The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

What’s it about?

As Gollum leads Frodo and Sam closer to Mordor, the rest of the fellowship challenges Sauron’s new wizard ally, Saruman, and his armies of brutal Isengard orcs.

The facts

• Directed by Peter Jackson
• English language
• Runtime: 179 minutes
• Adapted from novels written by J.R.R Tolkien
• Filmed entirely in Aotearoa New Zealand, throughout 150 different locations.

Why did it get this rating?

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Violence

The film has large battles where thousands are injured or killed by arrows, swords, spears, and fall from great heights. Violence such as stabbing is frequent, sometimes with blood. Orcs are decapitated and dismembered and there is one big explosion in the film.

Some of the strongest moments of violence include:

• A creature-like character rips rabbits to pieces to eat. He looks creepy and struggles with psychological issues, which may unsettle some viewers.
• Characters stumble across a large pile of mutilated, burned orc corpses, some of which have had their heads put on stakes.
• An orc is decapitated for attempting to eat two characters being held hostage. His head flies off and others around him start ripping apart his body and devouring him. Though we don’t see him being eaten, we see intestines flying in the air and hear squelching noises.

Frightening Scenes

Some of the most frightening moments of the film include:

• The orcs are frightening due to their ugly and distorted appearances. They appear regularly throughout the film with blood dripping from their mouths, threatening voices, sharp teeth and yellow eyes.
• The Hobbits flee into the woods, but they are followed by a bloodthirsty orc who tells them “I'm gonna rip out your filthy little innards.” However, they are quickly saved by someone who kills the orc. Some viewers might find this quite disturbing.
• Frodo is journeying through a foggy, eerie marsh when he falls into the water and is suddenly surrounded by underwater ghosts who try to grab him, before he is pulled out of the water.
• During the main battle, women and children are depicted hiding within the fortress crying and fearing for their lives.

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Brain development – how it works, why it matters
• Can my child watch The Rings of Power? | Classification Office