Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us anywhere you listen to podcasts or listen in the embedded player below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you’re feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear, and you want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, and you’ll receive some exclusive podcast content from us, including this review ad-free.

You can follow Matt, Josh, Cody & Will and hear more of their thoughts on the Oscars and Film on X at @NextBestPicture, @JRParham, @codymonster91 & @mavericksmovies

The post The Next Best Picture Podcast – “Mortal Kombat II” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

THE CAST – Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim & Hiroyuki Sanada

THE TEAM – Simon McQuoid (Director) & Jeremy Slater (Writer)

THE RUNNING TIME – 116 Minutes

For a certain subset of the population that foams at the mouth when promised an onslaught of cinematic depictions of histrionic carnage, “Mortal Kombat” seemed to be a promising offering. Those who have any nostalgic connection to this property have vivid memories of relishing in the graphic violence that was meant to celebrate the deliciously over-the-top stylization that only a piece of extreme media could provide. Previous film adaptations have always been met with mixed results, but while still possessing a charm that makes them watchable, even if only to mock the horrendously executed displays. However, the 2021 adaptation, meant to breathe new life into this foray, was so utterly disappointing. It was a film that struggled to capture any sense of genuine enthusiasm, relying not only on a stale plot but also on uninspired action sequences. Any person with slightly elevated expectations for that project was met with crushing disappointment at how insipid the execution was. Perhaps setting the expectations as low as they were was an ultimate benefit for “Mortal Kombat II.” To be fair, it’s another project that isn’t without its flaws, but thankfully, it becomes a far more enthralling venture than its predecessor.

This endeavor quickly follows the events of the first film, which was really some false advertising, since the titular event never actually transpires and is more of an elongated recruitment storyline that ends with our heroes discovering their powers to eventually enter Mortal Kombat. However, there will be enough exposition dump for anyone to get caught up to speed, which is basically that a group of Earth warriors have to defeat a bunch of bad guys from other realms to prevent Earth from being overtaken by otherworldly beings. Our previous protagonist, Cole Young (Lewis Tan), has joined the planet’s other champions in an effort to win the tournament and prevent enslavement from the evil emperor Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford). However, the death of a teammate has left them without a crucial member, prompting them to turn to Johnny Cage (Karl Urban). Cage is a washed-up actor who starred in 90s action flicks, but now that star has fully waned. However, he is among the chosen set to compete and is on his own journey to turn his cynical perspective into a fighting spirit. It’s a dueling narrative with Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), Shao Kahn’s ward, who was kidnapped from another enslaved world but who is also sympathetic to the plight of Earth’s warriors. With every battle, losses on both sides are taken, and the stakes grow higher for the fate of humanity’s freedom.

Despite some impressive moments of action stuntwork, the ultimate downfall of the previous entry was a subpar narrative that didn’t bother to give its bland characters any dimension, while also shooting most of the set pieces with a bland, inert perspective. Simon McQuoid returns to the director’s chair and manages to make the fight scenes land with more impact this time. There’s still a bit of timidity in the filmmaking, as one often yearns for a more kinetic camera movement, which can still come across as stilted in the environment. It forces the performers to adopt a less frenetic style, which would do a much better job of selling the hyperbolic tone the rest of the film aims for. However, what is depicted carries far more weight. The violence can even mix with the emotion, as in the battle between Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Kung Lao (Max Huang), the latter of whom has been resurrected as an evil form and must face off against his former ally. With a swirling array of stars behind them, it’s a sequence that mixes impressive choreography with as much emotional investment as one can have for this type of film, and every spin kick or hat flourish is quite engaging. Even the scenes meant to be played more for comedy, like a brawl between Cage and a monstrous creature he’s insulted, feel right out of an 1980s fantasy adventure with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek playfulness to provide a compelling scene.

