Having seen The Two Towers, finally, and then having seen it again, finally, I think the only criticism I have of the film that is not one shared with the book is that it isn’t long enough. I realize it’s more than a little absurd to say of a three hour movie that it’s too short, especially once you add in half an hour of ads and previews, but that’s honestly the impression I got. It was great, I just wished there were more of it - more Ents, more Frodo and Sam, more Mordor. It feels as though it had to be slimmed down rather dramatically even to reach the three hour mark, and at times it borders on confusing just because everything is happening so quickly. There’s just too much material packed into each and every one of its 179 minutes. Maybe the inevitable collector’s edition DVD will have the gobs of extra footage I’m fiending for?

That’s not to say it isn’t a fantastic movie: it’s a fantastic movie, and I’ll probably go see it at least one more time. My mother found it too gruesome for her taste, and while I wouldn’t say it’s too gruesome it’s definitely pushing the limits of PG-13. Orc intestines flying and severed heads staking out piles of burning carcasses are the tamest bits - the film contains some of the goriest fictional battles I’ve seen. Mmm, disembowling.