The Two Towers, the second installment in Tolkien's epic trilogy, is less a sequel and more a direct continuation of the Fellowship of the Rings. I felt as if I had simply sat through a small intermission, like I went to the washroom and replenished my popcorn and just continued watching the Lord of the Rings. The film literally picks up moments after the conclusion of Fellowship. For those that are just joining us, there are no moments of background recap (a la narrator or flashbacks) so you might be a little confused. However, I commend Jackson on this decision, as clearly his intent is to make one complete film with three chapters. This is truly a second part in a larger story, therefore based off traditional analysis some may say that the Two Towers does not have a beginning or a conclusion and cannot be seen as an autonomous entity. But this is far from traditional filmmaking. When all three films are completed what will exist is a nine hour epic adaptation of Tolkien's classic. It will be optimally viewed as a whole.

With that said, Two Towers does not suffer from being the middle film, more so it benefits from it. Freed from the necessity of summarizing the previous film and reintroducing characters, the Two Towers plows headfirst into our protagonist's journeys throughout Middle Earth. There is an immediate energy to the film as we are instantly accompanying our heroes on their quests. Frodo and Sam continue on the path to Mordor, while Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas race to rescue Merry and Pippin from a pack of Uruk Hai. And that is just the starting point, in classic fantasy film tradition the story eventually breaks off into three separate narratives as we follow our heroes in their own individual efforts to save Middle Earth from the combined threat of Sauron and Saruman. Slight pause…are you reading this, how can you not love this? Ahem…I digress.

Along the way our heroes are joined by a number of new and not so new characters. The hobbits, Sam and Frodo, stumble upon the former ring bearer Gollum, who is by far the most impressive CGI character created to date. The work performed here is nothing less then stunning, as Gollum blends seamlessly into all scenes with the actors and delivers a strong performance. Incredible stuff. The other Hobbits, Merry and Pippin are joined by Treebeard a member of an ancient race of walking and talking Trees called the Ents. Treebeard and his Ent kin are amazing creations. Truly unique and innovative characters who never fail to inspire wonder each time they are on screen. Just wait until Treebeard goes medieval on Saruman's stronghold Isengard. Oh boy…look out! Aragorn and company are reunited with Gandalf who has been reborn after his confrontation with the Balrog from the previous film. Gandalfs struggle with the Balrog, which opens the film, will inspire pure oh my god, pee your pants reaction. You'll lose your mind how cool this is. The quartet then aids the human population of Rohan who are under siege from Saruman's forces. Upon retreating to the fortress called Helms Deep, our heroes along with the community of Rohan, whose numbers barely equal three hundred strong, must prepare for an invasion lead by over ten thousand Uruk Hai and Orks. The films concluding assault at Helms Deep is nothing short of one of the greatest staged battles in film history. The nearly thirty minute segment is a technically tremendous achievement. The work by all involved here is stupendous and will likely be rewarded by a number of technical academy awards. This is unlike anything movie audiences have seen before and the only word of advice is to hold on to your seats!

Beyond the sheer scope of the Two Towers, what makes these films so special is the attention to characters. Where other action/adventure films tend to ignore the acting and rely on special effects to carry the story, LOTR continues to contain a number of strong performances. Ian McKellan once again is excellent as the wizard Gandalf (though used in a smaller capacity here), Viggo Mortensen has developed Aragorn into a timeless action hero, and Elijiah Wood continues to excel as the little Hobbit who could, Frodo. The real gem this time around is Sean Astin as Sam. His scenes with Gollum and Frodo are among the films highlights.

As I write this I realize that it is difficult to encapsulate every noteworthy detail of this film, as there are so many classic moments. This best illustrates the accomplishments of Peter Jackson on his LOTR trilogy. What is unraveling before us is film history. Once completed the LOTR trilogy will be remembered as one of the most special works of film ever. It truly is a crowning example of movie magic. Every second the film projects on the screen there is something for each and every one of us to enjoy. Cherish these films my friends, because this type of filmmaking doesn't come around very often.

And Mr. Jackson, I will save my thanks to you after seeing the closing chapter in December 2003. A conclusion that will surely not disappoint.

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