LotR: The Two Towers Ext. Ed. (4 Disc)

• Title:  Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers Ext. Ed. (4 Disc)
• Director:  Peter Jackson
• Date:  2002
• Studio:  New Line Cinema
• Genre:  Action, Fantasy, Drama
• Cast:  Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Brad Dourif, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, David Wenham, Andy Serkis, Sean Bean, John Noble
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"It's very special, that, it's the best salt in all the Shire." -- Sam
"It is special.  It's a little bit of home." -- Frodo

"The Old World will burn in the fires of Industry, the Forests will fall, a New Order will rise.  we will drive the machine of war with the sword, and the spear, and the iron fist of the Orc."  -- Saruman

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn, a great power has been sleeping here for many long years.  The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains."  -- Gandalf

"If we go South, we can slip pass Saruman, unnoticed.  The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm.  It's the last thing he'll expect."  -- Pippin

"Hum, that doesn't make sense to me, but then you are very small."  -- Treebeard

The Two Towers Extended Edition DVD set is also beautifully boxed, in a red slip-case that looks like a leather-bound, gold embossed book.  The DVD holder slips out and unfolds with a DVD on each of four leaves.  The movie is split across the first two DVDs and the special features are on the second two DVDs.

Like the Fellowship Extended Edition DVD, The Two Towers builds more into the story of the film by adding little moments, lines, and scenes.  But whereas Fellowship Extended could almost have been released in theaters (the extended edition of Fellowship is about as long as the Theater version of Return of the King after all), The Two Towers is better suited for a DVD release.  However, it is a shame that the longer version of the film wasn't released to theaters (except the special Celebration showings).  I think the extended editions could have been released in theaters as long as there was an intermission.  The extended edition really builds up the storyline of what happened to Merry and Pippin -- which is my favorite part in that book.  The incident with the Palantir however is still moved to Return of the King.

I watched this over two nights, Tuesday and yesterday, and even after a full day at work, in a very real sense, even though the film is much longer, it feels shorter.  The film is more engrossing because the characters, and the sense of place is built up better, and the film spends more time with one set of characters at a time, which seems to work better than quickly cutting between the three main storylines.  This also gives a better sense of  place, as The Two Towers opens up Tolkien's world by including the realms of Rohan and Fangorn, and showing Ithilien between Gondor and Mordor.  As before, for a detailed summary of the film, see review of the two disc edition; here I will highlight the differences and added scenes.

The opening of the extended edition is the same -- Gandalf's fight with the Balrog, but then the film moves to show Sam and Frodo climbing down a cliff in Ithilien using Sam's Elven rope.  This is the same rope that later Sam ties around Gollum's neck like a leash.  The film includes Sam wishing he didn't have to leave the rope, and it untying itself and falling free.  Sam also mentions that Galadriel gave him the rope.  There's also more Smeagol/Gollum discussion, describing Gollum's fear of seeing Sauron.

There's an added scene with Merry and Pippin and the Orcs.  Merry is plainly injured and Pippin pleas for water for Merry.  The Orcs force "medicine" down Merry's throat, nearly drowning the Hobbit.  Pippin pleas for them to leave Merry alone.  When the Orcs "smell man-flesh", Pippin whispers, "Aragorn", and drops his Lothlorien leaf clasp.

Aragorn gets a few extra lines, introducing who the King of  Rohan is to Legolas, Gimli and the audience, and notes "something is quickening the pace of the Orcs".

Saruman makes his speech about the industry of war, and orders that Fangorn Forest be burned.  The Wild Men also swear allegiance to Saruman.  He also predicts that Rohan is ready to fall.

Eomer and his company of men find a company of Rohan's men slaughtered.  They find the King's injured son, Theodred, amongst them.

Grima shows the order, signed by Theoden King, to Eomer when he is banished.

When the Orc stop for the night, Pippin and Merry are talking and Merry talks about the Old Forest near Buckland.  Orcs cut Fangorn Forest for firewood.  The Orcs discuss the "Elvish weapon" to be brought to Saruman that the two Hobbits have.  Both Merry and Pippin realize this means the Ring.  Merry realizes they must pretend they have it, both to protect Frodo, and to protect themselves because they will get killed and eaten (literally) without  a bargaining chip, so to speak.  When the Orcs fight each other, the Hobbits try to get away, then Rohan attacks.  Merry and Pippin make their escape.  This scene is longer, and more coherently organized than in the shorter version.

The Rohirrim meet Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli -- and yes it's in both versions, but the extended edition has more discussion of what's going on in Rohan.  I also love the formation riding of the riders of Rohan, especially surrounding Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli with spears.

Meanwhile, Frodo, Sam and Gollum are in the Dead Marshes -- there's actually two scenes, first Gollum leading them through the marsh, and complaining of hunger.  Frodo gives him Elvish bread but he can't eat it, it makes him sick.  Later on, is the scene where Frodo sees the corpse in the water and falls in.

In Fangorn, there is more dialog between Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas as they walk into Fangorn, before they meet Gandalf.  Legolas explains it was the Elves who began waking up the trees.  Gandalf arrives, and Aragorn tells him of the trouble in Rohan.  Gimli upsets the trees and has to apologize in his own Dwarven way.  Gandalf explains Merry and Pippin will be safe with Treebeard.  This is much better than in the shorter version of the film, because the audience isn't left wondering why Aragorn and company don't actually rescue Merry and Pippin, after chasing them across half of  Middle-Earth.  The exposition about what, exactly, is happening in Rohan is also quite helpful.

Treebeard is shown walking across Fangorn Forest, reciting poetry.  He brings the Hobbits to his home, and his poetry puts them to sleep.

