The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Dir: Peter Jackson
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For a long time, I have considered this second film in Peter Jackson's legendary fantasy trilogy, based on the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien, to be my favourite. The reason why was simple; it had, by far, my favourite battle scene in any of the three films - six if you include the later Hobbit trilogy. But there is so much more to this 2002 sequel than a great battle.
As in the first film, and indeed the last, the composition from Howard Shore is incredible. His strings-heavy scores are dramatic, emotive and riveting. They draw the audience in and add so much emotional depth and feeling to every single scene, even when the music is quiet and seemingly under the radar. There is a good reason why Shore's music for these films are considered among the best pieces ever put into cinema.
Once again, the film was visually magnificent. The ranging scenery, epic sets and clever costume design all come together perfectly to create a world that is so easy to not only invest in, but believe in as a viewer. This effective design, as well as the masterful world-building of Tolkien, allows these films to truly flourish in the fantasy genre.
There is so much character development for so many of the characters in the film, which is very impressive, especially considering how large the cast is. The story splits itself into a number of key arcs, all of which are told phenomenally well.
Elijah Wood and Sean Astin are, yet again, a hugely endearing pair, who have a sincere and believable friendship that carries their arc to new heights. Speaking of their arc, it features the unbelievably talented Andy Serkis, who provides an unbelievably good and iconic performance.
The trio of Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies have such entertaining chemistry, which makes every one of their scenes both interesting and, particularly in the case of Rhys-Davies, funny.
Ian McKellin goes from strength to strength once again in his performance, while the devilish duo of Dominic Monoghan and Billy Boyd provide their excellent blend of comedic relief.
There were so many noteworthy performances in this film, but since I can't give them all a more detailed mention, I'll list them as such; Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, Bernard Hill, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Liv Tyler and Sean Bean.
Overall, I am always astonished at how well these films continue to age. Everything, including the CGI, looks fantastic for a film over teo decades old now. The films transcend cinema and popular culture, and deservedly so. This second film features one of the most thrilling battle sequences you will ever see, but has almost incomprehensible levels of depth around it to adore too.
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