The Lord of the Rings franchise is one of the best-loved and most transcendent film series of all time. Adapted from J.R.R. Martin’s classic book series, Peter Jackson’s films are considered to be some of the best book-to-screen adaptations of all time. Over two decades after the original trilogy came to an end with The Return of the King, the Lord of the Rings movies are still extremely popular.

As Warner Bros. begins developing new Lord of the Rings movies, including The War of the Rohirrim and The Hunt for Gollum, fans are looking back on Peter Jackson’s original six films with renewed interest. While the films are entertaining from beginning to end, some manage to grab viewers’ attention from their opening scenes.

The upcoming Lord of the Rings film, the War of the Rohirrim, will make one of famed director Peter Jackson’s movies more meaningful in retrospect.

The Desolation of Smaug’s Opening Scene Is Intriguing But Goes On Too Long

Gandalf Recruits Thorin Oakenshield For a Special Mission in The Desolation of Smaug

Richard Armitage stars as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit.

In the opening of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Gandalf meets Thorin Oakenshield to plan the mission to Erebor. After a quick cameo from director Peter Jackson, who munches on a carrot in the film’s opening shot, the audience is treated to a short view of Bree, where Thorin Oakenshield walks the streets and finally takes a rest at the Prancing Pony. There, he is pursued by two assassins, who are eventually scared off by the arrival of Gandalf, who expertly sets his plan in motion by convincing Thorin to put together a team of Dwarves to retake Erebor. This scene takes place prior to the events of An Unexpected Journey and sets the entire trilogy in motion.

Year

IMDb Rating

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Streaming

2013

7.8/10

74%

Max

The Desolation of Smaug‘s opening scene isn’t bad by any means. The first few minutes of the film are well-shot and carry a weight of tension as Thorin wonders who can be trusted–including Gandalf. However, it can be argued that the scene is less exciting than the opening moments of other Lord of the Rings films, which often include epic battles and other action-heavy sequences. While the conversation between Thorin and Gandalf is intriguing and important in developing both characters’ motivations, it is undoubtedly a slower start to the movie than some viewers might like.

An Unexpected Journey’s Beginning Is Nostalgic and Overindulgent

The First Hobbit Movie Revisits the Events of The Fellowship of the Ring

Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey

Much like The Fellowship of the Ring before it, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens with some much-needed exposition, flashing back to the golden age of the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor. This time, the story is set by Bilbo Baggins, with Ian Holm reprising his iconic role from the original trilogy. Bilbo narrates as audiences see the fall of Erebor at the hand of the mighty dragon Smaug and are introduced to Thorin Oakenshield, the rightful heir to his grandfather’s kingdom. The scene then takes a sharp turn, revealing that Bilbo is writing on the day of his 111th birthday, the inciting incident for The Lord of the Rings.

Year

IMDb Rating

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Streaming

2012

7.8/10

64%

Max

Although the events portrayed in the opening scene of An Unexpected Journey are intriguing, the movie automatically diminishes itself in an attempt to replicate the iconic beginning of Fellowship of the Ring. When compared, the original film’s opening is far superior to that of the first Hobbit movie, which loses track of its tone rather quickly. Flashing back to the events of Fellowship is an interesting touch, but doesn’t quite make sense in context. The movie even shoehorns in a cameo from Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, which is both nostalgic and unnecessary. Overall, the opening of An Unexpected Journey is overindulgent, foreshadowing some of the problems that would come in the rest of the trilogy.

The land of Middle-earth from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was part of a much larger universe, so what else was out there?

The Two Towers Opens With a High-Stakes Duel

Gandalf Battles the Balrog in the First Scene of The Two Towers

Gandalf stands on The Bridge of Kazad-dum fighting the Balrog in The Fellowship of the Ring.© Provided by CBR

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers takes a step back to the events of the previous movie as Gandalf fights the Balrog in the Mines of Moria. After the bridge of Khazad-dm collapses, Gandalf and the Balrog both plummet into the inky blackness. On the way down, the two primordial beings fight in a brief but epic sequence that shows just how powerful Gandalf is–though he doesn’t always show it.

Year

IMDb Rating

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Streaming

2002

8.8/10

95%

Max

The Two Towers‘ first scene gives viewers a taste of the cosmic side of Tolkien’s legendarium as Gandalf, an Istar in human form, and a Balrog of Morgoth, an ancient demon with similar origins, battle as they plummet endlessly. The scene is one of the most epic in the entire franchise but is unfortunately cut short when the film quickly cuts back to Frodo and Sam before depicting the end of the duel. The Two Towers later revisits the battle between Gandalf and Durin’s Bane, but this is the most that the opening sequence has to offer.

