weren't, would anyone notice in this type of movie. This is the type of movie children grow up on, and it's a fantasy, almost a surreal dream with beautiful yet scary imagery.
I would recommend this movie to anyone, even if you're not interested in stories of myth or fantasy. Anyone can appreciate a movie with such a beautiful story and the expression that there is always hope and with this movie, there is always hope.
AJ Gonzalez
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
