Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Iligah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee

Cert: PG12.

Outstandingly gripping, visually spectacular, brilliantly constructed - the Ring Cycle returns in breathtaking splendour!

Having set the scene for the Tolkien epics of Middle Earth and the quest for the rings by Frodo and Sam against increasingly nail-chewing odds in the first of the trio of films, director Jackson brings us a faster-paced and more deeply explored follow-up, filled with wonderful action - particularly the stunning battles - and characters constantly being more rounded-out.

We have here a much darker film than Fellowship, a strong and all-embracing drama of mouth-watering proportions played with gusto by all of the cast.

The Fellowship was the fifth most successful film ever made, it collected a clutch of Oscar nominations - Towers will almost certainly match, if not surpass, that, and deservedly so for it shows the art of moviemaking at its most impressive.

Star Rating: 5/5