Running time: 179 minutes
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Miranda Otto, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler
Rating 10 out of 10
Let's cut to the chase. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers is everything you've been told and so much more. The second part of JRR Tolkein's Middle-earth trilogy is a cinematic rush of blood to the head that exhilarates, astounds and enchants, and leaves you hungry for more.
Following the death of Boromir and the apparent demise of Gandalf in the pit at Khazad-dum, The Fellowship divides into three groups. Hobbit friends Frodo and Sam head for the Black Gates of Mordor.
En route, they befriend Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis ), a mysterious creature deeply scarred by his previous encounter with The Ring. The path ahead is riddled with dangers, including Faramir, the brother of Boromir who hopes to use The Ring's powers to save his kingdom of Gondor.
Aragorn, elf archer Legolas and plucky dwarf Gimli make haste for the besieged Rohan kingdom, where they pledge their support to the beleaguered King Theoden and his beautiful niece Eowyn.
The advancing armies of evil wizard Saruman force the Rohan people to abandon their home and head for the sanctuary of Helm's Deep. However, the king's duplicitous advisor Wormtongue, a spy working for Saruman, anticipates Theoden's risky strategy.
Meanwhile, hobbits Merry and Pippin escape from their Uruk-Hai captors and head into the mysterious Fangorn Forest, where an age-old ally offers a glimmer of hope to tipping the balance back in favour of the forces of light.
The visual effects in The Fellowship Of The Ring were nothing short of staggering, bringing to life hordes of fantastical creatures including platoons of snarling Uruk-Hai and the monstrous Balrog. These achievements (which were rewarded with an Oscar and a BAFTA) pale into comparison next to the technical wizardry conjured up in The Two Towers. The digital artists have surpassed themselves, creating jaw-dropping action set-pieces such as the climactic battle at Helm's Deep, which features more than 10,000 warriors fighting to the bitter end in a vast mountainside fortress. The scope and richness of detail is breathtaking, and it's hard to believe that many of the landscapes in the film exist solely in the hard drives of the animators. They look so real.
Of course, luscious visuals would mean nothing without equally powerful performances, direction and scripting. Thankfully, The Two Towers delivers on every single level. The ensemble cast continues to excel, evoking a menagerie of wondrous beings caught in the midst of a titanic battle between good and evil.
Wood gradually reveals the desperation and rage bubbling within Frodo as The Ring begins to take hold of him, and Astin is intensely moving as the best friend who would sacrifice everything - including his own life - to ensure Frodo reaches Mount Doom and achieves his goal. The rapport between the two actors seems so easy and comfortable.
Once again, McKellen is majestic as the wizard guiding The Fellowship on its perilous path, and Mortensen accepts the hero's mantle with gusto, cutting a swathe through his enemies and facing death head on. The love triangle involving Aragorn, Eowyn and the elf princess Arwen simmers tantalising in the background, and will undoubtedly boil over in the final instalment of the trilogy, The Return Of The King.
The Two Towers continues Tolkein's trilogy in grandiose style, casting a spell that is impossible to resist. The only disappointment is how quickly the three hours fly by, and the agonising 12 month wait until Frodo's quest is finally resolved. And you get the feeling that will be something very special indeed.
