"udged on its own merits, this wasn't even the movie that Gladiator or Braveheart was."
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/TheLordoftheRingsTheTwoTowers-1118285/
116 reviews, all from established critics. 113 good, 3 bad, a 97% approval rating. I think Braveheart got 83%, and Gladiator around...