The Two Towers 2002
Finally got around to seeing this (at one of the smallest theaters I’ve ever been to, Snellville Regal; so much for the big screen). This is just a really, really big movie. I don’t know that it is a great movie, but, like the pyramids, you have to respect it just for its scale.
It suffers from a great commitment to the book it is based on, meaning that by showing everything it skips around a lot and you don’t get much time to develop anything. That’s okay, maybe, since this isn’t that kind of movie, and with 3 episodes of 3 hours each you’re going to get to know everyone eventually. I thought that one of the characters that developed the most was Gollum. He’s just a great creation.
But the other characters are kind of flat. Legolas is kind of a silent sidekick and Gimli has been relegated to the role of jester. Gandalf stands there and is regal, but he doesn’t seem to do very much. Even Sarumon doesn’t seem to do much, although he’s behind this huge attack. Aragorn is a big character and we see him on screen a lot, but he doesn’t seem to have weaknesses that give a character texture.
It’s still enjoyable, though. There is so much going on that you don’t get tired of any of the storylines. The orcs and their giant badgers they ride were really impressive, even if they seem to get killed much more easily than seems likely. I’m not sure how horses running in to a sea of pikes levelled at them would have a chance. And I’m not sure what kind of king can only muster 300 subjects to defend him. And I don’t understand how people always end up on tops of mountains conveniently overlooking key plot moments. Those are quibbles.
Anyway, I can recommend the movie to just about anyone and I do think it is great film making even if I don’t think the movie itself is great. That something so unworldly can be portrayed so realistically is a great feat in itself.
I’ll give it an A for effort and a B for entertainment, with the average being a B+.
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital