Two Towers ... Three long hours.
Take a cushion but leave your high expectations at home.
First thing to say is, this is a long movie. Really long.
The strange thing is that almost nothing of consequence happens in those three hours.
That isn't to say that there isn't incident ... there are a few battles, much trekking across barren landscapes and a number of 'comedy' moments revolving around the funny short guy.
Drama however is about conflict and most importantly change and nothing of consequence changes in this movie.
At the end of The Two Towers all the same issues are at stake that were in play at the end of the previous movie and no real progress has been made to resolve them. More importantly however, none of the central characters has altered one iota. Frodo is still stumbling along doing his best and Sam still watches his 'master' with doe-eyes. Indeed there are scenes where you are left wondering whether he and Frodo shouldn't just get a room. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas remain defiantly and nobly heroic against all odds and in any circumstances. Not one seems conflicted by any internal conflict. This might work if that conflict were ably carried by Theoden, the ents and Faramir but sadly that just doesn't come across.
This is not to say that all is bad with the movie. The cinematography is still luscious and the soundtrack still rouses everytime it hits its strident fanfares. And then there is Gollum ... the true star of the movie is sad to say entirely computer generated. Gollum rivets you everytime he appears and is by far and away the best realised special effect I have ever seen. It is hard to bring character to an animation at all (see Jah Jah Binks) let alone a complex schizophrenic personality.
Sadly, that complexity only highlights the lack of personality elsewhere. Long before the end of the film I had tired of the ceaselessly noble exertions on display because I didn't really care for any of those exerting themselves.
Go see this movie for Gollum and to admire the scale of the endeavor. Go see it because you want to know what happened in preparation for The Return of the King. Don't go expecting an emotional journey for there is none to be found.
Posted by nlvp at December 20, 2002 11:12 AM