Cinematic trilogies are difficult to make. Hell, making one wonderful film is hard, but making three that reach the same level of quality requires monumental effort and a very talented artistic team. The fact that between 2001 and 2003 director Peter Jackson managed to make a trilogy of masterpieces is nothing. less than legendary.
Of course, I’m talking about “The Lord of the Rings,” which consists of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers,” and “The Return of the King,” and this trio of fantasy epics just arrived on Prime. This month’s video. And with Amazon’s “Rings of Power” prequel series set to return with Season 2 this month, there’s never been a better time for a LOTR movie marathon.
If you’re thinking about returning to Middle-earth or visiting it for the first time (where have you been for the last 20 years!?), here’s why “The Lord of the Rings” remains the popular one by which everyone is measured the film trilogies. until today.
This is usually the point in the article where I give you a brief summary of the plot, but in “The Lord of the Rings” it is almost unnecessary. These fantasy films are so iconic that the main narrative beats are almost ubiquitous. But if you need help, the videos are based on the novels of British fantasy titan J. R. R. Tolkien and are set in the fictional land of Middle-earth.
“The Fellowship of the Rings” begins with a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) who is discovered in possession of a magic ring. But this is no ordinary gold jewel, the ring has the strength for the fate of the fantasy world. and the dark forces will not prevent them from laying hands on it for anything.
Frodo is tasked with going to the far-flung country of Mordor and destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Departing with his best friend Sam (Sean Astin), he begins an epic quest in which Frodo encounters all kinds of people and creatures, some friendly and some very hostile. And that’s just the beginning of this long story; Unraveling the entire trilogy is a subject that requires a complete novel, or deserves to be three.
The films also star Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Boom, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Christopher Lee, Billy Boy, Miranda Otto, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban and Andy Serkis. The Rings” brings together a remarkable cast of incredibly memorable characters.
I still don’t vividly forget seeing “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in the cinema in 2003 as a child, and while at the time I was probably too young to really appreciate the breadth and narrative ambition of the film, as an adult I’ve since rewatched LOTR several times, Now I can fully see the masterful structure and I must say that the trilogy is almost perfect.
The debate over which is the most productive of the three is a verbal exchange that still goes on today (for what it’s worth, “The Fellowship of the Rings” is my personal choice), but what’s rarely in doubt is the overall outcome. Quality of the trilogy. It’s even more impressive when you consider that those films are more than 20 years old, and yet they hold up in front of some of the most productive blockbusters of 2024.
“The Lord of the Rings” has earned its place in cinematic folklore, and in case you think I’m the only one comparing its quality, the critical and audience consensus has my back.
“The Fellowship of the Rings has a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Two Towers” rises to 94%, while “The Return of the King”, winner of the award for best picture, ends the trilogy with 95%. It’s an average score of 93%, which is incredibly impressive and makes it one of the most critically acclaimed trilogies.
Don’t mistakenly think that this is a franchise that only critics like. Head over to IMDb and locate the 3 movies in the 12 most sensible places out of the site’s 250 most sensible ratings. And yes, this list literally encompasses each and every movie. fact.
There are enough superlatives in the dictionary to do “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy justice. In the early 2000s, Jackson produced masterpieces in quick succession, and those films show no signs of his age all those years later. They remain some of the most notable videos ever made and are well worth watching on Prime Video whether it’s your first or 13th time.
If after having marathoned all 3 “Lord of the Rings” movies you need even more action in Middle-earth before the return of “The Rings of Power”, Prime Video also just won Peter Jackson’s “Hobbit” trilogy. and even if it pales in comparison. Compared to the director’s early efforts in Tolkien’s universe, I’ll be fighting for “The Desolation of Smaug. “I have a comfortable place for this bankruptcy in between and I think it’s super nice.
If you’ve already watched “The Lord of the Rings” more times than you count and prefer something a little newer, check out our roundup of all the new videos and views added to Prime Video in August 2024, adding new videos like “Jackpot. “».
Watch the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy now on Amazon Prime Video
Rory is the entertainment editor of Tom’s Guide, founded in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide diversity of topics but focuses especially on gaming and streaming. When you’re not checking out the newest games, looking for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing engaging versions of new material from games, TV shows, and movies, you can be discovered attending music festivals and getting too emotionally involved in your favorite football team.
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