Just got back from the movie and I thought it was really good. But what happened in the first 5 minutes of the movie? I missed that part (was getting french fries) all I saw was when Gandalf was lying on the mountain. I enjoyed those tree creatures the most.
I just got back, too. The Uptown theater in Washington DC really, really enjoyed itself. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but it was worth waiting 7 hours in the cold for that.
I’m too tired to post a whole review. But suffice to say it was an incredible piece of work. The climaxing of the movies three separate plotlines was handled so well. Amazing considering that the Battle of Helms Deep is perhaps the best battle sequence ever put on film. But the pacing didn’t suffer at all when the movie switched to other plotlines.
And yeah, Treants (is that what they’re called?) are awesome. 
6 out of 5 stars
Ents! They are called ENTS!!!
Ents lad, Ents.
I’m seeing it tonight.
::prays for short women in seats in front and to be otherwise surrounded by mutes who are allergic to noisy cinema snacks::
Damn and blast.
They’re called ‘Ents’ by the Rohirrim and means “giant” in Old English. (Okay - so Professor Tolkien called them that! :b)
“Ents thought slowly and were slow to act, but once aroused they posessed the age-long action of trees compressed in a few seconds; they could crack rocks and move large quantities of earth easily and quickly”
(Those are Robert Foster’s words in 'The Complete Guide to Middle Earth. The Ents are some of JRR’s best and Mr. Lucas best not employ them in ‘Attack on the Ewoks!’)
Just after the Orcs taunt Aragorn with, “We are the Fighting Uruk-Hai!” and things really look hopeless - another massive host arrives from Fangorn Forest (in the books) of ‘tree-ish’ folks known as Huorns, which might (but doesn’t) mean ‘ruin your day’ in Old English 
I’ll see the movie tomorrow afternoon. 
Ummm, SPOILERS, I guess, but do I really need to say that in a thread called “Two Towers Movie Review”? I don’t read anything about a movie if I don’t want it spoiled because every little review or blurb or tidbit is a potential spoiler. That said…
I Just got back. Very good. Strayed more from the book than Fellowship did (which strayed more from the book than I would’ve liked), but it was still good.
I didn’t like:
-The Arwen story took up too much time.
-Haldir. Were any elves even at Helm’s Deep? Surely not Haldir?
-No Ent drafts.
-Aragorn’s fake death.
-No fleshing out of Merry and Pippin’s friendship with Treebeard.
-Sam and Frodo in Osgiliath? Been awhile since I’ve read the book but I don’t remember that
-Frodo holding the ring up to the wraith. Definately not.
-The way they ended the battle of Helm’s Deep. Big let down. It just…ended.
-Gimli’s comic relief.
I did like:
-Legolas and Gimli’s dead orc count. I was just about sure they would leave this out but they didn’t!
-Legolas and Gimli’s friendship got more attention.
-Gimli’s comic relief (notice this on both lists.)
-The look and voice of Gollum.
-The look and voices of the ents (if trolls were a deviation from them then they should’ve looked more similiar but screw it.)
That’s all I can think of right now. I’ll probably see it at least one more time in the theatre though. Great movie.
Oh, I meant to mention one more thing. Two words saved Gimli’s comic relief: “Toss me.”
Priceless.
Aargh. I reckon it’s good to know that sort of spoiler stuffs.
I was hoping Arwen would arrive with her good-for-nothing brothers and smooch with Aragorn while Eowyn watched.
Haldir wasn’t there. Aargh. The Rohir were no great friends of Elves. And the Lorien Elves would have had a bundle of shite to deal with the Morians. That’s a flaw.
Apparently Gimli - who looks a bit like PJ - is comic relief in this movie and is in it a lot - after folk complained he was only comic relief in the last movie.
Aragorn’s fake death? Unpossible.
4:30…gotta goo…
Sounds like there’s not much to really not like so that’s cool. Ta!
It was a real pretty movie. Too tired to post more, post more tomorrow. Just real pretty.
Best line: No, I’m his gardener.
Was it just me or was Shadowfax missing somethings?
I sat down at the theatre next to a reporter from the local paper, and when she found out I’d read the series about 7 times through she asked to interview me after the show for a special report on the midnight showing to print Thursday. But at 3:30 am about all I could think of to say when she asked about the movie in relation to the book was how the Ent storyline was screwed up and that the siege at Helm’s Deep was different, but IMHO still very cool in the movie. As far as the movie itself, best I could come up with in the interview was how the characters were more fun this time around, since they’d been developed in the first movie, and the relationship between Gimli and Legolas was a fun part of the film.
I liked how this one embodied more of Tolkien’s message. There were monologues about the cost of war, the way victory may bring unpleasant change.
