The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Last updated

The Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers
Lord Rings Two Towers.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Peter Jackson
Screenplay by
Based on The Two Towers
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Andrew Lesnie
Edited by
Music by Howard Shore
Production
companies
Distributed byNew Line Cinema [1]
Release dates
  • 5 December 2002 (2002-12-05)(Ziegfeld Theatre)
  • 18 December 2002 (2002-12-18)(United States)
  • 19 December 2002 (2002-12-19)(New Zealand)
Running time
179 minutes [2]
Countries
  • New Zealand [1]
  • United States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$94 million [3]
Box office$949 million [3]

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a 2002 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Jackson, based on 1954's The Two Towers , the second volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The sequel to 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring , the film is the second instalment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, and Andy Serkis.

Contents

Continuing the plot of the previous film, it intercuts three storylines: Frodo and Sam continue their journey towards Mordor to destroy the One Ring, now aided by Gollum, the ring's untrustworthy former bearer. Merry and Pippin escape their orc captors, meet Treebeard the Ent, and help to plan an attack on Isengard, fortress of Saruman. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, in their pursuit, come to the war-torn nation of Rohan, and are reunited with the resurrected Gandalf before fighting against the legions of the treacherous wizard Saruman at the Battle of Helm's Deep.

The Two Towers was financed and distributed by American studio New Line Cinema, but filmed and edited entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand, concurrently with the other two parts of the trilogy. It premiered on 5 December 2002 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, and was then released on 18 December in the United States and on 19 December in New Zealand. The film was acclaimed by both critics and audiences, who considered it to be a landmark in filmmaking and an achievement in the fantasy film genre. It received praise for its direction, action sequences, performances, musical score, and visual effects, particularly for Gollum. It grossed over $936 million worldwide during its original theatrical run, making it the highest-grossing film of 2002, and, at the time of its release, the third highest-grossing film of all time behind Titanic and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . [4] Following subsequent reissues, it has grossed $949 million. [3]

Like the other films in the trilogy, The Two Towers is widely recognised as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made as well as one of the greatest sequels in cinema history. The film received numerous accolades; at the 75th Academy Awards, it was nominated for six awards, including Best Picture, winning for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.

The final instalment of the trilogy, The Return of the King , was released in 2003.

Plot

Awakening from a dream of Gandalf fighting the Balrog in Moria [lower-alpha 1] , Frodo Baggins finds himself, along with Samwise Gamgee, lost in the Emyn Muil near Mordor. They discover that they are being tracked by Gollum, a former bearer of the One Ring. Capturing Gollum, Frodo takes pity and allows him to guide them, reminding Sam that they will need Gollum's help to infiltrate Mordor.

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue a band of Uruk-hai to save their companions Merry and Pippin, entering the kingdom of Rohan. The Uruk-hai are ambushed by a group of Rohirrim, allowing Merry and Pippin to escape into Fangorn Forest. Meeting Aragorn's group, the Rohirrim's leader Éomer explains that he and his men have been exiled by Rohan's king, Théoden, who is under the control of Saruman and his servant Gríma Wormtongue. Éomer believes Merry and Pippin were killed during the raid but leaves the group two horses. In Fangorn, Aragorn's group encounters Gandalf, who after his fight against the Balrog was resurrected as Gandalf the White to help save Middle-earth.

Gandalf leads the trio to Rohan's capital, Edoras, where Gandalf frees Théoden from Saruman's control. Aragorn stops Théoden from executing Wormtongue, who flees. Learning of Saruman's plans to destroy Rohan with his Uruk-hai army, Théoden evacuates his citizens to the fortress of the Hornburg at Helm's Deep. Gandalf departs to find Éomer and his followers, hoping they will fight for their restored king. Aragorn befriends Théoden's niece, Éowyn, who becomes infatuated with him. When the refugees travelling to Helm's Deep are attacked by Saruman's Warg-riding Orcs, Aragorn falls from a cliff and is presumed dead. He is found by Théodred's horse Brego and rides to Helm's Deep, witnessing Saruman's army marching toward the fortress.

In Rivendell, Arwen is told by her father Elrond that Aragorn will not return. He reminds her that if she remains in Middle-earth, she will outlive Aragorn by thousands of years, and she reluctantly departs for Valinor. Elrond is contacted by Galadriel of Lothlórien, who convinces him that the Elves should honour their alliance to men, and they dispatch a company of Elves to Helm's Deep.

In Fangorn, Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard, an Ent. Convincing Treebeard that they are allies, they are brought to an Ent Council, where the Ents decide not to take part in the coming war. Pippin asks Treebeard to take them in the direction of Isengard, where they witness the deforestation caused by Saruman's war effort. Enraged, Treebeard and the Ents storm Isengard, trapping Saruman in his tower.

Aragorn arrives at Helm's Deep, warning Théoden of Saruman's army approaching. Théoden prepares for battle despite being vastly outnumbered. A company of Lothlorien Elves arrives to aid the people of Rohan, shortly before Saruman's army attacks the fortress. The Uruk-hai breach the outer wall with explosives and during the ensuing charge, kill the Elves' commander, Haldir. The defenders retreat into the keep, where Aragorn convinces Théoden to meet the Uruk-hai in one last charge. At dawn, as the defenders are overwhelmed, Gandalf and Éomer arrive with the Rohirrim, turning the tide of the battle. The surviving Uruk-hai flee into Fangorn Forest and are killed by the trees. Gandalf warns that Sauron will retaliate.

