So I will say only this: “Towers” cannot quite match “Fellowship”. It doesn’t flow as gracefully, and lacks the whimsy of Peter Jackson’s original masterwork. But much of the fault (or, whatever minimal fault there is to bear) cannot be placed on the shoulders of Jackson and his crew, but rather the simple fact that “The Two Towers” is all middle ground, and undoubtedly the most difficult for cinematic translation. Once again, Jackson has achieved the impossible in his vision of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. “The Two Towers” is a glorious motion picture experience, replete with moments of pure magic and visceral power. In terms of sheer spectacle, this film represents the same benchmark for 2002 that “The Fellowship of the Ring” was crowned in 2001: it is the action-adventure blockbuster of the year.

There are images in “The Two Towers” that continue to flood my mind as I write this - images that I may never forget. One such example is the film’s opening sequence, which begins as a beautiful tracking shot over the Misty Mountains and soon joins wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) as he faces down the hellish, whip-wielding Balrog as seen in the original film. When Gandalf takes his tragic fall, however, the camera no longer follows the fellowship outside the Mines of Moria, but instead dives into the chasm to capture the awesome clash between Gandalf and the fiery demon as they plummet into the earth. From there, Jackson immediately catches up with Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), the hobbit still bearing the ring of power, and his faithful companion Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) as they continue their trek onward to Mordor to destroy the one ring in the fires of Mount Doom. At this point, you realize that if (by some radical fluke) you have not seen “The Fellowship of the Ring” or maintain some general knowledge of Tolkien’s books, you are absolutely screwed. Peter Jackson is not about to grant the uneducated viewer a Middle-Earth refreshers course. And good for him, I say - he has bigger concerns than to familiarize the audience with a plot they should be well-acquainted with. After all, if you haven’t seen “Fellowship”, why in God’s green goodness would you feel compelled to see this?

There are two other plot threads to follow here. One finds hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), taken captive by the Uruk-Hai at the conclusion of the first film, plotting their escape, only to wander into Fangorn forest and encounter Treebeard, an Ent (or shepherd of the trees) who is the oldest living creature in Middle-Earth. Human tracker Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) and elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) are the members of the rescue party on their trail, who encounter the Riders of Rohan and their King, Theoden (Bernard Hill), who has fallen victim to the witchcraft of Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), a disciple of evil wizard Saruman the White (Christopher Lee). Saruman continues to breed an army of evil from his tower at Isengard, and dispatches a legion of 10,000 Uruk-Hai to the fortress of Helm’s Deep, where the people of Rohan have fled. And making a triumphant return is Gandalf, who, after having slain the Balrog of Moria, is now appointed Gandalf the White - a wizard of the highest order.

“The Two Towers” introduces a flurry of new characters, and in doing so it may lack the clarity and storytelling illumination of “The Fellowship of the Ring”. But at least one new presence is nothing short of astounding. I’m referring to Gollum, the gangly creature who claimed possession of the ring for hundreds of years, slowly driving him to madness and despair. With voice and movement from Andy Serkis (whose physical appearance was overlapped in post-production with computer effects), Gollum is not only the most lifelike and convincing non-human entity in the history of CGI technology, but also a compelling character: a pathetic yet tortured soul, full of sadness and sorrow. The detail of expression on Gollum’s face (particularly in close-ups) is mind-blowing; he is an extraordinary character and a landmark achievement in the field of special effects. Other new faces don’t have a great opportunity to leave a lasting impression amidst the towering scope and story-driven narrative, but some do quite admirably. Bernard Hill is effective as King Theoden, the noble-minded but weak spirited leader of Rohan. Brad Dourif relishes each minute of his limited screen time with a wonderfully black-hearted portrayal of Wormtongue, the King’s “aid”. Karl Urban plays Eomer, the banished nephew of Theoden, while Miranda Otto is luminous as Eowyn, the third party in a blossoming love triangle also including Aragorn and elf maiden Arwen (Liv Tyler, returning briefly). Lastly, David Wenham is strong as Faramir, brother of the fallen Boromir and Captain of Gondor, who intercepts hobbits Frodo and Sam on their quest to Mordor.

That last subplot may arouse some discontent among Tolkien purists, because Jackson has strayed a little further from the written word with “The Two Towers” than he did in “Fellowship”. There are other alterations, but none that upset me, because - to be honest - I am not a huge fan of Tolkien’s novels. Diehard followers will always find something to gripe about, but in the grand scheme of things (and the scheme of “Towers” is quite grand indeed), why quibble? The bountiful imagination of Tolkien is alive and well here. Jackson (with a strong assist from Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie) has once again fashioned an epic that is a pure sensory delight, with amazing visuals and Howard Shore’s gorgeous, evocative score to punctuate them. There are more sights here engraved forever in my subconscious: the enormous, terrifying black gate of Mordor; the eerie Dead Marshes, with corpses adrift just under the surface of the water; the Ring Wraiths, now riding giant fell beasts (or dragons); the Uruk-Hai scaling the walls of Helm’s Deep with hundreds of arrows soaring overhead, in a climactic battle sequence of earth-shaking proportions; Gandalf the White, leading a charge down a hill on the majestic Shadowfax, the lord of all horses; the Ents standing tall against a raging flood amidst the mass destruction of Isengard. I could go on.

“The Two Towers”, like “The Fellowship of the Ring”, is three hours in length. Unlike “Fellowship”, it feels like it could use some trimming around the two-hour mark, and there are a few characters and subplots that aren’t given total justice. Treebeard (with John Rhys-Davies pulling double duty to provide vocal talent) is a wonderful creation - but supported in his branches, Merry and Pippin seem caught in limbo for the duration of the film, and the Ents themselves suffer an underdeveloped placement among the other plot threads. Surprisingly, Christopher Lee has little to do as Saruman this time around. Ian McKellen is also missed during his lengthier absences, but the actor is still as graceful and gifted as ever, and wielding greater power as the reborn white wizard. Elijah Wood’s performance is defined with darker tones than in “Fellowship”, with the corrupting ring taking its toll on Frodo’s body and mind, but his performance remains excellent. The story that thrives most fruitfully is that of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli and their brothers in Rohan. Mortensen is once again the film’s anchor, and pulls off the role of action hero with ease, while Rhys-Davies provides welcome comic relief and a memorable curmudgeon in Gimli the dwarf, and Bloom is marvel (and sure to be favorite among fans) as the light-footed elf. These characters share the heroics during the film’s biggest conflict, the battle of Helm’s Deep, which showcases an approaching horde of 10,000 Uruk-Hai and relies often on CGI, and yet there is not a single shot where visual effects work is evident. It is seamless. There are moments during this sequence, and elsewhere in the film, when I had to pick my jaw up off the theater floor.

“The Two Towers” is not as intimate in its characterizations as “The Fellowship of the Ring” was, and is probably a lesser film for it. But while Jackson has a lot of ground to cover, he doesn’t forget that “The Lord of the Rings” is, first and foremost, a human film about the little people. Those little people are hobbits like Sam Gamgee, who gives a speech at the big climax that is full of heart and hope, and stands as an effective parable to our own current world state. I don’t think I have ever anticipated a film more than “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”, and the fact that I was filled with much of the same awe and wonderment as I was during the closing credits of “The Fellowship of the Ring” - and also the fact that I have seen it twice already, and can’t wait to revisit it - tells me Peter Jackson has done it again.

Read my advance feature article on "The Two Towers".