**Official LOTR: The Two Towers thread - 100% Fresh at Rotten tomatoes so far - LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LEFT!

[kami]

Review from oscar watch

Whether you liked Fellowship or not, it does not matter. The Two Towers is one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time, and it should not be missed.

Everything brilliant about Jackson's Fellowship returns here (minus Sean Bean of course), and more is added. Top of that list must be Andy Serkis as Gollum, the ring-junkie we got just a glimpse of in Fellowship. One of the best performances of the year, Serkis easily steals the spotlight from the excellent Elijah Wood and much-improved Sean Astin. And the fact that he is a CGI creation should not matter. Andy Serkis clocked more hours on Rings then any other actor, and his performance is mesmerising (especially a very disturbing scene where he talks to Smeagol, the hobbit he once was).

Story-wise, it continues straight from Fellowship. Frodo and Sam must go to Mordor to destroy the Ring; Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gimli (John RhysDavies) and Legolas (Orlando Bloom), are searching for the kidnapped hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd). The first thirty minutes and so cramed and packed with information that some people may be un-nerved, but rest assured, the pacing soon regains normality, but you're still in for a wild ride.

The movie looks better then Fellowship. The scenery is heart stopping. The cinematography by Lesnie is improved upon. Howard Shore's score is a wonderful continuation on Fellowship's Oscar winning composition, but it grows and suits the film even better this time. The CGI is also improved, mostly in the flawless Gollum, the greatest CGI character of all time, and the amazing final hour, which I will get to shortly. At times, the CGI could be better (on the warg battle particularly), but the story whisps you along so well you just fail to care.

It is hardly rehassed material as well. Ian McKellan delivers another great performance, this time as Gandalf the White, almost a different character then the one we see fall down into the Abyss at the start of the film. Most impressive I felt was some creative ideas mirroring the Aragorn/Arwen relationship, which includes a sorrowful future glimpse into the future, with Arwen standing beside her lovers grave.

But the stealer of the movie is the final hour. Easily one of the greatest battles, if not the greatest battle, of cinema history, Helm's Deep is tragic, violent, exhausting, and simply breath-taking. An attack on Isengard follows, which almost tops this 30 minute masterpiece. Words simply don't describe what Peter Jackson and his crew have done for these two battles. You feel like you are there, dodging swords, arrows, axes, and falling boulders.

I cannot give high enough praise to this film. It is the year's best film, and a milestone in cinema history.

The NEW final theatrical poster







Instead of making a new thread every time I get some kickass info about the movies, I am just gonna post it all in here (newest updates on bottom) of this post.




The treebeard pic was removed from the net :Q, but I saved it, and here it is. This is just a pic of the TOY.
Update! super detailed pic here. This one has also been taken down

Other misc. info for those not in the know:
- Movie opens December 18
- You can view the two towers teaser trailer here

This thread will be updated often. (new updates go downwards)

UPDATE
Pics of the two upcoming books (released Nov. 6) here and here

8/15 UPDATE
Sweet mother of god.

The current cut of THE TWO TOWERS has it at 3:14. The battle of Helm's Deep is 50 minutes, give or take.

I can say this...there IS an Ent battle filmed. I'm not sure if it's for the film or for some extended version down the road, but we do see the Ents march on Isengard.

'nuff said.


8/21 UPDATE

Tons of new TTT pics! 14 of them, and only 1 or 2 have been seen before!! linky (keep clicking next)

9/8 UPDATE

Many new TTT pics!

9/17 UPDATE

TTT Popcorn bags

9/24 UPDATE
Awesome FoxNews article thanks to X-Man for the link
Full TTT Trailer coming out Sept. 30 at 12:01am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cjchaps]

Treebeard looks huge! He is going to be the Jabba the Hut toy of LOTR!

 

[apoppin]

BTW, how does the new videogamed game for PS2 - The Two Towers - supposed to be released in November (it better be for the PC, also) - look? All of the current LOTR games fall pretty short. It'll be nice to PLAY through the movie.

 

[kami]

Originally posted by: cjchaps
Treebeard looks huge! He is going to be the Jabba the Hut toy of LOTR!

Yeah I pray that we get to see Treebeard and a bunch of Ents destroying Isengard. We'll either just get to see the aftermath, or the actual destruction.

 

[Rallispec]

those action figures look fake.. they look like photoshopped stills from LOTR.

 

[kami]

Originally posted by: apoppin
BTW, how does the new videogamed game for PS2 - The Two Towers - supposed to be released in November (it better be for the PC, also) - look? All of the current LOTR games fall pretty short. It'll be nice to PLAY through the movie.

Looks to be pure action to me...I don't think that one is coming for the PC though. There is another one coming out for the PC. See there are two sets of games being made...one set is based on the movie, the other on the books. The one that is based on the books is coming out for the PC (and Xbox)

 

[kami]

Originally posted by: Rallispec
those action figures look fake.. they look like photoshopped stills from LOTR.

They're not fake, they are from the company' website who manufactures them. Check the PDF also

 

[Legendary]

3. How is the delivery of Narsil handled?

What delivery do you mean? Aragorn is not given Anduril in THE TWO TOWERS.

