The Lord of the Rings films are a landmark of fiction and magic cinema, which brought the great work of JRR Tolkien adapted by the genius of director Peter Jackson, resulting in a resounding success around the world. The Lord of the Rings is a story of perseverance, friendship, teamwork and, above all, courage.
This fabulous universe of Middle-earth was further extended in theaters, with the adaptation - also by Peter Jackson - of the book The Hobbit, which was divided into a trilogy of films that bring more of this world full of orcs, goblins, wizards, hobbits and incredible creatures! But do you know which are the best Lord of the Rings movies? Today we're going to rank them according to their scores on Rotten Tomatoes. So, let's get to it!
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
The list of the best Lord of the Rings films begins with the last film in The Hobbit trilogy, which closes the story that was adapted from the book by JRR Tolkien. The Battle of the Five Armies shows us how Thorin Oakenshield recovered Erabor and the treasure that once belonged to Smaug the Dragon. To do so, he sacrifices his friendships and little Bilbo, the Hobbit, tries to bring him to his senses.
In parallel, we see the famous villain, Sauron, sending his orcs on an unexpected attack that could affect the entire destiny of Middle-earth, forcing the other characters in The Lord of the Rings (elves, dwarves and men) to make the decision to unite or fall in the face of this terrible threat.
Unfortunately, The Battle of the Five Armies is rated as the worst of this magical universe, with 59% critical approval and 74% audience approval on the Rotten Tomatoes. The reason behind this note is that the movie tries to increase the scale of what was presented in the book, bringing more CGI, big fights and exaggerated moments that don't speak to what we see in the original trilogy of The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit is the first film in the trilogy that features Bilbo Baggins as the protagonist of this story. Bilbo is a little hobbit who lives a simple life in the Shire, until a wizard called Gandalf convinces him to go on a great adventure with a group of dwarves. Their mission? To reclaim the kingdom of Erabor! This incredible journey takes us to unknown and dark lands, surrounded by goblins, orcs and other dangerous creatures, while a mysterious golden ring may decide the future of Middle-earth.
This is a beautiful homage to Tolkien's book, faithfully following the original work and enhancing the story with a cast that includes names like Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis. The movie is a great introduction to a new story, which is also part of the Lord of the Rings movie universe.
However, some critics thought the movie was too long, which is typical of the franchise and director Peter Jackson, but many didn't think the length was necessary for the movie. In addition, critics also noted that the film used a lot of new-age special effects, which contrasts with the practical effects we see in much of the first trilogy.
This led to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey receiving an approval rating of 64% from critics and 83% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The second film in the Hobbit trilogy has the best score of the saga on Rotten Tomatoes, with 75% approval from critics and 85% approval from the public! This is due to the similarities that audiences have noticed between this work and the original Lord of the Rings film series. The Desolation of Smaug brought more adventure, dangers and challenges to our main group, which pleased viewers.
In the plot, Bilbo and his companions head east towards the Lonely Mountain to face the dragon Smaug. However, their path is fraught with danger, giant spiders, a shapeshifter character, orcs and forest elves... Will the group be able to overcome all these challenges and reach Smaug?
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Joining the original trilogy of Lord of the Rings films is the third film in the franchise, which concludes the journey of Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring against the terrible Sauron. With 94% critical approval and 86% audience approval, The Return of the King is the culmination of Peter Jackson's trilogy and shows us the final battle between good and evil to decide the fate of Middle-earth. The team that was split up in the previous film finally reaches their destinations and we have the start of the final phase of the saga.
Frodo and Sam, the pair of hobbits, arrive in Mordor to destroy the Ring, while Aragorn is on the front line against Sauron's army in Minas Tirith. The war scenes in this film really stood out and it was the only one of the Lord of the Rings films to win Best Picture at the Oscars. This, without a doubt, was a great farewell to the franchise.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of the Lord of the Rings films and is responsible not only for introducing us to Peter Jackson's work adapting a magical universe, but also to JRR Tolkien's original work. The story tells us how a ring, lost for centuries, can decide the entire future of a civilization and how various people are on a quest to find it. However, a little hobbit called Frodo Baggins becomes the Ringbearer and the one responsible for destroying it, setting off on a terrifying journey before it falls into the wrong hands.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring has become one of the most important works in the fantasy genre in cinemas, and to this day it attracts countless fans around the world. The first film in the franchise scored 92% from critics and 95% from the public, for presenting a plot of friendship, companionship, strength and courage. All the characters are tempted by the Ring, but the integrity and morals of each of them make them heroes capable of overcoming temptation and completing their mission.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The movie with the best rating is, curiously, the second film in the saga: The Two Towers. The story follows the quest of Frodo - the hobbit protagonist - and the Society to destroy the One Ring. Of course, this is not a solitary journey and Frodo is accompanied by his friend Sam, his faithful squire.
The Society sees the urgency of splitting up in order to increase their chances of finding the Ring of Power, so as to destroy it and save all of Middle-earth from Sauron's evil plans. The cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers includes names like Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee and many more! Directed by Peter Jackson, the movie managed to divide the screen time between the two groups and their journey, which was crucial for the good feedback from the public.
As well as helping to make the Lord of the Rings films more popular, The Two Towers scored a 95% from audiences and critics, further consolidating the franchise.
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most famous trilogies of all time, grossing around US$ 3 billion (US$ 2,925,155,189) and being the most awarded film franchise in history, with 17 Oscars and 30 nominations! If you like content about movies and cinema, check out our articles on the best John Wick movies, ranked e the 4 best Macaulay Culkin movies of all time!
