The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set)

The three *The Lord of the Rings* films [all directed by Peter Jackson] have clearly made film history, chiefly due to their marked overall excellence. This film trilogy, shot entirely in New Zealand, is breathtaking at a minimum. Here, I'm reviewing the *Special Extended Edition* [as opposed to the much shorter Theatrical Version] of the second of these films on DVD, *The Two Towers*.I'm sure that the story is familiar to most who would show an interest in this film but, for the unindoctrinated, the overall adult fantasy trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien chronicles a group of travelers which includes a wizard, two men, a dwarf, an elf, and four hobbits, ergo: "The Fellowship". They are traveling because two evil wizards have joined forces to eventually conquer and enslave all inhabitants of Middle Earth. At the behest of these dark and nefarious sorcerers are orcs, trolls, wargs, and other heinous minions.One of the hobbits [Frodo Baggins] has inherited a magic ring from an aged relative [Bilbo Baggins, of *The Hobbit* fame, a fantasy written by Tolkien for young people] and it soon becomes clear that this is *The One Ring* which rules all other magic rings of power within Middle Earth. It was created by The Dark Lord [Sauron, the more powerful of the two evil wizards] but it was inadvertently lost for many years. As The Ring [which can render one invisible, with certain negative caveats] ultimately ends up in the hands of Frodo, it becomes his quest (along with the rest of The Fellowship) to destroy the ring at Mount Doom, a huge volcano which lies within Sauron's sinister and well-patrolled realm of Mordor.In *The Two Towers* the viewer is brought back into the tale just after a partial dissolution of The Fellowship has occurred. This nuance is a deviation from the first film [*The Fellowship of the Ring*] which is a very linear tale. Here, the story diverges into three or more directions: the journey of Sam and Frodo to destroy The Ring; Aragorn's development as a warrior and as a prospective King, and; Gandalf the Wizard's plan for dealing with the Evil sorcerers, Saruman and Sauron.One could rightly say that this film has no beginning and no end, being derived from the middle book of a trilogy; however, this movie stands on its own, especially in the Special Extended Edition version which is being reviewed here. One could watch this film with no knowledge of either Tolkien's trilogy of books or the other two films of the series and still enjoy it. If it doesn't actually have an ending, it does still feature a *conclusion* of a sort. I don't think viewers are left hanging.Director Peter Jackson, the cast, and the crew got ever more proficient as they produced these three films. Jackson sort of viewed his task as making one long film, thus the scenes were not shot in sequence, quite typical of film-making, but noting also that most films are not nine hours in length. Naturally, many changes were adopted within the scripts of all three films as time rolled along... and thus each movie clearly became better than its predecessor.I think that most of the *MAGIC* of this film trilogy came from Jackson's inclusion of multiple technologies and special effects techniques - he did not wholly depend upon Computer Generated Images but when he did they were effected in post-production with absolute perfection.Additional film magic was manifested through Howard Shore's magnificent classical filmscore for the trilogy. There is little doubt from my view that the soundtrack from this second film of the series was the greatest of the three. One of the outstanding segments includes singing by Isabel Bayrakdarian, a terrific Canadian soprano who is currently my favorite of all. The *Rohan* score is equally inspiring.Of course the Special Extended Editions contain much more original music than the theatrical versions and it's all a great joy to the ear, even including the gloom and doom facets of the three soundtracks. They are available as three individual sets:  The Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring (The Complete Recordings) , The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (The Complete Recordings) , and,  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (The Complete Recordings) .Perhaps the most important facet of my review is to encourage you to not bother with watching the theatrical versions of these films on DVD, and this is especially applicable if you've never read