Comments on The Two Towers movie - page 7

Kiran, Hertfordshire, England

I'm am really peeved as to why Peter Jackson has left The Two Towers movie short of the book. Otherwise with some minor attention to the knowledge of Arda and book references, this film is great.

Niamh Riordain, London, England

I think that Peter Jackson has done an excellent job in bringing LOTR to the big screen. I might not agree with some of his changes but it would be impossible to dramatise the books in their entirety. Like Tolkien, he has work and reworked the stories to bring Middle-earth alive. Everyone has their own images and Peter Jackson gets some wrong but the majority of them right (e.g. the Ents could have been a little taller and leaner.) I can recommend the extended DVD, there is about 5 1/2 of commentary on the making of the film and what you get to understand that the people involved do love the book and want to honour what it stands for. The time and effort that as gone into the minute details which is often missed by the casual viewer but eich fan(atic)s of the book will appreciate is breathtaking.

I enjoyed the Two Towers and can't wait for Return of the King.

Steve, California Coast, USA

Comment: Having first read the books in High School in 1973 and then again with my kids in 2001, I am awestruck by the EPIC proportion of the Two Towers. It was better than the FOTR and I can't wait for the ROTK to be released.

Amanda Prater, University City, MO, United States

I was very disappointed in Peter Jackson's decision to stray away from Tolkien's story in his adaptation of The Two Towers. Jackson did a brilliant job of capturing the magic and heart of Fellowship of the Ring, and any changes to Tolkien's story were excusable as Fellowship unfolded beautifully on the big screen.

Not so with The Two Towers. The film felt hastily thrown-together, and the changes to Tolkien's story did not benefit the film-- if anything, they distract the viewer from the purpose of our heroes that Jackson had established in the first film. Adding to this Jackson's tendency to pound a point home (such as the long, wistful shots of the faces of children who had somehow managed to show up at Helm's Deep or the oft-visited theme of weak-willed Men), The Two Towers feels tiresome and preachy too often to be truly enjoyable.

This being said, the art direction is still amazing and the digital work done to bring Gollum to "life" is brilliant. In fact, Gollum's CGI character carries this film and often seems more real and heartfelt than some of the living, breathing actors.

Regardless of the excuses given by some viewers as to why this film deserves praise, The Two Towers fails to measure up to the brilliant job Jackson did with Fellowship. Moreover, it does little justice to the turning point of Tolkien's wonderful story. The needless storyline changes made by Jackson to The Two Towers disappointed me as a fan of Tolkien's works; the below-par production and shallow effort to adapt this potion to the story to the screen left me disappointed as a fan of quality films. Let's hope that the third installment of Lord of the Rings makes up for the loss.

Andrew, York, UK

After seeing The Two Towers movie for the first time in December, I was disappointed with the way New Line had interpreted it. Particularly, the characterisation of Faramir and the 'excursion' to Osgiliath.

On the whole I rated it 7/10.

I think the FOTR (extended DVD version) deserved 9/10.

I have now seen The Two Towers three times and am (slighty!) less critical, though I still do not like the Osgiliath scenes.The films are becoming a sort of "Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings".

Which is fair enough, considering what we might have got if Disney had produced it?!

I still think the 1981 BBC Radio production is the superior dramatisation of the Lord of the Rings.It simply gives voices to the characters we know so well from the books.

Wendy, Clayton, Ohio

The Two Towers was a great movie! It totaly got the mood of the book right. Though it missed a couple of details.

Stuart Pawsey, Melton Mowbray, Leics

After saturating my senses for the last year with the seductive qualities of the fellowship I waited in gleeful anticipation for the Towers.

I was not dissapointed! However the atmosphere of urgency born of dread assaulted the senses in a full frontal attack,broken only by the too short visits to Fanghorn and the tender moments of Aragorn in reverie.

Gollum however is a revelation. Treated with sympathy to underscore the degrdation he has borne and yet still able to imply the craftiness that is ring driven. Magnificent.

Roll on Return of the King.

R. J. Syler, Austin, Tx., United States

Although the latest film was more substantially different from the first, I found the spirit of the book was still there. It's not a story that can be filmed as written; too many names to remember, too many movements to coordinate, etc. so I think the filmmakers did an admirable job at a herculean task like bringing this to the screen. I was particularly impressed with Gollum.

ivan, nis, serbia

Film is OK if you had not heard about Tolkien or Lord Of The Rings ever before. It is not based on a book at all. Loosely connected perhaps. Piter Jackson should be ashamed for what he did in second movie.

Sathyla, Paris, France

I found the movie excellent concerning the shooting, decors, visual effects, etc..

But it is not as close to the book as I had hoped. Bringing the elves to Helm's Deep or having Aragorn being attacked by Wrag... We should have seen Gandalf being brought back to Lothlorien by Gwahir, we should have seen Chelob...

Frankly I do not know how the 3rd will be, but I hope it will be as close to the book as the Fellowship...

Namarië