Fearful of the corrupting influence of the Ring on the minds of men, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and his loyal friend Samwise (Sean Astin) set off alone on the path to Mordor.  At the beginning of The Two Towers (2002) they are quickly intercepted by Gollum, the grotesque former hobbit who for five hundred years was the Ring’s guardian.  Though the treasure inflicted a terrible toll on his mind and body Gollum will do anything to once more possess his ‘Precious,’ and as Frodo and a distinctly suspicious Samwise continue on their journey they must rely ever more on the malformed creature as their guide.  Meanwhile the rest of the fellowship have their own battles to fight, and the fearsome Ringwraiths remain as determined as ever to hunt down the diminutive Ring-bearer. 

Much of the action in this second instalment revolves around the seige of Helm’s Gate at the hands of Saruman’s orc army, and with neither the immediacy of the first film or the closure of the last The Two Towers does drag slightly on occasion.  There is much more CGI on offer than in the opening chapter, and thus, in this age of Avatar and seamless 3D, many more instances of effects being easily recognisable as computer-generated. 

There are however new monsters, new friends and new foes introduced in The Two Towers, and Frodo and Sam’s perilous trek to the foothills of Mordor remains thrilling and laden with danger and excitement.  Gollum plays a much larger role in this central film, and despite being one of the earliest motion-captured, computer-generated ever brought to life on life he still looks impressive all these years later. 

Minor quibbles aside, The Two Towers still stands as a strong technoligical statement, and sets the scene neatly for The Return of the King.  Jackson neatly divides screentime between a multitude of characters and subplots, and he does so in a way that never feels rushed or extraneous, something that perhaps can’t be said about the final film of the trilogy.  The lack of bonus features or an extended edition is again a glaring omission, but the audio and video quality are excellent and as for sheer visual spectacle The Two Towers is a triumph, with powerful performances from the likes of Viggo Mortenson, Christopher Lee and Orlando Bloom adding to the potency.