Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers - 2002

New Line Cinema/Wingnut Films - 179 min.(theatrical) or 214min.(extended)
DVD UPC # 794043635526(standard); 794043650420(extended); 794043710827(standard trilogy); 794043734724(extended trilogy); 5017239192548(extended trilogy); 5017239191886(extended); 5017239191794(standard); 5050582594324(Blu-ray); 9398710379389(Blu-ray)

Principal Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Cate Blanchett, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban.

Principal Filmmakers: Peter Jackson, Director, Writer, Producer; Barrie M. Osborne, Producer; Tim Sanders, Producer; Fran Walsh, Writer, coproducer; Philippa Boyens, Writer; Mark Ordesky, Executive Producer; Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Executive Producers; Rick Porras, Associate Producer; Ellen M. Somers, Associate Producer; Andrew Lesnie, Director of Photography; Richard Taylor, Creature/Miniature/Armor/Special Makeup Effects Supervisor; Grant Major, Production Supervisor; Ngila Dickson, Costume Designer; Howard Shore, Composer; Jamie Selkirk, Post-Production Supervisor; John Gilbert, Editor; Michael J. Horton, Editor; Jim Rygiel, Visual Effects Supervisor; Alan Lee, Conceptual Artist/Set Decorator; John Howe, Conceptual Artist; Dan Hennah, Supervising Art Director; Peter Owen and Peter King, Makeup and Hair Design.

Censor Rating: M - Review Rating: A-

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, who carries the Ring, and his fellow Hobbit Sam are lost in the hills of Emyn Muil when they encounter Gollum, 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 and Pippin are attempting to navigate Fangorn Forrest where they discover a most unusual nemesis -- Treebeard, a walking and talking tree-shephard. Finally, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas arrive in Rohan to discover that the evil powers of Saruman have robbed King Theoden of his rule. The King's niece Éowyn believes Aragorn and his men have the strength to defeat Saruman, his henchman Wormtongue, and their minions. Éowyn soon becomes infatuated with Aragorn, while he struggles to stay faithful to the pledge of love he made to Arwen. Gandalf 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. -- Mark Deming - All Movie Review

The Standard Release

It is available in standard (pan & scan) and Widescreen versions. The VHS NTSC or R1 DVD version sells for under $10us. The R4 set is selling for $20nz or $20au. R2 PAL versions are selling for about 6#.

The DVD is a 2 disc set. One disc is the PG-13 cut of the 179-minute film that was seen in theatres. It is presented in a 2.35 widescreen with Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound. Differing subtitles and closed captions are added, depending upon the market and the zone.
The second disc contains over two hours of content including:
An inside look at the special extended DVD edition released in November (See below).
A 10 minute preview of Return of the King.
Emiliana Torrini "Gollum Song" music video
Short film by Sean Astin "The Long and Short of It" + behind-the-scenes "making of" featurette.
Preview of Electronic Arts' video game
An inside look at the Special Extended DVD edition.
Some 15 additional featurettes originally created for lordoftherings.net which include:
Forces of Darkness
Sound of Middle-earth
Edoras & Rohan Culture
Creatures
Gandalf the White
Arms & Armor
Helm's Deep
Gollum: Andy Serkis, Bay Raitt

DVD-ROM Content: Exclusive online content

Six Disc Trilogy Set
A six disc Trilogy set in a slipcase, of the theatrical version of all three films, is available for about $20us, 20#, 17eur or $40nz.

