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The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers – Blu-Ray Extended Edition

New Line Cinema (Dec 18, 2002)
Adventure | Fantasy
New Zealand | English | Color | 03:55
#2
10
Extended Blu-Ray Collectors Edition
Blu-ray
PG-13 (Parental Guidance)
794043175145
| 4 discs
Region A
Custom Case

Sauron's forces increase. His allies grow. The Ringwraiths return in an even more frightening form. Saruman's army of Uruk Hai is ready to launch an assault against Aragorn and the people of Rohan. Yet, the Fellowship is broken and Boromir is dead. For the little hope that is left, Frodo and Sam march on into Mordor, unprotected. A number of new allies join with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Pippin and Merry. And they must defend Rohan and attack Isengard. Yet, while all this is going on, Sauron's troops mass toward the City of Gondor, for the War of the Ring is about to begin.
- Written by Yuandi Li




The Fellowship has been broken. Boromir is dead, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee have gone to Mordor alone to destroy the One Ring, Merry and Pippin have been captured by the Uruk-hai, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli have made friends of the Rohan, a race of humans that are in the path of the upcoming war, led by its aging king, Théoden. The two towers between Mordor and Isengard, Barad-dúr and Orthanc, have united in their lust for destruction. The corrupt wizard Saruman, under the power of the Dark Lord Sauron, and his slimy assistant, Gríma Wormtongue, have created a grand Uruk-hai army bent on the destruction of Man and Middle-earth. The rebellion against Sauron is building up and will be led by Gandalf the White, who was thought to be dead after the Balrog captured him. One of the Ring's original bearers, the creature Gollum, has tracked Frodo and Sam down in search of his 'precious', but is captured by the Hobbits and used as a way to lead them to Mt. Doom. The War of the Ring has now begun...
- Written by Will




Frodo and Sam take Gollum prisoner and continue on to Mordor on the mission to destroy The One Ring. Whilst their former companions Strider, Legolas, Gimli, Merry and Pippin make new allies in the Ents, The Riders of Rohan and the Stewards of Gondor and launch an assault on Isengard. All the while a growing Shadow falls upon Middle-earth as the Dark Lord's Army marches on to Gondor. The War of the Ring has begun.
- Written by Paul Twomey




After the fellowship has broken, Merry and Pippin, taken by orcs, make new allies in the Ents, while Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn make allies in the people of Rohan, and all of them must launch an assault on Isengard. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam force Gollum to guide them through Mordor, trusting him with their lives.
- Written by Suleiman the Great




While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
- Written by Trance




SYNOPSIS

The film begins with a flashback set to the first film, with Gandalf battling the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, but this time continues from Gandalf's perspective, with the scene continuing to follow both as they hurtle down below, fighting while in free-fall. Frodo awakens from his dream and continues his journey with his trusted and loyal friend, Sam through the rocky region of Emyn Muil, where they become lost. They are then attacked by the ring-possessed Gollum wishing to retrieve "his precious" from the ones he thinks stole it from him. The Hobbits subdue and bind him with Sam's Elven rope given to him by the Elven elder Galadriel in Lórien. Sam distrusts Gollum and wishes to abandon him, but Frodo understands the burden of the creature and takes pity on him. In need of a guide, Frodo persuades Gollum to lead them to the Black Gate of Mordor.

In Rohan, the pack of Uruk-hai run across the grassy landscape with their captives Merry and Pippin. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are in pursuit, following three days of running, Legolas surmises the Hobbits are being taken to Isengard, where Saruman is marshaling his Uruk-hai forces to do the bidding of Sauron. In the kingdom of Rohan, home of the horse lords, King Théoden is mentally and physically weak due to the enchantments of his steward, Gríma Wormtongue, who is secretly in the service of Saruman. Orcs and Wild Men of Dunland incited by Saruman freely roam the land and kill the people including the king's only son Théodred. Théoden's nephew Éomer interrogates Gríma, angrily realizing he has lustful eyes for Éomer's sister Éowyn and that he is now an agent of Saruman. Gríma banishes Éomer for undermining his authority and Éomer sets forth to gather the remaining loyal men of the Rohirrim throughout the land.

