Tonight on TV: Rated 4.5 out of 5 This is the best that heroic fantasy has to offer.

If we were to run a little poll asking which is the best heroic fantasy cinematic work, there’s a good chance that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy would garner the most votes. Because there’s really no disputing this fact: the three films adapted from JRR Tolkien’s works are a true must-see in the field. Good news: TMC is broadcasting Les Deux Tours this Thursday night, the second installment of the iconic saga.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, released in theaters in 2002, Frodo Baggins, the hobbit, must face dire dangers to try to destroy the One Ring coveted by Sauron, the Dark Lord. In turn, Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn must rescue Pippin and Mary captured by orcs…

Praised by the press (average rating 4 out of 5) and AlloCiné viewers (4.5 out of 5), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers of Peter Jackson (who has a favorite scene in the saga), darker than the first opus, is an entertainment monument. Spectacular, intense, superbly paced, visually magnificent and full of titanic battles, this XXL adventure of sheer magnanimity is a cinematic spectacle at any time that takes the audience far, far away.

It is worth noting that filming three films of this ambitious franchise at the same time was especially trying for the actors. Some workdays could last more than 16 hours, and fitting latex prosthetic legs for hobbits took… more than an hour!

Battle of the anthology in the show

Piece of Bravery from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers? Battle of the Helm’s Deep. The epic moment, spanning over 40 minutes, required no less than fourteen weeks of filming, at night and in the rain. The shots took place in a transformed quarry, with a mixture of real images, computer generated images, miniatures and models. Ultimately, the fight is one of the most impressive ever filmed.

Nominated six times for the Oscars, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers received two statues for visual effects and sound editing. This extraordinary adventure, which brought in nearly $940 million worldwide, also attracted nearly 7 million viewers to French theaters.

What if the magic of Tolkien’s world came to your living room this Thursday evening? It’s hard to resist this great movie suggestion, isn’t it?

Tonight on TMC at 9:25 PM.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers trailer