This seems wrong, because, as I quote the book (Chapter VII just before Gimli saves Aragorn and Eomer at Helm's Deep)
"Three times Aragorn and Eomer rallied them, and three times Anduril flamed in a desperate charge that drove the enemy from the wall."

and even before that, roughly two pages (depending on page size)

"'Guthwine!' cried Eomer. 'Guthwine for the Mark!'
'Anduril!' cried Aragorn. 'Anduril for the Dunedain!'"

So...what are these spoilers talking about? Usually when there's a discrepancy in the book and the movie, the site mentions it. But this site claims that Aragorn doesn't get Anduril in the book either (if I read it properly)

 

[kami]

No, they ONLY speak of the movie there, not the books. Aragorn doesn't get the sword until Return of the King in the movies.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: kami


Looks to be pure action to me...I don't think that one is coming for the PC though. There is another one coming out for the PC. See there are two sets of games being made...one set is based on the movie, the other on the books. The one that is based on the books is coming out for the PC (and Xbox)

Any idea WHEN the PC LOTR game is due? Type (FPS/RPG)? I know the licenses for the book and the movie are different - but that shouldn't matter much to the video game.

 

[Czar]

treebeard seems a bit small compared to the other characters in the pdf file

 

[Legendary]

Originally posted by: kami
No, they ONLY speak of the movie there, not the books. Aragorn doesn't get the sword until Return of the King in the movies.

Ah poop to them then, I wanted to see that damn sword reforged!
Ah well, and just so you know, I heard TTT was leaked and a VCD group has it. That might be why this guy has a source.
Mods if you think that's an inappropriate comment please feel free to delete it.

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: Legendary

3. How is the delivery of Narsil handled?

What delivery do you mean? Aragorn is not given Anduril in THE TWO TOWERS.

This seems wrong, because, as I quote the book (Chapter VII just before Gimli saves Aragorn and Eomer at Helm's Deep)
"Three times Aragorn and Eomer rallied them, and three times Anduril flamed in a desperate charge that drove the enemy from the wall."

and even before that, roughly two pages (depending on page size)

"'Guthwine!' cried Eomer. 'Guthwine for the Mark!'
'Anduril!' cried Aragorn. 'Anduril for the Dunedain!'"

So...what are these spoilers talking about? Usually when there's a discrepancy in the book and the movie, the site mentions it. But this site claims that Aragorn doesn't get Anduril in the book either (if I read it properly)

I think he's just talking about the movie. That was the way I read it.

 

[kami]

Ah well, and just so you know, I heard TTT was leaked and a VCD group has it

I heard this too, but the thing is, it will be a very early, rough, and unfinished cut. They are still working round the clock doing motion capture for gollum, they still have tons of special effects to do, and just back in June and July they were still doing some reshoots back in new zealand.
I'm not interested in this supposed vcd unless it's actually a good cut ...if it's some hackjob I'm not touching it. I can almost guarantee it's a hackjob...PJ doesn't have to hand over his theatrical cut until sometime in november. he's not just going to sit around on it til then, trust me.

 

[Legendary]

Originally posted by: kami

Ah well, and just so you know, I heard TTT was leaked and a VCD group has it

I heard this too, but the thing is, it will be a very early, rough, and unfinished cut. They are still working round the clock doing motion capture for gollum, they still have tons of special effects to do, and just back in June and July they were still doing some reshoots back in new zealand.
I'm not interested in this supposed vcd unless it's actually a good cut ...if it's some hackjob I'm not touching it. I can almost guarantee it's a hackjob...PJ doesn't have to hand over his theatrical cut until sometime in november. he's not just going to sit around on it til then, trust me.

Good to know, I wasn't planning on watching it anyway but I'm sure if it gets out it will be watched like nothing else and people will start badmouthing a bad copy. Good to know they're not finished yet.

 

[cavingjan]

So Saruman dies at Isenguard rather than in the shire? I'm assuming they are going to cut out the whole battle of the shire thing then.

Will we ever get a version of the LOTR out of this filming that has the footage in it that it should have? They have to have enough footage to make a screen version that at least covers the same amount of material as the BBC radio version.

 

[kami]

cavingjan, Scouring of the Shire is out. They thought it wouldn't work for a movie, and I have to agree. While I'd love to see it, peolpe who don't know the books will see it as a REAL anti-climax...a real bad one. We will still see the Grey Havens chapter though...

 

[BD2003]

Damn, I started to read through the rumor list, and then after the second paragraph, I realized I was killing all the fun of the movie, even though I've already read the books twice.

Gotta leave some surprises.

 

[daddyo]

I never thought Scouring was anti-climatic. In fact, it's rather cool to see Merry and Pippin in such high stature.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: kami
cavingjan, Scouring of the Shire is out. They thought it wouldn't work for a movie, and I have to agree. While I'd love to see it, peolpe who don't know the books will see it as a REAL anti-climax...a real bad one. We will still see the Grey Havens chapter though...

