..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..R.J. Matson
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Michael Wilmington

Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers
Directed by: Peter Jackson

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When last we saw the warriors of Middle-Earth, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) was in the throes of a fight to the death with the embodiment of evil. So, as The Two Towers - the second part of filmmaker Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings screen trilogy – begins, we are treated to an even more vivid look at the fiery confrontation that sends the opposing forces hurtling to certain doom. Much in the way vintage serials ended each episode with a cliffhanger, the new film lures us back in for the payoff.

It’s an apt first step for the continuation of what must rank as the most ambitious and complex movie epic of all time. In simple, deft strokes, it reintroduces the principle characters, the essence of their struggle and prepares us for a parting of the ways that will send them on separate paths in the quest to thwart the evil wizard Saruman‘s (Christopher Lee) quest to subdue and control the many realms of the kingdom.

In most regards The Two Towers is a worthy continuation of the exemplary work found in The Fellowship of the Rings. It is bold, imaginative, adult, fantastic, serious and thrilling. However, certain aspects of the original cannot be replicated. The first blush of the wondrous and novel sense of the adaptation comes but once. And, as with virtually all second acts, the demands of exposition and clarification sometimes puts the brakes on the story’s forward momentum.

To briefly recap, the Hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood) has been entrusted with the Ring whose power in the wrong hands will set off a cataclysm leading to a reign of evil. Frodo, under the stewardship of Gandalf the Grey, must reach faraway Mordor where, according to legend, the ring can be destroyed. Assisting him on the arduous trek are other Hobbits, humans, elves, dwarves and sundry warrior types.

As chapter two unfolds, the seductive power of the sphere has already undone Boromir, a former ally. So the Hobbits decide to split off from the others with Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) heading for the hills and Pippin and Merry entering the dark forest. The warrior Aragon (Viggo Mortonsen), the elf Leglos (Orlando Bloom) and the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) take a route via Rohan, a kingdom threatened by a massive army of beastmen under the direction of the evil wizard.

The twists and turns of the plot, new characters and relations, and simply following the geography of where we are and where we’re going can be daunting. The trick is not to become overly consumed in details, this is, after al,l a parable of good and evil and, in the words of Mammy Yokum, “good is bettern evil ‘cause it’s nicer.”

While Jackson - who’s one of four credited screenwriters - is deferential to his source material, he’s also very attuned to what an audience expects when asked to sit still for nine hours and three years. The bedrock of The Lord of the Rings is somber and resolute, yet in this screen retelling it embraces humor and pathos, flights of fancy and visual spectacle that can only be imagined between the covers. His achievement at realizing the novel’s depth without losing sight of creating an entertainment cannot be overly stressed. It simply towers when set beside the diminishing returns of George Lucas’s Star Wars movies.

Though each of The Two Towers trio of narrative strands is variegated in tone and nature, they serve unique and complimentary purposes. Froda and Sam lose their way and it’s only through the good graces of Gollum (a remarkable creation of CGI technique and actor Andy Serkis), a creature rife with a  neurosis that masks his true intentions, that the hope of finding a way back is made possible. But that will take time and while the three are locked in an unholy union their story takes on a contemplative, Shakespearian quality.

Meanwhile, the other Hobbits are captured by the Ents, walking and talking trees that initially view them with suspicion. When they realize they share common goals, Pippin and Merry also discover that their forest hosts mark time in decades not seconds. This facet of the story is the most overtly humorous.

Finally, there are the warriors and battles and they provide the film’s most cinematic moments - broad, bold vistas, kinetic action and pure melodrama that supports raw emotion and passion. Together the three components encompass all that is the movies at their best underlined by a rousing score from Howard Shore.

Whereas McKellen was the sole of the first episode and Wood its protagonist, Viggo Mortensen’s heroic knight dominates the new chapter. It’s a wise choice that allows for a more vigorous approach in the material. Expertly cast with wonderful work from new characters played by Bernard Hill and Brad Dourif, the film - apart from some uninspired computer armies - raises the bar for visual effects without being self-conscious or arrogant about its achievement.

Where Jackson will go next on the road to Mordor is still a year away and, frankly, it would be a surprise to expect anything less than a big finish.

-Ray Pride