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Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin ... see more see more... , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Bernard Hill , Christopher Lee , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Hugo Weaving , Miranda Otto , David Wenham , Brad Dourif , Andy Serkis , Karl Urban , Craig Parker , Marton Csokas , Sala Baker , Ian Holm , Sir Ian Mc Kellen

The second film in Peter Jackson's series of screen adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's internationally popular Lord of The Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers literally begins where The ... read more read more...Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ended, with the Fellowship splitting into three groups as they seek to return the Ring to Mordor, the forbidding land where the powerful talisman must be taken to be destroyed. Frodo (Elijah Wood), who carries the Ring, and his fellow Hobbit Sam (Sean Astin) are lost in the hills of Emyn Muil when they encounter Gollum (Andy Serkis), a strange creature who once carried the Ring and was twisted by its power. Gollum volunteers to guide the pair to Mordor; Frodo agrees, but Sam does not trust their new acquaintance. Elsewhere, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) are attempting to navigate Fangorn Forrest where they discover a most unusual nemesis -- Treebeard (voice of John Rhys-Davies), a walking and talking tree-shepherd who doesn't much care for Hobbits. Finally, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) arrive in Rohan to discover that the evil powers of Saruman (Christopher Lee) have robbed King Theoden (Bernard Hill) of his rule. The King's niece Éowyn (Miranda Otto) believes Aragorn and his men have the strength to defeat Saruman, his henchman Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), and their minions. Éowyn soon becomes infatuated with Aragorn, while he struggles to stay faithful to the pledge of love he made to Arwen (Liv Tyler). Gandalf (Ian McKellen) offers his help and encouragement as the Rohans, under Aragorn's leadership, attempt to face down Saruman's armies, but they soon discover how great the task before them truly is when they learn that his troops consist of 10,000 bloodthirsty creatures specially bred to fight to the death. Most of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was shot in tandem with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King during a marathon 18-month shooting schedule, overseen by Peter Jackson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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PG-13, 3 hr.

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Release Date: December 12, 2002

Keywords: epic, war, fantasy, 2nd, rings, middle

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DVD Release Date: August 26, 2003

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  • March 25, 2012
    Definitely one of the most authentic and powerful films to be produced by Peter Jackson, as can be said for the others, but this one just seems to shine as my favourite for both it's plot and strong casting line up, being the second in the trilogy, this installment could be seen ... read moremerely as a lead up to one of the biggest and best finale's in film history, and Peter does an outstanding job in creating yet another masterpiece for the critics to naturally love.
  • February 10, 2012
    THE TWO TOWERS is truly the best LORD OF THE RINGS film, and it really should have won the Oscar for Best Picture, if any in the epic trilogy. This one is the most interesting, and it doesn't carry on forever at all.
  • January 14, 2012
    The second entry in the Lord of the Rings trilogy manages to surpass the first film in every way. Packed with more adventure and action than the first. Andy Serkis gives a very chilling performance as Gollum despite being in a motion-capture suit. The battle of Helms Deep is p... read moreure awesomeness.
  • December 19, 2011
    The continuation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson is one of epic, sweeping, intense, breathtaking and extraordinary quality. Loved every minute of it.
  • September 17, 2011
    Peter Jackson left the entire world on a cliffhanger when he finished The Fellowship of the Ring. After having done such an impressive job with the first film and then having the balls to stay true to the source by finishing as he did, he was almost setting himself up to fail; gi... read moreving himself a task even greater than the original undertaking: a sequel. Not just any sequel; a sequel to film being touted as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made and himself being declared a genius. This sort of hype is almost impossible to live up to. Almost.

    Taking up where its predecessor left off, The Two Towers follows Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas as they chase down a troop of Uruk-Hai, Frodo and Sam as they journey further towards Mordor and Merry and Pippin as they, well, get into lots of trouble.

    The story is much more divided in comparison to the first of the series with a fellowship of nine journeying together rather than three different groups and their various shenanigans. This is the first challenge to overcome for filmmaker Peter Jackson: how to tell all these stories in under four hours? Not only that, but how to allot time to the different storylines without 1) making it boring and 2) losing focus on the main story which just happens to be the more boring aspect of the source material: Frodo and Sam's trek towards Mordor. After all, how inventive can one director be with half the story taking up by two diminutive figures walking towards a place which they don't actually reach by the time the films finishes?

