The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
January 2004 Reviewed by: Anthony Di Marco Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Earlier this year I wrote "The Director’s Cut: A Second Chance to Realize a Vision on DVD," about how DVD has given film directors a second chance at realizing original visions. Among the films mentioned was Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which was expanded from a very good theatrical film into a DVD masterpiece. Improvements in the narrative structure, additional plot devices, and important character development gave audiences a chance to take a breath from the non-stop action, while learning details that were essential to understanding the narrative. In fact, I consider The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Special Extended Edition) vital homework to fully enjoy and appreciate The Two Towers.

A year later Jackson and his team have done similar tinkering to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers -- adding approximately 40 minutes to create the Platinum Series Special Extended Edition. But the additional footage has done more than flesh out character and plot details; it has created a film that is considerably more exciting than its original version.

Although I enjoyed the theatrical release of The Two Towers, I found that it didn’t incite the same edge-of-my-seat tension that defined my experience with the first installment. The opening battle between Gandalf the Grey and the Balrog was fantastic, but the pace slowed after that. In Fellowship I was glued to my seat and thrilled by what occurred onscreen. Howard Shore’s edgy score, coupled with the presence of the ominous Ringwraiths, generated such excitement that it was almost too much to bear. Scenes like Arwen’s flight from the Dark Riders and Boromir’s death at the hands of the Orcs punctuated this intensity and elevated the story to epic proportions. It was an incredible ride.

One should never underestimate the effect that character development and story can have in communicating tension. The Fellowship of the Ring started with well-defined characters and took them on a journey that followed one specific storyline: get to Mordor and destroy The Ring. Conflict and tension follow the Fellowship without deviation. There is one purpose and one point of action.

By comparison, The Two Towers has more than one storyline involving new characters that are not as well-defined. King Theoden, Eowyn, and the deceased Prince of Rohan, Theodred, are introduced without adequate history. For instance, we cannot mourn Theodred’s death because we do not know who he really is. Eomer’s brief recount of the battle explains how Theodred died, but there is little drama to give context to the tragedy. The Platinum Series Special Extended Edition corrects this issue by further illustrating the horrible and violent death of Prince Theodred in "The Massacre at the Fords of Isen." This scene not only adds more weight to the passing of Theodred, but makes clear King Theoden’s heartfelt discussion with Gandalf at the Prince’s tomb. The audience is also allowed to mourn alongside the King with an additional scene depicting Theodred’s funeral.

An audience will not invest in a character without knowing his or her motivations. In the original version of The Two Towers, Faramir’s motives are superficial at best. The new edit uses the relationship between a son and his father to clarify the reason Faramir wants The Ring. Within a few minutes, director Jackson is able to turn Faramir from a shallow character into a sympathetic one.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) presentation also deserves attention. The video is impressive but misses reference quality in many scenes -- there is a noticeable measure of softness and lack of saturation in some images compared to The Fellowship of the Ring DVD. However, The Two Towers DVD really shines in its audio; here it may even outshine its predecessor. In terms of fidelity, the DTS soundtrack did seem to edge out the Dolby Digital soundtrack in terms of air and impact -- but only slightly. Given what I remember of the theatrical showing, the DVD’s soundtrack sounded richer and more involving. No doubt, the added shimmer and sweetness I heard had some bearing on the improved thrill I experienced from the DVD viewing when compared to the theatrical showing.

You would be wise to set aside some time to watch the special features found in this four-DVD set. As in the extended edition of the first film, there is a lengthy (but in no way tedious) documentary, which chronicles each stage of production. For those who would rather sample specific details, there are chapter breaks -- but be warned if you choose to "Play All." Be ready to sit back for over four hours of behind-the-scenes story and close to 20 hours of commentary by various individuals on the film crew. You get a great sense of how much care and attention went into producing this trilogy and the genuine respect the writers and director Jackson have for J.R.R. Tolkien’s original stories. This is a fantastic example of how good a set of features can be. There is no filler, no needless rambling, just a wonderful collection of information and anecdotes about the filmmaking process and some very talented and devoted people behind and in front of the camera.

Writer and producer Fran Walsh makes an interesting remark toward the end of her commentary. She points out that due to restrictions in time and resources, film is a superficial medium at best. I agree with her, but also believe that the filmmakers have done a remarkable job taking The Lord of the Rings to the limit of the medium with these extended versions. This series of films has a very good chance of being the epic cinema classic of my generation. Now we just have to wait for Peter Jackson and his team to put the final touches on the extended version of The Return of the King.

I will have a hard time waiting for that day to come.

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