#11 LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS

We are drawing close to the end so we're just going to pack them all in :)

Our journey has almost come to an end here with the second to last on our list of movies. Lord of the Rings the Two Towers I would have to say that if you are looking for action and drama this is the Lord of the Rings to watch. There are quite a few epic moments in the second movie that just bring this movie into the bracket of highly ranked movies. With the original position being seventeenth and it having moved up to eleventh since its release I would say that the $341,786,758 that it has made is well deserved for more then one reason.

First of all like all of the Lord of the Rings movies there is the journey that is the plot line for them all. Along the way people join and fall away from their troop with each step that they make they seem to run into more and more trouble, but it is their work and persistence that is so commendable. It really hooks you in with the struggles that they have and you kind of want to jump in there and try to help them succeed. With so many obstacles standing in their way you just hope that there is someone there at the next step so that they may continue on.

The monsters are bigger, tougher, and have far greater numbers then before. Not that they didn’t have a ton before but come on it’s like they are appearing out of thin air or mud that is. Along with those monsters the ringwraiths have returned in a new and horrible fashion then they were before, aka now they are flying around on big nasty beasts that kind of resemble dragons. A friend is lost and sent away, Boromir, and one that we thought was lost forever returns to help them along the way in anyway that he can, Gandalf the White this time around.

In other news Sam and Frodo have entered a new leg of the journey in that they have made it all the way to Mordor. Here not only do they meet resistance in the monstrous way but also in a human fashion. There is a certain human that is supposed to be watching the thrown until the return of the kings but he has let it go to his head a bit. The fall of man is coming from all sides and there is nothing that can stop it so it seems.

On the other hand there is a great deal that does happen the sword of the kings if re-forged into its former glory and a new hope is born solely with that one act. So they go on and that alone is important to them winning more then one battle in the future from that point.

Others that are not part of the journey however do not have the same courage as Aragorn or Legolas. I’m speaking of the elves in this case. For the most part all of the elves are starting to depart to a safer place, there are few that stay behind. Warriors are sent to assist in the battle, but for one specific Elrod does try to send Arwen away but she returns just a little upset because she has found out that there is hope.

And so they get back on track a little bit. Here we have the recurring story of love that usually appeals to the female population. The forever bond that Arwen and Aragorn share and that shall never be broken even through the ripples of time. So romantic, however there is a little hiccup when Arwen thinks that she’s leaving and they are apart. She fears that he will not return and that it is not safe here so she decides to leave and just forever morn what they had together. Then there is Eowyn whom develops a thing for Aragorn and so becomes the third wheel in a love triangle that isn’t really a love triangle because well Aragorn isn’t really in love with her like he is Arwen he just likes her. She turns out to be a great asset in the end anyway during the battle, she kills the biggest and scariest ringwraith. Not only do we have this main relationship with Arwen and Aragorn but there are more and more family like ties being made with the members of the fellowship and it makes them stronger. Sure we like to see the happy couple together but the family love that’s going on even between Legolas and Gimli is great to see as well.

Then there are of course the epic battles for middle earth that are sporadically placed throughout the movie that well…really make it a Lord of the rings movie. I mean there is nothing to the story if there isn’t the battle for life as they know it to go on. That is really what it is all about. When they say that they are fighting for middle earth they are right. Saruman might be working for the great eye aka Sauron but the goal that they both have is to destroy the world of man and kill them all. Yes Sauron wants the ring back but that is because it is power and something that holds a great deal of his affection and for as long as it survives so does he. The ring instigates the fights and the fights follow the plotline to make the movie what it is.

In truth I am disappointed that this Lord of the Rings is so far down on the list. I have read all the books and nobody gets everything perfect, but I still thought that they were great. There is a lot that goes on and it can be a little gruesome at times, so don’t let the little kids watch it necessarily, but it has a lot going for it. IMDB give this movie a 8.7/10 and I give it a 9/10. For having to live up to such a great series of books I think that it’s a job well done.