Gollum leads Frodo and Sam through the Dead Marshes to the Black Gate, but recommends they enter Mordor by another route. Frodo and Sam are captured by Rangers of Ithilien led by Faramir, younger brother of the late Boromir. Frodo helps Faramir catch Gollum to save him from being killed by the Rangers. Learning of the One Ring, Faramir takes his captives to Gondor to bring the Ring to his father Denethor. Passing through the besieged city of Osgiliath, Frodo tries to explain to Faramir the true nature of the Ring, and Sam explains that Boromir was driven mad by its power. A Nazgûl nearly captures Frodo, who falls under the Ring's power, but Sam saves him and reminds a disheartened Frodo that they are fighting for the good still left in Middle-earth. Impressed by Frodo's resolve, Faramir releases them. Feeling betrayed by his capture, Gollum decides he will reclaim the Ring by leading Frodo to "her" upon arriving at Cirith Ungol.

Cast

From left to right: Karl Urban, Bernard Hill, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, and Viggo Mortensen. According to Peter Jackson, The Two Towers is centered around Aragorn. Twotowerscast2.JPG
From left to right: Karl Urban, Bernard Hill, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, and Viggo Mortensen. According to Peter Jackson, The Two Towers is centered around Aragorn.

Like the other films in the series, The Two Towers has an ensemble cast, [6] and the cast and their respective characters include:

The following appear only in the Extended Edition

In the Battle of Helm's Deep, Peter Jackson has a cameo appearance as one of the men on top of the gate, throwing a spear at the attacking Uruk-hai. His children and Elijah Wood's sister cameo as young refugees in the caves behind the Hornburg, and Alan Lee and Dan Hennah also cameo as soldiers preparing for the battle. The son of a producer's friend, Hamish Duncan, appears as a reluctant young Rohirrim warrior. Daniel Falconer has a cameo as an Elvish archer at the battle. [11]

Comparison to the source material

Screenwriters did not originally script The Two Towers as its own film; The Lord of the Rings trilogy was initially written as a two-part series to be produced by Miramax, with parts of The Two Towers written as the conclusion to The Fellowship of the Ring. [12] The two films became a trilogy under New Line, and writers Jackson, Walsh and Boyens shuffled their scripts.

The most distinct difference from the book by J.R.R. Tolkien is its structure. Tolkien's The Two Towers is split into two parts, opening with the war in Rohan, and concluding with focus on the journey of Frodo and Sam. The film omits the book's opening, Boromir's death, which was used as a linear climax at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. Where the book ends with the Fellowship going to Isengard and Frodo's confrontation with Shelob, the film climaxes with the Battle of Helm's Deep, leaving the aforementioned scenes for the film adaptation of The Return of the King. This was done partly to fit more closely the timeline indicated by the book.

In the film, Théoden is possessed by Saruman, whereas in the book he is depicted as depressed and deluded by Wormtongue. Afterwards, in the film, Théoden is still unsure of what to do, and flees to Helm's Deep. In the book he rides out to war, only ending up besieged when he considers helping Erkenbrand. Erkenbrand does not exist in the films: his character is combined with Éomer as the Rohirrim general who arrives with Gandalf at the film's end. Éomer himself is present during the entire battle in the book.

On the way to Helm's Deep, the refugees from Edoras are attacked by Wargs, similar to a scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where the Fellowship battles a group of Wargs. Here, a new subplot is created where Aragorn falls over a cliff, and is assumed to be dead; Jackson stated that he added it to create tension. [13] This scene also resonates with a new subplot regarding Arwen, where she decides to leave Middle-earth after losing hope in the long-term possibilities of her love. In the book, Arwen's role is primarily recorded in the Appendices, and she is never depicted as considering such an act.

A larger change was originally planned: Arwen and Elrond would visit Galadriel, and Arwen would accompany an army of Elves to Helm's Deep to fight alongside Aragorn. During shooting, the script changed, both from writers coming up with better ideas to portray the romance between Aragorn and Arwen, as well as poor fan reaction. [14] [15] The new scene of Arwen leaving for the West was created, and the conversation scene remains, edited to be a flashback to a conversation between them in Rivendell, on the evening before the Fellowship's departure. [14] A conversation between Elrond and Galadriel in Lothlórien was edited to be a telepathic one. [16] Nonetheless, one major change (already filmed) remained that could not be reversed: the Elven warriors fighting at Helm's Deep, although Jackson and Boyens found this romantic and stirring and a reference to how, in the Appendices of The Return of the King , Galadriel and the Elves of Lothlórien, and Thranduil of Mirkwood were first attacked by an army out of Dol Guldur in Mirkwood, and then later counter-attacked and assaulted the fortress itself. [14]

Another change is the fact Treebeard does not immediately decide to go to war. This adds to the tension, and Boyens describes it as making Merry and Pippin "more than luggage". [13] Here, the Hobbits show Treebeard what Saruman has done to the forest, prompting his decision to act. Another structural change is that the Hobbits meet Gandalf the White early on, explaining why the Hobbits do not react to his return when they meet him again following Isengard's destruction. This was explained in the book by Gandalf arriving at Isengard in the middle of the night to talk to Treebeard.