The Blu-ray Trilogy Set
The three "The Lord of the Rings" films are 1080p Blu-ray in their original aspect ratio of 2.40:1 using dual-layer BD50s and a VC-1 codec with DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 ES matrix English or Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Spanish. There are both English and Spanish subtitle options with the ntsc region A version.
The theatrical-version Blu-ray trilogy set includes nine discs: three high-definition Blu-ray discs of the films, three standard-definition DVDs of special features, and three standard-definition digital copies. Here's a rundown on what's on each of the discs.
Disc one contains "The Fellowship of the Ring" in Blu-ray, along with forty scene selections; BD-Live; two teaser trailers; one theatrical trailer; one super trailer for the Trilogy; and video-game trailers for "The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest" and "The Lord of the Rings: War in the North" in HD.
Disc two is a DVD containing the bulk of the special bonus features for "The Fellowship of the Ring," presented in standard definition. First up is a sixteen-minute featurette, "Welcome to Middle-earth: Houghton Mifflin In-Store Special," dealing with the books' publisher and their adaptation to the screen. Next is a Fox TV special, "Quest for the Ring," a twenty-one minute promo. Following that is a forty-one minute Sci-Fi Channel special, "A Passage to Middle Earth," that essentially repeats a lot of what the first two featurettes cover. Then, we find fifteen brief featurettes from lordoftherings.net, each of them about two-to-five minutes each. Finally, we get six TV spots; a music video, "May It Be Music," with Enya; a preview of the movie's extended DVD edition; and a preview of "The Two Towers."
Disc three contains "The Two Towers" in Blu-ray, along with fifty-three scene selections, a teaser and theatrical trailer, trailers for the Trilogy and video games, and BD-Live access.
Disc four is a DVD containing the majority of the bonus features for "The Two Towers," presented in standard definition. First up is "On the Set of The Lord of the Rings," a fourteen-minute STARZ Encore Special. Next is "Return to Middle-earth," a forty-three minute WB special with the stars of the film. After that is "The Long and Short of It," a seven-minute short film directed by Sean Astin, followed by "The Making of The Long and the Short of It," eight minutes. I think it's amusing that the making-of film is longer than the film it's discussing. Then, there's another lordoftherings.net featurette gallery, this one highlighting the technical aspects of the filmmaking, that includes eight brief segments at several minutes each. Finally, we get a music video, "Golum's Song," with Emiliana Torrini; a special Extended DVD edition preview; and a behind-the-scenes preview of "The Return of the King."
Disc five contains "The Return of the King" in Blu-ray, along with sixty scene selections, a pair of theatrical trailers in HD, a Trilogy trailer in HD, a special Extended DVD edition preview in HD, two video-game trailers in HD, and BD-Live access.
Disc six is a DVD containing the greater part of the special features for "The Return of the King," presented in standard definition. First is "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision," twenty-three minutes with the director, cast, and filmmakers. Next is "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making The Lord of the Rings," twenty-eight minutes of more of the same, with an emphasis on the technical aspects of the filmmaking. After that is National Geographic's "Behind the Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," forty-six minutes, the best of the documentaries because it delves into some of the historical background of the story. Then, there's a gallery of six brief featurettes from lordoftherings.net highlighting the film's breakthrough special effects and character detail. The disc ends with thirteen TV spots of about thirty seconds each and a special Extended DVD Edition preview.
Discs seven, eight, and nine contain standard-definition digital copies of the films for iTunes and Windows Media, the offer expiring April 4, 2011.
Discs one through six, the Blu-ray movie and DVD special features discs, fit into a single Blu-ray keep case, and discs seven through nine, the digital copies, fit into another. An embossed, hard-cardboard slipcase encloses both cases, and an informational insert of disc contents is included within the set.

NOTE: The Blu-ray version version in Australia and New Zealand is either a Trilogy set at $90-100nz, or as separate 2-disc PAL Region B/C sets of Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King at $35-40nz each. The feature technical specs are the same as the Trilogy region A version. The only extras are some trailers.

The Extended Release

It is in two versions. A leather-bound hardcover book style set, and a more elaborate Collector's Gift Set. Expect the 4 disc DVD set to sell for about $20us, the U.K. for 15#, in Australia for about $45au and New Zealand at $35nz. Expect the Collector's Gift Set to go for about $60us, about 30# or about $80au.

