The Lord of the Ringsmovies, and the Hobbit ones too, gave us a cinematic experience set in one of the most iconic fantasy worlds ever made. They all brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth to life in ways that were expansive, detailed, and incredibly immersive.
Even the ones that weren’t perfect still had a lot to offer. All of them felt magical in unique ways, while some specifically hit hard with huge battles that were quite an experience to watch. In Peter Jackson’s saga in particular, you really feel the world change as the movies go on, and we’ve taken a look at them all.
7The Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim
Rotten Tomatoes: 48 Percent
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is different from most other LOTR movies, being an animated installment. It took a lot of inspiration from anime for its style, which obviously gives it a very different look compared to the live-action installments.
It’sa canonical prequelin line with the Peter Jackson movies, so fans of those should still feel right at home. The story focuses on Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan, and is set 200 years before the Hobbit movies. It adds some interesting bits to the lore, especially about Rohan, but quality-wise, it just pales in comparison to everything else.
6The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
Rotten Tomatoes: 59 Percent
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is basicallya two-hour battle, for better or worse. It starts off right in the action and barely slows down, although it is thoroughly exhilarating. There’s not as much story covered, but even then, it’s a pretty solid movie.
The emotional moments still hit, especially during the ending. Thorin’s fall into madness and his redemption are probably the strongest parts, but it does suffer a bit from the original plan of two Hobbit movies being turned into three instead. Still, it wrapped up the Hobbit trilogy in a way that felt satisfying enough.
5The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Rotten Tomatoes: 64 Percent
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey started things off for the Hobbit trilogy on a strong note, managing to capture a similar magical tone to Fellowship of the Ring. The Shire scenes felt cozy and peaceful, and the Misty Mountains had a mysterious, immersive, and chilling vibe that was really fun and exciting to watch, especially in theatres.
You get introduced to the company of dwarves here, and even though there are a lot of them, the film mostly does a good job of making you care about them. Bilbo’s character arc is also strong, going from a hesitant person to someone who wants to help and explore. As the title states, it really felt like an unexpected journey with weird Middle-Earth creatures and some heartfelt moments.
4The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug
Rotten Tomatoes: 74 Percent
This is where the Hobbit trilogy really hit its stride. Everything feels more cohesive than the first one, and it moves way more smoothly from start to finish. Even though it takes some creative liberties and changes stuff from the book, the extra scenes actually help here.
They raise the stakes and make the story feel more urgent, especially with everythingthat has to do with Smaug. You also start seeing more connections to the bigger world, like the rise of Sauron in Dol Guldur. It’s a big step up from the first movie and almost feels like it belongs in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
3The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
Rotten Tomatoes: 94 Percent
The Return of the King was the big finale for the original trilogy, and it absolutely delivered. The battles are enormous and feel so real, even with all the fantasy elements. The Siege of Minas Tirith especially is an extremely impressive sequence.
The storytelling was at its absolute peak here. You feel the weight of Frodo and Sam’s journey deep into Mordor, and the toll it has taken on them. You get closure for almost every character, albeit with some of them being bittersweet. The movie ended the trilogy as well as anyone could have hoped for.
2The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
Rotten Tomatoes: 95 Percent
The Two Towers really expanded the world and raised the stakes by introducing a lot of major new characters and lore. Helm’s Deep is probably the best battle in the entire trilogy, being dark and intense from start to finish.
The film also spends a lot of time with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli helping out Rohan, which grounds the movie and makes it feel very human by showing the royal side of things. There’s politics, strategy, and personal growth which give it a different vibe from its predecessor. The Fellowship of the Ring felt more magical, but this one feels more grounded with more tension.
1The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Rotten Tomatoes: 92 Percent
While any of the three movies from the trilogy can be considered the best, The Fellowship of the Ring still feels the most magical. It’s where everything started, and it introduced us to a world that felt completely alive, and the experience that came with watching it for the first time is hard to match.
The Shire was warm and comforting, and then everything slowly turned darker as the journey started. You meet all the main characters here, and it never feels rushed. The Fellowship forming feels like something important, and you care about them right away. The landscapes and settings are beautiful, and the music really adds to that epic and emotional feel.
