8.9 | / 10 |
| Users | 0.0 | |
| Reviewer | 4.0 | |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship continue their quest to destroy the One Ring and stand against the evil of the dark lord Sauron. The Fellowship has divided; they now find themselves taking different paths to defeating Sauron and his allies. Their destinies now lie at two towers — Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupted wizard Saruman waits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor. Based on the novel The Two Towers, the second in The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin| Adventure | Uncertain |
| Action | Uncertain |
| Epic | Uncertain |
| Fantasy | Uncertain |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Region A (B, C untested)
| Movie | 4.5 | |
| Video | 0.0 | |
| Audio | 5.0 | |
| Extras | 0.0 | |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Almost five full years after their fairly controversial 4K debut, all three of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films are gradually being re-issued by Warner Bros. as stand-alone Steelbook editions. Die-hard collectors might remember a now long out-of-print Best Buy exclusive Steelbook set; these are identical in design and on-disc content, but no outer case is included and, of course, you'll have to buy them separately. Much like that earlier collection as well as the wide-release 4K multipack, only the theatrical and extended films are included here; there are absolutely no bonus features on board at all, which remain exclusive to the older DVDs, Blu-rays, and of course this hefty boxed set.


NOTE: These screenshots are sourced directly from the 4K disc but have been downsampled to 1080p/SDR and thus should not be considered an accurate representation of quality in terms of brightness level, color, and detail.
For details about the contentious 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer for both versions of The Two Towers, please see my earlier 4K reviews of the Theatrical and Extended editions. Please note that a few pieces of originally inaccurate technical information have been corrected on my part and they've been slightly re-graded.

Likewise, details about the new Dolby Atmos mixes can be found in the reviews linked above.

This three-disc release ships in matte-finish Steelbook packaging that, like the 4K transfers, may prove divisive among fans. Since these new Lord of the Rings Steelbooks are identical to those found in the Best Buy exclusive Steelbook set, please see the packaging screenshots 10, 11, and 12 from Neil Lumbard's review of that title for a closer look.
As with other 4K releases of the film, no bonus features are included.

When they first appeared on DVD (especially in their extended forms), all three The Lord of the Rings films were an early showcase for what home video packages were capable of: great video and audio, a mountain of bonus features, and deluxe packaging to boot. While the Blu-ray and especially 4K editions of these films don't exactly reach the same heights pound-for-pound in all three departments, the A/V merits have their strengths and these familiar Steelbook editions, once a coveted Best Buy exclusive, are now easily available minus the bulky outer box.

Theatrical Edition
2002

2002

Extended Edition
2002

2002

Extended Edition
2002

Extended Edition
2002

2002

2002

Theatrical Edition
2002

2002

Extended
2002

Theatrical
2002

Theatrical Version | Remastered
2002

Extended Version / Extended
2002

2002

Extended Edition
2002

2003

Extended & Theatrical
2001

2013

Extended Edition
2012

2014

2019

Ultimate Collector's Edition
2019

1999

1983

1980

Ultimate Collector's Edition
2009

Unrated Director's Cut
2007

Extended Edition
2012

2010

2016

2012

2005

2002

1977

2010