LET'S cut to the chase. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers is everything you've been told and so much more.

The second part of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth trilogy is a cinematic rush of blood to the head that exhilarates, astounds and enchants, and leaves you hungry for more.

Following the death of Boromir (Sean Bean) and the apparent demise of Gandalf (Ian McKellen) in the pit at Khazad-dum, The Fellowship divides into three groups.

Hobbit friends Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) head for the Black Gates of Mordor. En route, they befriend Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), a mysterious creature deeply scarred by his previous encounter with The Ring. The path ahead is riddled with dangers, including Faramir (David Wenham), the brother of Boromir who hopes to use The Ring's powers to save his kingdom of Gondor.

Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), elf archer Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and plucky dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) make haste for the besieged Rohan kingdom, where they pledge their support to the beleaguered King Theoden (Bernard Hill) and his beautiful niece Eowyn (Miranda Otto). The advancing armies of evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) force the Rohan people to abandon their home and head for the sanctuary of Helm's Deep.

However, the king's duplicitous adviser Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), a spy working for Saruman, anticipates Theoden's risky strategy.

Meanwhile, hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) escape from their Uruk-Hai captors and head into the mysterious Fangorn Forest, where an age-old ally offers a glimmer of hope to tipping the balance back in favour of the forces of light.

The visual effects in The Fellowship Of The Ring were nothing short of staggering, bringing to life hordes of fantastical creatures including platoons of snarling Uruk-Hai and the monstrous Balrog. These achievements (which were rewarded with an Oscar and a Bafta) pale into comparison next to the technical wizardry conjured up in The Two Towers.

The digital artists have surpassed themselves, creating jaw-dropping action set-pieces such as the climactic battle at Helm's Deep, which features more than 10,000 warriors fighting to the bitter end in a vast mountainside fortress. The scope and richness of detail is breathtaking, and it's hard to believe that many of the landscapes in the film exist solely in the hard drives of the animators.

The Two Towers continues Tolkien's trilogy in grandiose style, casting a spell that is impossible to resist. The only disappointment is how quickly the three hours fly by, and the agonising 12-month wait until Frodo's quest is finally resolved. And you get the feeling that will be something very special indeed. Make a date in your diaries now: November 17, 2003. I'll see you at the front of the queue.