It all speaks to a greater tactility within the frame that makes this effort more successful. There’s still a fair amount of CGI, for sure, as the animated body doubles that clunkily bounce off walls will attest to that. But having that creature, Cage fights, adorned with rows of teeth that clearly interact as if they were part of the actor, is an appreciated sight. Same with the hulking frame of Shao Kahn being a physically impressive person and not a wholly computer-generated creation. Weightless bodies may look silly when falling from a great height and replacing a person. Still, when a real performer is sent flying across the room as wires spin their body around while staying completely horizontal, it’s such a silly display that one can’t help but lap it up. These elements go a long way toward compensating for a serviceable screenplay by Jeremy Slater, which moves the plot along enough while not really indulging in any specific machinations to make the storytelling singular. At least we actually get to see Mortal Kombat this time, though its broad stakes and flat characters are never meant to offer much beyond the basic structure for building the action scenes around.

The addition of some revered characters from the franchise into this entry also goes a long way toward making it more appreciated, and Urban’s Johnny Cage is a very fun inclusion. It’s a delight that there’s immediate recognition of a throwback sensibility to the character’s action roots, as a flashback to one of his old movies, complete with awkwardly staged stunt work that’s wonderfully executed. He’s got enough charm and screen presence to be an endearing figure, even though he’s mostly used as an audience surrogate in the beginning to reassert the plot points you have probably already forgotten from the first film. Most of the other returning players are about the same level of contribution as before, simply passable, with a story that doesn’t give them much beyond the page. As mentioned before, the little bit of emotional depth between Lin and Huang at least gives them a little more to do. Kitana’s tragic backstory gives Rudolph a foundation to build from, even if it is still rather pedestrian. Josh Lawson returns as Kano, but thankfully, his wisecracks are (slightly) more muted and become a tolerable presence now, even though the pop culture references are still comedic poison. Some faults are harder to erase, though, as the conflict between Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Bi-Han/Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) still lacks anything that’s worth the effort beyond the extravagant fight sequences and still wastes such talented actors. The same goes for Tadanobu Asano as well. Tan is still giving a very weak performance, but thankfully, his utilization here is severely diminished and no longer the focal point of distraction as it was previously.

It’s heartening that some lessons have been learned, making “Mortal Kombat II” a far more enjoyable film. The ensemble can’t be saved by its less talented members, but the newcomers are well-suited to this world, and others find ways to make a more meaningful impact. The story still isn’t the most captivating and has another bit of frustrating sequel bait that muddies some arcs towards the finale, but it has a clearer sense of focus, at least putting the exciting sequences to the forefront. The filmmaking still has a bit of a stiltedness to it, but it leans further into an energizing tone that is far more engrossing. Though the gore could have been pushed even further, and it likely isn’t due to so many protagonists that can’t really be maimed too severely. Still, for those who admire such cheesy spectacle, there’s a good time to be had here, especially coming off the disappointment of the previous film. If another one comes, there’s room for improvement all the same.

The post “MORTAL KOMBAT II” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

THE CAST – Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jensen Ackles & Daveed Diggs

THE TEAM – Eric Kripke (Showrunner/Director)

This review covers the first seven episodes of the final season

After four seasons of dick jokes, digs at the political stupidity present in recent administrations, and characters imploding into pools of blood, it seems our time with “The Boys” is finally coming to an end. Showrunner Eric Kripke’s celebrated adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s edge-lord rebuttal to the idea of superheroes felt like a breath of fresh air when the series first aired back in 2019. It was seen as adult-oriented counter-programming to the Disney-led dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and audiences quickly gravitated toward it. Sadly, after reaching both a peak in gratuitous raunchiness and storytelling in its third season, the series has slowly devolved into the very thing it has spent years kicking down. Season 4, mostly seen as a letdown by many, spun its wheels for many episodes, simply moving the pieces in place for the fifth and final season. Now, “The Boys,” for all of its pointed commentary and at the end of its massive run, has finally run out of steam, barely crossing the finish line in a final season that is a far cry from the glory days of “Herogasm.”

The story, which picks up a year after the season four finale, finds Erin Moriarty’s Starlight, now branded a terrorist by Vought Industries, on the run, fighting against the powers that be, while Antony Starr’s breastmilk-guzzling Homelander tightens his grip on not just America, but the world itself, anointing himself as everyone’s Lord and savior. The Boys themselves are divided: Karl Urban’s Butcher is off the grid, continuing his one-man wrecking crew, while Hughie, Mother’s Milk, and Frenchie, played by Jack Quaid, Laz Alonso, and Tomer Capone, are trapped in a Homelander-branded concentration camp filled with dissenters to his regime.