That f*cking sucks. I thought that was an AWESOME part of the book. It shows you how much merry and pippin have really grown and matured. Not that it isn't shown in other parts but it shows them doing this stuff on their own.

That really makes me unhappy.

 

[Noriaki]

Originally posted by: Codewiz

Originally posted by: kami
cavingjan, Scouring of the Shire is out. They thought it wouldn't work for a movie, and I have to agree. While I'd love to see it, peolpe who don't know the books will see it as a REAL anti-climax...a real bad one. We will still see the Grey Havens chapter though...

That f*cking sucks. I thought that was an AWESOME part of the book. It shows you how much merry and pippin have really grown and matured. Not that it isn't shown in other parts but it shows them doing this stuff on their own.

That really makes me unhappy.

Everything you said is true Codewiz, but that's also exactly why it's anticlimactic. Movies almost always have a very short "wrapping up" period at the end. The Scourge is important, it shows you what merry and pippin have become and how they are now, and where they are going. But compared to the climax at the destruction of the ring, the Scourge is pretty anti-climactic. And that's not a good ending for a movie, movies are suppose to have their big climax, and then a short wrap up. Nothing as long and complex as the scourge of the shire.

I agree it's important in the book, but if you haven't read the book, it will just seem like a really crappy ending to the movie. They left out tom bombadil to. Because he's not exciting enough for an on-screen appearance.

Don't worry, the TTT and RotK will be great.

Also, on the subject of Narsil/Anduril, in the books it was reforged before they left Rivendell the first time was it not? Aragorn should have it by the end of FotR, never mind TTT. How come they don't give it to him till RotK?

 

[cavingjan]

So what is left in ROTK? The wedding, the little bit of the ring actually being destroyed, and the haven. Is that it? The destruction of the ring happens about half way through the book and they seem to be killing off everything that would take place afterward. With Saruman dead already, there is no need for the return to Isenguard.

I just getting frustrated by the one or two sentence blurbs being lengthened to several minute scenes and then turning around a cutting other things out. Magic behind the Gandalf vs Saruman in the books was not how it happened but that it happened and you let your mind fill in the blanks.

I still think the BBC radio drama is the best interpretation of the books to date.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: Noriaki

Originally posted by: Codewiz

Originally posted by: kami
cavingjan, Scouring of the Shire is out. They thought it wouldn't work for a movie, and I have to agree. While I'd love to see it, peolpe who don't know the books will see it as a REAL anti-climax...a real bad one. We will still see the Grey Havens chapter though...

That f*cking sucks. I thought that was an AWESOME part of the book. It shows you how much merry and pippin have really grown and matured. Not that it isn't shown in other parts but it shows them doing this stuff on their own.

That really makes me unhappy.

Everything you said is true Codewiz, but that's also exactly why it's anticlimactic. Movies almost always have a very short "wrapping up" period at the end. The Scourge is important, it shows you what merry and pippin have become and how they are now, and where they are going. But compared to the climax at the destruction of the ring, the Scourge is pretty anti-climactic. And that's not a good ending for a movie, movies are suppose to have their big climax, and then a short wrap up. Nothing as long and complex as the scourge of the shire.

I agree it's important in the book, but if you haven't read the book, it will just seem like a really crappy ending to the movie. They left out tom bombadil to. Because he's not exciting enough for an on-screen appearance.

Don't worry, the TTT and RotK will be great.

Also, on the subject of Narsil/Anduril, in the books it was reforged before they left Rivendell the first time was it not? Aragorn should have it by the end of FotR, never mind TTT. How come they don't give it to him till RotK?

I have taken a few film classes while in college. I understand why it was done but that doesn't change the fact that it sucks.

I think a lot of the people that give these movies exposure are true fans of the books. Tom Bombabil played no real part in the books besides the swords. It would have been cool but not neccesary at all.

Saraman dies in the Shire. I don't think something like that should be changed. I think that Peter Jackson in this case should have forgotten about good endings to movies and ended it the way the book did. I think that would have been more appropriate. This seems like selling out to make the movie more appealing to non-readers of the books. I understand the need to make money but I don't truthfully think this would have taken anything away from the movie.

 

[kami]

So what is left in ROTK? The wedding, the little bit of the ring actually being destroyed, and the haven. Is that it? The destruction of the ring happens about half way through the book and they seem to be killing off everything that would take place afterward. With Saruman dead already, there is no need for the return to Isenguard.

Are you nuts? For one, Sam and Frodo don't even encounter Shelob in TTT, the will do so in ROTK, then we have the Battle of the Pellanor Fields (gonna put Helms Deep to shame), then after that when Aragorn and company march towards mordor just to merely buy time for Sam and Frodo so they can destroy the ring.

We have Frodo and Sam's ENTIRE journey in Mordor to look forward to in ROTK...there will be plenty of stuff.

 

[UNCjigga]

KAMI!!!!


Now that I have your attention...question about the game. I noticed in the game preview on the LOTR bonus disc, all the scenes/action shots show the characters acting out scenes from the FIRST movie. However, the developers interviewed clearly state that this is the game "THE TWO TOWERS". Are we to assume that the game lets you play through the first two movies???