The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Epic That Brought Everyone to the Movies

adventure, epic, fantasy

Review by Brandon Talks Movies on Jun 12, 2017

In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master ring, to control all others. And into this ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life. One ring to rule them all.

In the 50s and 60s, epics were fairly common, and frequently looked forward to. Movies like Ben Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, and Seven Samurai are regarded as some of the finest films of their decades. Then began a long dry spell for epics through the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Some films came close, such as Dances with Wolves, but there wasn’t a good straight-up epic movie for a long time.

Then, Peter Jackson (King Kong, The Hobbit) got the green light for an epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, along with an epic budget (estimated at $93 million for the first movie alone). When the first of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, was a smash hit, it was clear: epic movies were back.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a cultural phenomenon. Everyone was talking about it. Fans of the book were excitedly explaining what was coming up in the next film, or additional context for what happened in the last film. People would talk about the practical effects they applied to make the hobbits appear small. When the films released on DVD, everyone I knew bought a copy. These three films brought nearly everyone to the movies in a way I had never seen before.

Before embarking on this epic journey, be warned: it’s a commitment. It’s three movies, and each is over three hours. That said, the series is worth the work.

I will take it! I will take the ring to Mordor! Though I do not know the way.

The story begins in a little hobbit town called The Shire, where Frodo is given an evil ring that he must destroy. It corrupts everyone around it, and many end up succumbing to its power and trying to use the ring for their own purposes, which makes Frodo’s journey that much harder. The plot of all three films follows a small group of adventurers—the fellowship of the ring—helping Frodo complete his quest. This involves several epic battles, including one amazing battle sequence in the second film which is over one hour long. Many films have tried to copy this since The Lord of the Rings released, but none do it quite as well as the original.

Though the story and characters are interesting, the best thing by far is the immersive world which they create on screen. A mixture of beautiful New Zealand countrysides, some excellent CGI pieces, and some very innovative filming techniques (many of the scenes with hobbits and humans together were achieved using optical illusions) craft a world unlike anything that had been shown in cinema before it. They not only built a hobbit village, but they did it one year before filming so it wouldn’t look new. That level of detail is present in every scene. You’ll really feel like you’re in a different world.

The actors committed to their roles and went to great lengths to get into character. Sean Bean hated helicopters, so would wake up hours early to scale a mountain to get to filming locations. In one story, the entire fellowship hiked to set and had to camp overnight around a campfire. (I couldn’t find an actual source on that one, so take it with a grain of salt.) Mortensen took swordfighting seriously, often performing his own stunts (and sustaining injuries). The main cast all got tattoos together of the Elvish symbol for nine, symbolizing their part in the fellowship.

Should I Watch The Lord of the Rings Trilogy?

I had the privilege of watching this movie on the big screen when it was first released, and I was blown away. Watching it now, 16 years after it came out, wasn’t quite as breathtaking as I remembered it. It took me a while to figure out why. The Lord of the Rings reignited America’s interest in epics, which spawned many imitators in the following years. The fact that parts of this movie seem familiar and even a bit tired now is a testament to its importance: it changed cinema. It brought epics into the new age, with a wide assortment of new tools to work with, and it brought in audiences to marvel at them. If you watch this now, bear in mind that it was revolutionary and breathtaking when it was released.

I normally try to give fair warnings if I feel that any group would not enjoy a movie, but I really can’t think of a case to recommend against seeing this trilogy (aside from being too young to appreciate it). They’re great films, with a great story and great action sequences. I would classify this as an absolutely essential viewing.

Academy Awards - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Winner: Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Original Score (Howard Shore), Best Visual Effects

Nominee: Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Adapted Screenplay (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson), Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song – “May It Be” (Enya), Best Sound, Best Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen)

Academy Awards - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Winner: Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects

Nominee: Best Picture, Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, Best Film Editing, Best Sound

Academy Awards - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Winner: Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Adapted Screenplay (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson), Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Original Score (Howard Shore), Best Original Song – “Into the West” (Annie Lennox, Fran Walsh, Howard Shore), Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects

Runtime: varies
Director: Peter Jackson
Year: 2001-2003
Genres: adventure, epic, fantasy
Rating: PG-13

About Brandon

My name is Brandon, and I love movies. Not bad ones, though—just the good ones. I’m curating and reviewing a list of classic, essential-viewing, or just plain good movies from all decades, and I've been reviewing them since 2016. I also co-host Peculiar Picture Show, a podcast about movies and mental health and write about Dungeons & Dragons options, builds, and optimization.