The filmmakers' decision to leave Shelob for the third film meant that Faramir had to become an obstacle for Frodo and Sam. [14] In the book, Faramir (like Aragorn) quickly recognises the Ring as a danger and a temptation and does not hesitate long before letting Frodo and Sam go. In the film, Faramir first decides that the Ring shall go to Gondor and his father Denethor, as a way to prove his worth. In the film, Faramir takes Frodo, Sam and the Ring to the Battle of Osgiliath—they do not go there in the book. Jackson winks to readers with Sam's line, "By all rights we shouldn't even be here, but we are."[ citation needed ] After seeing how strongly the Ring affects Frodo during the Nazgûl attack, Faramir changes his mind and lets them go. These changes reshape the book's contrast between Faramir and Boromir, who in The Fellowship of the Ring attempted to take the Ring for himself. On the other hand, (which can be seen only in the film's extended version), it is actually their father who wants the Ring and urges Boromir to get it, while Faramir only wants to prove himself to his father. Boyens contends these plot changes were needed to keep the Ring menacing. Wenham commented on the DVD documentaries that he had not read the book prior to reading the script, so the film's version of Faramir was the Faramir he knew. When he later read the book and noticed the major difference, he approached the writers about it, and they explained to him that if he did say "I wouldn't pick that thing up even if it lay by the wayside", it would basically strip the One Ring of all corruptive power. [14]

The meaning of the title itself, 'The Two Towers', was changed. While Tolkien considered several possible sets of towers [17] he eventually created a final cover illustration [18] and wrote a note included at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring which identified them as Minas Morgul and Orthanc. [19] Jackson's film names them as Orthanc and Barad-dûr, symbolic of an evil alliance out to destroy Men that forms the film's plot point. The film depicted Saruman openly presenting himself outright as Sauron's servant, whereas this association was not explicitly stated in the novel (and indeed analysis by Gandalf and Aragorn in the chapter "The White Rider" stated that there was a rivalry instead, as Saruman was afraid of the prospect of being at war with Sauron, if Rohan and Gondor fell).

Production

Production design

When Alan Lee joined the project in late 1997, Helm's Deep was the first structure he was tasked to design. At 1:35 scale, it was one of the first miniatures built for the film, and was part of the 45-minute video that sold the project to New Line. It was primarily drawn from an illustration Lee had once done for the book, though the curved wall featured in the film was proposed by fellow illustrator and designer John Howe. Used in the film for wide shots, Jackson also used this miniature to plan the battle, using 40,000 toy soldiers. [20]

Helm's Deep, a pivotal part of the film's narrative, was built at Dry Creek Quarry with its gate, a ramp, and a wall, which included a removable section as well as the tower on a second level. A 1:4-scale miniature of Helm's Deep that ran 50 feet (15 m) wide was used for forced perspective shots, [21] as well as the major explosion sequence. [20]

The film explores the armies of Middle-earth. John Howe was the basic designer of the evil forces of Middle Earth, with the Uruk-hai being the first army approved by Jackson. Howe also designed a special crossbow for the Uruk-Hai characters, which was significant because it did not require external tools to rearm. This design was the realisation of a 16th-century manuscript.[ citation needed ] Also created were 100 Elven suits of armour, for which emphasis was placed on Autumnal colours due to the theme of Elves leaving Middle-earth. Two hundred and fifty suits were also made for the Rohirrim. The designs for Rohan were based on Germanic and Anglo-Saxon patterns, with most of the weapons designed by John Howe and forged by Peter Lyon. Each sword took 3 to 6 days to make. [22]

The exterior of the Rohirrim's capital of Edoras, including its thatched roofs, took six months to build on Mount Sunday. The interior of the buildings doubled as offices and lunch halls. The interior of the Hall of Edoras was filmed at Stone Street Studios with tapestries designed by Lee, and Théoden's wooden throne was partly created by his daughter. [21] Hill endured heavy make-up for the possession scene where his skin was pulled back and released for increased wrinkles. Dourif shaved off his eyebrows and put potato flakes as dandruff in his hair for unnerving effect.

Through Frodo and Sam's story, the film also provides a look at Mordor and Gondor. Barad-dûr is fully seen in a tracking shot, a design which Howe called a mockery of Gothic Cathedrals. He and Lee created the Black Gate (though a typo in the script made the miniature into two [20] ) and Osgiliath, a ruined city reflecting London during the Blitz or Berlin in 1945. [23] The set on a backlot was based around a bridge and reused some of Moria. [21]

Principal photography

The hill known as Mount Sunday, in Canterbury Region, provided the location for Edoras. MtSunday.jpg
The hill known as Mount Sunday, in Canterbury Region, provided the location for Edoras.