This separation is short-lived, as expected, as the season attempts to reintroduce audiences to this world in grand fashion. After a fiery premiere that sets the stakes very high, “The Boys” begins to once again spin its wheels, as the gang’s drawn-out quest to finally put Homelander six feet under feels less like progression and more like a delay of the inevitable showdown audiences have been waiting for since 2019. As of this writing, we still don’t know the answer, as all episodes have been made available for review except the series finale.

Kripke and company can still generate strong reactions with their cartoonish violence and digs at right-wing lunacy, but narratively, the series stalled a long time ago in the group’s quest to kill Homelander, and the show has been slowly dragging us toward that goal ever since it reached its peak in season 3. Audiences are left biding their time as Butcher and company go in circles, delaying what feels like an already predetermined endgame. The relationships between these characters have hit a wall, most notably Frenchie and Karen Fukuhara’s Kimiko, whose newfound romance is as wishy-washy as Homelander’s dynamic with his frozen super-soldier father, Soldier Boy, played once again with amusing, wise-cracking bravado by Jensen Ackles.

Where the series takes Homelander may be its biggest stretch yet, as his desire for pure adoration pushes him further toward seeing himself as a god among men. Starr, who has always been brilliant as the evil supervillain, once again delivers a captivating performance, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of his previous work. His ability to emote, whether through the slightest twitch of his eyes or the diva-like furrow of his brows, remains fascinating to watch. He is still the best aspect of the show, but this season, he is also the only performance that truly stands out. That’s not to say the rest of the cast isn’t as solid as ever. It’s more so that there is little left for them to uncover with these characters. The addition of Daveed Diggs as Oh Father, a souped-up televangelist hoping to aid Homelander’s mission, provides a welcome spark for a group that has never felt more in need of a boost of energy across the series’ run.

What ultimately holds “The Boys” back from fully landing the plane is the diminishing comedic impact of its final season. Its signature lack of subtlety in satire has never felt more exhausting. TPUSA-style conferences, misinformation campaigns, and Chace Crawford’s The Deep transforming into a manosphere podcaster to appease Homelander are just a sample of Kripke’s targets. The problem is that the absurdity of the real world has largely outpaced the show, dulling the bite it once had. What once felt sharp now feels blunt, making the juvenile elements more eye-rolling than effective.

That said, the series remains immensely watchable, especially for longtime viewers. There’s still enjoyment to be found in watching these flawed characters narrowly avoid death at every turn, in the grotesque spectacle of blood spilling from ungodly places, and in the vulgar gags that once defined the show. But those moments no longer carry the same weight they once did.

Perhaps it’s for the best that “The Boys” is ready to call it quits, rather than artificially extending a story that has already said everything it can. This final season certainly has higher stakes as there are numerous character deaths and many plot lines to wrap up as the final confrontation with Homelander draws near. If anything, the numerous spinoffs, loosely tied to this fifth season, feel like a better avenue for exploring new ideas and stories in a universe that has grown limited within the boundaries this series established. It may be far from the best “The Boys” has been, but this conclusion still has enough here to reward longtime viewers who have stuck with it from the beginning.

THE GOOD – Antony Starr is terrific as always, spearheading another gore-filled, outrageous season that will amuse longtime fans who have stuck with this show since the beginning.

THE BAD – It’s far from the series’s best. It continues to spin its wheels, trying to reach a conclusion that is not only inevitable but also far less effective in its juvenile comedy and unsubtle sense of satire.

THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

THE FINAL SCORE – 6/10

The post “The Boys” Goes Out Bloodied, Loud, And Battered, Despite Antony Starr’s God-Tier Efforts appeared first on Next Best Picture.

​This is a preview of the podcast. The full version is only available to those who subscribe to us on Patreon. For the small price of $1 a month, you can receive this podcast along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us anywhere you listen to podcasts or listen in the embedded player below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you’re feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear, and you want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, and you’ll receive some exclusive podcast content from us.