Éomer and his Rohirrim ambush and kill all of the Orcs and Uruk-hai holding the two Hobbits captive at nightfall. During the battle, Merry and Pippin narrowly escape their captors by fleeing into the trees. Éomer later encounters Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli and in turn tells Aragorn there were no survivors of the Orc/Uruk-hai slaughter. Upon arriving at the battle site, Aragorn uses his tracking skills and finds hobbit tracks that lead into nearby Fangorn forest. We see Merry & Pippin as they flee into the forest pursued by the orc who previously attacked them. They are aided by Treebeard the oldest of the tree-like creatures, the Ents, who takes them to the one he calls the white wizard, whom Merry & Pippin assume to be Saruman; we leave them looking up at him.

Frodo and Sam traverse the Dead Marshes, passing the undead fallen warriors of the Second Age who haunt the marshes and evading a newly seated Ringwraith on his flying fell beast.

We return to our three heroes in Fangorn Forest, where they also discover the wizard who is ultimately shown to be Gandalf reborn, now known as Gandalf the White. He speaks of his ordeal w/ the Balrog, & we see his defeat of the creature. Gandalf summons Shadowfax, the lord of the Mearas - an ancient & noble race of horses - & the quartet proceed to Edoras. Meanwhile, Frodo, Sam & Gollum reach the Black Gate, finding it to be heavily guarded, (they observe a contingent of Easterlings from Rhûn arrive to reinforce the garrison) only to have Gollum reveal to them a less risky path; Sam remains distrustful, but Frodo gives him the benefit of the doubt & begins calling him Sméagol.

Back to Gandalf & company approaching Meduseld in Edoras, where Theodred has just died w/ Éowyn at his bedside. After much ado, they exorcise Saruman's spirit from King Théoden and banish Wormtongue. Théoden is confronted with his dead son and, rather than risk open war, decides to flee to a large fortress called Helm's Deep which in times of trouble has saved the people of Rohan. Gandalf leaves to find Éomer and his Rohirrim, promising to return within five days, as a strong attraction draws Éowyn to Aragorn during the journey to Helm's Deep. Wormtongue flees to Orthanc and tells Saruman of Rohan breaking from their grip; Saruman then decides to destroy Rohan.

In Ithilien, Sméagol battles his split personality in an attempt to befriend Frodo and Sam and ultimately banishes Gollum, his "evil" half. The two hobbits are witness to an ambush of Southrons but are taken captive by soldiers of Gondor. Meanwhile, along the journey to Helm's Deep, Éowyn becomes more attracted to Aragorn. When the travelers are attacked by Saruman's Wargs and their Orc riders, an unhappy Éowyn is tasked w/ seeing the people of Edoras safely to Helm's Deep. During the battle, Aragorn is dragged by a Warg and falls off a cliff into a raging river as the grief-stricken survivors reluctantly move on to the fortress.

Elsewhere...in Isengard, Saruman reveals his huge army to Wormtongue & sends them off to make war on Helm's Deep; Merry & Pippin in the company of Treebeard, realize the war is starting; in Rohan, Aragorn washes up on the river's edge and is nudged back to consciousness by his horse, Brego. Battered but undaunted, he rides to Helm's Deep; & in Rivendell, Elrond knows that the age of Elves is ending and convinces Arwen that it is hopeless to stay and she should leave for the Grey Havens. Elrond shows her a prophetic vision that if she waits for Aragorn, even if he succeeds in destroying Sauron and becomes King of Gondor, he will still succumb to mortality; Arwen will suffer grievously once he is dead and will be left to wither away...she reluctantly agrees to leave. Meanwhile back in Gondor, Frodo and Sam are taken to Henneth Annûn and brought before Faramir, where they learn their captor is the younger brother of Boromir. Sméagol eluded capture and, in order to save his life, is lured unknowingly into a trap by Frodo, bringing back his Gollum alter-ego. Faramir learns of the One Ring and, seeking to prove his worth to his father, decides the Ring shall go to Gondor.