The Two Towers shared principal photography with The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King. The trilogy was filmed between 11 October 1999 and 22 December 2000. The scenes which take place in Rohan were shot earlier in the production, during which time Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies's stunt double Brett Beattie sustained many injuries. Mortensen broke two toes when he kicked an Orc helmet while filming the scene in which he, Legolas, and Gimli find the remains of the Uruk-hai and believe Merry and Pippin to be dead (a shot which is included in the film). Furthermore, during filming Bloom fell off his horse and cracked three ribs, and Beattie dislocated his knee. These injuries led to the actors suffering two days of pain during the running sequence in the first act of the film, leading Jackson to jokingly refer to them as "The Walking Wounded." [23]

The filming of the Battle of Helm's Deep took approximately three months, with most of the nighttime shots handled by John Mahaffie. Some injuries were sustained during the filming of the sequence, including Mortensen chipping his tooth, and Bernard Hill's ear getting slashed. [23] The sequence also features 500 extras, who insulted each other in Māori, [24] and improvised scenes such as the Uruk-hai stamping their spears before the beginning of the battle. [23] However, there was alleged annoyance among the film's crew for the strength of the gates, which were claimed to be too reinforced during the Battering Ram scene. [21] Mortensen greatly respected the stunt team, and head bumped them often as a sign of that respect. [24]

Wood and Astin were joined by Serkis on 13 April 2000. [25]

Special effects

As with The Fellowship of the Ring , Jim Rygiel served as the visual effects supervisor for The Two Towers, while newcomer Joe Letteri joined the visual effects team to supervise Andy Serkis's motion capture performance in the creation of the character Gollum. During the production of The Two Towers Weta Digital doubled their staff members [26] of 260. [27] In total, they would produce 73 minutes of digital effects with 799 shots. [26] The film would feature their first challenge in creating a battle scene, as well as creating two digital characters who needed to act rather than be a set piece, unlike the previous film's Cave Troll and Balrog. [22]

Gollum
Gollum eating a fish Two Towers-Gollum.jpg
Gollum eating a fish

Weta began animating Gollum in late 1998 to convince New Line they could achieve the effect. Andy Serkis "played" Gollum by providing his voice and movements on set, as well as performing within the motion capture suit later on. His scenes were filmed twice, with and without him. Originally, Gollum was set to solely be a CGI character, but Jackson was so impressed by Serkis' audition tape that they used him on set as well.

Gollum's CGI model was also redesigned during 2001 when Serkis was cast as Sméagol, Gollum's former self, so as to give the impression Andy Serkis as Sméagol transforms into the CGI Gollum. The original model can still be glimpsed briefly in the first film. Over Christmas 2001, the crew proceeded to reanimate all the previous shots accordingly within two months. Another problem was that the crew realised that the cast performed better in the takes which physically included Serkis. In the end, the CGI Gollum was rotoscoped and animated on top of these scenes.

Serkis's motion capture was generally used to animate Gollum's body, except for some difficult shots such as him crawling upside down. Gollum's face was animated manually, often using recordings of Serkis as a guide. Gino Acevedo supervised realistic skin tones, which took four hours per frame to render. [28]

While the novel alludes to a division within his mind, the film depicts him as having a split personality. The two personas—the childlike Sméagol and the evil Gollum—are established during a scene in which they argue over remaining loyal to Frodo. The two personalities talk to each other, as established by contrasting camera angles and by Serkis altering his voice and physicality for each persona.

Treebeard

Treebeard took between 28 and 48 hours per frame to render. [26] For scenes where he interacts with Merry and Pippin, a 14-foot-tall puppet was built on a wheel. Weta took urethane moulds of tree bark and applied them to the sculpt of Treebeard to create his wooden skin. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd sat on bicycle seats concealed into Treebeard's hands to avoid discomfort and were left alone on set sitting in the puppet's hands during breaks. The puppet was shot against bluescreen. [22]

Score

The musical score for The Two Towers was composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Howard Shore, who also composed the music for the other two films in the series. While the scores for its predecessor and sequel won the Academy Award for Best Score, the soundtrack for The Two Towers was not nominated. Initially there was confusion over the score's eligibility due to a new rule applying to sequels, but the academy did declare it eligible. [29]

The score features The London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, The London Oratory School Schola and several vocal and instrumental soloists, including soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, and Irish fiddler and violinist Dermot Crehan, who also performed on the Hardanger fiddle, which is used in this film in conjunction with the various Rohan themes.

The funeral song Éowyn sings during her cousin Théodred's entombment in the extended edition is styled to be a traditional song of the Rohirrim, and has lyrics in their language, Rohirric (represented by Old English). The song does not appear in the book, and the tune is a variation upon a theme of the rímur Icelandic folk tradition; it can be heard as part of track 7 in the 1999 recording of a musical version of the Edda by Sequentia. [30]

The soundtrack was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The soundtrack has a picture of Peter Jackson (barefoot), the composer, and two producers crossing Abbey Road, referencing The Beatles' album of the same name.

Release

Marketing

The teaser trailer premiered in theatres on 3 July 2002 with the release of Men in Black II . [31] The theatrical trailer was then released theatrically on 4 October 2002 with the debut of Red Dragon . [32]

Home media

VHS and DVD

The Two Towers was released on VHS and DVD on 26 August 2003 in the United States. The date was originally intended to be a simultaneous worldwide release, but due to a bank holiday weekend in the United Kingdom, some British outlets began selling DVDs as much as four days earlier, much to the ire of the UK distributor, Entertainment in Video, which had threatened to withhold advance supplies of subsequent DVD releases. [33] During its first five days of release, the DVD release sold over 3.5 million units. The film also generated $22.8 million in rentals, breaking The Bourne Identity 's record for having the biggest rentals of any DVD release. [34] By December 2003, it was reported that The Two Towers sold 16.4 million copies and earned $305.4 million in sales revenue, becoming the second-highest selling home video release of 2003, after Finding Nemo . [35]

As with Fellowship, an extended edition of Two Towers was released on VHS and DVD on 18 November 2003 with 45 minutes of new material, added special effects and music, plus 11 minutes of fan-club credits. The runtime expanded to 235 minutes. [36] [37] The 4-disc DVD set included four commentaries along with hours of supplementary material.