    It's almost as if Jackson hasn't noticed these issues as the second film is just as fulfilling and story-driven as the first without sacrificing any major plot points or basically getting rid of anything that would cause a fan outcry. Yes, technically the ents do show up to help at the battle of Helm's Deep and no we don't get to see Merry and Pippin in Treebeard's house or talking to Quickbeam but in the end, Peter Jackson has conquered these seemingly mammoth tasks with ease. This is a reflection on Jackson's instinct for pace, as the extended edition shows that these time-consuming though unnecessary scenes were in fact filmed, but were left on the editting floor. Jackson's fearlessness with the source material yet mindfullness of it as well means that the story is left completely intact; enough to appease any fan. Jackson has also made room for the lighter moments as well, revelling in the joy of discovery when Merry and Pippin first encounter Treebeard and having time for jokes between the double-act which just keeps getting better of Legolas and Gimli. Jackson doesn't forget about his characters either, keeping the film from feeling hollow by introducing the beautiful Miranda Otto as never-to-be love interest Eowyn and the abandoned-by-his-country Eomer as well as extending his existing characters in Merry and Pippin who only get more endearing, Frodo and Sam whose seemingly unflappable relationship is beginning to show some strain. And even though Gandalf's character goes under a major revamp he's still the same enigmatic mentor as before, albeit slightly more badass. It's this attention to detail which makes Peter Jackson's work so watchable, all the way through the crazy runtime.

    Shore's score is as strong as ever, this time bringing the beautiful theme of the world of men to the fore. Shore's understanding of motif and mood is pivotal here, even more so than Fellowship as the story isn't as driving as its predecessor. Because of this, Shore's score is able to ferry us through the slower moments and throughout the entire film.

    The performances here are just as textured as they were in the first film. Not only that, but the sequel factor means that actors are able to loosen up a little more, in particular in the case of Orlando Bloom's Legolas and John Rhys-Davies' Gimli. The two of them have more fun than it should be possible to have in an epic of this size and they pull it off without ever feeling camp or not taking it seriously enough. Ian McKellen's Gandalf is still the standout of the series but it's great to see the rest of the cast becoming more and more involved in their characters. Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn is one of the performances which shows a lot of progression. His presence has more gravitas in this one and his character is more layered than the original; more difficult to read. Elijah Wood has much less to do in this film, leaving him to keep mostly the same expression on his face for most of the film. While this may be true to story, it does occassionally make you wish that he had something else to do than walk around some rocks for a while. Sean Astin's Sam is similarly beleagured and while their parts of the film are integral to the story, you sometimes wish that we'd move back to the interesting parts a little sooner. Bernard Hill makes a great addition to the cast as Theoden as well as his onscreen daughter Eowyn played with fragile strength by Miranda Otto. Brad Dourif's Grima Wormtongue is fantastic; a slimy, manipulative groveller who snivells perfectly through every scene he's in.

    Another of Towers' achievements lies in another of its new characters: Gollum. Gollum is a completely CG creation, performed by Andy Serkis with groundbreaking technology, enabling Serkis to interact with the actual actors and thus makes the performances all the more real. This innovation makes for incredible viewing as one of the more unfilmmable sections of Tolkien's work is brought to life onscreen. Serkis' performance is largely discounted in terms of acting accolades but it's incredible to see. His work here set the benchmark for motion capture.

    But all these technical factors fade into the background at the Battle of Helm's Deep: a battle scene so epic that it drowns out everything that comes before it. Ten thousand Uruk-Hai facing off against Rohan's much depleted forces is so overwhelming that it makes it difficult to spot any kind of flaws in the rest of the film. Jackson seamlessly blend CG with fantastic costume and makeup to create an entirely believeable all out war which lives up to the scenes detailed in the book and revells in the little moments like Legolas riding a shield down some stairs or a rousing speech from King to King. Jackson's sense of pace throughout the battle is fantastic, moving from the Entmoot to Sam and Frodo without ever losing momentum. And the coup-de-grace of Gandalf's arrival is as breathtaking a moment as the series brings in any of its three films.

