***The Following is a Review of the 223-minute Extended Version of the Film***
The film revolves around a fellowship that had been splintered by events and challenges where they all go on a quest to destroy Sauron’s ring at Mount Doom in Mordor. It is a film with three different storylines where Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) travel to Mordor by themselves where they meet the creature Gollum who agrees to take them to Mordor after Frodo takes pity on him. The other storyline has the ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) travel to Rohan where they help King Theoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill) deal with Saruman (Christopher Lee) and his army who want to destroy Rohan. The other two hobbits in Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) escape the clutches of the Uruk-hai and go into Fangorn forest where they meet the Ent Treebeard (voice of John Rhys-Davies) to convince him and other Ents to wage war on Saruman for destroying parts of Fangorn forest.
The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Stephen Sinclair has a cross-cutting narrative that play into the different journeys the fellowship would go through. Especially after events forced the group to be splintered following tragedy and uncertainty that led to their separation where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli decide to follow the Uruk-hai who had captured Merry and Pippin only to learn that the Uruk-hai had been killed by Eomer (Karl Urban), who is the leader of Rohan’s calvary in the Rohirrim, and his horsemen as they had been exiled by Theoden’s advisor in Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif). Going through Fangorn forest, they learn that the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) has been resurrected as Gandalf the White who had left Merry and Pippin to the Ents for safety while he joins the rest to Rohan to free Theoden from Saruman’s powers. The narrative involving Frodo and Sam as they struggle to find their way to Mordor until they meet the creature Gollum, who had once possessed the ring, who had been following them hoping to recapture the ring where he reluctantly to accompany them to Mordor. During their journey where Frodo learns that Gollum was once a hobbit named Smeagol, they also run into Gondor rangers led by Faramir (David Wenham) who is Boromir’s younger brother.
The script also play into character arcs where Merry and Pippin are forced to grow up as they deal with their own situations as they realize that the Shire would be in danger if they cannot convince the Ents to wage war on Saruman. Aragorn would go through his own arc as he becomes aware that he is a symbol of hope to Rohan including Theoden’s niece Eowyn (Miranda Otto) who becomes smitten by him even though he is in love with the elvish princess Arwen (Liv Tyler). The script also play into Arwen having to make the decision to leave with the elves who are all leaving Middle Earth as her father Elrond (Hugo Weaving) reveal her fate if she chooses to stay. Yet, Elrond would have his own conversation with the elvish queen Galadriel who is aware that Aragorn and Rohan are in danger of losing to both Sauron and Saruman.
Jackson’s direction is grand in terms of how big the visual presentation is at it is shot on various locations in New Zealand as well as studios in New Zealand. The film opens with events from the previous film where the fellowship run from Balrog where Gandalf would take a stand at the monster. What Jackson does is show what happened to Gandalf as the fellowship see him fall to his death only for Gandalf to fall while fighting Balrog. It then cuts to Frodo and Sam continuing to walk towards Mordor as they find themselves lost where Jackson’s approach to close-ups and medium shots play into the sense of the unknown in the locations they are in where they later meet Gollum who had been following them. Jackson would maintain this tense and eerie atmosphere for the scenes involving Frodo, Sam, and Gollum as they travel towards Mordor. Even as there are a bit of light-hearted moments in the tension between Sam and Gollum where the former comments about creating a stew with the need for some potatoes.
In the extended version of the film in its 223-minute running time, as opposed to the 179-minute running time in its theatrical release, where Jackson can do more with the story and flesh out the characters. One notable sequence involves a flashback scene with Boromir (Sean Bean) who had recaptured the port city of Osgiliath for Gondor as he would share his victory with Faramir. It plays into why Boromir was keen on having the ring as the scene also featured his father Denethor (John Noble) who believes that the meeting is about the ring as Boromir is reluctant to go. The sequence adds depth for Faramir’s own reasons in wanting the ring as it relates to his troubled relationship with his father. Jackson’s usage of the wide shots for the locations would add greater depth for the film’s climatic battle at Helm’s Deep. In its mixture of practical effects, miniatures, and computerized-visual effects, the battle of Helm’s Deep is truly a marvel in terms of how to create a battle with lots of extras and detail into every moment that is shown.
So much is happening during the battle as it would cross-cut on the narrative of Merry and Pippin convincing Treebeard and the Ents to go to war on Saruman as the extended version in the film reveal a lot of detail about Fangorn forest and its own magical powers. There is also more into what Frodo, Sam, and Gollum go through after being captured by Faramir where they encounter the Nazgul and orcs at Osgiliath as its aftermath would play into a key decision Faramir makes about the ring. The ending of the second film sets up what is to come ahead between the forces of Rohan and the fellowship while Frodo and Sam continue their trek towards Mordor with Gollum in tow. Overall, Jackson crafts a grand and gripping film about a group of individuals continuing their quest to destroy evil for good.
Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its approach to color grading for some of the interior/exterior settings at night as well as the look of the daytime exteriors for some shots in the valleys as well as scenes in the forests as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Michael Horton does brilliant work with the editing in the usage of jump-cuts for some montages as well as other stylish cuts to play into the action and suspense as it is another highlight of the film. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah, and set decorator Alan Lee, does incredible work with the look of Saruman’s tower at Isengard as well as the look of fortress of Helm’s Deep in its interiors and exteriors with additional work from conceptual designer John Howe. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do excellent work with the costumes in the look of King Theoden’s armor as well as the look of the Rohirrim and the soldiers of Gondor.
Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do fantastic work with the look of the Uruk-hai orcs, the elvish army, and King Theoden in his decayed state under Saruman’s spell. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does amazing work with the look of the Nazgul creatures as well as the look of the Ents and the motion-capture design of Gollum as it is a major highlight of the film. Sound designers David Farmer and Michael Semanick, along with sound editors Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn, do superb work with the sound in the way the Nazgul sound and other sound effects that help play into the action and suspense. The film’s music by Howard Shore is great as its usage of heavy brass sections, soaring strings, heavy percussions, and somber woodwinds for some unique themes along with a few songs including a funeral song sung by Eowyn.
The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sam Comery and Olivia Tennet as a couple of young Rohan children who escape the Uruk-hai, Robyn Malcolm as their mother, Paris Howe Strewe as Theoden’s son Theodred who gets seriously wounded following an ambush by the Uruk-hai, Bruce Hopkins as one of Theoden’s military leaders in Gamling, the quartet of Robbie Magasiva, Jed Brophy, Nathaniel Lee, and Stephen Ure as Uruk-hai orcs, and Craig Parker as the elvish general Haldir. Christopher Lee and Brad Dourif are superb in their respective roles as the evil wizard Saruman and the spy Grima Wormtongue with the former being a once-respected wizard who has aligned himself with Sauron as he wants to destroy Rohan while the latter is a slimy figure who works for Saruman in poisoning King Theoden’s mind as he would also play a role in wounding Rohan.
In the extended version of the film, John Noble and Sean Bean are fantastic in their respective roles as Lord Denethor and Boromir with the former as Gondor’s steward who learns about the ring as he wants Boromir to Rivendell. Bean’s performance as Boromir is given more complexity as a man that is devoted to Gondor as well as trying to give his younger brother Faramir more credit. David Wenham’s performance as Faramir is excellent as a captain of Gondor who captures Frodo and Sam while he hopes to get the ring to win the approval of his father. Karl Urban is brilliant as Theoden’s nephew Eomer, who gets exiled by Wormtongue as he and the Rohirrim go on their own war against the Uruk-hai as he laments over his home and his uncle’s state of mind. Miranda Otto and Bernard Hill are amazing in their respective roles as Eomer’s sister Eowyn and King Theoden of Rohan with the former as a woman who wants to fight as she becomes smitten towards Aragorn as she also does what she can for the people of Rohan. Hill’s performance starts off as a man poisoned and disconnected from reality under Saruman’s spell and Wormtongue’s activities only to come out of it in trying to help his people as he laments over the power of the Uruk-hai in their hatred of everything and everyone.
The trio of Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Hugo Weaving are incredible in their respective roles as the elvish queen Galadriel, Arwen, and Lord Elrond with Blanchett’s brief appearance in her telekinetic conversation with Elrond about what is at stake with Weaving being someone unsure as he laments over the life his daughter Arwen would have if she chooses not to leave Middle Earth where Tyler brings a gracefulness of a woman who is aware of what she will lose. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are remarkable as the hobbits Merry and Pippin as the two hobbits who were briefly captured by the Uruk-hai until they are saved by the Ents where they deal with Saruman’s growing power and the need to convince the Ents to go to war against Saruman. John Rhys-Davies is marvelous in a dual role as the voice of the Ent Treebeard, who often talks in an unconventional fashion, and as the dwarf Gimli who does provide humor in some of the action as well as be someone who remains loyal to the fellowship where he does what he can to fight the Uruk-hai.
Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellan are great in their respective roles as the elvish warrior Legolas and the wizard Gandalf with the former being this skilled elvish warrior who deals with the severity of what Rohan is facing while doing what he can to fight off the Uruk-hai. McKellan’s performance as Gandalf is only on a few scenes as a wizard who gets resurrected where he also realizes that Rohan is in danger where he would go to find Eomer for help. Sean Astin and Viggo Mortensen are phenomenal in their respective roles as Sam and Aragorn with the former dealing with Gollum and Frodo’s declining emotional/mental state while the latter as a ranger who realizes that he must become a leader where he deals with many obstacles as well as a near-death experience during an ambush.
Elijah Wood is tremendous as Frodo Baggins as the hobbit carrying the ring where he deals with the severity of the quest as well as the ring’s power where he would start to lose himself. Finally, there is Andy Serkis in an outstanding supporting performance as the creature Gollum/Smeagol as a former hobbit who once held the ring where he guides Frodo and Sam to Mordor in the hope, he can reclaim the ring as there is a lot of complexity to his performance where he can the kind and light-hearted Smeagol or the meaner and manipulative Gollum.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a spectacular film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, vast set pieces including the Helm’s Deep battle sequence, intoxicating visuals, an exhilarating music score, and a story of good versus evil. It is a fantasy film that does a lot more in its exploration of what creatures face in the darkest of times as well as the need to find light in that darkness. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a tremendous film by Peter Jackson.
Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back
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