In August 2006, a limited edition was released on DVD, and included both theatrical and extended editions on a double-sided disc along with all-new bonus material.

Blu-ray

The theatrical Blu-ray version of The Lord of the Rings was released in the United States in April 2010. [38] The individual disc of Two Towers was released in September 2010 with the same special features as the complete trilogy release, minus digital copy. [39]

The extended Blu-ray editions were released in the US and Canada in June 2011. [40]

Two Towers was released in Ultra HD Blu-ray on 30 November 2020 in the United Kingdom and on 1 December 2020 in the United States, along with the other instalments, including both theatrical and extended cuts. [41]

Reception

Box office

The Two Towers opened in theatres on 18 December 2002. During its opening day, the film grossed $26 million, making it the second-highest opening Wednesday, behind Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace . [42] It earned $62 million in its opening weekend in the US and Canada, becoming the fifth-highest opening weekend of that year, behind Austin Powers in Goldmember , Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Spider-Man . This was also the third-highest opening weekend for a New Line Cinema film, trailing only behind Rush Hour 2 and Austin Powers in Goldmember. [43] The film then made $101.5 million during its five-day Wednesday opening. [44]

Outside the US and Canada, The Two Towers made $99.4 million from 25 territories during its opening weekend, which made it the highest international opening weekend. [45] The combined total opening weekend gross increased to $189.9 million, making it the highest worldwide opening weekend of all time. The film would hold both records until 2003 when they were given to The Matrix Reloaded and its successor The Matrix Revolutions respectively. [46] [47] The Two Towers set opening day records in Germany, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and Norway, as well as a single-day record in Denmark. It then made opening weekend records in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and South Korea. [48]

The film went on to gross $339.8 million in North America and $596.9 million internationally for a worldwide total of $936.7 million against a budget of $94 million. [3] The Two Towers was the highest-grossing film of 2002 worldwide. [49] Box Office Mojo estimates over 57 million sold tickets in the US in its initial theatrical run. [50]

Following subsequent reissues, the film has grossed $343 million in the United States and Canada and $606 million in the rest of the world for a worldwide total of $949 million. [51]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Two Towers holds an approval rating of 95% based on 258 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Two Towers balances spectacular action with emotional storytelling, leaving audiences both wholly satisfied and eager for the final chapter." [52] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, has assigned the film a score of 87 out of 100 based on 39 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [53] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, a grade up from the "A−" earned by the previous film. [54]

Like its predecessor, The Two Towers was released to universal critical acclaim and is widely considered to be one of the greatest sequels in cinema history. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, describing it as "one of the most spectacular swashbucklers ever made", and stating "It is not faithful to the spirit of Tolkien and misplaces much of the charm and whimsy of the books, but it stands on its own as a visionary thriller". [55] Nev Pierce for the BBC gave the film four stars out of five, and wrote that while it lacked "the first film's wow-factor", it surpassed The Fellowship of the Ring "in terms of wit, action and narrative drive". Pierce described Gollum as "the first believable CG character" and the Battle of Helm's Deep as "one of the finest, most expansive combat sequences ever filmed". [56] Writing for The Observer , Philip French described The Two Towers as a "stunning visual epic". French commended the battle scenes and the visual style of the film, relating it to the paintings of "Caspar David Friedrich, the Pre-Raphaelites, Art Nouveau illustrations for children's books, and the apocalyptic biblical landscapes ... of the Victorian visionary John Martin". He concluded the review looking forward to the release of the final chapter, writing "This is likely to be happier, more decisive and infinitely more satisfying than anything that will happen to our world in the next 12 months." [57]

Joe Morgenstern for The Wall Street Journal lauded the narrative construction of The Two Towers: "Elaborate preparations are required for the payoff in this instalment -- the massing of troops plus much individual struggle as splintered groups of the Fellowship make their separate ways toward the defining battle of Helm's Deep ... Yet these preparations count as payoffs too ... Seldom has a popular entertainment set its stage so carefully or evocatively, with such lavish respect for its audience." Morgenstern also highlighted the digital effects and the battle scenes, and said of the series "The Lord of the Rings continues to stake its singular claim on movie history; it's a gift of epic proportions." [58] In his review for the Evening Standard , Alexander Walker wrote that the Battle of Helm's Deep was "probably the greatest battlepiece composed for the screen since Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible ", and that with The Two Towers the trilogy had achieved "a majestic proportion, chivalric and quixotic, earthly and magical, an experience that reaches beyond the dimensions of the cinema screen and somehow reflects the global unease of the world in the first years of the 21st century". [59]

