THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002) - Movie Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
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I watched these for the first time last year and this was probably my favorite. The stuff with Frodo, Sam and Gollum is excellent.
Sam's speech not affecting at the end? I'll be kind and reserved and say that me and millions of others couldn't disagree more. The charge of the Rohirrim at Helms Deep is so overwhelmingly captivating and inspiring (I, like others I'm surely forgot Gandalf's promise to look for his return on the morrow of the 5th day!) that it is still tear inducing twenty years later. Oh well, it's truly sad that your Love for the Trilogy has diminished over the years.
Uh! You did not like Legolas surfing on a sheild?
I mean, he is an elf. An Elf.
Would you rather he floated etherally along the dark breeze of impending Doom!
“ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
"A little bit all over the place" is kinda how the story is though. Everybody is separated. As the middle chapter in a trilogy, I think that's totally fine, but as a standalone movie, I suppose I can see why that may rub people the wrong way...
I need to rewatch this one i watched fellowship last year during lockdown and rewatching it for the first time in years i really enjoyed it.
The orcs hoisting the ladders up on Helms Deep is probably the most iconic scene in the movie.
I dont see one movie as better then the other its just a continuation of the story and as far as Fantasy stories go it's one of the best.
THE best!!!
I would say Cesar from the new planet of the apes movie has a similar depth to Smeagol for a completely CGI character. Of course played by andy serkis as well lol
As bizarre as it sounds (and it's gonna sound pretty goddam strange), this always reminded me of a cross between Excalibur and The Empire Strikes Back. Loved the first one immediately, this one from what I remember I went to see about 4 times at the cinema and it really really grew on me, I became deeply impressed with how utterly different and more mature it was compared with the first which is definitely more child friendly. Some of the editing is excellent, some a bit shoddy, but I think by far it's the best looking of the 3 and has the best cinematography. I feel like it's kind of the most artistic and grown up film in the trilogy, and I love the inspired influence of Akira Kurosawa. Definitely my favourite. Third one when viewed now seems like a big leap backwards to me.
Those are well founded connections to Wizard of Oz and The Great Escape. You tend to be really good at that. The flavour is definitely there.
Two Towers 2002....Twin Towers 2001....coinicide....I think NOT 😡
They totally failed with the character of Eowyn. In the book she was younger, more steel-eyed but actually devoured by a dark desperation. One of the biggest plot-twists in the book is when first Aragorn understands how she doesn't love him but the idea of "freedom" that he represented; and later Faramir flatly tells her that she didn't ride along her King just to fight near him but to die on the field of battle - and she admits this while commenting, bitterly, that she failed both to protect her king and to get killed. I mean... wow O__o
In the movie she is older, wiser and used as a token "love interest" for Aragorn, as in "Will Aragorn remain faithful to Arwen or he will accept a human love because human-elf loves are always doomed"? How banal, and what a wonderful character totally wasted.
I didn't get the impression that Aragorn is ever tempted to be unfaithful to Arwen or to his destiny. I think that's why I like the John Boorman film Excalibur more than the Lord of the Rings films. The heroes in Excalibur are flawed men who are willing to throw away a whole kingdom for a good night in bed with a forbidden woman. In the Lord of the Rings films the most passionate expression of lust is Gollum for the ring.
@@stanleyrogouski To clarify, both in the book and in the movie Aragorn never considers Eowyn as a possible love interest. But while in the book this is made very clear at once, the movie plays the "Will he or will not?" card by keeping things more ambiguous (Arwen is going away, staying could kill her, it is implied maybe humans need to love other humans...)
Also, the book touches, through Eowyn, an important theme: desperation through absolute loneliness. She sees clearly how her house and everything she loves are about to fall but no one understands her - to the point that she is socially shackled Aragorn literally tips her over when, very unwisely, he tells her that "any decision she takes should be approved by her father or brother anyway"; he will later recriminate bitterly how he failed to understand her until when it was too late - which is an important development for the character of Aragorn too: the "King" can't just assume that he is understanding everything correctly; this is why he will need the counsel of wise people like Faramir.
This important subplot could have been kept intact in the movie - but they went for the easier road. It was not the only case.
@@vincenzoberetta1085 The absolute loneliness comes across very well in the scenes with Wormtongue at Rohan. But I agree with you that they slighted her character. When she's "rescued" by Aragorn and Gandalf the script just kind of abandons her plot arc for the rest of the film. Feels like the scale of the novel was too large for even this long of a film.
