Jepthah

...you might want to think about seeing it again. Seriously.

I walked out of my first viewing very impressed by many things, but overall I just felt as if I had been clubbed over the head. It's just a very different film than FOTR, and of course as a fan of the books I could not help analyzing everything as I watched--all the differences with the text, the portrayals of this or that character or detail.

So I just came back from the second viewing a few hours ago. The whole thing just opened up for me and now, with a few reservations, I love this film as much as FOTR. Each film is not perfect, but together these 6-7 hours of filmmaking are stunning acheivments in cinematic storytelling craft. I eagerly look forward to viewing #3 and beyond.

Did anyone else experience a similar 2nd viewing change of feeling toward our Two Towers?

RoboDad

Absolutely. After my first viewing (the midnight showing at one of my local theaters), I left the theater feeling overwhelmed, or as you described it, feeling like I had been "cluubed over the head."

But, later that same day, I returned to the theater to see the film again, and came away much more satisfied, and very eager to see it again -- in fact, I may be seeing it again on the 26th. I think part of what I was able to do in the second viewing was to get over my "disappointment" with the liberties Jackson took, and judge the film both in terms of its own cinematic merits, and as part of the larger film version of LOTR. On both accounts I now believe it succeeds admirably.

I, too, still have a few reservations, meaning that there are some things I would have done differently, but I have yet to see any film that doesn't cause me to feel that way, at least to some degree.

silentbob007

The film gets easier to handle after the first viewing, but the crowds have gotten less fan-boyish ... meaning that the audience has gotten louder and more restless (at least around my neck of the woods), so I don't know whether I will venture back to the theater for a couple of weeks for this film.

matrixrok9

Better the 2nd time around, but about only 3/4 as good as the first.

TheMadMonk

Disappointed after first viewing. Didn't really change much after the second viewing. I kinda thought it was boring. I'm hoping the Extended edition helps fix this. It was just too choppy, it needs the EE to flesh it out some more. (Yes, I've read all the books, including the Silmarillion)