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Many of the negative points seem due to cutting the film to 3 hours. There's a lot going on to stuff into 3 hours. When the extended DVD comes out, it will be more satisfying for all of us "fanboys" and "fangirls". So I'll go to the movie and buy the extended DVD (or get it as a gift) -- again. And yet a third time in 2003/4. What a racket! But they deserve to make a ton of money on this.

And PS: Poor me, my FoTR extended DVD is wrapped up and sitting under the tree, a combined gift from my kids. I haven't had this much anticipation of the "Santa" part of Christmas in a long time.

Liv Tyler still looks like she's lost in an Australian douche commercial

lol, That's how she looked int the first one too. Ugh, she's the only part I don't enjoy in the whole thing. That pseudo-cooing throaty british accent. Eeeks.

Thanks!

Some other review snippets:

"A thrilling, muscular entertainment which powers along intensely...there is no director as worthy this year as Jackson who injects The Two Towers with a different, more urgent energy that vibrantly elucidates the book's majestic themes...stupendous...epic, vivid and violent...the production is, of course, sumptuous, and the effects seamless...one of the year's best."
Mike Goodridge, Screen Daily

"A more impressive film than its well received predecessor...gargantuan... no let-down in storytelling sweep and spectacle...grand but mobile cinematography... haunting...beautifully realized...it's hard to imagine a much better version of this material onscreen...the cast is indisputably impressive."
-Todd McCarthy, Variety Chief Film Critic

"It's quite likely to be an Oscar nominee for Best Picture...breathtaking... several terrific performances...epic."
-Roger Friedman, Fox News

"It is an excellent film...I've never seen anything done quite like it in a film before... awe-inspiring...breathtaking...top-notch...Incredibly entertaining and marvellously done... this is definitely a great film."
-Box Office Mojo (4/4)

The sadness with which Smeagol teases and consumes Gollum once again reinforces Jackson's blistering vision of a pervasive evil threatening to destroy all that is good in the world.

He's got it backwards here.

Gollum was the bad and Smeagol the good persona.