Review of Lord of the Rings — Two Towers
Getting a phone call three hours after you fall asleep is usually bad news (I do keep strange hours, though). Being invited to watch Lord of the Rings - Two Towers by a friend who had mysteriously managed to obtain two tickets had me wide awake and grinning like a fool in 2 seconds. 
For a movie of these proportions there are certain necessary preparations. First, it will be around three hours without intake of nicotine or emptying of bladders. Inhale serious amounts of high-nicotine cigarettes before the show. Make sure you're not hungry. And do visit the toilet first.
There is one more thing you have to ditch: Tolkien puritanism. Anyone who started reading LOTR in their early teens and have read it a zillion times since, as me, will have lots of preconceptions and also know the story by heart. While being reasonably faithful to the story line, quite a few concessions had to be made to squeeze it all into a 9ish hour epic. The original is also very absent of women in large parts of the story. Peter Jackson in my opinion did a good thing by making Arwen more important from the start (puritans will disagree). Some of us were disappointed to see Tom Bombadill eliminated from the first film, but it was a necessary step, especially since the hobbits' encounter with him means little for the main story.
This second part, however, makes some storyline changes and tweaks that may have puritans screaming for blood. Forget that. It is a good story as it's told. Suspend disbelief and your encyclopedic Tolkien knowledge and just enjoy it coming to life. This is a great movie, spectacular and beautiful.
I don't think it's too much of a spoiler, either, to tell that the second film does not correspond to the second book. Remember that book three is much shorter than the first two, due to the long appendices. This part is essentially about the start of Frodo & Sam's journey towards Mordor, about their troubled relationship with the strange and amazingly crafted creature Gollum (Smeagol). Most of the story in Two Towers, however, is about the events revolving around Sarumann's attempt to crush Rohan, the king Theoden with the help of the resurrected Gandalf snapping out of the evil wizard's spell (the way this film showed that happening, I did not at all like, I admit), and the massive, spectacular battle at Helm's Deep. And, yes, we have ents! Of course we have ents.
 Peter Jackson and his computer applications can do battles. Wow! You will feel personally under siege by the massive armies of Uruk Hai and orcs as they wash up against the shaking fortress at Helm's Deep. You will feel the desperation of the helpless civilians trapped in the deep caves as the cruel battle rages outside. And you will rise in triumph as the horn sounds and Theoden and Aragorn and their forces ride out to fight a last desperate stand against the overwhelming enemy. We know, of course, that the cavalry is just around the corner and will arrive with impeccable timing.
And yes, the one-liners. You'll laugh out loud at many of them. Pay particular attention to this part's followup to the Fellowship of the Ring's greatest one-liner: "Nobody tosses a dwarf!"
Heard at the theatre after the movie: Oh no! A whole year until part three!
6:51:48 AM 
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It is 6 years ago today since it was announced that astronomer, public educator, author and 