The Battle of the Five Armies’ Opening Scene Is the Best Part of the Film

Smaug Lays Waste to Lake Town in The Battle of the Five Armies

Smaug threatens to burns the town down in The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies.© Provided by CBR

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies picks up immediately after the events of the previous film, in which the vehement dragon Smaug takes off from Erebor and flies straight toward Lake Town, promising to wipe out the villagers in retribution for the Dwarves’ attack on horde. What follows is an epic sequence that depicts the carnage that takes place during Smaug’s attack, as the dragon burns Lake Town to the ground. The sequence eventually ends when Bard climbs a ruined tower and uses a dark arrow to pierce Smaug’s weak underbelly, killing the dragon and putting an end to his desolation.

Year

IMDb Rating

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Streaming

2014

7.4/10

59%

Max

Although The Battle of the Five Armies has many flaws, this is a riveting opening scene to kick off the movie. The audience is put right into the heat of the action, racing through the canals of Lake Town alongside the villagers, desperate to escape. The extended sequence is action-packed and emotional, as an entire town is ransacked and left to burn. Moreover, the confrontation between Smaug and Bard is brilliant, as the dragon taunts his enemy, unaware that he possesses the dark arrow necessary to finally kill him. While the movie itself is far from the best entry in the franchise, The Battle of the Five Armies at least gets off to an exciting start.

Denethor was one of LOTR’s most despicable characters in The Return of the King, but the film did not explore his full story from Tolkien’s novel.

Return of the King Takes a Step Back in Time to Set Up Its Ending

Return of the King Explores Gollum’s Origin Story Before the Trilogy

Smeagol holds The One Ring in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.© Provided by CBR

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King surprises viewers by revisiting Gollum’s disturbing past and exploring the events that led to his obtaining the One Ring. While on a fishing trip, Smeagol and his friend Deagol find a mysterious ring beneath the river. Smeagol murders his friend to take the Ring for himself, growing more and more obsessed with it as the centuries pass. Outcast and alone, Smeagol transforms into the being that viewers know as Gollum, having traded away his entire life for his “precious.”

Year

IMDb Rating

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Streaming

2003

9/10

94%

Max

Although this is a much more subtle way to open a film that would be known for its epic action sequences, Return of the King immediately sets up Gollum for a much more important role in the story to come. Gollum’s obsession with the Ring turns out to be the very thing that saves Middle-earth at the end of the movie, as he accidentally destroys it and himself in the fires of Mordor by trying to take it from Frodo. This is a brilliant piece of writing that sets up the movie’s ending from the very beginning, establishing the opening scene of Return of the King as one of the franchise’s best even without the massive battles that other films depict.

The Fellowship of the Ring Has the Most Epic Opening of the Franchise

The Fellowship of the Ring Opens With the Last Alliance of Elves and Men

Elrond (Hugo Weaving) stands surrounded by Elves in LOTR’s The Last Alliance.© Provided by CBR

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings opens with an epic introduction to Middle-earth’s as Lady Galadriel declares that the world is changing–and darkness is rising. In one of the most exciting sequences in cinematic history, viewers get a crash course in the history of Middle-earth, witnessing the forging of the rings of power and the battle of Mordor at the end of the Second Age as Sauron is defeated. Galadriel narrates as the One Ring shifts from Sauron to Men, only to be lost–until one young hobbit happens across it centuries later.

Year

IMDb Rating

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Streaming

2001

8.9/10

92%

Max

The Fellowship of the Ring is unparalleled in its epic depiction of the events leading up to The Lord of the Rings. Aided greatly by Cate Blanchett’s dramatic retelling of Middle-earth’s history, this film has one of the most iconic opening sequences of all time. Audiences are given a taste of the amazing action sequences to come in the brief but memorable depiction of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men while also getting their first introduction to Howard Shore’s amazing score. Few franchises have as strong an opening as The Lord of the Rings.

Frodo, Sam, Gollum, Aragorn, Gandalf, Eowyn and Arwen are surrounding the title on The Lord of the Rings Franchise Poster.© Provided by CBR

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is a series of epic fantasy adventure films and television series based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels. The films follow the adventures of humans, elves, dwarves, hobbits and more in Middle-earth.

Created by J.R.R. Tolkien

First Film The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

Latest Film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Upcoming Films The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim

First TV Show The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power

Latest TV Show The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power

First Episode Air Date September 1, 2022

Cast Charlie Vickers, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Bean, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Morfydd Clark, Billy Boyd, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan

Character(s) Sauron, Gollum

Video Game(s) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth, LEGO Lord of the Rings , The Lord of the Rings Online, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North