Tolkien's books. The theatrical versions are very good but they were meant more for theaters to collect from patrons for two showings per evening rather than to convey the details of Tolkien's complex story. The Special Extended Editions are perfectly edited to be both impressive and informative but they are never boring.WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! *The Two Towers* provides us with an exciting Battle at Helm's Deep between Saruman's minions and the men of both Rohan and Gondor [the elves help out too], as well as the Ents' assault on Isengard, the Tower of Sauron; the continuing flight of Frodo and Sam into Mordor itself in an effort to destroy The Ring, and; all the dangers and hazards which befall Aragorn, Legolis [the elf], two of the Hobbits, and Gimli [the Dwarf]. The story jumps around from place to place (and from story to story) but it's all quite well-done and coherent. Since Tolkien depicted several towers in Middle Earth we cannot precisely say this for certain but, it would appear that *The Two Towers* are those of Saruman and of Sauron -- or at least Christopher Lee thinks so and so do I.Every facet of this film manifests the cutting edge of every aspect of film-making, from the technology, even extending to the acting [and motion capture] of Andy Serkis who plays the creature Gollum, who really develops in this second film of the trilogy. We get to experience a broad range of acting styles from Orlando Bloom (who was cast for the role of Legolis fairly fresh out of acting school) to the venerable Christopher Lee [Saruman] who has made more films than anyone else that I'm aware of. To a person, all were magnificent in their perfectly cast roles.Fans of the trilogy should also be aware that even though the character Denithor [Steward of Gondor] does not appear in the theatrical version of *The Two Towers*, he does show up in this Special Extended Edition. It's also a chance to see Boromir [Denithor's eldest son] again and the segment is quite a good one.This is probably a good juncture to detail what one gets in this boxed-set edition. There are two DVDs which make up the film and there are *multiple* sound tracks which can be brought up on each of these, depending upon whether you wish to watch the films themselves or listen to various available commentary tracks [for example, a track of cast member running remarks as the film progresses]. Two more DVDs make up the total of four: these two are the appendices which beautifully depict exactly how this film was made, cast and crew interviews, details of the musical score, and so on. All this lasts for at least as long as would the film itself and it's all quite fascinating and well-done. Finally, the set comes with a small pamphlet inside which is a sort of map of what to look for on the DVDs and where.I can hardly convey an adequate number of positive comments about this film except to say that the final film [*The Return of the King*] is even better! I cannot state that this is the best film I've ever seen but I can honestly comment that I've never enjoyed any films *more* than those included in this Special Extended Edition trilogy.Highly recommended.

Sing me a story of heroes of the ShireMuddling through, brave and trueStubborn as bindweed and tough as old brierNever too showy or grandYear after year they persevereNow and for alwaysHarfoots who planted, and Stoor folk who ploughedBred to endure, slow but sureFallohide blood in your veins makes you proudSturdy and steady they standTrue to their aim to stay the sameNow and for alwaysSit by the firelight's glowTell us an old tale we knowTell of adventures strange and rareNever to changeEver to shareStories we tell will cast their spellNow and for alwaysSing me a story of Frodo and the ringFearless and boldTired and coldSword at his sideAn elf blade called stingCrossing a miserable landWouldn't retreatJust followed his feetNow and for alwaysSit by the firelight's glowTell us an old tale we knowTell of adventures strange and rareNever to changeEver to shareStories we tell will cast their spellNow and for alwaysSing me a tale of the bravest of them allComrade and guide, at my sideStouthearted Sam who wouldn't let me fallHolding my life in his handTrue to the end, no finer friendNow and for alwaysSit by the firelight's glowTell us an old tale we knowTell of adventures strange and rareNever to changeEver to shareStories we tell will cast their spellNow and for always.

5 stars hands down! Excellent movie just like all the lord of the rings movies!

