Film trilogies are difficult to make. Hell, making one wonderful movie is hard, but making three that reach the same level of quality requires a 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 of returning to Middle-earth or visiting it for the first time (where have you been for the past 20 years!?), here’s why “The Lord of the Rings” remains the popular one against which all film trilogies are measured. to this day.
This is usually the point of the article where I give you a brief summary of the plot, although 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 films are based on the novels of British fantasy titan J. R. R. Tolkien and are set in the fictional country of Middle-earth.
“The Fellowship of the Rings” begins with a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) who discovers that he possesses a magic ring. But it is not just any gold jewel: the ring contains the force of destiny of the fantasy world and the dark forces will not prevent them from achieving 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 that I am the only one who evaluates its quality, the consensus of the critics and the public supports me.
“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 film, closes the trilogy with 95%. This represents 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 place the 3 movies in the top 12 of the site’s top 250 rankings. And yes, this list covers literally every single movie. made.
There are enough superlatives in the dictionary to do justice to the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. In the early 2000s, Jackson produced masterpieces in quick succession, and those films show no sign of his age all those years later. They are still some of the most outstanding videos ever made and are worth watching on Prime Video, whether it’s the first or thirteenth time.
If after having marathoned the 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 the Tolkien universe, I’ll take a stand for “The Desolation of Smaug. ” I have a comfortable place for this intermediate bankruptcy and I think it’s super nice.
If you’ve already seen “The Lord of the Rings” more times than you can 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 movies 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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