You can follow Matt, Josh & Dan and hear more of their thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter @NextBestPicture, @JRParham & @dancindanonfilm

The post The Next Best Picture Podcast – “Star Trek” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

​This is a preview of the podcast. The full version is only available to those who subscribe to us on Patreon. For the small price of $1 a month, you can receive this podcast along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us anywhere you listen to podcasts or listen in the embedded player below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you’re feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear, and you want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, and you’ll receive some exclusive podcast content from us.

You can follow Matt, Alyssa, JD & Aaron and hear more of their thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter @NextBestPicture, @veganmoviesnob, @RealJDDuran & @AaronElWhite

The post The Next Best Picture Podcast – “The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

THE CAST – Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, John Noble, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm & Sean Bean

THE TEAM – Peter Jackson (Director/Writer), Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens (Writers)
​
THE RUNNING TIME – 201 Minutes

Where does one even begin to discuss the accomplishments of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King?” The trilogy it completes is one of the most unfathomably successful in film history, and “The Return of the King” is the apotheosis of its astronomical achievement. It’s the second film in history to cross the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, and not only did it win a record-breaking 11 Academy Awards (including Best Picture), but it was also the victor in every category in which it was nominated. Few films before or since have come close to reaching such commercial and artistic excellence. And, as a piece of narrative filmmaking, it’s hard to understate just how well it not only caps off the entire trilogy – a difficult task in its own right – but also how it stands as a well-told and constructed individual story. For all its titanic technical breakthroughs and iconic moments of spectacle, its thematic resonance and sweeping storytelling have helped maintain its legacy beyond similar blockbusters. More than anything else, it’s a story about the virtues of hope, having faith in the world’s inherent goodness, and living a life so full of worthwhile connections and selfless deeds that the idea of reaching the natural end of our finite lives is not something to fear, but instead a soothing final chapter to an existence filled with wonder.

To watch “The Return of the King” now is to get excited about yet another iconic scene or sequence every few minutes, which is incredibly admirable considering just how many minutes are in the film. The movie begins by jumping right in where the story left off after “The Two Towers.” The former Fellowship is celebrating dual victories against the evil Sauron’s forces at Helm’s Deep and Isengard, while Gollum (Andy Serkis) leads Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) closer to Mount Doom (and unbeknownst to the two hobbits, he’s also drawing them into an arachnid trap). After some quick plot catch-up, the film settles into its rhythm. Namely, Frodo, the ringbearer, nears the end of his destructive quest, and the armies of good and bad prepare to face off in a gargantuan battle on the Pelennor Fields in front of Minas Tirith, on the edge of the dark realm of Mordor. And thus begins an unending array of filmmaking and storytelling achievements. There’s the thrilling sequence of the lighting of the beacons from Minis Tirith to call for aid from Rohan – a stunning montage that spans miles of Middle Earth, with powerfully swelling music and sweeping camerawork. And, there’s the remarkable directorial flourish of pairing Denethor’s (John Noble) gluttonous meal with his son Faramir’s (David Wenham) doomed charge into the sieged capital city of Osgiliath, while Pippin (Billy Boyd) sings a haunting, tearful ballad. The epic siege of Minas Tirith and the subsequent Battle of the Pelennor Fields is the film’s major centerpiece, spread out over nearly an hour of the runtime. It’s a mammoth feat of filmmaking, not only for the visual effects that bring it to life but also for the clarity and spatial geography maintained throughout. At times, it does get overwhelming, and it’s easy to get lost in what exactly is happening to whom and in relation to what, but it’s still an impressive set piece.

At the time of its release, the film’s visual effects were considered top-of-the-line. The only Oscar that all three entries in “The Lord of the Rings” series won was for Best Visual Effects. Twenty years later, the special effects in “The Return of the King” still hold up. Of course, everyone remembers Gollum, and the amazing pairing of CGI and Andy Serkis’s motion capture performance helps create one of the most long-lasting iconic characters who’s entirely made of code. He not only blends seamlessly into every environment he’s in, but he also interacts with the fully human characters of Frodo and Sam with complete believability. The illusion never breaks. What went mostly unheralded at the time but stands out compared to today’s blockbusters is the wise melding of real environments and CGI adornments. Director Peter Jackson uses as much of the actual New Zealand filming locations and soundstages as possible, only turning to virtual sets when necessary. Even still, CGI is mostly only used to visibly extend or accentuate a scene rather than entirely construct a location. This helps the film age well, and it also makes thematic sense. The places the characters inhabit are tangible and tactile, thus making it easier to believe that this fantasy world is worth fighting and even dying for.

