Okay, to change things around I feel I need to talk about the things that do not work for me. I think there's just maybe minor but let's just get it out of the way because I want to praise the film more than I want to criticize it because I do still really like this one. I think the biggest problem for me of this film is that the story is not all that consistent and is sometimes all over the place. There is about three different story arcs that go on through the the film and the constantly jump back and forth. There is the one with Frodo, Sam, and Gollum, the one with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, and the one with Merry, Pippin, and Treebeard. Not to say that they are not engaging and good stories because they are, the pace and the character development are there, it is just a little hard to keep track of. But they are good enough that you want more and there is that disappointment you would get when one story has to take a break and the other takes over, which in my opinion is a good thing, but the same thing happens in the next story. So the stories are really good, just not balanced enough.
Enough with the negative and on to the positive because there are a ton and the characters are definitely not the exception. One thing I have to add before I find myself repeating myself throughout this portion of this review, is that these characters are still good and well developed as always, or maybe they are even better than they were in the predecessor. Frodo is of course a really good character as always and Elijah Wood still plays him wonderfully. I enjoy that we get to see more of Frodo being slowly, or maybe quickly, we are not sure, tortured and tempted by the Ring and we slowly begin to see his darker side. This again helps the character relate to the audience a lot and why he is such a great character. What I love most about him is that he is not perfect, he is not too strong, and neither too brave, yet he is willing to carry the burden of possessing the Ring and allowing it to slowly transform him even to the point where it will eventually destroy him. Frodo is kind of the blank slate and the character who we as the audience can relate to because he shares the same qualities as any average human being. He wants to mean good and bring out the most goodness that humanity can offer, but at the same time he can be easily tempted to walk the dark path, but everyday he lives he fights it. That is definitely true for most of us. Sam is still a good character. By the end of Fellowship of the Ring, he states that he is more than willing to stay with Frodo till the end to destroy the Ring. It is hard to believe him at first but his promise definitely shows in this film. Sam and Frodo do get closer as friends, Sam is willing to put his life on the line for his friend, and it shows that he would never betray Frodo. He definitely has an innocent and loyal heart that you hope won't lose its good traits anytime soon. Gollum, who was mentioned and even briefly appeared in the original cut of Fellowship, is now an introduced, active, and developed character in Two Towers. Gollum is easily one THE best characters in film history. He's malicious and threatening yet so likeable, he's unkempt and savage yet so sympathetic, and no matter what he plans how vicious he can be, you know for certain that it is not entirely his fault. You see the Ring is an object that Gollum had possession once and boy did it break him. A lot of this is learned about though in the third and final installment Return of the King, but it is pretty obvious that the Ring was so powerful it messed this guy up for life and continues to torture him even when it is not in his possession. Plus Andy Serkis' performance is just phenomenal. Though it is CGI motion-capture, every movement, gesture, and delivery from him is plausible, and is probably one the only people who can do a voice that should sound grating but the character is so good that you have no choice but to let it grow on you. But major kudos to a special scene in which Gollum is in conflict with his dual personality and appears to be talking to himself but even though we see the same character in every frame of that scene, it strangely looks like a dialogue between two different people. How was that possible to make a scene in which a character talks to himself, plus you see that character in every shot of that scene, but yet it seems like two different people talking to each other. I'll tell you how, smart directing mixed with a great performance by Andy Serkis. The shots are in perfect harmony with Serkis' delivery in that scene and they work together so beautifully. Everything with and about Gollum is phenomenal. Gandalf, though I think he does not appear as much often in this film, still is a strong and inspiring character, Ian Mckellen is still wonderful, and judging from his actions in the first film, he deserves the title of Gandalf the White. Aragorn I feel is given more development in this film and right about here you do sort of get used to Viggo Mortensen as his acting evolves alongside the character. There is more issues he has to deal with here in this film, and he is strong and enjoyable enough to make you root for him in all of his battles. Legolas is also developed a bit more too and is shown to be a more supportive and stronger ally for Aragorn. He has his doubts in one point, but is able to betray his own personal beliefs to stick with his good friend. I think this is probably one of the only characters out of Orlando Bloom's acting career that I ever fully enjoyed. Gimli is again funny, enjoyably bold, cocky, and just overall fun to watch as always, John Rhys-Davies is totally invested and having fun with his performance as we are totally invested and having fun with his character. He's the type of guy you would want to go on an adventure with any day, he is that enjoyable. Then we have Merry and Pippin, who again are a lot more depth. We get to see their determination in fighting the enemy and their passion for helping their friends save Middle-Earth. Their not just here for comic relief anymore, they are really here to contribute and be exciting characters. Saruman is again featured in The Two Towers. I think he is the only character who remains the same, but really I don't care, I enjoy him anyway. He still has that struck of awe when he appears, the tension of evil and intimidation and it is still marvelous.
The action scenes are still fun and enjoyable to watch, and maybe they are a little better. The climatic battle at Helms Deep is done very well. The music, the tension, the choreography, and all the war action that is going on will just keep you off the edge of your seat. A lot of the action in the film is good, but that scene in particular is where it really shines. The scope of the film is spectacularly huge ranging from the scenery and layout to the story. If any film deserves to have a large scope, it's definitely Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson is more than successful in doing that. Though I think the story is a little all over the place and unbalanced, I still am dedicated in being invested into it. The world presented to us by this film is still awesome and great to watch along with the awesome characters and settings.
I feel that I should like this installment as much as Fellowship or even better, but unfortunately the minor flaws I have with it hold it back by just a slight inch. I still highly recommend it, it still is a worthy follow-up despite its problems, and is still a good lead-in to the epic finale.
GRADE: P+
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