Two Towers - Extended versions (**SPOILERS**)

[Rokenn]

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS – EXTENDED EDITION

Johnny Bartlett here, taking a break from the 9 to 5 (got me a total of 217 thats more than Shipman!) to bring you a look at the Exended Edition of The Two Towers. You know that feeling when theres a movie you love and youve seen it over and over, only after a while you start thinking Wouldnt it be cool if this time there was something different in there, just to surprise me? Or perhaps thats just me. Anyway, Im inclined to think Peter Jackson understands this well: like last years extended edition of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers: Extended Edition is a treasure trove for fans of the film - there's so much new stuff spread throughout that it really is like revisiting a beloved classic and finding it to be twice the experience you remembered. I wont bother reviewing the movie we heard it all late last year, right? but at 3 and 3/4 hours, The Two Towers now has an epic running time to match its scope, so if ya hated it last time, you'll hate it even more now. Effects in the added scenes are of equal quality to those of the theatrical footage (and I caught this one in a crew screening a few weeks back, so is was based on seeing it on the big screen) despite many of these shots having been completed just for the DVD. Your arse'll be so numb youll think it up and died on ya and your bladder filled to bursting, but if you loved The Two Towers, youll also be oblivious to the pain and grinning like an idiot. Spoilers? yeah:

SPOILERS BEGIN............................................. .........
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OK... You asked for it!
From memory, here are the major additions:

- Extended opening, in which the hobbits scale a cliff face using the rope Galadriel gave Sam, including a better build-up to the arrival of Gollum.

- More friction between the Uruk-Hai and the Orcs as they transport Merry and Pippin back to Isengard, which better sets up the fight over food that takes place later.

- More scenes of Saruman breeding his army, creating better pacing as the invasion of Rohan begins

- Terrific scene in which Eomer finds the body of Theodred, Theodens son.

- Additional scenes with Merry and Pippin, including extensions to existing Treebeard scenes and the Ent Draught sequence, in which the hobbits grow. In another scene, Treebeards soporific poetry works its magic.

- Theodreds funeral scene, with Eowyn singing a lament.

- A wonderful introduction to Aragorns horse Brego, who we learn was Theodreds horse. Aragorn requests Brego be set free, which places his later rescue in better context.

- Additional scenes between Eowyn and Aragorn, including one in which he attempts to eat a bowl of evil-looking stew.

- More scenes between Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, which expand upon the films politics (including the union between the two towers Gandalf scene from the trailer, though that line is missing from what I can remember).

- More of Sarumans musings, setting up themes that will be explored in The Return of the King.

- Flashback to the circumstances surrounding Boromir being sent to Rivendell for the Council of Elrond, taking place during the re-taking of Osgiliath by the Gondorian army. This sequence briefly introduces John Noble as Denethor, a major character in The Return of the King. I was worried this sequence would seem like an indulgence, but its difficult to imagine the film without it; not only is the character of Faramir, much maligned by fans of the book, given added depth, so too is Boromir enriched by this addition.

- Just before the Ents storming of Isengard, the Huorns mobilise and leave to attend to business elsewhere; they reappear at Helms Deep to kill the Uruk-Hai as they flee.

- New ending, with Merry and Pippin finding a larder at Isengard, including two barrels of pipe-weed; a hilarious scene in which Gimli and Legolas compare their scores after the battle of Helms Deep; Frodo, Sam and Gollum are shown the way out of Osgiliath by Faramir, who threatens Gollum; theres even a brief moment in which Sam and Gollum appear to make peace.

- Along with all these major additions, many more scenes are subtly extended to give more information or reinforce themes already present.

SPOILERS END............................................... ..........
In all, its as much a treat for fans of The Two Towers as last years extended edition was to those of The Fellowship of the Ring if not more so, and despite the number of times Ive seen The Two Towers, I cant wait to see the Extended Edition again.

(Please check copy and pasted posts for F-words) [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 07-29-2003, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: Ziroc ]

[Xen]

Thanks [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[ 07-29-2003, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Xen ]

[Sir Taliesin]

<font color=orange>Caught this in TORN yesterday!!! I'm getting excited!!! Is it November yet!!!</font>

[Thoran]

Damn November is looking like a BUSY month... TTT extended, Doom III possibly, and now it looks like Half Life 2 is being pushed back till then. Then we've got ROTK in December, and isn't the final Matrix coming out around then too?

At least TTT is out next month, with a 12 minute preview of ROTK!

[Hayashi]

Oh, it makes the movie more true to the book then, with the exception of Shelob (which I understand will appear in RotK?)

[Lavindathar]

<font color="cyan">Cant wait! </font>

[Nerull]

Originally posted by Hayashi: Oh, it makes the movie more true to the book then, with the exception of Shelob (which I understand will appear in RotK?)

Yes, the first movie ends where the first book does, but the second movie ends earlier than the second book does. They extended the battle of Helm's Deep (a small part of the book) and from the way they showed the scene with Galadriel and Frodo looking into the pool, it looks like they are going to cut out the entire part of the story after they destroy the ring. Thus, there is much more room in the third movie, so they are going to push the last third of the second book into the third movie to make up for it. That stinks, because the whole reason they have the part after they destroy the ring is to show how the four hobbits have become stronger (it is like a coming of age of sorts; the three books really follow their development from squeamish homebodies to heroes, much like the Hobbit followed Bilbo's own journey).

[antryg]

This is exactly the information I was looking for while making my decision on whether to wait to by TTT. The verdict is in and I'm waiting till November.

[Wulfere]

Wow...wow

wow

I can't wait till November. Thanks for all the info.

[Xen]

Christmas comes early this year.