The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Theatrical Release Date: 2002 12 18 (USA) / 2003 12 12 (USA - Rerelease)

UPC: 794043635526

Studio: New Line Home Video

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence, Watch With Your Kids]

Summary: The second film in Peter Jackson's series of screen adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's internationally popular Lord of The Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers literally begins where The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ended, with the Fellowship splitting into three groups as they seek to return the Ring to Mordor, the forbidding land where the powerful talisman must be taken to be destroyed. Frodo (Elijah Wood), who carries the Ring, and his fellow Hobbit Sam (Sean Astin) are lost in the hills of Emyn Muil when they encounter Gollum (Andy Serkis), a strange creature who once carried the Ring and was twisted by its power. Gollum volunteers to guide the pair to Mordor; Frodo agrees, but Sam does not trust their new acquaintance. Elsewhere, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) are attempting to navigate Fangorn Forrest where they discover a most unusual nemesis -- Treebeard (voice of John Rhys-Davies), a walking and talking tree-shepherd who doesn't much care for Hobbits. Finally, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) arrive in Rohan to discover that the evil powers of Saruman (Christopher Lee) have robbed King Theoden (Bernard Hill) of his rule. The King's niece Éowyn (Miranda Otto) believes Aragorn and his men have the strength to defeat Saruman, his henchman Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), and their minions. Éowyn soon becomes infatuated with Aragorn, while he struggles to stay faithful to the pledge of love he made to Arwen (Liv Tyler). Gandalf (Ian McKellen) offers his help and encouragement as the Rohans, under Aragorn's leadership, attempt to face down Saruman's armies, but they soon discover how great the task before them truly is when they learn that his troops consist of 10,000 bloodthirsty creatures specially bred to fight to the death. Most of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was shot in tandem with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King during a marathon 18-month shooting schedule, overseen by Peter Jackson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Fantasy

Awards: Top Ten Movie of the Year – American Film Institute Best Picture – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Composer – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Picture – null Best Director – null Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Score – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: cc Behind-the-scenes featurettes: "On the Set - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "Return to Middle-earth"
Short film directed by Sean Astin, "The Long and Short of It," and the making of "The Long and Short of It"
Featurettes created for lordoftherings.net: "Forces of Darkness," "Designing the Sounds of Middle-earth," "Edoras: The Rohan Capital," "Creatures of Middle-earth," "Gandalf the White," "Arms and Armor," "The Battle of Helm's Deep," "Bringing Gollum to Life"
Exclusive 10-minute behind-the-scenes preview of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Original theatrical trailers and TV spots
"Gollum's Song" music video by Emiliana Torrini
Preview of Electronic Arts' video game The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Inside look at the Special Extended DVD Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
DVD-ROM content: Exclusive online content

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Format: DVD

Release Date: 08/26/2003

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD-EX Dolby Digital Surround EX (simulated 6.1), DDS Dolby Digital Surround

Runtime: 179 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 -- Widescreen Version
1. The Foundations of Stone [4:06]
2. The Taming of Sméagol [7:23]
3. The Uruk-hai [:45]
4. The Three Hunters [2:09]
5. The Burning of the Westfold [3:03]
6. The Banishment of Èomer [2:50]
7. On the Trail of the Uruk-hai [:51]
8. Night Camp at Fangorn [2:58]
9. The Riders of Rohan [4:07]
10. Traces of Merry and Pippin [2:32]
11. Treebeard [3:29]
12. The Passage of the Marshes [6:58]
13. The White Rider [5:36]
14. Fangorn Forest [:40]
15. The Black Gate Is Closed [5:17]
16. The King of the Golden Hall [11:28]
17. Simbelmynë on the Burial Mounds [1:52]
18. The King's Decision [3:10]
19. A Daughter of Kings [1:26]
20. Exodus From Edoras [1:04]
21. The Forests of Ithilien [1:43]
22. Gollum and Sméagol [2:29]
23. Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit [4:27]
24. Dwarf Women [:56]
25. The Evenstar [4:29]
26. The Wolves of Isengard [6:37]
27. Helm's Deep [2:26]
28. Isengard Unleashed [2:36]
29. The Grace of the Valar [1:39]
30. Arwen's Fate [3:40]
31. The Story Foreseen From Lórien [2:25]
32. The Window on the West [2:56]
33. The Forbidden Pool [7:19]
34. Aragorn's Return [5:33]
35. Entmoot [1:20]
36. The Glittering Caves [1:58]
37. "Where Is the Horse and the Rider?" [1:44]
38. The Host of the Eldar [3:32]
39. The Battle of the Hornburg [6:15]
40. Old Entish [1:39]
41. The Breach of the Deeping Wall [3:25]
42. The Entmoot Decides [1:45]
43. Retreat of the Hornburg [5:56]
44. Master Peregrin's Plan [1:24]
45. Osgiliath [:35]
46. The Last March of the Ents [2:16]
47. The Nazgûl Attack [2:32]
48. Forth Eorlingas [4:38]
49. The Flooding of Isengard [2:28]
50. The Tales That Really Mattered... [4:46]
51. "The Battle for Middle-earth Is About to Begin" [1:39]
52. Gollum's Plan [2:25]
53. End Credits [7:42]