In his review for Newsweek , David Ansen commended Jackson's direction of the battle scenes, writing "Few people can stage a battle -- and the eyepopping siege of Helms Deep is one of the most spectacular you'll ever see -- with such sweep and clarity that the carnage doesn't seem an oppressive end in itself". Ansen also praised the complexity of the character of Gollum, commenting "While everyone else in Tolkien's myth falls neatly into the camps of Good and Evil, the self-lacerating Gollum is at war with himself. In an epic drenched in medievalism, he's the dangerously ambiguous voice of the modern." [60] Caroline Westbrook, for Empire , gave the film five stars out of five, and wrote "It may lack the first-view-thrill and natural dramatic shape of Fellowship, but this is both funnier and darker than the first film, and certainly more action-packed. An essential component of what is now destined to be among the best film franchises of all time." Westbrook lauded Jackson's ability to temper the spectacular scenes "with some heartstring-tugging moments - peasants despondent as they are forced to abandon their villages, Aragorn and Arwen's troubled relationship, and, of course, the return of Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen, superb as ever), one of the film's most powerful, memorable images that may well leave Ring devotees a little misty-eyed." [61]

A less enthusiastic review was written in The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw, who had already written a mixed review of The Fellowship of the Ring. [62] Bradshaw gave The Two Towers three stars out of five, appreciating it as "a very watchable, distinctive, if over-extended FX spectacle". However, he commented that the film could not be taken as "a serious evocation of good and evil", and dismissed the subject as "lots and lots of interminable nerdish nonsense". [63]

The Battle of Helm's Deep has been named by CNN as one of the greatest screen battles of all time, [64] while Gollum was named as the third favourite computer-generated film character by Entertainment Weekly in 2007. [65]

Accolades

American Film Institute Recognition

AwardCategoryRecipient/NomineeResult
Academy Awards Best Picture Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson Nominated
Best Art Direction Grant Major, Dan Hennah and Alan Lee Nominated
Best Film Editing Michael J. Horton Nominated
Best Sound Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges and Hammond Peek Nominated
Best Sound Editing Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins Won
Best Visual Effects Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex Funke Won
British Academy Film Awards Best Film Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh and Peter JacksonNominated
Best Direction Peter JacksonNominated
Best Cinematography Andrew Lesnie Nominated
Best Costume Design Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor Won
Best Editing Michael J. HortonNominated
Best Makeup and Hair Peter Owen, Peter King and Richard Taylor Nominated
Best Production Design Grant MajorNominated
Best Sound Ethan Van der Ryn, David Farmer, Mike Hopkins, Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick and Michael Hedges Nominated
Best Special Visual Effects Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex FunkeWon
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersNominated
Best Director Peter JacksonNominated
Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersWon
Best Director Peter JacksonNominated
Best Actor Viggo Mortensen Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Andy Serkis Won
Best Performance by a Younger Actor Elijah Wood Nominated
Best Writing Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair and Peter JacksonNominated
Best Costume Design Ngila Dickson and Richard TaylorWon
Best Make-up Peter Owen and Peter KingWon
Best Music Howard Shore Nominated
Best Special Effects Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex FunkeNominated

Notes

Related Research Articles

<i>The Lord of the Rings</i> 1954–1955 fantasy novel by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel by the English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book The Hobbit, but eventually developed into a much larger work. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gandalf</span> Fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien

Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is a wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Norse "Catalogue of Dwarves" (Dvergatal) in the Völuspá.

Éomer is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as a leader of the Riders of Rohan who serve as cavalry to the army of Rohan, fighting against Mordor.

<i>The Two Towers</i> 1954 part of novel by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It is preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and followed by The Return of the King. The volume's title is ambiguous, as five towers are named in the narrative, and Tolkien himself gave conflicting identifications of the two towers. The narrative is interlaced, allowing Tolkien to build in suspense and surprise. The volume was largely welcomed by critics, who found it exciting and compelling, combining epic narrative with heroic romance.

<i>The Return of the King</i> 1955 part of novel by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. It was published in 1955. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, which is soon to be attacked by the Dark Lord Sauron.

<i>The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring</i> 2001 film by Peter Jackson

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson, based on 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The film is the first installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis.

<i>The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</i> 2003 film by Peter Jackson

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson. It is based on 1955's The Return of the King, the third volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The sequel to 2002's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the film is the third instalment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, John Noble, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, and Sean Bean. Continuing the plot of the previous film, Frodo, Sam and Gollum make their final way toward Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of Gollum's true intentions, while Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and their allies join forces against Sauron and his legions from Mordor.

The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy of epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson, based on the novel The Lord of the Rings by British author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are subtitled The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). Produced and distributed by New Line Cinema with the co-production of WingNut Films, the films feature an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, and Sean Bean.

<i>The Return of the King</i> (1980 film) 1980 animated musical television film by Jules Bass

The Return of the King is a 1980 American-Japanese animated musical fantasy television film created by Rankin/Bass and Topcraft. It is an adaptation of part of J. R. R. Tolkien's 1955 high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It takes its name from The Return of the King, the third and final volume of the novel, and is a sequel to the 1977 film The Hobbit.