On his way to Helm's Deep, Aragorn passes Saruman's army of Uruk-hai, which numbers at least 10,000 strong. His arrival is met with relief but that is short-lived with the news that there are only 300 men in the stronghold. He counsels Théoden to send for aid, but his pleas fall on deaf & despairing ears. At Fangorn forest, Treebeard and the other Ents, w/ Merry & Pippin along for the ride, hold a Council to decide on the role of the Ents in the war with Saruman. Back at Helm's Deep, every male old enough to hold a sword is called to service, & the women fall back into the fortress. Night falls, the defenders ready for attack; then, in the midst of despair, a battalion of Elven archers from Lórien, led by Haldir, arrives to assist in the ensuing battle.

The defenders wait on the walls as lightning reveals Saruman's massive army. In the pouring rain, an old man on the wall lets loose an arrow - oops! - & the battle of Helm's Deep begins with a flurry of arrows from both human and Elven archers cutting down dozens of Uruk-hai. Scaling ladders are placed upon the Deeping Wall, and the Uruk-Hai swarm up to engage the defenders. Meanwhile, back at the Entish council, Merry & Pippin become frustrated by the slow progress. Back to Helm's Deep...The defenses are slowly being breached and the enemy manages to destroy the wall through its sewer drain - which the treacherous Wormtongue told Saruman of - using a rudimentary explosive device created by the wizard. Despite Aragorn and Gimli's best efforts, the Uruk-hai manage to penetrate the main gate and soon the stronghold is overrun. In Fangorn, Treebeard and the other Ents have decided to not have any involvement in the war. In the midst of battle, Haldir is slain and the few remaining Elves fall back into the Keep. In the Hornburg,the Uruks have scaled the walls, and have breached the gate, forcing the defenders to also retreat into the Keep. Frustrated further by the Ents' decision to not participate in the war, Pippin cleverly takes Treebeard to the section of Fangorn Forest near Isengard that Saruman has decimated to build the forges necessary to make weapons for his army. A brief glimpse of Frodo arguing w/ Faramir to let the ring party go. Treebeard is filled with rage at Saruman's betrayal and commands all the Ents to seek vengeance. They gather and embark upon 'the Last March of the Ents'.

At the ruins of Osgiliath, Faramir talks of sending his father a great gift - meaning the ring, of course - a weapon that will help win the war. Sam proceeds to tell him that the ring drove Boromir to madness & dishonor. Meanwhile, as the Keep is now under attack, and remembering Gandalf's words before he departed - of looking for him at dawn on the 5th day - Aragorn and the rest make one last gallant ride on horseback to attack the Uruk-hai army, in a desperate bid to allow the Rohirrim's women and children to escape into the caves behind the Keep. As the riders are surrounded and all seems lost, Aragorn looks up to see Gandalf at the top of the tall hill before the fortress. W/ him are Éomer, and two thousand Riders of the Rohirrim; as they descend, the sun rises over the mighty hill, blinding the Uruk army. Elsewhere, the Ents also attack Isengard, tossing stones and rocks while collapsing a dam to flood its surroundings and destroy the system of tunnels and foundries beneath it, while Saruman looks on frantically from his tower. Back in Osgiliath, the Hobbits are confronted by a Ringwraith and its fell beast. With the help of Sam, & Faramir's well-aimed arrow, Frodo - who is feeling more & more the pull of the ring - narrowly escapes the Ringwraith's efforts to capture him. As we watch the army at Helm's Deep rout the evil army & the Ents succeed in demolishing Isengard, Sam narrates how the story must go on & they must finish their quest, regardless of the danger, b/c there is still good in the world & it's worth fighting for. Faramir hears & decides to free them.

Gandalf and the others now admit a full war is inevitable (as Sauron will surely seek retribution for the defeat of Saruman) and their only hope rests with Frodo and Sam, who have resumed their journey to Mordor. Accompanying them once again and feeling betrayed after his mistreatment by Faramir's men, Gollum's darker nature returns and decides to reclaim the ring by leading Frodo and Sam to "her".


