When it comes to works of fantasy adaptation, The Lord of the Rings
trilogy remains one of the most acclaimed and beloved. Peter Jackson directed all three installments, which were released in theaters between 2001 and 2003. The three movies, which serve as adaptations of the book series by author J.R.R. Tolkien, were all critically and commercially successful, and Jackson would ultimately return to the world of Middle-earth with his less successful Hobbit trilogy in the 2010s.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was the movie that started it all, introducing Elijah Wood as Frodo and kicking off his quest to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. This installment was followed by The Two Towers, which features the climactic Battle of Helm’s Deep, and finally by The Return of the King, the trilogy-capper that wraps up the stories of Lord of the Rings characters like Frodo, Sam (Sean Astin), Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) with plenty of action and emotion.
Peter Jackson Picks The Two Towers As His Favorite Lord Of The Rings Movie
But The Director’s Choice Isn’t Set In Stone
Jackson reveals which Lord of the Rings movie is his favorite, naming The Two Towers. The second installment in Jackson’s trilogy was released in 2002, picking up the story after the Fellowship of the Ring‘s emotional ending. The sequel features Frodo and Sam taking on Gollum (Andy Serkis) as their guide through Middle-earth as Aragorn, Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davis) track a group of Uruk-hai to save Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd). The film was a hit with critics and audiences, grossing $923 million worldwide.
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Every Lord of the Rings & Hobbit Movie Ranked, Worst to Best
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During a recent interview with Letterboxd, Jackson is asked whether he has a favorite Lord of the Rings movie. Though he cites The Two Towers, he admits that this choice could change. Check out Jackson’s comment below:
“The Two Towers, I think. But if I see them again I might have a totally different one.”
Jackson reveals that his favorite might evolve if he were to watch the trilogy again, but he reveals in the same interview that he struggles when it comes to rewatching his own movies. While he doesn’t write off eventually watching his Lord of the Rings trilogy, it sounds like he might need some more time:
“I can’t watch my own films. I just, I mean, one day… I sort of enjoy it more as more time goes by, so one day I’ll watch them again. I hope you enjoy ’em!”
What Jackson’s Choice Means For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
The Two Towers Was A Win With Critics
As seen in the chart below, Jackson’s choice does align with the critical consensus regarding the three Lord of the Rings movies, at least according to Rotten Tomatoes. It’s clearly a close race, though, and there’s only a handful of percentage points between the three, speaking to just how acclaimed and beloved all three installments are.
|
Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Rotten Tomatoes Scores |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Title |
RT Critics’ Score |
RT Audience Score |
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring |
92% |
95% |
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers |
95% |
95% |
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
94% |
86% |
When it comes to having a favorite Lord of the Rings movie, there isn’t really any single right answer, and personal preference will play a major role. It’s not clear why The Two Towers is Jackson’s favorite, but the second installment in any trilogy is always a major challenge as it ultimately serves as a bridge in a larger story. Even though The Two Towers might not be everyone’s favorite Lord of the Rings movie, it’s clearly a special work of fantasy, and one that Jackson is particularly proud of.
Source: Letterboxd
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
- Created by
-
J.R.R. Tolkien
- Cast
-
Norman Bird
, Anthony Daniels
, Elijah Wood
, Ian McKellen
, Liv Tyler
, Viggo Mortensen
, Sean Astin
, Cate Blanchett
, John Rhys-Davies
, Billy Boyd
, Dominic Monaghan
, Orlando Bloom
, Christopher Lee
, Hugo Weaving
, Sean Bean
, Ian Holm
, Andy Serkis
, Brad Dourif
, Karl Urban
, Martin Freeman
, Richard Armitage
, James Nesbitt
, Ken Stott
, Benedict Cumberbatch
, Evangeline Lilly
, Lee Pace
, Luke Evans
, Morfydd Clark
, Mike Wood
, Ismael Cruz Cordova
, Charlie Vickers
, Markella Kavenagh
, Megan Richards
, Sara Zwangobani
, Daniel Weyman
, Cynthia Addai-Robinson
, Lenny Henry
, Brian Cox
, Shaun Dooley
, Miranda Otto
, Bilal Hasna
, Benjamin Wainwright
, Luke Pasqualino
, Christopher Guard
, William Squire
, Michael Scholes
, John Hurt - Character(s)
-
Frodo Baggins
, Gandalf
, Legolas
, Boromir
, Sauron
, Gollum
, Samwise Gamgee
, Pippin Took
, Celeborn
, Aragorn
, Galadriel
, Bilbo Baggins
, Saruman
, Aldor
, Wormtongue
, Thorin Oakenshield
, Balin Dwalin
, Bifur
, Bofur
, Bombur
, Fili
, Kili
, Oin
, Gloin
, Nori
, Dori
, Ori
, Tauriel
, King Thranduil
, Smaug
, Radagast
, Arondir
, Nori Brandyfoot
, Poppy Proudfellow
, Marigold Brandyfoot
, Queen Regent Míriel
, Sadoc Burrows