The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Director: Peter Jackson
Stars: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom
Runtime: 223 minutes

Synopsis: While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.

Verdict: Following the events of the first film, the Fellowship sees itself divided as Saruman continues to build a gigantic army in his quest for ultimate power. Frodo and Sam stay loyal to their mission of destroying the one ring and continue their long journey to Mordor, Merry and Pippin befriend an anthropomorphic tree-like creature called Treebeard, and the rest of the companionship head to Rohan, where they are faced with a multitude of challenges and difficult decisions to make.

Once again, the four-hour-long fantasy epic took a toll on me, and once again, I blame my lack of attachment to the lore for it. Despite this entry being much more accessible as it focuses more on the journey itself than the world surrounding it, I had a difficult time caring about any of the characters, new or old. Some stand out more than others, and Andy Serkis’ Gollum proper introduction was a very welcomed one, but I never found myself caring as much as I wanted to about their growth or even what they stood for.

Merry and Pippin’s arc was probably the biggest let-down of the movie. Uninteresting characters aside, it just didn’t add much value to the narrative as a whole, even slowing down the pacing whenever the story cut back to it. It was such an odd inclusion in a film that at the very least climbed up the entertainment ladder compared to its predecessor, especially in its final 40 minutes or so.

But I’d be doing the movie a disservice if I didn’t mention the once again tremendous effort that went into its production. From score to character design to pristine cinematography and impressive choreography, it was a feast for the eyes and ears. One that had me wishing that I was more invested in the immense world it convincingly builds. Well, mostly, because one more time, the only sour taste left in my mouth was due to the dated CGI work that unfortunately doesn’t go unnoticed.

FINAL GRADE: 7/10