Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers ENworld reviews & discussion (SPOILERS)

[Dr Midnight]

Beware!!! The CAPalert guy (www.capalert.com) has put up his analysis of all the things about this movie that will speed us on the rocket train to hell. REPENT NOW!

Wanton Violence/Crime (W):

evil beast attack
great falls
action violence, repeatedly
violent battle with incendiary beast
battle with demon-like creatures
invasive imagery of demon-like evil, grotesque beasts, repeatedly
graphic injuries and deaths, repeatedly
hideous gruesome demon-like faces, repeatedly
graphic battles with the demon-like evil, grotesque beasts (Orcs), repeatedly
many graphic deaths
sword/spear threats, repeatedly
Orc's head on a pole
"un"dead bodies underwater
many arrow deaths and other impalement deaths
great battle with demon dogs
human tossed by demon dog like a rag doll
many attacks by demon dogs
eating raw flesh
long and graphic battle sequences, repeatedly
bodies flying through the air
bodies being scattered by great stones tossed
exceptionally graphic death
hundreds of dead bodies strewn about
planning murder

Impudence/Hate (I)(1):

brutality, repeatedly
lie

Sex/Homosexuality (S):

multiple angles and positions of a scantily clad male humanoid
full side nudity, male, repeatedly
woman on man kissing, clothed

Drugs/Alcohol (D):

smoking

Offense to God (O)(2):

unholy influence on thinking
tale of evil control over "good"
sorcery to defeat beast
gaiaism (talking trees), repeatedly
psychic premonitions and possessions, repeatedly
"all-knowing wizard"
unholy apparitions
the "undead" terrorizing others
mockery of the Transformation
sorcery to defend
sorcery to do battle with evil beast
resurrection, mockery of the Transformation
casting out demon
miraculous reverse aging
creatures claiming immorality
crystal ball sorcery
foretelling future
demon possession

Murder/Suicide (M)(3):

mass murder
beheading murder

 

[Desdichado]

Just saw it a second time too -- liked it better than the first. I can't wait for that day, a year and a half from now, when the kids are out of town (probably my wife too, unfortunately) when I've got all three extended DVDs and nothing to do in front of me so I can watch the whole saga unfold at once.

 

[KnowTheToe]

I just figured out why I have been so excited about this move, besides it being a great movie. My wife, who is not big on high fantasy really liked the movie and has discussed it with me several times. I told her I would turn her into a nerd

 

[ghettognome]

I don't understand how so many people say the first movie followed so true to the book. I think they were as different as night and day with the exception of a few things here and there. Have you read the first book, then watched the movie right aferwards? I did that, and I was really disappointed at how even some character personalities changed. I loved the movie, don't get me wrong, but it seems people are only remembering main points out of the first book to compare the movie, TTT seemed to be more true to the book than the first one. I think that is why I liked TTT better than the first one. I will probably be the only one to say I liked TTT better, but oh well. Though I would say that I liked the soundtrack to the first one better. I would comment further but it looks like everything was stated already.

 

[CrusaderX]

As a die-hard Tolkien fan, I loved the film.

Bring on the extended edition DVD!

BTW, my brother, who is not a Tolkien or fantasy fan at all, really enjoyed TTT as well. Much moreso than he enjoyed FOTR.

 

[Lady Starhawk]

Well, just got home a bit aog from seeing it. I loved it!!! It was everything I hoped it would be and more. I can't wait to see the next one.

Not sure if anyone else noticed this, but throughout most (if not all) of the movie Gollum speaks of himself as 'us', 'we' and such...but his last line of the movie (after he said 'We'll take them to her') was "follow Me". As if he was finally a whole being again after making his decision. MAybe I'm trying to make something of nothing...but it struck me.

I loved Gimli. He's just so great! I didn't mind the dwarf jokes, I thought it made the characters seem a bit more realistic. I mean every group of freinds has at least 1 person that gets ribbed all the time (IME). It broke the tension and let you know the characters are really freinds in that they can mess around even in the middle of dire circumstances.

Tolkien was a lousy writer. Brilliant man, but lousy writer. He had a wonderful story to tell, but he did it in such a dry, textbook way. (I know he was a linguistics professor, but I read novels to ESCAPE from my textbooks.) And yes I did read the triology...but it was a very difficult, dry read to this dyslexic. I liked the books all right, but it took a lot of work, and a lot of help, to get me through them.

Overall I liked the chagnes from the books. I didn't really think of the book at all when I was watching because to me film and the printed page are such diffrent mediums they really can't and shouldn't be compared.

I had some trouble pinning down some of the characters and their motivations, but hopefully future viweings will sort everything out for me. It was so much to take in at once.

I didn't leave the theater feeling quite as jazzed as I did a year ago. Last year after seeing 'fellowship' I was floored at the wonderful film making and the different emotions I went through during the film. I was not moved to tears today. In fellowship I ended up actually crying during the movie. It absorbed me into the story and the characters so much that I felt the losses. Now, perhaps I didn't get the same feelings because I have read the books and know that (for instance) Aragorn doesn't die. so some of the shock isn't there as it was in Fellowship. But sometimes when I actively watch my DVD of fellowship I can find myself moved to tears to this day for Gandalf and/or Boromir.

All in all a wonderful movie. I was impressed and amazed at every turn, but I was a little disappointed that I wasn't as emotionally drawn into the film as I was with the first one. It didn't take me through the range of emotions, so I left feeling a little flat, full and satisfied, but just a little 'blah' emotionally.

But as with the new Star Wars movies, I am going to reserve my final judgement for after I have seen all 3 and know WHY certain things were done. (But I have a feeling LOTR will fare better than the prequel SW movies)

Just my thoughts, I am still going to see it again
Lady starhawk

 

[Droogie]

Re: Re: well

I'll start by seconding that. It's a perfect recap of my opinion, but I'll expound on it a bit.

I was disappointed with it, mostly because of all the departures from the book for no reason. Faramir is chief among these, but I was also disappointed in the handling of the Ents.

I don't mind Gimli being the comic relief but the dwarf-tossing was unnecessary. We got that joke the first time.

Just too many things that were added to make it "more like a movie." That's all.

It's not remotely the film that Fellowship was, a lesser effort in almost every way: pacing, mood, emotion, character development, and faithfulness to the books. TTT wins for action and SFX, and that's it. But, in all fairness, I am judging from having seen Fellowship about a dozen times, including the extended DVD.

I'll give TTT a few more viewing to grow on me!


Wulf

A third vote for this view. I like this film, but not as much as the first. Too much of a departure form the book. Too obvious of an attempt to turn this into a wall-to-wall actioner.

Acting wasn't as good in this one...the Theoden exorcism scene was over the top.

I felt the music was a bit obtrusive in this film. There was never a moment of peace from it- those whining strings were always in the background like a gnat.

Gandalf only cameos in this film, but then again, he wasn't in the book that much. Merry and Pippin could have received a little more love.

FotR was a fantastic film, worthy of a best picture oscar. TTT is merely a fantastic fantasy film. FotR: 4 stars. TTT: Three stars.

 

[Eridanis]

Interesting quote from PJ, from the New Zealand Herald newspaper:

"(Two Towers was) the most difficult of the three films, the structure. It was the weakest story in a funny kind of way. We had to craft the shape of a movie out of these very disparate storylines that were going in all directions."

Pretty obvious, but bears reaffirmation.

 

[Squire James]

Was it my imagination, or did Aragorn call the elf leader at Helm's Deep "Elladan"? Did they just kill off a son of Elrond?!

 

[Assenpfeffer]

Naw, it was your imagination. That was Haldir, from Lothlorien.