Every Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

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The Lord of the Rings is considered a landmark fantasy series, but not all of its movies are equally good—the best ones are significantly better than the rest. While many people immediately think of Peter Jackson’s original three films, there are actually ten movies in total that bring the world of Middle-earth to life.

Unfortunately, many adaptations of Tolkien’s work don’t reach the same level of quality as Peter Jackson’s best films—and that includes some directed by him as well. While The Hobbit series has moments of brilliance, and previous attempts to bring Middle-earth to life fall short, they all demonstrate a clear appreciation for Tolkien’s original stories, even if they don’t quite measure up.

10) The Return of the King (1980)

Long before Peter Jackson’s films, people tried to adapt Tolkien’s stories into animation. One example is the 1980 animated version of The Return of the King, created by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass – the same team who animated The Hobbit a few years prior. However, this version doesn’t quite capture the epic feel of the book’s conclusion. It hasn’t held up over time, and even when it was first released, the animation wasn’t very impressive. The film also suffers from a slow pace and a lot of unnecessary singing, making it a rather awkward watch.

9) The Lord of the Rings (1978)

Ralph Bakshi’s animated Lord of the Rings is a bit better than the 1980 film The Return of the King, but it still has significant problems. While adapting The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, it captures some of the original story’s characters and charm. However, the animation hasn’t aged well, and the voice acting isn’t particularly strong. It’s more enjoyable than the 1980 Return of the King and holds a special place for those who grew up with it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t reach the quality of more recent Lord of the Rings adaptations, and it’s not as good as the animated Hobbit film, as that style better suits its story.

8) The Hobbit (1977)

The 1977 animated version of The Hobbit remains the best of the older cartoon adaptations, which makes sense given its style fits Bilbo’s journey better than it would Frodo’s. The film’s playful, slightly silly tone actually enhances the story. Like the later live-action films, it successfully incorporates songs and humor, and it feels natural. It’s an enjoyable movie, but it’s hard to compare it to today’s Lord of the Rings films, which simply have more advanced production values due to newer technology.

7) The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is admirable for trying to tell a previously untold story from Middle-earth, even though it didn’t have a well-defined plot to work with. The animation is beautiful, and that makes it better than the visually-packed Hobbit movies. However, while those films took the time to develop the characters before the action started, this new film doesn’t quite succeed in that area. Although it’s a return to the big screen for Lord of the Rings after a long absence, the story feels a bit flat. The main character, Hera, is compelling, but other characters aren’t developed enough. Ultimately, this film just doesn’t capture the same magic as the rest of the franchise.

6) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

As a fan, I really hoped The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies would be a fantastic conclusion to the story, especially considering it’s set in the world of Lord of the Rings. But honestly, it felt way too overblown and stretched out. After enjoying the first two films, this one just didn’t deliver the emotional ending Bilbo and his friends deserved. It really highlighted that turning The Hobbit into a trilogy was a mistake. The movie focused so much on big action sequences and not enough on the characters we’d come to care about – something the original book got exactly right. It just didn’t live up to the quality of the previous films, even though there were a few good moments, like the beginning. Ultimately, it doesn’t quite measure up to the legacy of the earlier movies.

5) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

While The Desolation of Smaug has been criticized for its special effects and changes from the book, I think it’s actually better than The Battle of the Five Armies in those areas. It feels more faithful to Tolkien’s story, and has more memorable moments, like Bilbo’s first meeting with Smaug and the barrel chase – though the effects in that scene aren’t perfect. It’s not as good as An Unexpected Journey, though, because you start to feel that The Hobbit shouldn’t have been stretched into three movies. Overall, it’s somewhere in the middle when compared to all the Lord of the Rings films – it has a good mix of strong and weak points.

4) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey truly captures the spirit of Tolkien’s original novel and is a lively, enjoyable start to the film trilogy. The movie wisely centers on Bilbo’s decision to leave his comfortable life and go on an adventure, and everything—from the music to the dialogue—supports this theme. It’s a genuinely fun experience, and it successfully brings many memorable scenes from the book to life. Even just seeing how Bilbo finds the One Ring makes this film stand out from the other two Hobbit movies, proving that focusing on character development is more impactful than action. While An Unexpected Journey is the strongest of the Hobbit films, the entire trilogy doesn’t quite reach the same heights as Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy.

3) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The three Lord of the Rings movies are all exceptional, making it hard to pick a favorite. However, I believe The Return of the King is the slightly weakest of the three—which is high praise considering how amazing it is. The film beautifully and emotionally concludes Frodo’s quest, showing the heavy burden the Ring takes on him while also highlighting the strength of unity and doing what’s right. It’s packed with exciting action, touching character scenes, and several fulfilling conclusions. While it provides a great ending to the story, I personally think The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers are just a bit better.

2) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Many fans consider The Fellowship of the Ring the most rewatchable of the Lord of the Rings films. It brilliantly begins Frodo’s quest with a fast and exciting pace that continues throughout. Like An Unexpected Journey, it perfectly captures the adventurous spirit of Tolkien’s writing, and feels more lighthearted than The Return of the King while still being powerfully moving. Moments like Gandalf’s battle with the Balrog and Boromir’s death are incredibly impactful, clearly showing what’s at stake. The film also includes some of the most iconic scenes and quotes from the entire series – who could forget, “One does not simply walk into Mordor?”

1) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

While The Two Towers might not immediately stand out as the best Lord of the Rings film, it truly shines with repeated viewings. The Battle of Helm’s Deep is a standout sequence, and Samwise Gamgee’s final speech is incredibly moving. This middle film has a lot going on, which is actually its strength. It allows many characters to have their moment, and all the different plotlines build to an amazing climax. The film is packed with high stakes, thrilling action, and still holds onto the sense of hope found in The Return of the King. It also beautifully captures the vastness of Tolkien’s world. And unlike the final film, you get the added bonus of knowing there’s still one more movie to enjoy after the credits roll.

I’m really curious – what’s everyone’s favorite Lord of the Rings movie? Let me know in the comments, and let’s all chat about it over on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-06 05:42