I am sure that there are those who are bothered, angry even, that Peter Jackson didn't take a more literal approach to his "Lord of the Rings" films. To those people I would say that a literal word for word translation from text to screen (assuming such a thing were possible, which it's not) would be nothing but mimicry and in no way a tribute to Tolkien's genius. Rather, I would argue that Jackson's superb interpretation of "The Two Towers" beautifully captures the spirit of Tolkien without being slavish in its devotion. Moreover, Jackson successfully grounds his film in a recognizable reality, which serves to further engage the viewer.There are three ways (generally speaking) in which Jackson puts his fingerprint on Tolkien. The first is his interpretation of the text; areas in which without changing Tolkien he is nonetheless able to put his own spin on the text. There are two salient and superb examples of this that come immediately to mind. The first is that Jackson presents Gollum/Smeagol as a split personality. Gollum is a malevolent deceitful being who lusts after the ring, and Smeagol is an almost childlike creature, fierce in his devotion, but easily hurt. I found this approach to be utterly compelling, and a superb way to present Gollum, but at the same time, it is totally loyal to Tolkien's writing. The second example is the presentation of Gandalf freeing Theoden from Saruman as a sort of exorcism. Not only was this a visually intriguing way to present the scene, but it also shows great appreciation for Tolkien as a man. As a devout Catholic, I suspect he would have appreciated the overtones that swirl about the exchange.The second way in which Jackson captures Tolkien is in his portrayal of the characters. Given the constraints of the film format, the director is forced to both condense and flesh out various characters and exchanges. As such, it is critical that he portrays the characters appropriately, but within the context of the movie. There are any number of excellent examples to Jackson's characterizations, but there are a few that come immediately to mind. The first is using Gimli as much needed comic relief, but doing so in such a way that doesn't degrade the character. In fact, it has quite the opposite effect as it lends a certain emotional depth to the stalwart dwarf. Another example is the conflicted Theoden who is almost Shakespearean in his portrayal. Particularly moving was when at Theodred's grave he flatly states, "No parent should have to bury their child" and then breaks down. Finally, Eowyn's unrequited love for Aragorn is nicely captured, and largely without any dialogue, using glances and expressions to convey the story.Finally, there is Jackson's modification of Tolkien in order to both make the story work as a film and ground it in our present day reality. Most surprising among these is the appearance of the Elves at Helm's Deep, as they come to honor the old alliances. While completely absent from Tolkien's writing, I found this to be an excellent and effective modification. By introducing the Elves, Jackson is able to paint a portrait of Allies fighting against a common enemy in the World War II sense. Moreover, the elite Elves and Rohirrim fighting side by side against overwhelming odds echoes Thermopylae, where the grossly outnumbered Spartans saved Greece, and ultimately, Western Civilization, from the Persians. The second approach is more subtle, but completely pervasive as Jackson takes a fantasy war and couches it in familiar terms. For example there is a suicide bombing at one point during the Battle of Helm's Deep. While entirely within the context of Tolkien, Jackson's presentation rather brutally echoes our own dangerous world. Another fine example is Theoden's question, "What can men do against such reckless hate?" which rather succinctly captures the dilemma of fighting terrorism.My only two complaints are relatively small. The first is an entirely unnecessary dream sequence between Arwen and Aragorn which badly distracts from the mounting tension between him and Eowyn. The second is that while Faramir is ultimately true to the book, it takes far too long for him to realize the danger of the ring. Part of the beauty of his character is how he stands in contrast to his brother Boromir, and this is somewhat eroded