    While this may be the weaker cinematically of the three films, the fact that I'm still giving it five stars shows you just how high the bar is set for this series. The fact is that, despite lacking the grandeur of the third and the sense of wonder and scariness of the first, it's still a better film than 90% of the blockbusters Hollywood vomits up on regular basis. Truly incredible filmmaking.

    Defining Scene:
    The Battle at Helm's Deep. Of course.

    Quotes:
    Stupid fat hobbit.

    What's happening out there?
    Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?

    They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!
  • August 29, 2011
    I think I liked the second one a bit less than other two. But it was nice.
  • August 22, 2011
    The Battle for Middle-earth Begins!

    Great Film! Fantastic story! Epic battles were just amazing. This fantasy magical story keeps getting better and better. Highly recommended!

    The film begins with a flashback set to the first film, with Gandalf battling the Balrog on the Bridg... read moree of Khazad-dûm, but this time continues from Gandalf's perspective, with the scene continuing to follow both as they hurtle down below, fighting while in free-fall. Frodo awakens from his dream and continues his journey with his trusted and loyal friend, Sam. They are then attacked by the ring-obsessed Gollum wishing to retrieve "his precious" from the ones he thinks stole it from him. The Hobbits subdue and bind him with Sam's Elven rope given to him by the Elven elder Galadriel in Lórien. Sam distrusts Gollum and wishes to abandon him, but Frodo understands the burden of the creature and takes pity on him. Realizing they are lost in the Emyn Muil and in need of a guide, Frodo persuades Gollum to lead them to the Black Gate of Mordor.

    In Rohan, the pack of Uruk-hai run across the grassy landscape with their captives Merry and Pippin. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are in pursuit, following three days of running, Legolas surmises the Hobbits are being taken to Isengard, where Saruman is marshalling his Uruk-hai forces to do the bidding of Sauron. In the kingdom of Rohan, home of the horse lords, King Théoden is mentally and physically weak due to the enchantments of his steward, Gríma Wormtongue, who is secretly in the service of Saruman. Orcs and Wild Men of Dunland incited by Saruman freely roam the land and kill the people including the king's only son Théodred. Théoden's nephew Éomer interrogates Gríma, angrily realizing he has lustful eyes for Éomer's sister Éowyn and that he is now an agent of Saruman. Gríma banishes Éomer for undermining his authority and Éomer sets forth to gather the remaining loyal men of the Rohirrim throughout the land.

    Frodo and Sam traverse the Dead Marshes, passing the undead fallen warriors of the Second Age who haunt the marshes and evading a newly seated Ringwraith on his flying fell beast. Later they reach the Black Gate, finding it to be heavily guarded, (they observe a contingent of Easterlings from Rhûn arrive to reinforce the garrison) only to have Gollum reveal to them a less risky path: Sam remains distrustful, but Frodo gives him the benefit of the doubt. Meanwhile, Éomer and his Rohirrim ambush and kill all of the Orcs and Uruk-hai holding the two Hobbits captive at nightfall. During the battle, Merry and Pippin narrowly escape their captors by fleeing into the trees where they are aided by Treebeard the oldest of the Ents.

    Éomer later encounters Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli and in turn tells Aragorn there were no survivors of the Orc/Uruk-hai slaughter. Upon arriving at the battle site, Aragorn uses his tracking skills and finds hobbit tracks that lead into nearby Fangorn forest. The three discover a wizard who is ultimately Gandalf reborn, now known as Gandalf the White. The quartet proceed to travel to Edoras, where they exorcise Saruman's hold on King Théoden and banish Wormtongue. Théoden is confronted with his dead son and rather than risk open war, decides to flee to a large fortress called Helm's Deep which in times of trouble has saved the people of Rohan. Gandalf leaves to find Éomer and his Rohirrim, promising to return within five days, as a strong attraction draws Éowyn to Aragorn during the journey to Helm's Deep. Wormtongue flees to Orthanc and tells Saruman of Rohan breaking from their grip; Saruman then decides to destroy Rohan.