Gandalf talks to Aragorn of Sauron's plans, and the weakness of Rohan.  He speaks of Frodo and summarizes the Quest.

Sam and Frodo reach the Black Gate and discover they can't get into Mordor that way (same as shorter version).

Merry and Pippin awake in Fangorn.  Pippin is drinking the Ent Draughts.  Merry remarks that Pippin has said something, "treeish", and Pippin seems to be a few inches taller.  They are also nearly eaten by a tree and are surrounded, before being rescued by Treebeard.

Theoden's people, and Aragorn, kneel to Theoden king.  The film shows the funeral procession for Theodred, and his burial at the tomb.  Eowyn sings a lament for her cousin.

Aragorn calms a wild horse in the stables, a horse that belonged to Theodred.  Aragorn and Eowyn speak.  When she compliments his Elvish and skill with horses, he tells her he was raised in Rivendell for a time.

Grima and Saruman talk of the Dwarf, Elf, and Man with Gandalf in Edoras.  Grima talks of Aragorn's ring.  Saruman realizes that this means Gandalf's thinks he's found Isildur's heir -- but, he says the line "was broken" long ago.

In Ithilien Sam and Frodo watch evil men marching towards Sauron's gathering place of his forces, and they see the Oliphaunt.  Faramir and his Rangers attack, and win out the day, but Faramir laments killing someone he didn't even know.

End of  Part One

Part Two

Picks up with Gimli talking to Eowyn about dwarf women.  Theoden tells Aragorn about Eowyn's history.  Eowyn feeds Aragorn some pretty awful stew.  Aragorn and Eowyn discuss Aragorn's age, he's eighty-seven and a member of the Dunedain.

Especially in The Two Towers a big deal is made of  the pendant that Arwen gave Aragorn, which they call the "Evenstar" in the film.  The problem with that is "Evenstar" or Undomiel (in Sindarian Elvish) was Arwen's title, not a jewel she bore.  Aragorn was also (among many names) called Elessar, or Elfstone, but because of a large emerald brooch he wore when he arrived in Gondor.  If in the films, Arwen had given Aragorn the Elfstone brooch I would have been OK with it, but taking her title as a physical thing is one of my nitpicks with the films.

There's a slightly longer scene between Aragorn and Arwen in Rivendell as he tries to convince her to go with her people to the West.

I think the warg battle on the plains of Rohan (as the people head to Helm's Deep) is longer and more complexly shot.  Aragorn falls off the cliff, and later lies in a creek (he imagines Arwen) and he's found by his horse and heads for Helm's Deep, seeing Saruman's many thousands of troops on his way.

There's another scene with Merry, Pippin and Treebeard.

Isengard's troops marching towards Helm's Deep are shown a couple of  times as different people see them.

In Ithilien, the waterfall that hides their cave, the Window on the West, is visible behind some of Faramir's men.  Faramir talks to the Hobbits of finding Boromir's horn cloven in two, then remembers a dream of seeing Boromir's body in a boat.

This leads to Faramir remembering he and Boromir re-taking Osgiliath, and celebrating, and Denethor showing up and praising Boromir while putting down Faramir.  It's clear Faramir and Boromir are close and care deeply for each other, while Denethor favors his older son, and despises his younger one.  Denethor also sends Boromir to Elrond's council in Rivendell, and tells him he must bring the One Ring to Gondor.  Boromir initially doesn't want to go; Faramir offers to go in his stead, but Denethor insists Boromir go anyway.  And thus we are left to wonder, what would have happened if Faramir had been part of the Company instead?

Frodo talks to Sam of the Ring taking him.

Eowyn begs Aragorn to let her fight with him instead of going to the caves.  Again, it's hinted that she has feelings for him.

Merry and Pippin are talking in Fangorn, when the Entmoot pauses.  Treebeard tells them the Ents have only finished saying "good morning" -- it's now evening.  Merry gets upset, knowing they are running out of time.  Treebeard urges, as he does many times, "Don't be hasty".

Aragorn addresses the Elves at Helm's Deep in Elvish.  He also frequently speaks to Arwen and Legolas in Elvish.  He is actually behaving the way someone who is truly bilingual would, using Elvish with Elves he knows will understand it, and the Common Tongue (represented as English) with those who speak it, or at all other times as a Lingua Franca (language in common).  In Lothlorien, when Gimli makes a remark in Dwarvish, Aragorn seems to understand it as well.

Frodo does ask Faramir to please let him go.

There's a bit more with Treebeard, then he sees the destruction of the forest.  Also, Treebeard sends the Ents after the Orcs at Helm's Deep, and he will deal with Saruman and Isengard.

The Ents destroying Isengard is extremely well-done and I really liked it.  We see the Ents and trees destroying the Orcs as they flee Helm's Deep.

Legolas and Gimli finish off their battle count competition in a tie.

At Isengard, Merry and Pippin gather apples, then find a storeroom full of food and goods from the Shire, including Longbottom Leaf pipe tobacco.

Faramir not only lets the Hobbits go, after seeing Frodo nearly giving the Ring to the Nazgul, but he shows Frodo, Sam and Gollum out of the city, through a tunnel.  When Gollum tells them he will take Frodo up the winding stair to Cirith Ungol, Faramir warns of a "nameless terror".

Also, in the tunnel there's a good scene between Gollum and Sam.

Recommendation:  See it!  And again, if you can only buy one version of the Lord of the Rings films, buy this one -- the extended editions.

Rating:  5 of 5 Stars

Next Film:  LotR:  The Return of the King (4 disc extended edition)