Collection
Middle-earth
Peter Jackson's two trilogies, one of them essential, and the Amazon series.
Which order? Watch The Lord of the Rings first, in release order. The Hobbit films are a prequel and a lesser thing.
The Lord of the Rings
- 1
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001Peter Jackson’s fantasy adventure is absorbing, frightening and worth the time even for those unmoved by hobbits. The battles occasionally crowd out the people, but Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood give us ample reason to care.Fi1m 90 - 2
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002*The Two Towers* is a stirring fantasy adventure, though Peter Jackson’s divided storylines sometimes make it lumber. Andy Serkis gives Gollum enough fear and spite to compete with the armies for our attention.Fi1m 85 - 3
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003Peter Jackson’s fantasy finale is thrilling and moving, with Elijah Wood and Sean Astin keeping the vast battles from taking over. It deserves the long evening, though several stretches could be shorter.Fi1m 88
The Hobbit
- 4
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012Peter Jackson returns to Middle-earth with a children’s book stretched across 169 minutes, and the strain shows. Martin Freeman is a near-perfect Bilbo and the riddle game in the dark is a small marvel; much of what lies between is handsome, noisy and far too long.Fi1m 60 - 5
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 2013Peter Jackson’s middle chapter is quicker, darker and better than the first, with one river chase and one dragon worth the evening. It is also 161 minutes of running that stops rather than ends, and the padding still shows.Fi1m 65 - 6
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 2014Peter Jackson’s last *Hobbit* film is a battle that runs the better part of an hour, much computer-generated masonry and one small scene about an acorn. The acorn is the best thing in it, fans should finish, and nobody else need begin.Fi1m 54
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