by Jackson's interpretation.As for the discs themselves, they are everything one would expect based upon the first set, as the sound, picture and score are all superb. Furthermore, I found the additional scenes to be generally excellent. Theodred's funeral, which features a lament by Eowyn, was particularly moving. Also, through the addition of a few key scenes, I found the ending to be far more satisfying. The conclusions to the Battles of Helms Deep an Isengard are less abrupt, and Faramir is better rounded out.The extras are likewise superb and every bit as fascinating as the features from the first set. I'm not one who is easily drawn in by commetary on costumes and make-up, but these discs are so comprehensive it is impossible not to be drawn in by them. Finally, the audio commentaries are likewise comprehensive and interesting.If you are looking for a slavish recreation of Tolkien's work, you would do well to pass on these discs. However, if you appreciate the spirit of Tolkien's work, and fine filmmaking, you would do well to watch this film. Furthermore, you will never find a better value, as the extra's included in this four disc set once again set the standard to which all other releases must strive.Enjoy!Jake Mohlman

I must confess to complete and unassailable bias - I have been a besotted fan of Tolkein since I was pre-teen (and therefore pre-hormonal!). However, this film (and The Fellowship) have caused huge surges in my hormones. It's all down to Orlando Bloom, I'm afraid. He is just perfect - exactly as I imagined Legolas to be. As are virtually all the other characters in the film - it is one of the film's strengths, that the characters look pretty much how I imagined them from the book. I could do with a bit more decision and a little less wavering from Aragorn, but now I'm just being picky.However, like many other uber-fans, I have to suspend what I know of the book (and believe me, I can quote from the book!) in order to enjoy the films. What irritates me the most is the director's insistence on changing the plots unnecessarily. What are the elves doing at Helm's Deep - and where are the Huorns? Why do Frodo and Sam get taken to Osgiliath (even Sam points out that they shouldn't be there!) Aragorn is not attracted to Eowyn in the book - he feels sorry for her! Also irritating is the director's insistence on having cliff-hangers at intervals where a major character seems to be about to be wiped out: and then isn't - see Pippin and the horse, Aragorn and the cliff, and from the first episode, Frodo and the cave troll.I think, on balance, trying very hard to be objective, that this is a better film than the first and I hope very much that the third one will be better still.I love the books with a hopeless passion and I'm sure I will enjoy the films with an almost equal passion for many years to come.PS Why do video purchasers get a raw deal compared with DVD purchasers? I want previews, interviews, behind the scenes etc too!

Diese Rezension ist in erster Linie als Fassungsvergleich zwischen der Kinofassung und der Special Extended Edition von Hdr: Die zwei Türme gedacht. Da hier die Rezensionen für beide Fassungen zusammengemischt werden, schreibe ich nur eine und denke, sie wird unter beiden Versionen des Films zu sehen sein.Die zwei Türme: Die Reise geht weiter. Und wieder haben wir es hier mit einem perfekten Film in jeder Hinsicht zu tun, ein gigantisches und tief emotionales Meisterwerk, voller großartiger Darsteller die die wie Faust aufs Auge zu ihren Figuren passen. Die CGI- und praktischen Effekte sind nach wie vor absolut überzeugend, die Musik von Howard Shore wunderschön wie eh und je. Das märchenhafte Element des ersten Teils Die Gefährten wandert hier zugunsten von mehr Action in den Hintergrund. Wir betreten hier endgültig die Welt der Menschen, das Königreich Rohan, welches sich unter der Knute des finsteren Zauberers Saruman (Ruhe in Frieden, der legendäre Christopher Lee) befindet. Dementsprechend geht es hier finsterer und kriegerischer zu, die Schlacht von Helms Klamm am Ende des Films sollte die gewaltigste Schlachtsequenz sein, die man bis dahin im Kino bewundern konnte (bis Die Rückkehr des Königs ein Jahr später alles auf den Kopf stellte und ein Actionspektakel von bis heute ungeahnter Größe auf die Leinwand