In fact, this film represents the tail end of big-budget movies favoring practical effects over CGI in general. Many creatures — most impressively, the hellish orcs – are brought to life via makeup. It’s a process that surely took much more time and energy than fully animating them via computers would’ve (as would unquestionably be done today), but the effect is staggering and well worth the effort. And, while the film series famously used brand-new technology to create hordes of computer-generated crowds, there are still many extras (and real horses!) used to fill the screen. All of these actors had to be individually costumed, made up, and hair styled — an admirable feat. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of CGI, with the more outlandish, large creatures fully conjured up digitally, and they’re certainly well done in their own right. These fantastical factors are all captured with appropriately maximalist cinematography. The camera has a habit of pulling back to capture as much in the frame as possible, including massive armies and grand vistas. The camerawork is an essential component in conveying the vast sense of scale that the expansive source material requires. But, these elements are always shot in a way that still feels somehow grounded, once again bringing a tangible quality to the film that makes it easier for earthbound audiences to understand the stakes. The film’s overall style is still imitated to this day, most apparently by “Game of Thrones” and its related properties.

Howard Shore scooped up two Academy Awards for his work on this film series, and even that feels like not enough recognition for how essential his contribution was to the film’s success. He composed some of the greatest themes to ever blast through movie theater speakers, making genius use of leitmotif to immediately cue the audience into how they should be feeling or what an image represents. His music helps hold the reigns on the film’s tone and maintains a sense of importance and grandeur. This is especially important during the infamously lengthy multiple endings, all of which have an unyieldingly earnest energy that the music literally helps underscore. In addition, his work with screenwriter Fran Walsh on the song “Into the West,” sung by co-writer Annie Lennox over the film’s end credits, is truly beautiful, perfectly capturing the reverential feeling of the final moments.

The SAG-winning ensemble operates on a uniformly excellent level, bringing real-world relatability to the high-fantasy setting. There’s such humanity to their performances, which is especially laudable considering the levels of makeup and wigs with which many of them are weighed under by. Boyd uses the more high-stakes scenes featuring Pippin to add pathos to a character who was previously only used for comic relief. Ian McKellen, as always, brings an exceptionally authoritative presence to the film with his portrayal of the great wizard Gandalf. His speech to Pippin about his vision of death as a doorway to the next great adventure is especially moving and essential for the film’s unbelievably emotional finale to work. Wood’s Frodo is, at times, understandably ill-equipped for his situation and, in some pivotal instances, surprisingly intimidating. He makes for an excellent audience stand-in. Miranda Otto plays Éowyn, the niece of King Théoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill), who sneaks onto the male-dominated field of battle. She’s given one of the most memorable quotes in the film as she kills the Witch-king (Lawrence Makoare), delivering the powerful line “I am no man” in such a triumphant way that it’s impossible not to be stirred.

But, the film’s most outstanding performance comes from Astin as Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s companion who is the very image of loyalty. He goes through quite a journey across the course of the three films, both literally and internally, and this final chapter gives him some of the most riveting moments yet. After Sam is abandoned by Frodo, thanks to Gollum’s machinations, he makes a glorious return to his side, rescuing him from the giant spider Shelob and the orcs that capture him. And, even as Frodo continues to struggle as they get closer and closer to the volcano where the Ring must be destroyed, Sam is always there, eventually carrying him quite literally on his back in one of the film’s most powerful scenes. Astin is beyond sympathetic. Watching him break down is the emotional equivalent of watching your father cry; it’s even more impactful because of all that he represents.