The 214 min. (approx.) length version of the film is on two of the discs, with optional audio commentaries by director, writers, design and production team and more than 30 cast and crew participants. The other two discs contain hours of original content including multiple documentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images:

Adapting the book into a screenplay & planning the film
Designing and inspiration for locations in Middle-earth
Storyboards to pre-visualization
Weta Workshop visit - sculptors in action as they create the weapons, armor, creatures and miniatures for the film.
Atlas of Middle-earth: Tracing the journey of the Fellowship.
An interactive map of New Zealand highlighting the location scouting process.
Sending Actors to battle - preparation for sword fighting.
Principal photography: Stories from the set
Digital effects including motion capture and "Massive"
"Bigatures" - A close-up look at the detailed miniatures used
Post-production - editing it all together
Sound Edsign demonstration
Galleries of art and slideshows with commentaries by the artists.

The standard set is 2.35 widescreen, with Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and Surround sound. It contains approximately 40 additional minutes of scenes incorporated into the film.

The Collector's Gift Set includes a collectable Gollum polystone statue created by Sideshow Weta and a bonus DVD on Weta Workshop and how the Gollum statue was created.

Twelve Disc Trilogy Set

A Trilogy packaging of the Extended editions, in slipcase, is available for about $60us, 40#, 50eur, $7au or $80nz. It contains the same material as the separate four-disc expanded edition versions of the three features.

SOUNDTRACK ON AUDIO CD

Click for Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers CD Details

REVIEWS

Ebert and Roeper Video Review

Moria Review

Dominic Corry review at TVNZ

Metacritic consolidated reviews

DVD Compare's Review

DVD Compare's Ext. Ed. Review

Urban Cinefile Review - Theatrical Version

Urban Cinefile Review - Extended Edition

Michaeldvd Region 4 Reviews of Standard Edition

Michaeldvd Region 4 Reviews of Extended Edition

All Movie Guide Review

IMDB viewer reviews - 2318 articles

Movie Review Query - 301 articles

OFFLINE REVIEW SOURCES

Film comment, v.39no.1(Jan/Feb.2002), p.73
New Yorker, v.78no.41(Jan.6 2003), p.91
New Zealand herald, Dec.21, 2002, p.E10
North and south, issue 203(Feb.2003), p.100
Sight and sound, v.13, issue 2( Feb.2003), p.49
Sunday star-times, Dec.22, 2002, p.D2
Waikato times, Dec.18, 2002, p.1,3; Dec.24, 2002, p.19

TRAILER AND OTHER TITLE RELATED LINKS

Official Trailer

Information at IMDB

Short videos of special effects samples at WETA Workshop

Six sample insight videos from Weta Digital

Peter Jackson on Charlie Rose - Feb. 22, 2002

The One Ring Net

Official Lord of the Rings Website

The boxoffice numbers - worldwide

AWARDS - As of JULY 2003

Academy Awards Oscars USA

Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films - 2002

Saturn Awards for:
Best Fantasy Film
Best Costume
Best Makeup
Best Supporting Actor

Art Directors Guild

Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Fantasy Film

British Academy Awards

Audience Award -
BAFTA Film Award Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects -
Best Costume Design

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

BFCA Award: Best Digital Acting Performance for "Gollum".

Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association Awards

Best Director

Empire Awards, UK

Best Film

Golden Satellite Awards

Special Achievement award for outstanding motion picture ensemble.

Golden Trailer Award

The Two Towers "sacrifice" trailer.

Hollywood Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist Guild Awards

Feature character hair styling
Feature Character Make-up
Feature Special Make-up Effects

Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists

Silver Ribbon for best dubbing

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

KCFCC Award Best Director - Peter Jackson

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards

Sierra Award
Best Editing
Best Costume Design - Ngila Dickson
Best Director - Peter Jackson
Best Visual Effects - Richard Taylor (III)

MTV Movie Awards

Best Movie
Best on-screen team.
Best Virtual Performance for Gollum.

Online Film Critics Society Awards

Best Director
Best Editing
Best Ensemble
Best Picture
Best Sound
Best Visual Effects

Visual Effects Society - VES Awards

Best Character Animation in a live action motion picture
Best Compositing
Best Effects Art Direction
Best Models and Miniatures
Best performance by an acter in an effects film
Best Special Effects
Best Effects Photography
Best Visual Effects in an effects driven picture

Young Artist Awards

Best Family Dramatic Feature Film

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