    In Ithilien, Gollum battles his split personality in an attempt to befriend Frodo and Sam and ultimately banishes his "evil" half. The two hobbits are witness to an ambush of Southrons but are taken captive by soldiers of Gondor. Meanwhile, along the journey to Helm's Deep, the travelers are attacked by Saruman's Wargs and their Orc riders. During the battle, Aragorn is dragged by a Warg and falls off a cliff into a raging river as the grief-stricken survivors reluctantly move on to Helm's Deep. In Rivendell, Elrond knows that the age of Elves is ending and convinces Arwen that it is hopeless to stay and should leave for the Grey Havens. Elrond shows her a prophetic vision if she waits for Aragorn, even if he succeeds in destroying Sauron and becomes King of Gondor, he will still succumb to mortality: Arwen will suffer grievously once he is dead and she is left to wither away- she reluctantly agrees to leave. Elsewhere, Frodo and Sam are taken to Henneth Annûn and brought before Faramir, the younger brother of Boromir. Gollum eluded capture and in order to save his life, is lured into a trap unknowingly by Frodo. Faramir learns of the One Ring and, seeking to prove his worth to his father, decides the Ring shall go to Gondor. In Rohan, Aragorn washes up on the river's edge and is nudged back to consciousness by his horse, Brego. Battered but undaunted, he rides to Helm's Deep, passing Saruman's army of Uruk-hai, which numbers at least 10,000 strong. His arrival is met with relief but is short lived with the news of only 300 men in the stronghold. In the midst of despair, a battalion of Elves from Lórien, led by the Elf Haldir, arrives to assist in the ensuing battle. At Fangorn forest, Merry, Pippin, Treebeard and other Ents hold a Council to decide on the roles of the Ents in the war with Saruman.

    In the pouring rain, the battle of Helm's Deep begins with a flurry of arrows from both human and Elven archers cutting down dozens of Uruk-hai. Scaling ladders are placed upon the Deeping Wall, and the Uruks swarm up to engage the defenders. The defenses are slowly being breached and the enemy manages to destroy the wall through its sewer drain, using a rudimentary explosive device created by Saruman. Despite Aragorn and Gimli's best efforts, the Uruk-hai manage to penetrate the main door and soon the stronghold is overrun. In the midst of battle, Haldir is slain and the few remaining Elves fall back into the Keep. In the Hornburg, however, the Uruks have also scaled the walls, and have breached the gate, forcing the defenders to retreat into the Keep. In Fangorn, Treebeard and the other Ents have decided to not have any involvement in the war. Frustrated, Pippin cleverly takes him to the section of Fangorn Forest Saruman has decimated near Isengard. Treebeard is filled with rage at Saruman's betrayal and commands all other Ents to seek vengeance. The Ents gather and embark upon 'the Last March of the Ents'.

    Meanwhile, as the Keep is now under attack and realizing Gandalf's words before he departed, Aragorn and the rest make one last gallant ride on horseback to attack the Uruk-hai army, in a desperate bid to allow the Rohirrim's women and children to escape. As the riders are surrounded and all seems lost, Gandalf, Éomer, and two thousand Riders of the Rohirrim arrive to push back the Uruk-hai into the just-arrived forest of Huorns outside of Helm's Deep. Elsewhere, the Ents also attack Isengard, tossing stones and rocks while collapsing a dam to flood its surroundings.

    At the ruins of Osgiliath, Faramir and the Hobbits are confronted by a Ringwraith and its fell beast. With the help of Sam, Frodo narrowly escapes the Ringwraith's efforts to capture him. Sam narrates how the story must go on and how they should keep pressing forward as Faramir decides to free them to finish their quest. Gandalf and the others now know a full war is inevitable (as Sauron will surely seek retribution for the defeat of Saruman) and hope rests with Frodo and Sam, who have resumed their journey to Mordor with Gollum. Accompanying them once again and having felt betrayed after his subsequent mistreatment by Faramir's men, Gollum's darker nature returns and decides to reclaim the ring by leading Frodo and Sam to "her".
  • August 8, 2011
    Just as good as the original, and still lives up to the great name Lord of the Rings, I loved it. Still on their journey to Mordor, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) are lost, and after being ambushed by Gollum (Andy Serkis) but capture him instead and they make him lead ... read morethem to Mordor. Aarogorn (Viggio Mortensen), Gimli (John Davies), and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) still fight Saurons army and search for Pippin and Mary, but will actually find the thought dead Gandalf ( Isn Mckellen). The plot adds on to the breathtaking trilogy and worldwide phenomenon. The action is amazing and surpasses the first one. The effects and make up are great and really detailed. Acting is top notch and great. Its better than the first I think, it leads up to the great third film, and is purely amazing.
  • August 4, 2011
    Sam: Mr. Frodo, put the ring on; just this once, disappear. 
    Frodo: I can't... You were right, Sam. The ring is taking me. If I put it on he will find me. 