These individual aspects all combine to make a film that’s technically excellent and consistently invigorating. But, what makes it a classic, and what audiences connected with upon release and helped lift it to the exalted status it reached, is the soulful resonance it has with viewers. The film is achingly earnest, never dipping into the kind of irony that similarly high fantasy or sci-fi sometimes stoop to permit cynical modern audiences to enjoy the film. The heroic characters believe in the importance of the triumph of good, and they’re not afraid to lay their lives on the line to see that victory. That kind of unshakable bravery is powerful to see. Irrefutable righteousness is hard to find in our world, so the chance to watch a collection of characters that the audience has spent hours bonding with fighting for something so pure and worthy as their continued peaceful existence and the expulsion of bone-deep evil is a joy to witness. And, after victory is won, that’s not enough for all of them. Frodo is forever changed by his journey’s hardships and, in the film’s final minutes, departs with his uncle Bilbo (Ian Holm), Gandalf, and the three Elf ringbearers from Middle Earth. This leave-taking is an emotional moment for both the characters and the audience, as it represents a voluntary exit from existence as we know it. It’s depicted with proper reverence and gravitas, but there’s also something strangely hopeful about it. As Gandalf made clear to Pippin earlier in the film, “Death is just another path, one that we all must take,” and it’s shown even to be something of a blissful reward to those who’ve done their best to make the world a better place in their short but wondrous existence. This is exactly the kind of hopeful send-off that everyone wishes to have at the end of their life, and getting to see it depicted as the conclusion of a nearly ten-hour-long saga has the effect of washing over the audience like a warm, emotional tidal wave.

It’s clear from his direction that Jackson is a loyal fan of Tolkien’s source novels, and he did about as good a job as any author could hope for with his adaptations. “The Lord of the Rings” is quite simply one of the most extraordinary achievements in film history and was a tremendous risk that paid off immensely. “The Return of the King” is the excellent final flourish of the series and is impactful enough to make viewers want to return to Middle-earth again and again. It’s a journey worth consistently taking. The road truly does go on and on.

The post “THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

​This is a preview of the podcast. The full version is only available to those who subscribe to us on Patreon. For the small price of $1 a month, you can receive this podcast along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you’re feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear and want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you’ll receive some exclusive podcast content.

You can follow Matt, Nadia, Danilo & Caroline and hear more of their thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter @NextBestPicture, @nadreviews, @DaniloSCastro & @scare_online

The post The Next Best Picture Podcast – “The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

THE CAST – Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban & Andy Serkis

THE TEAM – Peter Jackson (Director/Writer), Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Stephen Sinclair (Writers)
​
THE RUNNING TIME – 179 Minutes

To put it mildly, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001) was a tough act to follow. Peter Jackson had seemingly done the unthinkable: Transforming the hyperliterate and sprawling pages of J.R.R. Tolkien’s first volume into blockbuster entertainment that connected with fans and critics alike. “The Fellowship of the Ring” netted a staggering thirteen Academy Award nominations, made a ton of money at the box office, received acclaim from critics and audiences, and was seen as a watershed moment for the fantasy genre, cinematic franchises, and visual effects as a whole. “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002) had the unenviable task of following this game-changer a single year later. Jackson has since stated that the film was much harder to make than the first because, structurally, it was the least clear. Whereas “The Fellowship of the Ring” had a clear-out point, and the third film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), would wrap up the entire story, “The Two Towers” had to function as both a continuation and cliffhanger. At the risk of making another mild statement – it succeeded. “The Two Towers” is perhaps the most impressive achievement of the trilogy from a storytelling perspective, in that it manages to expand upon all of the strongest elements of the first film while utilizing a more approach structure. Jackson may have had his reservations about how to handle the material, but you’d never know it based on how masterfully he’s able to line everything up.

“The Two Towers” picks up right where “The Fellowship of the Ring” left off and expands upon the moment that Gandalf (Ian McKellen) seemingly fell to his death. Instead of a tragic descent, the wizard proceeds to lay waste to the Balrog that took him down to begin with. It’s a crowd-pleasing moment out the gate and one that allows the viewer to settle in once it’s concluded so that the central focus of the film can come into play. “The Two Towers” splits screen time between a few different subplots. There’s Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), who have been captured by the Uruk-hai and eventually find themselves on the run in the mystically dark Fangorn Forest, where they encounter Treebeard (voiced by John Rhys-Davies); there’s the ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), who’s teamed up with the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) the dwarf, to find the aforementioned Hobbits and bring them back to safety as they make their way into the horse kingdom of Rohan; then there’s Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Samwise (Sean Astin) who encounter the sickly, ring-obsessed Gollum (Andy Serkis) with a split personality on their journey to destroy the ring. There’s less of an emphasis on magic and supernatural elements here, which not only helps to ground the staging of each scene but allows for more character-based interactions.