As for the rest, aside from Gimli/Legolas buddy-cop routine, I like Gollum’s arguing with himself scene (although people found it funny in the theatre when I don’t think it was meant to be funny…must be how much he looks like that stupid thing from the new Harry Potter), the entire seige battle scene, and especially Sam’s speech at the end.
But Gollum’s speech was funny - to begin. The interchanged camera angles is what really made it appear to be two separate consciences, and the conversation was humorous, but quickly turned into a very empathetic display of what Smeagal has gone through. In my theatre, there was a lot of chuckling, but that quickly turned to “Oooh, that sucks. Bummer.” Very well done, and I don’t think some chuckling is inappropriate.
Shadowfax was missing something. Girth, a visible dominance over nearby horses, not having a pure white face, big Clydsdale-ish fur over the hooves, etc. But something.
I didn’t like the constant backlighting of Gandalf, especially at Helm’s Deep. His appearance to the Three Hunters as well as Merry & Pippin was fine and appropriate, but it got old (and looked poorly).
Okay, enough bitching. Things that I really enjoyed:
The Dead Marshes were perfect. The arial shots even had little hobbits walking around.
Gollum was amazing. The dicotomy between Stinker and Slinker was so clear and defined, it will forever enhance my future readings. So will the vocalization of “Gollum, gollum.” More of a cough than a grovel.
Many might disagree (and that’s understandable), but I liked the alteration to Faramir and the jaunt to Osgiliath. Faramir’s character will most likely have some more fleshing out next year, but I think for the best. Osgiliath was incredible, but the Nazgul scene could have been done without. However, Frodo and Sam had to get on the road somehow, and Faramir’s character needed some sort of impulse.
Gandalf and the Balrog. Man, do I wish there were more of this! Cut out some of the Arwen screentime, or the Aragorn floating down the river, and slap it in here. Can’t wait for the Extended DVD, which I bet will have more here. I would have liked to see a slimy Balrog.
The Black Gate. VERY cool. Maybe put an arial fly-by to give a bit of scale, but the trolls did a good job of that. I thought the hill F, S and G were on was a bit close though…
Sam’s Final Thought. In a movie with some pretty good speeches, this was the best.
That’s all for now. Great movie, bigger than the first (obviously), but not as great.
Haven’t seen it yet, but there are no surprises here, except…what’s this about Aragorn’s fake death? That’s not in the book.
Do the ents really look good?
How about Faramir?
The one thing that still bugs me days later is the fake Aragorn death and subsequent Arwen stuff. It felt shoehorned in to me.
Other than that all the other changes were ok by me since it really captured the spirit of the book.
It wasn’t perfect but that doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it felt right. Really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see it again.
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Yes, they briefly trick you into thinking Aragorn is dead. It will probably be hacked on the most in this movie, but it is really quite minor, and sets up some really good stuff when Legolas and Gimli see him again.
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The ents look really good. Especially when they attack Isengard.
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Faramir seems a little meaner in the movie than he was in the book. Of course, he is redeemed.
I haven’t seen it yet either, but just for a slight hijack re: sheer stupidity:
Katie Couric on the Today Show said today she went to see TT last night, but had not seen the first film.
Why? Blockbuster too expensive for her to rent first film? Geez…why would anybody in their right mind go see a part II of any film, if you hadn’t seen part one?
At any rate, can’t wait to see this one - and already looking forward to the extended DVD version of TT that supposedly will include 60 minutes of additional footage this time!
Not as fun as Fellowship, but a lot grander
Aragorn’s fake death is a little too Hollywood-Cliche (but at least he didn’t climb back up the cliff, Indy-style), but it doesn’t really hurt the movie much.
The pacing is pretty glacial at times, particularly when everyone ruminates on the subject of war. It was very Kurosawa at times, mainly in a good way.
Brad Dourif was fantastic as Wormtongue, but Theoden was so obviously in bad shape it was difficult to believe none of his men could put two and two together.
The Ents were pretty good, but their attack on Isengard was incredible–the best “show don’t tell” Jackson has pulled off yet.
Helm’s Deep is one of the better battle sequences I’ve ever seen.
Gollum didn’t look particularly great at times, but the performance of the character was fantastic.
I heard about this. I saw an interview with Peter Jackson. He claimed there will only be about 35 minutes on the extended dvd. I bet it will be a lot in the beginning, since the first 20 minutes feel a bit rushed.
It’s 2:04 and I am at school. In 23 min when school gets out, 25 of us are heading up to get in line for the 7 pm show. I imagine this will be the best movie I have ever seen. I’m really looking forward to seeing the ents, one of my favorite charactures in the book. When I get home after the movie I will have a review to post.
The next dvd has a full hour extra???