@@vincenzoberetta1085 Some of the idea that she sees Aragorn as representing freedom comes across in some of the extended edition scenes. th-cam.com/video/PQUkoFDk1VI/w-d-xo.html
If there were any justice in the world, Andy Serkis would have won back-to-back Oscars for playing Gollum.
What the heck?!?! The editing and action is brilliant
Nope
@@JohnDoe-tm9wz It was nominated for Oscars in both Film Editing and Sound Editing...so apparently the experts disagree with you.
@@soundhead18 Oh the experts LOL
@@JohnDoe-tm9wz Where was the action and editing not brilliant? (Well, I'm obviously starting a kind of subjective discussion, but I'm really interested in your points!)
I think action is great but editing at times is lacking. Like when it cuts from victory at Helms deep to battle of Isengard. It cuts off emotionl climax way too quicly
Comparing this to great escape brought a smile in my face. No one in the world, but you, would make that connection. I got it right away. Love the top. Good review.
That's a pretty dress. That color red looks good on her.
I disagree on the editing of Helm's Deep interspersed with the Ent scenes and those with Frodo and Sam. I think they were masterfully edited together, considering how almost no other movies I can think of actually attempt to run simultaneous storylines during big action sequences like that. I think it works because the battle at Helm's Deep is a hopeless, 1-sided affair from the breaching of the deeping wall onwards, with few moments of respite, so Jackson can afford to cut away from it without the audience losing its sense of the tone of that battle. The only real moments of respite at Helm's Deep are those cheesy action moments with the 3 fellowship stars, but they are short and very much self-contained - in fact you can literally cut them out and the film still flows (that's an idea, someone should make a cut of all 3 films without all the cheesy action bits, I think it'd work for a more 'mature' viewing). Jackson is also very good with visual exposition of geographical/physical places too, so it was easy for the audience to get right back into the action at Helm's Deep when Jackson cut back to it without feeling disoriented. I think Jackson masterfully wove the sense of hopelessness at Helm's Deep in with the Ent and Frodo-Sam storylines towards a collective, climactic relief for all our heroes, a well-rewarded reprieve after desperation and struggle for protagonist and audience member alike, all masterfully narrated with Sam's monologue at the very end.
Of the 3 films The Two Towers is narrowly my least favourite, only for the fact that its geographical scope feels a lot more limited than the other 2 and I am not as enamoured with Rohan as I am with the other Kingdoms and Realms of Middle Earth, but I still regard it as a cinematic masterpiece.
The extended cut of this is my favourite film of the three by a long way tbh
Can you please review 1995's ghost in the shell by Mamoru Oshii. I love the channel and just watched your blade runner review and you mentioned you loved Akira and you did mention this Japanese cyberpunk classic.
You really believe Serkis is that much of a lynchpin for the entire series? If you say so.
I'd argue that it's the synergy of the core story: Frodo, Sam and Smeagol and how as a trio they physically AND emotionally get to Mt. Doom. Each of them are heroes (and victims) in different ways .... and I'd argue that Frodo is as much of an antagonist from "Two Towers" onward as Gollum is, due to the Ring exercising its power through Frodo's weakening mind. Separately they display all these layers, but combined they're much more, they're the full-dimensional scope of the story's philosophies and morals. The satisfaction of "Return of the King" is that unlike "Two Towers", the story's core claims its front-and-center position with relative ease.
Helms deep is one of the best battles in the history of cinema.
The movie, for me, has the best action set pieces
6:27
I have to disagree. I think the huge contrast in the two storylines is a stylistic choice that I really like! Besides, we don't really stay really long with the Entmoot and go right back to the battle. I think that that contrast is even also sort of funny and adds a little bit of comedic flavor to the overall third act.
For many of the reasons you stated, The Two Towers is my favorite of the three. The newly released 4K restoration does make a difference as far as a number of the archaic CGI effects, and the sound is glorious. The Return of the King is the most problematic in my opinion, but the series as a whole is a fantastic adventure; a bit heavy on the sentimentality yet an overall fun ride.
Hey, deepfocuslens I have only been subscribed for a days but I was wondering if you could do a review of "The Wild One". You don't have to do it, its just a suggestion but I think you would have some interesting things to say, and bring some things to light that I might not have noticed when I watched it.
I agree. When I was a teen, this was my favorite one in theatres.
From Gandolf arriving as Gandolf the White to the Ents finally joining the fight. Those were my jawns.
I do a trilogy marathon every few years, and Fellowship has since become my favorite.
I actually like the pace in terms of worldbuilding there; and I feel like some of that gets rushed in later films (e.g. The Army of the Dead).
Now, I am old and intractable and would love some extraneous stuff that prob wouldn't serve the story at all.
