The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Copied from my Letterboxd review:

Before watching THE TWO TOWERS, I got hit with a bunch of My Friends' Opinions on it, including "The battle scene never ends," and "It's the filler movie until RETURN OF THE KING."

So then, imagine my surprise when I actually loved THE TWO TOWERS more than the first movie. A sign of a good sequel -- and a good part 2 of a trilogy that could be dismissed as filler until the finale -- is that it turns everything you thought you knew and loved about the first movie on its head. It changes the course of the story and the capital-O Opinions of viewers like me. It's surprising in all the best ways. THE TWO TOWERS did all of that and exceeded all of my expectations.

For instance, I got a lot of flak for calling Merry and Pippin annoying in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, but again, to my surprise, I loved their storyline with the Ents and Treebeard, wishing there was more of it (Last March of the Ents -- iconic! moving!). Yes, I had heart-eyes for Aragorn during the entire first movie, but thought that THE TWO TOWERS had perhaps Too Much Aragorn. I know from friends that Aragorn and Arwen's love story isn't from the main story/books, and boy, can you tell in this movie. It feels a bit shoehorned in, along with -- to my shock -- an extremely minor love triangle!

And then there's the Battle of Helm's Deep. I love examining movies and scenes that influenced generations of media that followed it (can take the girl out of film school, but can't take the film school out of the girl). As soon as it began, I could tell it was a cultural touchstone and it set the high standard for TV and movie battle scenes for the next 24 years, from GAME OF THRONES to 300. Contrary to Opinions, I loved it and didn't find it boring at all; it was riveting. It may be one of my favorite cinematic battles.

I didn't expect to wax poetic about this movie, but here we are. I watched it in three sittings. I've decided to really test myself (and my bladder) and watch the finale, RETURN OF THE KING, in theaters for the anniversary. All in one sitting. See you then.