    "A New Power is Rising"

    Peter Jackson's second film in his epic fantasy-adventure trilogy isn't quite as good as the first... read more, but it's still one of the best movies of the 21st century. Jackson's Lord of the Ring's are second to none when it comes to storytelling and visuals. These movies are so entertaining and fun to watch. All the details of these movies are just ridiculous in how perfect they are. The battle sequences are amazing to say the least.

    The Two Towers is as jaw dropping as the first. It's a complete spectacle. To describe The Lord of the Ring films as anything other then masterpieces is selling the films short. It's really hard to describe to people who haven't seen these movie(although, there aren't that many left) how good they are. I actually re-watched this trilogy with a friend who hadn't seen it. When we started the first movie, you'd a thought I was about to kill him. Needless to say he got hooked after the first 15 minutes, just like everyone else and ended up loving the series. 

    No matter how many times I see this movie, I am always amazed. Every time I watch it, I notice things I hadn't the time before. The Lord of the Ring movies are probably the most fun movies to go back and re-watch, as you can always take something new away from it.
  • fb729949618
    August 1, 2011
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    The glue between the first and the last. Loved it.

Critic Reviews


J. R. Jones
March 5, 2008
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

More graphic in its violence and more fantastic in its imaginings than the first film. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 7, 2004
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

This second installment in the trilogy ends with Gandalf intoning that the battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin. I'm pumped. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
January 25, 2003
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

A brilliantly conceived adventure that has the capacity to take your breath away.

David Ansen
January 14, 2003
David Ansen, Newsweek

What's remarkable is how immediately, after a full year, The Two Towers seizes your attention, and how urgently it holds you through three seamless, action-packed hours.

Richard Corliss
January 13, 2003
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

A thrilling work of film craft. Full Review

Peter Travers
January 9, 2003
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Spectacular in every sense of the word, even if you don' t know an Orc from a Uruk-Hai.

David Edelstein
December 23, 2002
David Edelstein, Slate

The movie is a monument to a talented fan-boy's passion: You emerge into the light with your heart pounding, ears ringing, head swimming, and gasp, 'That's entertainment!' Full Review

Richard Roeper
December 23, 2002
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

This film doesn't change my review of the original, but it does have me eagerly looking forward to the final installment. I liked it a lot! Full Review

Desson Thomson
December 20, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

One fabulous Middle-earth show.

Stephen Hunter
December 20, 2002
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Convincing, gripping, whole and nourishing.

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Facts


    • Éomer: What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddlemark? Speak quickly!
    • Gimli: Give me your name horse-master, and I shall give you mine.
    • Éomer: I would cut off your head, master dwarf, if it only stood a little higher from the ground.
    • Legolas: [notches an arrow and points it at Eomer] You would die before your sword fell.
    • Gimli: [steps away slowly]
    • Legolas: They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!
    • Aragorn: Saruman!
    • Éomer: What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!
    • Gimli: Give me your name horse-master, and I shall give you mine.
    • Éomer: I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground...
    • Legolas: [notches an arrow and points at Eomer] You would die before your stroke fell!
    • Frodo Baggins: I can't do this, Sam.
    • Samwise Gamgee: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
    • Frodo Baggins: What are we holding onto, Sam?
    • Samwise Gamgee: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.
    • Gimli: What's going on out there?
    • Legolas: Shall I describe it to you? Or will you like me to find you a box?
    • Gimli: What's happening out there?
    • Legolas: Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?

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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Trivia

The Lord of the Rings: The Two To... Trivia


  • In which movie does Ian McKellen say: "...and I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide"  Answer »
  • In which Lord of the Rings movie were Frodo & Sam introduced to Gollum?  Answer »
  • which movie is this quote from? "I would cut off your head dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground"  Answer »
  • what was the second chapter of lord of the rings trilogy called ?  Answer »

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