Maybe some Tom Bombadil.
Some mention of the blue wizards and the east.
The Scouring of the Shire.
Some Elrohir and Elladan experiences.
Wood elves, etc.
Can you do a movie review on Primal Fear 1996?
I felt the opposite funny enough. I watched this as a kid in theaters and fell asleep 2-3 times. I thought the forest was so boring and and halted everything down.. I remember almost no action scenes too. But remember loving Legolas/gimli.
Just finished the extended version tonight and I loved the pacing. The action scenes were top notch while also fleshing out middle earth as if I was on the journey too. Legolas/gimli felt like part of the background this time though. Absolutely nothing with those two but some funny scenes. Yes, I did cringe on the surfing on shield scene but my inner child was like “Wow! Bad ass”.
the trees get more boring with each viewing
The acting was very wooden 👎
@@robbiekop7 luv that
I think Peter Jackson is capable of having his slower moments in there, but they are all of the standard Hollywood kind rather than the reflective kind that really would have served the material. The source material was always pausing for song breaks etc. so it's not like the story wouldn't have suited it.
It is a shame that this film, and basically the whole trilogy, became more of a generic action movie than it needed to be (although it was eminently well done), but given what a gamble it was I can understand that the film studios would probably wanted to have played it safe. I'm glad it paid off in the end at least. I agree there are plenty of dumb moments, ones that I think the fans are a bit blind to (Legolas surfing down the stairs etc.), but I am glad I saw it.
Disappointed by theatrical cut in the cinema, but the extended version smacked me in mouth. Fixed all the issues with farramir, some lovely new momenta with gandalf. Although too much ent stuff, that needs to go
It is interesting that this review + LOTR shows your mind running on several parallel tracks at once: film editor, cinematographer, director, and audience member.
Your cheesy-meter has grown since you first watched these films and affects your conclusions. Yet you can appreciate great performances in the middle of it all.
Very good review, your points are correct. FotR is a much better movie
This is still my favorite. The Black Gate that is Wizard of Oz credible but even MORE scary. The hanging end....
The King Theoden revival from the grip of being an evil puppet has mighty Christ vibes.
Have to disagree with you on this one . I love them all but this my favorite of the bunch . My only complaint is that they killed Haldir. Yes , I know he was supposed to die but I like that character & the actor who played him.
That final battle of Helm's Deep is the best battle in the trilogy although Minas Tirith is a close second. I get the criticisms, but applaud how Jackson tried to detail the films like Tolkien tried to detail the books.
These movies are a chore for me to get thru. I also get annoyed with all the similar looking characters that have similar sounding names. For a dummy like me that can get confusing. Gandalf is cool tho.
The one where I started to really dislike this series. Seems to me that every human character from the books were changed for the worse.
The siege of Helms Deep seems modeled after the depiction of the Battle of Rourke's Drift in the 1964 film Zulu.
Personally I think Thanos has just as much depth as Smeagol/Gollum
Hey Maggie, do you think you'll give ratings to movies when you get a Letterboxd account?
what did you think of the oscars being so low?
She doesnt care about the oscars anymore
Gollum ❤
I grew up with the Ralph Bakshi film and I was disappointed with the Peter Jackson films when they came out. I thought the Jackson films lacked the acute characterisation that you got both in the Bakshi film and in the books and it all felt desperately inefficient storytelling wise. *The* main charm of Tolkien is in the characters and the races and the films all felt so two dimensional.
Have you ever seen the Bakshi film? It's certainly rough around the edges and it has a bit of kids' film vibe. But as an animation there are some really imaginative passages and a terrific score from Leonard Rosenman. The rotorscope technique probably drives a lot of people away, but I always found it genuinely terrifying. I really liked the depiction of Aragorn/Strider "looks foul but feels fair" and voiced by John Hurt, not some young pretty boy. Don't know what was going on with the depiction of Boromir though.
I also grew up with the Bakshi version. Jackson’s trilogy left me with the impression of a “Tolkein’s greatest hits” album, volumes I-III. All three movies struck me as a simple procession of the characters and scenes (in their edited-for-radio form) selected by a focus group as the most lucrative to slap together.
Viggo Mortensen is a young, pretty boy? What?
😊🙏💯
Why does anyone care about all these opinions this woman has? I’m serious who is she?
She's a smart person who loves movies.
LOTR hater mr!
Overrated movie this and Star Wars
💵💵💵💵💵
She looks like a LOTR fan and someone who tried all the drugs starting in high school ☺️
You have a meme as your pfp.
Find a new hobby