Lord of the Rings - Two Towers

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="06dd8c02dduajq.jpg"> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11">   <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11">       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11">   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="At The Movies With Lutz"><U><IMG SRC="0660b0b0.png" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="4cba8fa0.jpg" border=0 width="168" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>Judy & Lutz Perschon</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Judy Lutz Perschon"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >back to</FONT>  <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="At The Movies With Lutz"><U><B>At The Movies With Lutz</B></U></A></div> <div> Lord of the Rings - Two Towers</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="774" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 950 WIDTH="762"><div> The grandeur of this movie alone would make it worth going to see, even if you feel you don't understand what is going on.   I know I have trouble at times keeping everyone straight, especially with the complicated names and places.  As I left the movie, there seemed to be a common feeling that I overheard, that this installment was better [or much better] than the first.  </div> <bR> <div> To make such a comparison may be unfortunate, because unlike the Star Wars trilogy, Lord of the Rings was originally written as one book.  It was the publishers who insisted it be divided into three.    In fact one of the comments I heard over and over about the Fellowship of the Ring, is that it really had no ending.   So in fact if the author had his way the story would be one 9 hour movie, or at least thought of that way.  To make the comparison is natural for us, but it really belies how the three movies were made and the very close relationship between them.   I did not read the books as my son did [several times actually], so I cannot say how true to the book Two Towers is.  What I can say is that it kept me in it for 3 hours. </div> <bR> <div> To really appreciate the movie, one has to understand when it was written in 1948, shortly after WW 2 and presents many issues related to war and the emotions associated with that.  But many of the themes are as valid today as then.  At one point Sam and Frodo are discussing whether they should be on this quest, and Sam says "there are some good things in this world and they are worth fighting for".   The movie is about friendship, loyalty, going the extra mile, sacrifice, giving, virtue and love, and perhaps the fact that these qualities come out best in times of hardship and adversity.   </div> <bR> <div> The imagery is just amazing.  As I watched the movie I couldn't help but wonder, how it affected the mental imagery of those who had read the books.  I thought about how each reader would have a common, but different and unique image of hobbits, elves, wizards, orcs, the shire, the towers and so on.   I wondered now that the movie  has created a common image, would that ruin the mental images made by millions of children as they read, or had read to them, these wonderful stories. </div> <bR> <div> Roger Ebert, who calls himself an amateur watcher which likely applies to most of us, makes an important point with which I must agree. "<I>With "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," it's clear that director Peter Jackson has tilted the balance decisively against the hobbits and in favor of the traditional action heroes of the Tolkien trilogy. The star is now clearly Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), and the hobbits spend much of the movie away from the action."</I>    We see his physical struggle against the dark armies as well as his personal struggle in love. But this does not deter from the movie, although Tolkien purest's may find it objectionable.  On characters, the only down side for me was that of King Theoden played by Bernard Hill, who also plays the captain in the Titanic.  As he stood there unable to make critical decisions as the army of Saruman marches on his kingdom, I just couldn't get by the images of him standing on the deck of the Titanic similarly unable to deal with the impending  crisis.  Thankfully in this movie he pulls together in the end.   </div> <bR> <div> I would recommend this movie to everyone, except very young children.  Each of the evil warriors seems uglier and scarier than the ones we see before and these's some close ups that are just plain repulsive.  But as I looked around the theatre there were plenty of younger children.  Tougher generation I guess.   In truth although there is much fighting, I would say the violence is not graphic, that is, there are no slow motions shots of blood spurting out, or heads being chopped off, like in the beginning of Saving Private Ryan.   </div> <bR> <div> Judy had not seen Fellowship of the Rings until 2 days prior to our going to Two Towers.  Just wasn't interested.  But she sat spell bound through the this epic and said it was a great movie.   So that should say something to some of you who may think this movie won't be for you.  If you haven't seen Fellowship of the Ring, suggest very strongly before going to Two Towers, you rent it or you won't have a clue what's going on.   But make sure you have the evening available because that movie runs 2 hours 45 minutes.</div> <bR> <div> It's been a while since we have rated a movie two happy faces and this one gets two very happy - happy faces!</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 51 WIDTH="762"><div> Lutz's Rating  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <img src="HTMLobj-1228/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="21" height="21">   <img src="HTMLobj-1230/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="21" height="21">  </FONT></div> <div> Judy's Rating  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > <img src="HTMLobj-1229/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="21" height="21">   <img src="HTMLobj-1231/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="21" height="21">  </FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 66 WIDTH="762"><div> <B>Storyline from Yahoo;  </B>The second chapter in the J.R.R. Tolkien saga, the hobbits Frodo and Sam brave terrible dangers in an attempt to have the evil ring destroyed, while Aragorn, Legolas and their allies strive to rescue the abducted hobbits Pippin and Merry from the clutches of evil. The great wizard Gandalf also makes his miraculous return to aid in the struggle against the united towers of Saruman and Sauron. </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>