schmetterte). Frodo und Sam befinden sich nun allein auf dem Weg nach Mordor und stoßen auf Gollum; und mit diesem ist ein technisches Wunderwerk entstanden. Dargestellt von Andy Serkis (wo bitte bleibt bis heute sein Oscar?) und per Motion Capturing als am Computer animierte Figur dargestellt, verschwimmen hier die Grenzen zwischen Realität und CGI so perfekt zu einem ausdrucksstarken Lebewesen, dass man seine künstliche Herkunft schon nach wenigen Sekunden komplett vergisst, auch 18 Jahre später noch.Im Vergleich zu den anderen beiden Teilen mag Die zwei Türme minimal abfallen (den ersten halte ich nachwievor für den besten / rundesten der Reihe, der dritte hat als episches Finale natürlich die größten emotionalen Momente zu verzeichnen) doch das ändert nichts daran, dass nahezu jeder andere Film im direkten Vergleich klein und unspektakulär erscheint: Jeder Teil von HdR ist ein wunderschönes, beeindruckendes Meisterwerk.Nun, da die Wiederveröffentlichung der Trilogie als 4k Ultra HD ansteht und die Box fairerweise beide Fassungen der Filme - Kinofassung und Extended - enthält, steht wieder die Frage im Raum, welcher der beiden Filmfassungen der Vorzug zu geben ist.Die SEE von Die zwei Türme bietet ca 40 Minuten mehr Laufzeit als die Kinofassung und - ich muss es ganz ehrlich sagen - in der kürzeren Version gefällt mir dieser Teil ein kleines Stück besser. Profitierte der erste Teil davon, dass die längere Version der an Information fast schon überladenen ersten Stunde ein dringend benötigtes, ruhigeres Erzähltempo verpasste, so ziehen die zusätzlichen Szenen im zweiten Teil den Film doch ein wenig zu sehr in die Länge. Vielleicht liegt es daran, dass schon die Kinofassung im Mittelteil etwas gestreckt wirkte (Aragorns Scheintod beim Sturz von der Klippe). Doch der Mehrwert, der von den zusätzlichen Szenen ausgeht, hält sich mMn doch eher in Grenzen. Vor allem die vielen zusätzlichen Szenen mit Baumbart dem Ent, in denen er etwa minutenlang in gewohnt langsamer Sprache ein Ent-Gedicht zitiert, bringen wohl nicht nur die beiden Hobbits Merry und Pippin an den Rand eines Nickerchens ;). Ein nettes Augenzwinkern für die Fans ist es, wenn der Alte Weidenmann (der im Buch eigentlich im ersten Teil an den Grenzen des Auenlands auftritt) hier einen kleinen Cameo-Auftritt feiert und Baumbart sogar den (in den Filmen gar nicht auftretenden) singenden "Waldgeist" Tom Bombadil kurz zitiert. Wie gesagt, nett für die Fans. Aus filmdramaturgischer Sicht unterbrechen solche Szenen allerdings komplett den Fluss der Haupthandlung und ziehen so einen eh über drei Stunden langen Film unnötig in die Länge.Wieder herausgerissen wird das aber durch eine Rückblende, die Faramirs Vergangenheit zu seinem Bruder Boromir und seinem Vater Denethor beleuchtet. Faramirs kaltes, egozentrisches Auftreten in der Kinofassung war vielen Buchlesern ein Dorn im Auge, gerät durch diese zusätzliche Szene aber in einen anderen Kontext: Wir sehen seine herzliche Beziehung zu seinem Bruder, erfahren, dass dieser viel lieber seine Leute in Gondor beschützen will anstatt in Bruchtal nach dem Einen Ring zu suchen, vom Vater aber dazu genötigt wird (was doppelt bitter ist, da wir als Zuschauer den Ausgang bereits aus dem ersten Teil kennen, in dem Boromir dem Ring verfällt und letztendlich mit dem Leben bezahlt) und wir sehen, wie Faramir unter der Verachtung seines Vaters leidet, der nichts Starkes in ihm sieht und ihm seinen älteren Bruder stets vorzieht. Sicher, all das kommt auch im dritten Teil später deutlich zum Vorschein, dennoch ist es eine schöne und wichtige Erweiterung, die Faramirs Verhalten erklärt und darüber hinaus auch Boromir in ein anderes, positives Licht rückt.Ich kann für den zweiten Teil des HdR also in erster Linie die flüssigere Kinofassung empfehlen, gerade Erstseher und Nichtbuchkenner ziehen womöglich wenig Nutzen aus den Erweiterungen der SEE, die mMn den Fluss des Films immer wieder unnötig unterbrechen und verlangsamen. Eine tolle, unverzichtbare Fünf-Minuten-Szene wiegt eben nicht dreißig weitere auf, in denen größtenteils nichts allzu Bedeutsames passiert. Dennoch bin ich froh, dass es die SEE gibt, denn sie ist - wie auch beim ersten Teil - vor allem ein Geschenk an die Fans, die nicht genug von Mittelerde bekommen können. Darüber sollten wie dankbar sein und für mich, der die Filme