Karl Williams

Co-writer and director Peter Jackson continues his Oscar-winning, box-office blockbuster adaptation of the classic fantasy novel from author J.R.R. Tolkien with a second installment that plunges the fictional setting of Middle-earth into a vicious war. Welcome additions to the action in the sophomore adventure include the CG-created Gollum, moving front and center as a major character who is simply amazing in his ability to entertain and move the viewer emotionally. The most pathetic creature in the trilogy, he's a schizophrenic nightmare but heartbreakingly human and poignantly, dazzlingly realized by a combination of actor Andy Serkis's physical skill and Jackson's special effects experts. Gollum puts the similar Jar Jar Binks character of the second Star Wars trilogy to shame. Also thrilling are a climactic battle between Ents (living "trees") and the evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) that brings to mind any number of breathtaking sequences from The Wizard of Oz (1939), and the final clash between humans and invading enemy forces at Helm's Deep, a lengthy but thrilling clash of bows and shields that recalls the superb fight sequences from Braveheart (1995). Less persuasive are some storytelling elements that fall victim to the filmmakers' effort to condense the story into a three-hour running time: several gaps in the action occur and a few developments are left unexplained or vague, such as how the forces of Éomer (Karl Urban) grow from a few dozen to thousands, how the defenders of the realm of Gondor manage to defeat their attackers, why the Ringwraiths have suddenly switched mounts from horses to dragons (why did they use horses at all in the first film?) -- and why Tolkien felt the need to give every location, character, and object in his work at least three utterly confusing names (those who haven't read the books may be left wondering what the difference is between Éomer and Faramir or Gimli and Grima). However, the simple fact that a novel as dense and detailed as this one hasn't been turned into a labored bore is a miracle; that Jackson has fashioned such a triumphant success is a real artistic achievement. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) may be imperfect in its occasionally frustrated effort to squeeze every significant plot element into the mix, but it's a visual marvel and a definite raising of the artistic bar for its entire genre. No filmmaker will ever be able to create a sci-fi or fantasy epic again without comparison against it. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Peter Jackson  Director 
Peter Jackson  Producer 
Peter Jackson  Screenwriter 
Barrie M. Osborne  Producer 
Robert Shaye  Executive Producer 
Howard Shore  Composer (Music Score) 
Bob Weinstein  Executive Producer 
Harvey Weinstein  Executive Producer 
Fran Walsh  Producer 
Fran Walsh  Screenwriter 
Mark Ordesky  Executive Producer 
Stephen Sinclair  Screenwriter 
Philippa Boyens  Screenwriter 
Michael Lynne  Executive Producer 
Elijah Wood  Actor 
Ian McKellen  Actor 
Liv Tyler  Actor 
Viggo Mortensen  Actor 
Sean Astin  Actor 
Cate Blanchett  Actor 
John Rhys-Davies  Actor 
Bernard Hill  Actor 
Christopher Lee  Actor 
Billy Boyd  Actor 
Dominic Monaghan  Actor 
Orlando Bloom  Actor 
Hugo Weaving  Actor 
Miranda Otto  Actor 
David Wenham  Actor 
Brad Dourif  Actor 
Andy Serkis  Actor 
Karl Urban  Actor 
Craig Parker  Actor 
John Rhys-Davies  Actor 
Sala Baker  Actor 
Marton Csokas  Actor 

Country: New Zealand,USA