Personal

Owner Kerry & Dawn
Location Movies-02
Storage Device TD 18
Purchased Jun 28, 2011
Quantity 1
Seen Dec 25, 2020
Added Date May 17, 2015 05:37:45
Modified Date Apr 17, 2024 00:45:43

Edition details

Screen Ratios 2.35 Anamorphic
Audio Tracks Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
DTS 6.1 ES - English
Stereo - English
Subtitles Closed Caption English | English | Spanish
Distributor New Line Home Video
Layers Single side, Dual layer
Edition Release Date Nov 18, 2003

Notes

VersionRun Time
Theatrical Edition2:59
DVD Widescreen Edition2:52
Special DVD Extended Edition3:43
Blu-Ray Extended Edition3:55


The extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was perhaps the most comprehensive DVD release to date, and its follow-up proves a similarly colossal achievement, with significant extra footage and a multitude of worthwhile bonus features. The extended version of The Two Towers adds 43 minutes to the theatrical version's 179-minute running time, and there are valuable additions to the film. Two new scenes might appease those who feel that the characterization of Faramir was the film's most egregious departure from the book, and fans will appreciate an appearance of the Huorns at Helm's Deep plus a nod to the absence of Tom Bombadil. Seeing a little more interplay between the gorgeous Eowyn and Aragorn is welcome, as is a grim introduction to Eomer and Theoden's son. And among the many other additions, there's an extended epilogue that might not have worked in the theater, but is more effective here in setting up The Return of the King. While the 30 minutes added to The Fellowship of the Ring felt just right in enriching the film, the extra footage in The Two Towers at times seems a bit extraneous--we see moments that in the theatrical version we had been told about, and some fleshed-out conversations and incidents are rather minor. But director Peter Jackson's vision of J.R.R. Tolkien's world is so marvelous that it's hard to complain about any extra time we can spend there.

While it may seem that there would be nothing left to say after the bevy of features on the extended Fellowship, the four commentary tracks and two discs of supplements on The Two Towers remain informative, fascinating, and funny, far surpassing the recycled materials on the two-disc theatrical version. Highlights of the 6.5 hours' worth of documentaries offer insight on the stunts, the design work, the locations, and the creation of Gollum, and--most intriguing for rabid fans--the film's writers (including Jackson) discuss why they created events that weren't in the book. Providing variety are animatics, rough footage, countless sketches, and a sound-mixing demonstration. Again, the most interesting commentary tracks are by Jackson and writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and by 16 members of the cast (eight of whom didn't appear in the first film, and even including John Noble, whose Denethor character only appears in this extended cut). The first two installments of Peter Jackson's trilogy have established themselves as the best fantasy films of all time, and among the best film trilogies of all time, and their extended-edition DVD sets have set a new standard for expanding on the already-epic films and providing comprehensive bonus features. --David Horiuchi





The Two Towers

Alternate Versions

In the US theatrical and DVD releases (both versions), the New Line Cinema logo at the beginning says "An AOL Time Warner Company" underneath it. For the US Blu Ray release (both versions), the logo has been changed to simply say "A TimeWarner Company" underneath it.

In November 2003, an extended edition was released on DVD with over 40 minutes of new footage. The EE is a complete re-cut of the movie and almost every scene includes small changes in framing, pacing, dialogue or camera angle. Major changes are listed (spoiler warning):

  1. After Frodo wakes up, there is a scene of Frodo and Sam descending a cliff with the help of the elvish rope. The title now appears over a panoramic shot of the hills.

  2. There is a brief shot of Frodo and Sam huddled under their cloaks during a rain storm, with Gollum following.

  3. After his taming, Gollum debates whether to take the hobbits to Mordor or not

  4. The first scene with Merry and Pippin is expanded. It is made clear that there are two groups of orcs, one from Mordor and one from Isengard. They also force Merry to drink a vile orc draught.

  5. In Saruman's first scene, he orders his orcs to cut down Fangorn forest to feed the fires of Isengard and the wildmen swear allegiance to him.

  6. An extended sequence in which Eomer finds Theodred at the Fords of Isen and brings him back to Edoras.

  7. When Eomer is banished, he is presented with a banishment order signed by King Theoden.

  8. In the camp outside of Fangorn, extra dialogue makes it clear that the orcs think Merry or Pippin has the Ring. An orc sneaks up behind the hobbits and is about to attack them when he is beheaded (correcting a goof in the theatrical version). There is also a little more action when the Rohirrim massacre the orcs.

