Ebert's Review of The Two Towers

Sun Times ^ | Ebert

[A_perfect_lady]

The Contender was the worst pack of ham-handed, obvious, crude, clunky propaganda I ever did see. Absolutely see-through.

[BADROTOFINGER]

Just saw it, great movie, and Gollum was done VERY well. Had the whole crowd giggling for a minute...JFK

[montag813]

Ha ha ha. Yeah, right. The battle scenes in the book were far from "gentle" and they pale compared to what's coming in the Return of the King.

SPOILER: In "Return of the King" the finale is a brutal affair, with the Dark Lord Sauron committing a gaffe, saying to the effect of the Hobbits only being "good as slaves", and appearing to espouse discrimination against dwarves. Elven civil rights attorneys then force Sauron to give up the One Ring and level Mount Doom, which is replaced by subsidized housing for the aggrieved minorities of Hobbits and dwarves.

The special effects are amazing in the final 5 hours of media agitation, including Sauron's grueling attempts to stave off defeat with apologetic appearances on HET (Hobbit Entertainment Television).

[cornelis]

it wasn't relevant to the narrative

Well, there's another way of looking at it another way of looking at it

Bombadil does not move the story forward

Perfect description, and rings true with the pacing Jackson has for the film. In short, Tolkien recognizes a depth to time that is off the screen for Jackson. In moving the story along for box office value, the whole concept of power is shifted. Bombadil plays with the ring. Jackson is no Bombadil. There is no Bombadil for Jackson.

[cornelis]

Had the whole crowd giggling

Gollum sugarcoated? Giggles of embarrassment? Gollum, in Tolkien, is a serious matter.

[cornelis]

Jackson should have shown Arwen's ta-tas

The story is a man's world: no ta-tas.

[Havoc]

Just saw it, great movie, and Gollum was done VERY well. Had the whole crowd giggling for a minute...JFK

Yup. Had the same experience. Gollum was so well done, It didn't occurr to me to think about him being a CG character. And I'm not stretching that. And the theater broke up laughing just about every time Smeagle took to screan. It's amazing how you start to sympathize with the little toad. While Same and Frodo are talking about how they will be remembered, I found myself thinking, 'what about Smeagle?' I won't give away more than that; but, Gollum was my favorite part of the Hobbit and the LOTR series. And I find myself wishing like anything that Jackson would do a theatrical version of the Hobbit now to complete the set. Not holding my breath; but, oh it would be so sweet.

[BADROTOFINGER]

Not sugar-coated, Gollum had genuine personality, some of the humor coming out in his schizophrenic episodes. I guess you just have to see it...JFK

[cornelis]

I see Jackson has him come into his own then. Tolkien's Gollum is something more like the Joseph Conrad's "Secret Sharer."

[BADROTOFINGER]

Gollum really has a lot of facial expressiveness and the body language they managed to achieve was astounding; it created a character who nearly stole the show...JFK

[Dominic Harr]

Just saw it.

Loved it.

Perhaps even a tad bit more than the first(!?).

The crowd loved it. Funny too how you had your 'factions' in the audience. One group of teenage girls clapped every time Legolas showed his face. (Altho watching him mount that horse made *me* gasp!)

Another bunch laughed extra loud at every one of the Dwarf Gimli's lines. (Personal favorite -- "We can take 'em".)

Great, great movie. I'll see it again.

[cornelis]

Gollum really has a lot of facial expressiveness and the body language they managed to achieve was astounding; it created a character who nearly stole the show...JFK

FYI

[cornelis]

Gollum . . . a character who nearly stole the show

No Christopher Lee then.

[Havoc]

My favorite line "Toss me. But don't tell the elf" The theater was in an uproar over that one.

[Dominic Harr]

:-D

[Havoc]

Yep. I wanted sooooo badly to see it again immediatly. I can only think of a handful in recent history that have done that to me. I can't compare because they all have their own place in my collection now. Anyhoo. Got to get to bed. All of you should see this movie. I'd send everyone I know to see it. And I can't think of too many movies I'd say that about either. It's a must see. If you don't see it on the big screen, you'll be disgusted with yourself, trust me. The scenery is breathtaking. And I almost wish I'd gone to indianapolis to see it on one of the monstrous screens there. I remember seeing Star Trek II on the big screen. It's ok on a tv; but, the impact of the battles on the big screen are unreal. And I'm still kicking myself for not seeing Titanic or Braveheart in the theater. Awsome. Incredible. Breathtaking. Fantastic in scope and truth to the original book. Ok, I'm going to bed before I spend all night talking about it in which case I could have gone to see it again. :) Night.

"We wants it. But the master has been good to us..."

[an amused spectator]

The last third of the movie is dominated by an epic battle scene that would no doubt startle the gentle medievalist J.R.R. Tolkien.

Yeah, right, Ebert. Obviously you didn't read the part in the Red Book where the enemy had beheaded dead soldiers of Gondor and were casting the multilated heads over the walls of Minas Tirith. "Gentle". What an effing ignoramus.

[Paul Atreides]

That is what I have been reading and hearing. I am intruiged! I am planning to see the movie on Saturday. Thanks for the post!

[Paul Atreides]

I can't help but think of Attack of The Clones when hearing the name Christopher Lee. Such a distinguished actor, and the best name they can come up with for his character: DOOKU!

Oh the humanity. No wonder his character turned to the dark side.

[Mr. Mojo]

With "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," it's clear that director Peter Jackson has tilted the balance decisively against the hobbits and in favor of the traditional action heroes of the Tolkien trilogy.

Good. The relationship between Frodo and his "friend" was beginning to get a bit creepy.