Sauron shows no signs of stopping even as Isengard crumbles. His eyes are on Minis Tirith, the last beacon of hope for Gondor. While Merry and Pippin are reunited with the Fellowship (though not for too long), Frodo and Sam are now right under Sauron’s eye, behind the gates of Mordor. There’s treachery afoot, battles to win, fathers to impress, and cities to conquer. And a king to return.

Will Middle Earth succumb to evil? Will Sam ever see the Shire again? Will Pippin be a fool until he dies?

Will Frodo destroy the ring?

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we are counting down the most impactful, hilarious and memorable moments from the gripping conclusion of Peter Jackson’s fantasy saga, for this: the 10 Best The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Moments.

Follow @thefilmagazine on X (Twitter).

10. Mount Doom Erupts

Inside the volcano things aren’t moving fast enough. The ring isn’t melting. Just as it looks like our King will be defeated, Sauron’s tower falls and the eye implodes. The ground surrounding the heroes disintegrates, taking the orcs and trolls with it.

It’s over. They’ve won.

Or have they?

In the seconds after everyone’s elation, Mount Doom explodes. Everyone looks crestfallen as Sam and Frodo are still up there. This device has been used before with Gandalf and the Balrog, Aragorn and the warg. For a second, this feels different. There is a moment when we truly believe that Sam and Frodo made the ultimate sacrifice.

Recommended for you: 10 Best Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Moments

9. Merry and Pippin Lead the Charge

Vastly outnumbered, Aragorn and his followers head to the black gate to draw Sauron’s eye while Sam and Frodo make the final leg of their journey into Mount Doom. Aragorn’s “not this day” speech is stirring and emotional. This is it. It’s now or never.

“For Frodo!” Is the battle cry.

And, in an army of a thousand experienced soldiers, it is Merry and Pippin who run first. They’ve come so far from the firework stealing miscreants of the first film. They are warriors as brave as any man or elf.

Middle parts of trilogies are often the worst. They have to do so much bridging and they don’t get the satisfaction of story arc conclusions as they are too busy setting up what comes next instead.

The Two Towers does not fall prey to this. It is as exciting as the first film, while having the luxury of our investment. Everyone cares very deeply about what happens to what remains of the Fellowship. A host of new characters are introduced as the battle for Middle Earth continues, the most significant being the people of Rohan. And an extra woman, Éowyn (Miranda Otto), to boot.

The Two Towers is filled with lengthy battles, death and despair, and yet it still manages to be warm-hearted, full of humour and hopeful.

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we are counting down the most impactful, hilarious and memorable moments from Peter Jackson’s timeless epic, for this: the 10 Best The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Moments.

Follow @thefilmagazine on X (Twitter).

10. The Nazgûl

The Wraiths were scary enough in The Fellowship of the Ring, but in The Two Towers they’ve been promoted. Now referred to as Nazgûl, which feels more sinister, and on the backs of great dragons, these agents of Sauron really are a force to be reckoned with.

The screeching, sniffing presence of them over the Dead Marshes as Sam and Frodo cower is the taster, but as their giant wingspans cast a shadow over the city of Osgiliath they truly are a sight to behold.

Recommended for you: 10 Best The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Moments

9. The Uruk-hais March

The Two Towers is a film with many battles, and obviously we are rooting for the good guys, but the final march of the Uruk-hais as they approach Helm’s Deep is nothing short of majestic.

Thousands upon thousands of them marching in time, lit by flickering torches, metal clanging and roaring like lions. They have no morals and no fear. The juxtaposition between them and the rag-tag army Aragorn has managed to gather does an excellent job of building tension.  

Middle Earth is under threat as Sauron, a great malevolent force, is gathering power. The lands of men, elves, wizards, and dwarfs have lived for hundreds of years believing the great evil had been vanquished. Wowzers, were they wrong.

It’s all down to the hobbits – long-living, hairy-footed, ale-swigging, home-comfort-loving people about the size of a human child – to fix it. Turns out Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) has been in procession of a very precious, very dangerous artifact since his exploits in “The Hobbit” 70 years prior.

The task to return the ring is placed in the tiny hands of his nephew, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). It’s all fine though, because Gandalf (Ian McKellen) has arranged for a band of warriors, a fellowship if you will, to help him on this perilous journey.

The Fellowship of the Ring thrust director Peter Jackson and its cast members into the stratosphere of fame. While some depictions may be considered problematic by today’s standards, and Lord of the Rings certainly isn’t passing any Bechdel test, the classic struggle of good versus evil means it remains popular over twenty years later.

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we are counting down the most impactful, hilarious and memorable moments from Peter Jackson’s timeless epic, for this: the 10 Best Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Moments.

Follow @thefilmagazine on X (Twitter).

