Every story usually consists of three acts; the first is where you introduce your tale & its characters, the second is the middle part where the majority of the plot surfaces & character development takes place, and the third & final act is where you tie up all the loose ends to bring your entire narrative to a satisfying conclusion. Almost every storyteller has a definite idea of how to begin & end their stories but the middle act is always the hardest part. Because no matter how great the other two acts are, if this part isn't handled correctly, then the overall experience will ultimately amount to almost nothing in the end.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is that middle…

Did someone turn off the light?

Because it just got real dark up in here.

In all seriousness, The Two Towers isn't the cheery and delectable piece of adventure that The Fellowship of the Ring was. However, that doesn't mean that it isn't as satisfying. The danger is higher, the scope is wider, and the characters are in one helluva situation.

Basically, this reminds me of the Empire Strikes Back. It's darker, deeper, and full of choices that will reverberate throughout Middle Earth. However, that doesn't mean that it's necessarily better than its predecessor. The first film feels like an adventure, while the second feels like a challenge.

And it all leads up to Helm's Deep. A grand and absolutely…

Picking up right where the first one left off, this sequel goes even deeper into Tolkien lore, and doesn’t hold back. All of our beloved hobbits and elves and humans, broken up into three groups, encounter all sorts of creatures and villains as they reach closer to their main goal to rid the one ring that will rule them all.

Among the most memorable new additions of the series is Gollum, a CGI-created creature battling a severe case of schizophrenia. At turns hilarious and pitiful, Gollum is a terrific character, pivotal to the film’s structure and central to the struggling loyalty between the friendship of a weary Frodo and a suspicious Sam. King Theoden, Grimy Wormtongue, and Treebeard are also…

I've always loved this movie but never had the chance to see it on the big screen until last Sunday. My God, what a difference it makes. Certain moments of course stand out, the Battle of Helm's Deep being the most obvious part that benefits from being seen in a cinema, but it's just all so luscious.

Fellowship will always be the best of the trilogy for me, and that's because it's the most modest and grounded. You can see the first pieces of evidence of success going to Jackson's head. There's so much egregious stuff here. Legolas surfing on a shield, the horses singlehandedly knocking over a multitude of uruks as they race from Helm's Deep, use of the…