  9. During the passage of the marshes, Gollum refuses to eat the elvish bread. There is additional dialogue between Frodo, Sam and Gollum.

  10. Lots of extra dialogue in the scene where Gandalf reappears, including Legolas noting the the elves taught the trees to talk and Gandalf predicting that Merry and Pippin will rouse the Ents.

  11. While taking the Hobbits to his home, Treebeard recites poetry that puts the hobbits to sleep. He then leaves them there, going off to summon the Ents.

  12. During the ride to Edoras, Gandalf and the others camp for the night. Gandalf and Aragorn discuss the coming war and Frodo's quest.

  13. After the Black Gate sequence is a new scene. Merry and Pippin drink from a stream near Treebeard's home and grow taller. They are then attacked by a tree before being rescued by Treebeard. Treebeard then tells them about the Entwives.

  14. After Aragorn stops Theoden from killing Wormtongue, he extends his hand to Grima. Grima spits on it and then runs off.

  15. A brief funeral scene for Theodred which includes Eowyn singing.

  16. A new scene in which Aragorn calms Theodred's horse Brego and sets him loose. (This is the horse that later picks up Aragorn beside the stream).

  17. A new scene in which Grima describes Aragorn to Saruman, who scoffs at the "Heir of Isildur".

  18. Before leaving Edoras, Theoden assures his squire that they will return.

  19. Extra dialogue when Sam and Frodo are captured by Faramir, emphasizing Faramir's dislike of war.

  20. During the march to Helm's deep, Theoden tells Aragorn about Eowyn. Eowyn serves Aragorn a vile-looking stew during the trip and he tells her his remarkable age after she realizes he is one of the Dunedin.

  21. Additional dialogue in Arwen and Aragorn's parting.

  22. When Frodo and Sam are brought to the cave, they are told that Boromir's cloven horn was found. Faramir then remembers a dream of Boromir's funeral boat passing him on the river. This leads to an extended flashback of Boromir and Farmair reclaiming Osgiliath from Mordor. Denethor (their father) expresses his disappointment with Faramir and then sends Boromir to Rivendell to claim the Ring.

  23. Faramir's men beat Gollum after catching him.

  24. Right before the women and children are sent into the caves, Eowyn asks Aragorn to let her fight beside him.

  25. During the preparation at Helm's Deep, there is a cut to the Entmoot. Treebeard tells the Hobbits the Ents have just finished saying "Good morning".

  26. A little more fighting during the battle at Helm's Deep.

  27. After Treebeard discovers the destroyed part of the forest and sounds the alarm, thousands of trees, the Huorns, depart to join the battle at Helm's Deep.

  28. When the orcs retreat from Helm's Deep, they find a forest, made up of the Huorns, waiting to destroy them.

  29. We find out who won the orc-killing contest between Gimli and Legolas.

  30. After the destruction of Isengard, Merry and Pippen discover a rich larder of food, including a supply of pipe-weed from the Shire.

  31. Faramir shows Frodo and Sam a way out of the city. He realized that Gollum's secret route is Cirith Ungol and advises Frodo not to take it, then threatens Gollum.

  32. When Frodo, Sam, Gollum and Faramir arrive at Osgiliath in the Extended Edition, Minas Tirith can be seen in the background. It was removed from the theatrical version to avoid confusion with Helm's Deep.

  33. In the extended edition, the scene where Frodo and Sam are first captured by Faramir uses a different take. In the theatrical version, after giving the order to bind their hands, Faramir turns and walks away from camera. In the extended edition, after his extended dialogue and order to bind the hobbits, he walks towards camera.

  34. The scene where Faramir interrogates Gollum is slightly different between the two versions. In the theatrical version, he enters the room only after his men have beaten Gollum. In the extended edition, he is in the room during the abuse, but stands apart, not actually taking part in it himself, before telling them to stop.

Tags

Archers Axes Dwarfs Elves Forests Gory Head Butt Heights Hobbits Horses Middle Earth Mountains Orcs Swordplay Wizards