Finally, the second chapter in the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been unveiled. I say "finally" as if it's been three years since the last installment. While it's only been a mere twelve months since Fellowship of the Ring, it's felt like an eternity in movie geek years.

Fellowship of the Ring was much more then a big budget extravaganza. It had heart and character, and the same can't be said for many of the other high profile, special effects laden pictures that have hit the screen as of late.

Is Two Towers better? It's certainly edgier, darker and bigger, but calling it better might not be the right choice of words. I watched the extended cut of Fellowship of the Ring a couple of nights before hitting an energy driven midnight screening of Two Towers, and I have to say that these two pictures compliment each other beautifully, and I'm sure that the upcoming Return of the King will be the perfect capper.

I've already heard many claim that Two Towers is a better film because of it's pacing (and this movie is three hours long), but keep in mind that Fellowship of the Ring made all of this possible. That's one of the many reasons that these pictures compliment each other so well.

Two Towers doesn't waste time showing us flashbacks from the first film. The audience is plunged directly into the action as Frodo and Samwise continue their long journey, while Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli set off on there own trek. Meanwhile, Two Towers boasts an environmental message as well as Pippin and Merry befriend an ancient race of talking trees.

Two Towers kicks of with a breathtaking sequence from Fellowship of the Ring that is expanded upon from a different perspective. It involves the sequence in which we assume that Gandalf has plunged to his death.

Once again, Lord of the Rings benefits from picture perfect casting. Elijah Wood is engaging as hero hobbit Frodo, although this installment gives him a little less to do. Sean Astin is exceptional as Frodo's good friend Samwise. In fact, it is Samwise who utters many of the film's most profound words. The underrated Viggo Mortensen is truly charismatic and a spark of fire as swordsman Aragon. Thanks to this series, we will hopefully be seeing more of him in future films. Ian McKellen returns as the wise and powerful Gandalf, and once again, the veteran actor brings power and conviction to the role. Most of the cast from the first film return here and all are in top form. New to the series is Bernard Hill as Theoden. He's terrific here as is Brad Dourif as Grima, Theoden's creepy and deceiving servant.

Perhaps the most persuasive character to be found in The Two Towers is Gollum, the strange, odd looking creature that was once a hobbit himself. Consumed by the ring, this sad, desperate soul, is overcome by his duality. What's most impressive about Gollum, is that he is a CGI effect, but one unlike any we've seen before. Forget Jar Jar and Dobby. Gollum is a fully textured character brought to life through stunning, seamless special effects and brilliant voice work from Andy Serkis.

Director Peter Jackson has an obvious passion for J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved stories, and in both of these pictures it shows in every frame. For most of this picture, I watched with my jaw dropped to the floor. It's the first film I¡¯ve seen in quite some time that had me constantly asking myself; "How the hell did they do that?" This movie is huge in scope. Perhaps one of the biggest in history. Thankfully, character is never lost in the vast, visual splendor of Jackson's vision.

To call Jackson sure handed would be an understatement. The weight of Middle Earth is on his shoulders, and he's always up to the challenge. The action sequences are expertly executed while the smaller, character moments are equally crafted with care. Jackson and his brilliant collaborators have brought this story to life in vivid fashion.

Is The Two Towers perfect? No. I had minor quibbles. The colossal, brilliantly conceived battle in Helm's Deep had me in awe to be sure, but it's realism and brutality was slightly offset by sorely misplaced humor. I won't take anything away from those of you who haven't seen it by giving specifics, but I could have done without some of the light moments. Of course, this movie is rather dark as a whole, and I'm sure that Jackson and his writers wanted to show some light at the end of the tunnel. By not showing too much blood and adding touches of humor, New Line was assured the PG-13 rating. At any rate, it would take more then a couple of comical moments to keep this movie down.

While I have yet to see Gangs of New York, I don't think I've witnessed more passion and vision in a picture this year. I have yet to decide if The Two Towers is the best movie of 2002, but it's certainly the biggest.

Bring on Return of the King.