OK, this is already getting ridiculous. Perhaps it's a good thing that Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" adaptations end next year, or who knows how long he might monopolize the annual No. 1 spot on many a critic's top-10 list?

And yes, this is one case where you can actually believe the hype — "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is indeed even better than its predecessor, "The Fellowship of the Ring," which was a pretty terrific fantasy film in its own right.

However, even that film pales in comparison to this enthralling epic, which makes the wait for the concluding chapter, next December's "The Return of the King," seem all the more cruel.

Be warned in advance that this second part of the ambitious film trilogy is much, much darker than the previous episode. And even children who were able to get through "Fellowship" without much trouble could be unnerved by this infinitely more menacing installment.

Of course, the darkness is contrasted with the film's messages about the meaning of true friendship and loyalty and good vs. evil. Also, "The Two Towers" has been made with real heart, real emotional resonance, and the film has a somewhat puckish sense of humor that crops up when it's needed most.

"The Two Towers" jumps right into the story without recap. As it begins, the Fellowship has been scattered, with hobbits Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) headed off to Mordor to destroy the One Ring before it can fall into the hands of dark lord Sauron's evil forces.

To their surprise, they receive an offer of aid from former ring-bearer Gollum (a CGI creation, bearing the voice of Andy Serkis), who promises to find them a less dangerous path into the teeth of their enemies.

In the meantime, their comrades Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) are in search of missing hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd). But instead, they fall in with the forces of men trying to defend their kingdom from an attack by the armies of evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee).

They're also startled by the sudden reappearance of believed-to-be-deceased wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), who hints cryptically about how he'll aid them in their time of need.

As for Merry and Pippin, they've also found help from a most unexpected source, the Ents, a race of sentient trees trying to decide exactly what their part is in the struggle.

It's hard to remember any action sequence in recent cinematic history as intense and enthralling as the extended Helm's Deep battle here, which makes an already great movie that much greater.

So does the character of Gollum, which is much more convincing than any CGI creation that has come before it. While some of that can be attributed to the film's digital-effects crews, most of the credit has to go to Serkis, who makes him surprisingly sympathetic.

In fact, Serkis' performance nearly overshadows some very solid turns by the live-action cast. Wood is appropriately tormented as the film's heroic ringbearer, Mortensen continues to display surprising range and, of course, McKellen is as magnetic as ever. (Kudos also to Rhys-Davies, who provides much of the film's comic relief.)

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is rated PG-13 for intense scenes of fantasy violence (sword fights, arrow fire, combat and explosive mayhem), gore and some mildly vulgar humor (belching). Running time: 179 minutes.

---

E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com