eh auswendig kennt, kommt auch beim zweiten Teil keine andere Version als die längere in Frage. Hat man als Erstseher jedoch die Wahl, sollte man hier eindeutig zur Kinoversion greifen, da diese flüssiger durchläuft und sich auf das Wesentliche konzentriert, anstatt den "Fachunkundigen" mit zu viel Hintergrundwissen oder Buchanspielungen, die er nicht versteht, auf die Geduldsprobe zu stellen. Letzlich ändert, wie schon bei Die Gefährten, keine Fassung etwas daran, dass die Verfilmung vom Herr der Ringe ein absolutes Meisterwerk ist, welches fast zwanzig Jahre nach seinem Erscheinen nichts von seinem Glanz und seiner Kraft verloren hat. Ich sehe mir alle drei Teile regelmäßig zu Weihnachten an und werde dies auch weiterhin tun. Es sind eben, wie Sam am Ende unter Tränen zu Frodo sagt, die "Geschichten, die wirklich wichtig sind. Die etwas bedeuten." Und zu diesen Geschichten wird der Herr der Ringe für mich und für viele auf ewig gehören.

I hunted high and low for this after buying a new BluRay player. I didn't want to buy all the extras again - only the ee versions of the films. The FotR and the RotK were available immediately for £3 and £5. The TT was conspicuous by its absence...after a wait of six weeks or more checking various sites it popped up here for £7. The price has increased significantly since then. Anyway, the film is of course excellent and the quality of the transfer is amazing - the sound too is excellent. If you want the ee films without the bloat content - I would go for this one. Happy now Amazon?

I remember reading the Lord of the Rings a number of times when I was at school, and the second book was always the one that I remember for the battle at Helm's Deep and the siege of Isengard. Needless to say I was not disappointed with either of these scenes in the film. The second film exceeds the first, simply on those two scenes alone. You can almost feel the tension while looking out through the rain at the horde of Sauron.Obviously the two disc set has a vast array of features that all fans will find interesting, especially the features on the making of the film. I'm not sure whether the 4 disc edition will be worth paying the extra for, as I have not seen the 4 disc version of Fellowship to see what else has been added.Many people have been critical of the films, because they are not one hundred percent faithful to the books. My opinion is that they should be seen as a separate entity. If you went and watched either of the first two films without any preconception then you would be blown away by them. I hope that the bravery of cast and crew in putting these amazing books in a format accessible to everyone will, in turn, lead to a new generation discovering Tolkien's world.I just can't wait to see what Return of the King will bring to the screen. I hope the last episode in the trilogy is as awe inspiring as the first two.

Firstly the film. In many ways it is better than the first: more action, more sfx, more locations, more fights but the characterisation was lost a little: maybe inevitably. The character of Elrond (who was only half-elven in the book) continues to irritate me and the Elves turning up at Helms Deep was frankly stupid. Faramir's character is not done justice either, although this may change in the next film. The other variances from the book were probably justified, although they do tend to turn Tolkien's shades of grey into black and white.The DVD itself contains a nice, big selection of extras. Perhaps the most interesting is the look behind the scenes of The Return of The King which certainly whets the appetite for December. There are two quite long features by independent companies plus all the stuff already available on the web site and a number of other bits and pieces. Very good value for the price, these extras add a good couple of hours to the running time.The print is, of course, excellently transferred to DVD although naturally something is lost in converting to the small screen.Overall, the film suffers a little from being the central installment and therefore having no real beginning or end. However, it was by far the best film of 2002 and sets up the final movie nicely. Miranda Otto and Bernard Hill make excellent additions to the cast and this DVD will be watched a number of times: especially by my daughters.