Oscarwatch's Brian Duffield has submitted his review. Check it out, and take note of the comments at the start and at the end! WOW!
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Whether you liked Fellowship or not, it does not matter. The Two Towers is one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time, and it should not be missed. Everything brilliant about Jackson's Fellowship returns here (minus Sean Bean of course), and more is added. Top of that list must be Andy Serkis as Gollum, the ring-junkie we got just a glimpse of in Fellowship. One of the best performances of the year, Serkis easily steals the spotlight from the excellent Elijah Wood and much-improved Sean Astin. And the fact that he is a CGI creation should not matter. Andy Serkis clocked more hours on Rings then any other actor, and his performance is mesmerising (especially a very disturbing scene where he talks to Smeagol, the hobbit he once was).
Story-wise, it continues straight from Fellowship. Frodo and Sam must go to Mordor to destroy the Ring; Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gimli (John RhysDavies) and Legolas (Orlando Bloom), are searching for the kidnapped hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd). The first thirty minutes and so cramed and packed with information that some people may be un-nerved, but rest assured, the pacing soon regains normality, but you're still in for a wild ride.
The movie looks better then Fellowship. The scenery is heart stopping. The cinematography by Lesnie is improved upon. Howard Shore's score is a wonderful continuation on Fellowship's Oscar winning composition, but it grows and suits the film even better this time. The CGI is also improved, mostly in the flawless Gollum, the greatest CGI character of all time, and the amazing final hour, which I will get to shortly. At times, the CGI could be better (on the warg battle particularly), but the story whisps you along so well you just fail to care.
It is hardly rehassed material as well. Ian McKellan delivers another great performance, this time as Gandalf the White, almost a different character then the one we see fall down into the Abyss at the start of the film. Most impressive I felt was some creative ideas mirroring the Aragorn/Arwen relationship, which includes a sorrowful future glimpse into the future, with Arwen standing beside her lovers grave.
But the stealer of the movie is the final hour. Easily one of the greatest battles, if not the greatest battle, of cinema history, Helm's Deep is tragic, violent, exhausting, and simply breath-taking. An attack on Isengard follows, which almost tops this 30 minute masterpiece. Words simply don't describe what Peter Jackson and his crew have done for these two battles. You feel like you are there, dodging swords, arrows, axes, and falling boulders.
I cannot give high enough praise to this film. It is the year's best film, and a milestone in cinema history.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not a fanboy, this is a film critic! This is incredible!