The adaptations of The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson are legendary, but there are still some other movies from Middle-earth that we will pit against each other in the ranking.
How was this list created? Below, we rank all 9 films that deal with J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. This includes adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Series like The Rings of Power are not included, as this list is focused solely on the films.
The ranking is based on the author’s personal opinion and is purely subjective. If you disagree with the rankings, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. But now let’s dive into the adventure – off to Middle-earth.
9. The Return of the King (1980)
The start and thus the last place is filled by this animated film by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. And it is indeed a curious film. For it roughly tells the third part of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy – but without any predecessor films. While there are, as we will see further up in the ranking, animated films that tell parts 1 and 2, The Return of the King has nothing to do with them.
This film has a unique style that hardly convinces and feels quite overloaded overall. It has to condense a lot of content and only entertains moderately.
8. The Battle of the Five Armies (2015)
The conclusion of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy shows more than its predecessors how much the series lacks content. Stretching Tolkien’s comparatively thin book into three films, each lasting over two hours, simply did not work.
This final part suffers from far too long battles, partly absurd CGI moments (Legolas, ahem) and you can tell that Jackson ran out of narrative material for the film. The titular battle eventually just becomes tedious. Therefore, anyone wanting to see the story in a much shorter version should give place 7 a chance.
7. The Hobbit (1977)
This film comes from the same directors who three years later directed The Return of the King. Accordingly, both films are similar in their animated style. However, The Hobbit manages much better to establish the world and the characters in a short time.
The film was aimed at children, just like the source material, even though there are some eerie moments. Without lengthy droughts, this piece tells its story in just 77 minutes. Bilbo’s journey is accompanied by a singer-songwriter soundtrack that comments on the events and reminds one of hippie times. It sounds quirky but somehow works.
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