There’s an increase of humor in the film, most notably in the pseudo-rivalry between Legolas and Gimli. It’s not hammered to the point of annoyance but rather incorporated in a way that acknowledges the previously established tensions between their people and does something clever with it. Little to none of the humor is present for its own sake; there’s always a secondary meaning that sheds light on a character or brings two characters closer together. Gimli is remembered for having the lion’s share of laughs in the franchise, but that really starts here and sets him apart from his more grizzled demeanor in the first film.

The performances are uniformly excellent. Mortensen is soulfulness personified as Aragorn, eschewing the traditional masculinity of movie warriors for something much more thoughtful and three-dimensional. Even in scenes of carnage, he maintains confidence, which makes it easy to see why so many follow him into battle. Elsewhere, Wood is given more to play with here than in the first film. There are moments, especially towards the back end of the film, where we see the ring start to take hold of him, and the conflicted nature in his actions (the climactic scene with Sam after coming face to face with the Nazgûl comes to mind) could have been massively overplayed in the wrong hands. He does so much of his communicating through his eyes, and the result is something that feels frightening and intimate rather than melodramatic.

To single out every strong performance would be to list every cast member credited in the film. There’s Bernard Hill’s Shakespearean performance as the weathered king of Rohan, Théoden. There’s Sean Astin’s heartwarming portrayal of Sam. I will say that “The Two Towers” (and “The Lord of the Rings” as a whole) boasts one of the most impressive and versatile cast ensembles ever assembled. People shine with only a few lines of dialogue or, in the case of Andy Serkis, without their faces ever being shown. The CGI on Gollum may have aged in the twenty years since the film’s premiere, but one thing that remains timeless is Serkis’s searing performance. His ability to go back and forth between Gollum and Smeagle at a moment’s notice is a sight to behold, and his ability to generate sympathy for such a grotesque creature are significant reasons why the character is still being referenced to this day.

Jackson’s use of New Zealand landscapes, in conjunction with models and CGI, remains as breathtaking as ever. The kingdom of Rohan is all built from the ground up (in one case, the city of Edoras was actually built on top of a mountain) with a precision to detail that is unlike anything else you typically see today. The practicality of the franchise can often be forgotten when thinking of all of the technical strides it made. Still, the effects in “The Two Towers” work so well because they’re seamlessly incorporated into practical and real-world sets. There’s a tactile quality to Middle Earth that can’t be recreated on a computer, and that goes for the overhead scenery in the opener and the bone-crunching majesty of the Battle at Helm’s Deep.

The battle holds up as one of the most remarkable depictions of onscreen warfare in cinematic history. The choreography and the cutaways are all masterfully deployed, but it’s the anticipation leading up to it that truly elevates it to all-time status. Howard Shore’s score is breathtaking throughout most of the film, but in the moments leading up to the Battle at Helm’s Deep, it goes silent, and the viewer is left to sit and wait in silence. The sprinkling of rain, followed by the approaching footsteps of the Orcs, is the only thing that can be heard, and the effect is devastating. It’s a prime example of less is more and another prime example of Jackson’s excellent discernment as a storyteller.

It’s not easy to find issues with “The Two Towers”, but if I were to single out an element that is weaker than the rest, I would settle on the subplot, as mentioned earlier, involving Merry and Pippin. The performances are strong, and their union with Treebeard and the Ents is essential to the overall story. Still, the scenes themselves lag in comparison to the propulsive action taking place elsewhere—a slight misstep in an otherwise impressively lean epic.

“The Two Towers” is a staggering achievement, regardless of which angle of analysis you want to approach it. It’s entertaining, thoughtful, technical, emotional, exhilarating, and structurally inventive, given the changes Jackson made from the source material (choosing to end the film earlier than the book was a gamble that paid off). It belongs on a short list of greatest sequels of all time and is the single greatest table-setter for a third film ever released.

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