Comments on The Two Towers movie - page 12

John Gale, Charleston, WV, USA

I won't deny that Peter Jackson's films are great cinematic works, it's just I waited my whole life to show my family and my friends why I love LOTR with a film but these films aren't the LOTR that I wanted to share with them. I feel that instead of retelling the masterpiece in film they merely took the basic idea and created their own story. I was very dissappointed. What makes it worse is that the Harry Potter films succeeded in staying true to their books, why couldn't LOTR? I will still wait for someone to do The Lord of the Rings in a film right.

Jonathan Hicks, Lichfield, England

I've been reading the works of Tolkien for twenty years and was terrified at the thought of a movie, but I'm delighted at both the quality of the film making and the response it has received from critics and moviegoers alike. Bringing the books to the screen is a daunting task and Peter Jackson has managed it with a high degree of skill. Although the Two Towers deviated from the book, the changes were forgivable. The sheer complexity of the book is such that it is a miracle he managed to do it with any chance of comprehension from anyone who has never read the books. A fantastic achievement, and special praise for Gollum, truly the most amazing thing I have seen. The emotional range on what is essentially a piece of animation was fantastic. There were things I didn't like, as with the first film, but I understand he cannot please everyone and I am not going to get hung up about changes to a piece of fantasy fiction. If it was actual history, then perhaps I would have been a little more unforgiving!

Still - I close my eyes when Legolas 'surfs' down those stairs. What was the point of that?!? :)

Alex Fisher, Newtown, Philedelphia

I think the movie had a lot of action. it was the best movie i have ever seen. i liked the way Legolas and Aragorn looked. I thought Gollum was funny. I just want to say that this was a great movie and I can't wait untill it comes on DVD

"Anonomous", Loveland, Colorado in the USA

I have read several comments. But I still think:

" When your going to do elvish you've got to go towards the book alot!" And exactly what elvish language do they use? The golden hall is a golden hall, not a wooden one. And how many people live where Meduseld is? Would it be enough of a force to help gondor significantly? Somebody could put Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings to shame. It was extremely boring. I am shamed at what I found in the movie. Oh and by the way, the battle at the begining of the Fellowship of the ring takes place at barad-dur mount doom. Back to topic. The violence was so horrible! It was like they wanted it to appeal to the younger generation. Whose minds have been fried from thinking violence is good. Life is not about killing somebody, it's about working to accomplish something. The mood was off also. Everybody in the comments keeps saying gollum was great! They could do better.

Manwefinda, Rivendell, Rivendell

Comment: After having read some of Tolkien's biography by humphrey carpenter...I came to find that Tolkien liked details, niggling them as he called it. He spent many an hour on details...he didn't do them for nothing (oh...and in FOTH gandalf says Melelon rather than Mellon for the elvish word for friend.) But nevertheless Tolkien did want a movie in his works so basically making a movie is doing him justice. But that movie was just plain dumb. When somebody sees lord of the rings in the daytime with good humor...one thinks that Bilbo is Funny with the little weird face he makes, and that it is just plain silly that he sees the eye. So I suggest the way I originally imagined LOTR.

Arwen should have been looked like Jenelle Sutton, which means that Arwen would have black hair...but oh well...immortal beauty counts. Anyway, in FOTR... where does Frodo's book go? They can't have inconsistencies like that...it bothered tolkien , they should have tolkien spirit. The movie was like a racing train, to much action,...to much blood and guts for a catholic like Tolkien. Too much blood and guts for me... I'm too goodie-goodie for it. To little Mythology, where was gollum's story? Where was Farimir's interesting lecture...sure it's boring the first few times you read it...but it's very interesting and it clarify's the movie. As my sister once said in the Rankin Bass version of the movie- the hobbit " It doesn't make any sense...why is he a burgler?" People want to know why. Why-idis is what I have, the reason I finished Lord of the Rings is because I started reading A tolkien Bestiary. After that I was on a role. The higher the mind the more you will see that the more details the more rich and alive the book becomes- Real in a sense. Hence why we all read books! CAUSE WE WANT TO BE THERE!

The same is instituted in the movies ...but the movies don't teach the lesson of Lord of the Rings:" NOTHING!" it's a good yarn... But it didn't seem to be what I wanted...yes... I wanted the armor...the battle...the movie...the swords!...but it was too dramatized. In the mind of somebody as smart as me, it's just dumb...the scriptwriter and movie adapters adapted it for people on a less mature level than me and Tolkien are. It was so BORING! I couldn't stand it, they need to cut the portions of the movies into smaller chunks. My mind needs something to work on after more than an hour of t.v. Anyway, in conclusion that is why I think Lord of the Rings has not had justice. This man spoke many languages, he went to oxford...at least put it at his intelligence level!

PS: Oh...nevermind...blonde hair is just fine

Adele Morales, Columbia, Md., United States of America

I have enjoyed reading many comments. I saw both films shortly after each was released. I had not read the book. After the second film, I was compelled to start digging into the world of LOTR.I have finished the book, and was fascinated by Tolkien's superb powers of description and wonderful imagination. Yes, the book is so much more detailed than any film could be. And..I believe both films are real feats of film magic. The photography, costumes, make-up, directing, not to mention the sensitive acting by many cast members are all impressive and I found very moving. Yes, the action is exciting, but the real thrill is the relationships between the characters and how these develope. The loyalty and love which developes in The Fellowship is heartwarming. Positive relationships being celebrated is very refreshing. So three very big cheers for the two films!. I can hardly wait for next Deceber to see the third. And a bow of respect to Professor Tolkien and his work. I only wish I had discovered his world sooner!!!

Claire Ashton, North Lincolnshire, England

All Praise to Peter Jackson. What people have to realise is books and films are two very different mediums, what works in text doesn't always work on screen. The imaginative possibilities are endless within the text each person will interpret it differently, that kind of scope is not available on screen. No other person other than Jackson could've made a more successful interpretation for the screen than he did. The first two movies must be taken for what they are 'Movies' adaptations of the original texts. As movies they are fantastic, as technology advances movies just get better and better, will technology ever catch up to our own imagination? probably not so stop moaning about the movies not being like the books and embrace and enjoy them on their own merit!

Amelia Harper, Nashville, NC, USA

I loved the music, scenery, and even the excitement of the battle scenes. However, I truly missed the ennoblement of Frodo that takes places in this part of the book. The philosophical scenes between Faramir and Frodo in the book are among the best. In the movie, Faramir was stripped of much of his wisdom and compassion and Frodo was turned into a slave to the power of the Ring much too early to get the full flavor of his growth in nobility. Instead, he became more like a zombie. However, overall the film was very exciting, though a pale imitation of the original.

Maureen Crellin, Rotherham, Yorkshire

Although the script was not like the book,I really enjoyed The Two Towers very much.The whole film was a great delight,and as usual Howard Shore wrote some wonderfull and at times moving music. No words can express how much I appreciate the wonderful experience of watching such brilliant acting from the whole cast Thank You Peter Jackson and your whole assembly of workers.Maureen Crellin.