10. Gardening

The scene has been set, the Hobbits introduced, and Frodo (Elijah Wood) has begrudgingly accepted his mission. While Gandalf (Ian McKellen) is asserting the grave danger the young hobbit will face, he hears a crack outside. An eavesdropper? A spy from the very depths of Mordor? Or perhaps, just a gardener? Gandalf lunges with his staff, and pulls out of the perennials, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Austin).

This is a great introduction to Sam as it shows his cheek, tenacity, and loyalty.

Recommended for you: The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit Movies Ranked

9. The Ringwraiths Attack

Tolkien built a very serious world with realms of peril and intense men conversing. Peter Jackson’s rendering of this world adds a much-needed dose of humour. The Fellowship of the Ring is not afraid to poke fun at itself a little bit.

The Ringwraiths are a terrifying sight (and sound). These are the creatures that all of Middle Earth is afraid of. The wraiths with their metal hands and black cloaks attacking pillows hidden beneath the bedspreads in the Prancing Pony is a scooby-doo-esque flash of comedy.

Frankly, choosing the ten best films ever made is incredibly difficult. When considering such a list there are endless criteria from which one could choose to base their list off: popularity, originality, box office success, how it did at the Oscars. Really, there is no one single way of creating a definitive list of the greatest movies ever made. Even if I were to only take in my own personal opinion, I know that I would change my mind week to week. After all, I haven’t seen every film ever made, I have a lot of catching up to do; who’s to say I wouldn’t swap out something for Interstellar or Stagecoach when I finally get around to ticking those off the list?

As if that wasn’t bad enough, there is the fear of the backlash I may receive by leaving certain films off the list. I don’t have any John Ford on the list, which means that Steven Spielberg will hate me, and I just know the middle class art students are going to come for me due to the lack of Godard, Truffaut or Varda.

Making a top ten greatest films ever made list is a lot of pressure, something that is not lost on me. All I can do is provide the top ten films which, until this point in my life, have had the most profound effect on me. Those films that I have not stopped thinking about since the day I first saw them, that I have introduced to whomever will let me, and that I have watched and rewatched until my heart’s content over the last twenty-six years. Wish me luck.

Follow me on X (Twitter) – @MarkJurassic

10. Aftersun (2022)

Aftersun Review

The only film on this entire list that was released during my time writing for The Film Magazine. Thus far, only one of two new releases I have given full marks to (alongside Celine Song’s beautiful Past Lives).

Since I first saw Charlotte Wells’ debut feature film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, I have seen it a further three times in the cinema and have both directly and indirectly introduced many to the film. My passion shines brightly for this one.

With Aftersun, Charlotte Wells introduced herself to the world as an immensely talented director whose delicate portrayal of a father-daughter holiday in Turkey plays out like a gentle hand on your shoulder, leading you carefully through the complex relationship between the pair that eleven-year-old Sophie is yet to understand.

Releasing the same year as the wonderful Everything Everywhere All at Once, another film that handles the relationship between a daughter and a parent, Aftersun handles the relationship in a much more natural manner, making use of the finer details of the film to provoke the issues facing the pair, and equally providing two of the years most natural performances from Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio. 

It is a simple film told in a relatively simple way, but one which is filled with layers of subtext that linger on the mind long after the credits have rolled. Frankly, given more time to cement its legacy, the debut feature of Charlotte Wells could find itself much higher on this list.

Aftersun is not only one of the greatest feature film debuts of all time, but could be one of the greatest films of all time.

9. North by Northwest (1959)

Let’s not kid ourselves, this spot is essentially a revolving door for Hitchcock projects, and though the likes of Psycho and Rear Window have not been chosen this go around they most certainly would be any other time. Right now, I do genuinely believe that North by Northwest is the great director’s most impressive achievement.

Coming years before the first James Bond film Dr. No (1962), North by Northwest is incredibly ahead of its time in regard to not only what would come in the form of the Bond series but how action cinema would evolve as a whole.

Cary Grant’s advertising executive Roger Thornhill is no secret agent, though after being thrust into a story of espionage and mistaken identity he proves that he has all the charm, wit and cunning that one would hope for. Given its immortal recognition as an early formulation of the James Bond-style film, Cary Grant more than lives up as an early iteration of that type of character. And of course, Hitchcock more than lives up to the Bond style with sex references and innuendos galore.

Most importantly, however, Hitchcock takes the action scenes needed to make a film of this magnitude work and crafts sequences that are impressive by today’s standards but simply revolutionary for the cinema of the 1950s, ultimately changing the way action movies would be created forever.

Recommended for you: Top 10 Alfred Hitchcock Films

In 1967, the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction debuted at Disneyland, California, further illustrating the company’s fascination with outlaw sailors and the pursuit of golden treasure chests. It was 36 years after that (2003), that their theme park attraction would finally be monetised on the big screen, the mythos of pirates put front and centre for a live-action adventure the likes of which we had never seen before.