In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings, the Battle of the Morannon or the Battle of the Black Gate, is the final confrontation in the War of the Ring. Gondor and its allies send a small army ostensibly to challenge Sauron at the entrance to his land of Mordor; he supposes that they have with them the One Ring and mean to use it to defeat him. In fact, the Ring is being carried by the hobbits Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee into Mordor to destroy it in Mount Doom, and the army is moving to distract Sauron from them. Before the battle, a nameless leader, the "Mouth of Sauron", taunts the leaders of the army with the personal effects of Frodo and Sam. Battle is joined, but just as it seems the army of Gondor will be overwhelmed, the Ring is destroyed, and the forces of Sauron lose heart. Mount Doom erupts, and Sauron's tower, Barad-dûr, collapses, along with the Black Gate. The army of Gondor returns home victorious, the War of the Ring won.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the real-world history and notable fictional elements of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy universe. It covers materials created by Tolkien; the works on his unpublished manuscripts, by his son Christopher Tolkien; and films, games and other media created by other people.

The production of The Lord of the Rings film series posed enormous challenges, both logistical and creative. Under Peter Jackson's direction, these obstacles were overcome between 1997 and 2004. Many attempts to produce J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings had failed; the few that had reached the screen were animations. Since the publication of the source novels in the mid-1950s, many filmmakers and producers had considered a film but then set the project aside. The series as filmed by Jackson consists of three epic fantasy adventure films. They were produced by New Line Cinema, assisted by WingNut Films. The cinema versions appeared between 2001 and 2003, and the extended edition for home video in 2004. Development began in August 1997. The films were shot simultaneously. Their production was undertaken entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand. It spanned the 14-month period from October 1999 until December 2000, with pick-up shots filmed over a further 24 months, from 2001 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saruman</span> Fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien

Saruman, also called Saruman the White, later Saruman of Many Colours, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the novel, but eventually he desires Sauron's power for himself and tries to take over Middle-earth by force from his base at Isengard. His schemes feature prominently in the second volume, The Two Towers; he appears briefly at the end of the third volume, The Return of the King. His earlier history is summarised in the posthumously published The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

Faramir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. Faramir enters the narrative in The Two Towers, where, upon meeting Frodo Baggins, he is presented with a temptation to take possession of the One Ring. In The Return of the King, he leads the forces of Gondor in the War of the Ring, coming near to death, succeeds his father as Steward, and wins the love of Éowyn, lady of the royal house of Rohan.

Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually called Merry, is a Hobbit, a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. Merry is described as one of the closest friends of Frodo Baggins, the main protagonist. Merry and his friend and cousin, Pippin, are members of the Fellowship of the Ring. They become separated from the rest of the group and spend much of The Two Towers making their own decisions. By the time of The Return of the King, Merry has enlisted in the army of Rohan as an esquire to King Théoden, in whose service he fights during the War of the Ring. After the war, he returns home, where he and Pippin lead the Scouring of the Shire, ridding it of Saruman's influence.

Peregrin Took, commonly known simply as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is closely tied with his friend and cousin, Merry Brandybuck, and the two are together during most of the story. Pippin and Merry are introduced as a pair of young hobbits of the Shire who become ensnared in their friend Frodo Baggins's quest to destroy the One Ring. Pippin joins the Fellowship of the Ring. He and Merry become separated from the rest of the group at the breaking of the Fellowship and spend much of The Two Towers with their own story line. Impetuous and curious, Pippin enlists as a soldier in the army of Gondor and fights in the Battle of the Morannon. With the other hobbits, he returns home, helps to lead the Scouring of the Shire, and becomes Thain or hereditary leader of the land.

Aragorn is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Aragorn was a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of Arnor and Gondor. Aragorn was a confidant of the wizard Gandalf, and played a part in the quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron. As a young man, Aragorn fell in love with the immortal elf Arwen, as told in "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen". Arwen's father, Elrond Half-elven, forbade them to marry unless Aragorn became King of both Arnor and Gondor.

