Articles
Every Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best
The Lord of the Rings is regarded as one of the greatest fantasy franchises of all time, but all of its movies aren’t created equal — and the best of them are leagues ahead of the worst ones. When most people think of The Lord of the Rings films, their minds immediately go to Peter Jackson’s iconic trilogy. That’s understandable, but there are 10 films in total that take viewers into the world of Middle-earth.
And sadly, not all of these adaptations are on par with Jackson’s masterpieces — even other ones that come from the director. The Hobbit series has its highs and lows, and the earlier takes on Middle-earth leave a lot to be desired. They all share a love and respect for J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material, but they don’t all live up to it.
10) The Return of the King (1980)
Two decades before Jackson’s trilogy brought Tolkien’s books to the big screen, there were attempts to animate his stories instead. 1980’s The Return of the King is one example, with Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass — the duo that brought us the animated version of The Hobbit three years earlier — crafting this take on Tolkien’s finale. Unfortunately, this film doesn’t live up to the excitement of The Lord of the Rings’ ending. It’s not just that it hasn’t aged well, though that’s true too. Even for its time, the animation isn’t all that impressive. Combined with pacing issues and the fact that everyone keeps singing, it’s a pretty cringey viewing experience.
9) The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Ralph Bakshi’s animated Lord of the Rings is slightly better than The Return of the King, but it’s still heavily flawed. Its adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers gets certain elements of the original story right, including the characters and charm. However, the visuals still aren’t that great, and the performances do little to help. It’s a more entertaining film than 1980’s Return of the King, and it holds nostalgic value for many people. Sadly, it doesn’t touch the later Lord of the Rings projects in terms of quality. It also comes in lower than the animated version of The Hobbit, as the tone and look of the cartoons fit that story more.
8) The Hobbit (1977)
Of all the older cartoon movies, 1977’s The Hobbit is the strongest — and that’s no surprise, as the animation and tone suits Bilbo’s story far more than Frodo’s. The campiness of these films don’t hurt the narrative whatsoever; if anything, they work in its favor. Even the later, live-action movies work songs into humor into The Hobbit, and it feels right that this film does too. It’s a fun watch, though it’s not really comparable to any of the modern Lord of the Rings movies. Even the weaker ones have a higher production quality due to when they were made.
7) The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim deserves some credit for its ambition, as it attempts to take an unexplored piece of Middle-earth’s history and bring it to the screen without having a clear-cut narrative to follow. It’s also gorgeously animated, which makes me hesitant to put it below the CGI-heavy Hobbit sequels. But while those get us properly invested in the characters before digging into the (admittedly overdone) action, The War of the Rohirrim struggles on that front. Despite being Lord of the Rings’ return to the big screen after years away, the story itself feels lackluster. Hera makes for an interesting lead, but there’s not enough attention given to other characters. Overall, this one’s missing the franchise’s magic.
6) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies should be one of the best Lord of the Rings films, but it winds up feeling over the top and drawn out. After two decent adventures with Bilbo and his companions, the film concludes their story with a finale that’s more spectacle than heartfelt send-off — and thus, proves The Hobbit never should have been made into a trilogy in the first place. In focusing on the action over the characters, the movie misses the point of the original story (during which the action is a much smaller piece). It also fails to live up to everything that came before. There are some highlights, including the film’s opener. Even still, it’s not enough to put it on the same level as its predecessors.
5) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug gets flak for its use of CGI and departures from Tolkien’s novel, but I’d argue it does a better job than The Battle of the Five Armies on both fronts. The pacing and tone feel truer to Tolkien’s original story, and there are more winning scenes, from Bilbo’s initial encounter with Smaug to the barrel scene (though the CGI there, admittedly, needs work). The Desolation of Smaug still doesn’t beat An Unexpected Journey, as it shows the first signs that The Hobbit shouldn’t have been spread out. It’s very much in the middle of all 10 Lord of the Rings films, having a pretty equal share of positives and negatives.
4) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the film that best captures the heart of Tolkien’s 1937 novel, marking an energetic and fun beginning to the live-action trilogy. The focus is rightfully on Bilbo’s willingness to step outside his comfort zone and embark on an adventure. Everything from the music to the banter supports that. It makes for a genuinely entertaining ride, and it brings some of the best book moments to life in satisfying ways. Getting to see Bilbo obtain the One Ring alone places this above the other two Hobbit movies — and proves that the big character moments really are more important than all the action sequences that come later. An Unexpected Journey is the best Hobbit film, but none of The Hobbit films quite live up to the original Peter Jackson trilogy.
3) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
All three main Lord of the Rings movies are near-perfect films, so it’s difficult to rank one above the other. I’m going to make the potentially controversial claim that The Return of the King is the weakest, however — and considering how incredible the finale is, that’s saying something. The Return of the King brings Frodo’s journey to a close in a faithful way, and it’s equal parts devastating and hopeful. This film shows the true toll that the One Ring takes on its lead, but it also demonstrates the power of coming together to do what’s right. The film has great action, memorable character moments, and multiple satisfying endings. It wraps the story up well, though I’d argue The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers rank slightly higher.
2) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Fellowship of the Ring may be the most rewatchable of the three Lord of the Rings films, as it kicks off Frodo’s journey in an invigorating way and keeps up its solid pacing all the way through. Like An Unexpected Journey, The Fellowship of the Ring really nails the adventure component of Tolkien’s stories. It’s more charming than The Return of the Ring in that regard, and it still manages to be hard-hitting. Gandalf’s showdown with the Balrog and Boromir’s death both pack emotional punches, and they highlight the stakes of this story well. The Fellowship of the Ring also features some of the most memorable scenes and lines of the entire series. One does not simply walk into Mordor and all…
1) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Two Towers doesn’t seem like the strongest Lord of the Rings movie on a first watch, but multiple viewings highlight what a masterpiece it really is. The Battle of Helm’s Deep alone places this above everything else on this list, and Samwise Gamgee’s speech at the end gets me every time. There are a lot of moving parts to this middle installment, but that’s precisely why it works. It gives everyone a chance to shine, and all the storylines come together in a truly epic way. The stakes are high, the action is mesmerizing, and the hope present in The Return of the King is still there. Plus, this film really captures the scope of Tolkien’s world. On top of that, the best part is something The Return of the King doesn’t have going for it: there’s still another movie to watch once you reach the credits.
Which Lord of the Rings movie is your favorite? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
