The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.5

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The journey continues.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 27, 2020

NOTE: As of this writing, this title is only available as part of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy 4K.

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy broke new ground in the fantasy genre by shooting all three films back-to-back; in all, the entire trilogy took over eight years to complete and cost nearly $300 million. The gamble paid off, and its massive critical and commercial success makes it one of the most ambitious and fully-realized epics in film history. The Two Towers is the second chapter in the trilogy and, despite a few pacing problems in its final stretch (yes, the walking trees), it cements strong character dynamics while staging a number of terrific battle sequences.

All three theatrical films were later released on home video as extended editions, each adding new or expanded scenes that broaden the scope and journey of its characters. Most fans view them as the definitive experience. This extended version of The Two Towers has already been released on Blu-ray, and Warner Bros.' 4K edition ups the A/V ante with an outstanding 2160p transfer -- which does not include any redone special effects, thank goodness -- and a terrific Dolby Atmos audio mix, both of which bring Middle Earth to life in new and unexpected ways.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: This screenshots for this review are from a previous Blu-ray edition of the film.

This excellent new 2160p transfer obviously shares a lot of fundamental similarities with the other 4K-remastered films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as it immediately impresses with robust HDR grading and a very clear uptick in fine detail. But what stands out the most to me this time around is the extremely rich black levels and shadow detail, which play a very important part in The Two Towers' epic battle at Helm's Deep, a rain-soaked turning point in the trilogy that lands with even more force now. A quick swap with the older Blu-ray -- which, to be fair, will be released as a newly-remastered edition next year -- reveals the immediate and tangible improvement of these deeper black levels; they're aided further by the film's varied color design, which has been tastefully rebuilt from the ground up.

The Two Towers relies much less on fantastic environments that Fellowship. It's also the "walkiest" of the three films by a landslide and its lush, varied New Zealand landscapes benefit greatly from the careful new color regrading and HDR enhancement. From deep green grassy plains and snow-capped mountains to rocky valleys and moonlit fields, there's a vivid but deceptively realistic color palette waiting around every corner. Of course, The Two Towers' more unnatural environments, elements, and encounters benefit as well, from Gandalf's deadly showdown with the fiery Balrog (seen in flashback from Fellowship) to the piercing and ever-watchful Eye of Mordor adjacent to Mount Doom. These bold and vivid color punctuations work in tandem with the 4K's revitalized level of fine detail to create just as many stunning, pause-worthy moments as Fellowship, whether it be a sweeping wide shot or a stunning close-up. All the while, the increased HDR color space yields just as many brilliant whites as deep, inky blacks, none more immediately impressive than a certain returning wizard who's been granted a radiant new wardrobe and angelic aura.

I still noticed mild amounts of digital noise reduction at times, whether baked-in to certain special effects or applied after the fact... but again, this did not prove to be a major cause for concern. Similarly, the (thankfully original) CGI effects are slightly more refined than those in Fellowship; especially Gollum, which is fortunate because he gets much more screen time during this leg of the journey. As a result, the live-action and CGI elements blend together a bit more smoothly this time around, bringing this high-quality 4K transfer dangerously close to perfection.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Not surprisingly, the new Dolby Atmos mix -- which, as always, automatically folds down into lossless 7.1 if your audio receiver does not support the format -- takes full advantage of almost every channel, serving up another extremely wide and immersive sound stage that likewise surpasses earlier home video presentations. With all that walking comes a lot of weather, as infrequent but steady downpours -- an early one with with Sam and Frodo, during the search for Theodred and, of course, the rain-drenched nighttime battle of Helm's Deep -- make terrific use of Atmos' height channels. So do the handful of cutaways staged in the underground caverns of Isengard (also known as "the Orcs' lair"), where felled trees and heavy machinery create a massive, almost industrial atmosphere. (Speaking of trees, let's not forget those other cutaways during the final stretch that bring a more subtle amount of echo and LFE.)

Of course, the main sonic showcase here is the fierce battle at Helm's Deep, which begins with a foreboding rumble of approaching soldiers and builds to a thunderous assault with each wave of attacks, each bringing with them a great amount of discrete channel separation, quick panning effects, the overhead whoosh of arrow volleys, and the heavy clang of steel on steel. But even the occasional cutaways to interior scenes, where most of the women and children wait in hiding, serve as a great contrast to all the chaos happening outside the stone walls. It's a demo worthy stretch only equaled by, well, most of Return of the King, but one that's also complemented by the film's quieter moments, crisp dialogue, and ethereal music cues during Aragorn's dreams. A top-tier track from every perspective.

Optional dubs and subtitles (including English SDH) are included in a variety of languages listed above, while the forced subtitles for select lines of Elvish dialogue are also still present.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No bonus features are included on these 4K movie-only discs.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even in its extended format, The Two Towers isn't quite as well-balanced as either cut of Fellowship of the Ring but it's still a great fantasy film that's gotten a little better with age. Warner Bros.' new 4K edition boasts an excellent new 2160p transfer with terrific color and fine detail, as well as a stunning Dolby Atmos mix. It's currently only available as part of The Motion Picture Trilogy 4K set which contains no extras but, even if that changes in the future, this is still an outstanding presentation of a very durable and entertaining film.