Character pairing in The Lord of the Rings is a literary device used by J. R. R. Tolkien, a Roman Catholic, to express some of the moral complexity of his major characters in his heroic romance, The Lord of the Rings. Commentators have noted that the format of a fantasy does not lend itself to subtlety of characterisation, but that pairing allows inner tensions to be expressed as linked opposites, including, in a psychoanalytic interpretation, those of Jungian archetypes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. ↑ "THE LORD OF THE RINGS - THE TWO TOWERS". British Board of Film Classification . Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "2002 Worldwide Box Office". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Head, Steve (13 December 2002). "An interview with Peter Jackson". IGN. Archived from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2006.
  6. ↑ Lammers, Tim (28 August 2003). "New On Video: 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers'". nbc4. Archived from the original on 1 September 2003. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
  7. ↑ Frodo calls Gollum "not so very different from a hobbit once". In the book, however, Sméagol is described as belonging to "hobbit-kind; akin to the fathers of the fathers of the hobbit Stoors" (The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Shadow of the Past"); Stoors being one of the three kindreds of hobbits. In an appendix, Tolkien calls his relativeDéagol Nahald (featured in the third film of the trilogy) a Stoor; therefore Sméagol must have been a Stoor himself. In a letter, Tolkien confirms that Gollum was a hobbit ( The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien , #214).
  8. ↑ Pahle, Rebecca (1 January 2022). "11 actors who nearly starred in "The Lord of the Rings" franchise". Salon. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "'Lord of the Rings' What if: Uma Thurman as Eowyn?". MTV . Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  10. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Uma Thurman Risks Stephen's Ire for Turning Down 'Lord of the Rings'". YouTube .
  11. ↑ J.W. Braun, The Lord of the Films (ECW Press, 2009).
  12. ↑ "20 Questions with Peter Jackson". Peter Jackson online transcript from Ain't It Cool News. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2006.
  13. 1 2 Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (2003). Director/Writers Commentary (DVD). New Line.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 From Book to Script: Finding the Story (DVD). New Line. 2003.
  15. ↑ Morris, Clint (5 December 2002). "Interview: Liv Tyler". Moviehole. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2007.
  16. ↑ Editorial: Refining the Story (DVD). New Line. 2003.
  17. ↑ Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. (2023) [1981]. The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien Revised and Expanded Edition. New York: Harper Collins. #140 & #143. ISBN   978-0-35-865298-4.
    Hammond, Wayne G.; Scull, Christina (1995). J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator . Illustrated by J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. #178. ISBN   0-395-74816-X.
  18. ↑ Hammond, Wayne G.; Scull, Christina (1995). J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator . Illustrated by J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. #180. ISBN   0-395-74816-X.
  19. ↑ Hammond, Wayne G.; Anderson, Douglas A. (1993). J. R. R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Books. 92 (23 February 1954 entry). ISBN   0-938768-42-5.
  20. 1 2 3 Big-atures (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2003.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Designing Middle-earth (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2003.
  22. 1 2 3 Weta Workshop (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2003.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Cameras in Middle-earth: Filming The Two Towers (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2003.
  24. 1 2 Warriors of the Third Age (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2003.
  25. ↑ Serkis, Andy (2003). Gollum: How we made Movie Magic . Harpercollins. p.  24. ISBN   0-618-39104-5.
  26. 1 2 3 Weta Digital (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2002.
  27. ↑ Weta Digital (The Fellowship of the Ring Appendices) (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2003.
  28. ↑ The Taming of Sméagol (DVD). New Line Cinema. 2003.
  29. ↑ "Two Tower's Score Remains Eligible". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2007.
  30. ↑ Sequentia, Edda — Myths from medieval Iceland, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 1999
  31. ↑ "Two Towers and T3 trailers are coming! Red Dragon images! X-Men 2 get a Stryker! Plus much more!". 24 June 2002. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  32. ↑ "'Two Towers' trailer". Chicago Tribune . 27 September 2002. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  33. ↑ "UK video stores jump the gun on 'Rings'". IMDb — Studio Briefing. 27 August 2003. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2006.
  34. ↑ Bonin, Liane (3 September 2003). "Two Towers DVD breaks rental records". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  35. ↑ "Year End 2003 Top-selling titles (combined VHS and DVD)". Variety. 30 December 2003. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  36. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition) [Blu-Ray] (2002)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  37. ↑ Grossberg, Josh (3 November 2001). ""LOTR" Fans Get Credit". E! News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  38. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy Blu-ray: Theatrical Editions". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  39. ↑ Calogne, Juan (23 June 2010). "Lord of the Rings Movies Get Separate Blu-ray editions". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  40. ↑ "Lord of the Rings Pre-order Now Available". Amazon. 31 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  41. ↑ Brew, Simon (9 October 2020). "Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit set for 4K release in November". filmstories.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  42. ↑ "LORD OF THE BOX OFFICE: 'RINGS' SHOWS ITS POWER". 21 December 2002. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  43. ↑ "'Two Towers' dominates US box office". United Press International . 22 December 2002. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  44. ↑ "New 'Rings' towers over the competition". Los Angeles Times . 23 December 2002. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  45. ↑ Groves, Don (5 May 2003). "Marvel-ous 'X2' opening". Variety . Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  46. ↑ "Matrix Reloaded passes $100m abroad in record time". Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  47. ↑ DiOrio, Carl (10 November 2003). "Neo, hobbits still at it for global B.O. mark". Variety . Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  48. ↑ "Towering success: Lord Of The Rings sequel goes international". Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  49. ↑ 2002 WORLDWIDE GROSSES Archived 17 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 26 April 2013
  50. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  51. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  52. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  53. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  54. ↑ "Cinemascore". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  55. ↑ Ebert, Roger (18 December 2002). "Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers Movie Review". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2002.
  56. ↑ "BBC - Stoke and Staffordshire Films - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Review". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  57. ↑ "That's another fine myth ..." The Guardian. 15 December 2002. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  58. ↑ Morgenstern, Joe (20 December 2002). "The Hobbits May Be Short, But 'Two Towers' Stands Tall". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022– via www.wsj.com.
  59. ↑ Standard, Alexanderr Walker, Evening (10 April 2012). "Darkness on Middle Earth". www.standard.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  60. ↑ Ansen, David (22 December 2002). "And Just In Time For Christmas". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  61. ↑ "Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers". Empire. 18 December 2002. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  62. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring". The Guardian. 14 December 2001. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  63. ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". The Guardian. 13 December 2002. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  64. ↑ "The best – and worst – movie battle scenes". CNN. 30 March 2007. Archived from the original on 8 April 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  65. ↑ "Our 10 Favorite CG Characters". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 9 August 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  66. ↑ "The 75th Academy Awards (2003) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.