Led on the screen by the now iconic “Captain” Jack Sparrow, played by famed character actor turned international megastar Johnny Depp, and produced by blockbuster powerhouse production company Jerry Bruckheimer films (Top Gun; Armageddon), the Pirates of the Caribbean tapped into the fan-base of the theme park attraction (now available at 4 different parks) to create a monster box office hit.

Now 5 movies deep, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has become a staple of cinema. And, with a reboot reportedly in the works, now seems like the perfect time to revisit the series to judge which films worked and which ones didn’t so much.

That’s why, in this edition of Ranked, we’re ranking the Pirates of the Caribbean films from worst to best.

Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments. Alternatively, you can tweet us! 

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Director: Rob Marshall

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is by far the worst Pirates film of the franchise.

The anticipation to see Jack and Will back together for another adventure of swashbuckling excitement was strong, but due to scheduling conflicts and Orlando Bloom’s personal preference to not return to the franchise for a 4th installment, that didn’t happen.

Will is nowhere to be seen, and perhaps more sad than that, Jack is a caricature of himself.

The plot was also lacking, the villainous Blackbeard (Ian McShane) – the most iconic of all antagonistic pirates – was more of a cockney loudmouth than a vicious and believable foe, and there were plot points tacked onto his character that seemed to be divulged to the audience and then forgotten about moments later, his magic sword that can manipulate rope being one of those things.

Penelope Cruz debuted in the series as Jack’s ex-love interest, Angelica, while The Irishman star Stephen Graham and Love Wedding Repeat lead Sam Claflin made up parts of the supporting cast, but the film sadly never achieved its potential nor lived up to the standards of its three predecessors.

Rob Marshall had already proved himself as a worthy director to take on this high budget franchise having directed Chicago (2002) and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), but he ultimately couldn’t do enough to overcome the sub-standard content he was working with.

If you can overlook some truly terrible writing, this film could offer a bit of fun, but overall it falls short of all expectations, making for the most disappointing entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Recommended for you: [MERCH – Affiliate Link] Chicago – The Musical/Movie (Apparel, Homeware, Accessories; with International Shipping)

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

Director: Gore Verbinksi

Originally written as a two part entry into the Pirates franchise, the biggest issue with At World’s End is its writing – a brilliant hook in the form of a mass pirate hanging is soon lost to the film’s over complicated and jam-packed narrative; it really is a film trying to offer too much content all at once.

Generally, the aesthetic is nice – it even features the best sequence in all five movies (the beautifully crafted death scene of Governor Beckett) – and it’s a darker, more solemn look at what we had already seen in the trilogy up to this point, confronting the more vicious sides of Pirates and colonial navy forces, as well as the entire psyche of a pirate on the open ocean; Davy Jones’ Locker representing to us exactly how it must feel to be lost at sea, or to never quite know exactly where you’re going. Unfortunately, much of this more adult exploration comes across in contradiction to the film’s mainstream blockbuster intentions, and the result is therefore one of a number of important pieces not quite fitting together properly, the film not quite having the self-assurance that previous entries did.

At World’s End isn’t a bad Pirates movie, and indeed it does feature a number of strong points – not least the franchise’s best villain Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), who is both chilling and manipulative, but who is also entirely believable in his intentions and motivations – and it would therefore seem cruel to rank this film any lower in this list. However, with an open ending that seemed to take all of the closure it had promised away from us in the final moments, and with more films being added to the franchise that negate the need for this film’s overly long 2 hours and 49 minutes run-time, it seems every bit like a film sent out to earn money rather than fulfill an artistic goal, sitting the trilogy-ending Dead Man’s Chest at number 4 in our list.

Have an opinion? Make sure to leave a comment!

6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Gross USA: $255,119,788
Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $956,019,788
1 Academy Award Nomination
1 BAFTA Award Nomination

The best part of this film was the battle with Smaug.

The previous film had concluded on quite the dramatic moment with the dragon about to wreak destruction on the defenceless Lake-town, and The Battle of the Five Armies brilliantly jumps straight back into the action. There’s fire, there’s destruction, people are dying and the audience is gripped with anxiety for Bard and his sickeningly sweet children.

Bard defeats Smaug, his children survive, and the rest of the villagers who avoided peril all go and meet on the nearby shore. It’s all down hill from there…

We are given a few dramatic moments that we are supposed to care about, but there aren’t strong enough foundations built for us to be particularly moved. Tauriel barely knew Kili, how can she claim to have loved him? Why did the Elves suddenly decide to help the Dwarves for no apparent reason? It is generally a film with poor storytelling and a dependence on expensive CGI to make up for it.

Other than the opening battle, the most popular moments were those that referenced the predeceasing trilogy, such as Galadriel’s encounter with Sauron and Thranduil telling Legolas to seek out Aragorn.

Legolas running up falling boulders was pretty sick too!

5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Gross USA: $258,366,855
Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $960,366,855
3 Academy Award Nominations
2 BAFTA Award Nominations

For anyone who had read the book at a younger age, it was so exciting to see so many scenes taken directly from the book in this film – the Spiders were just as scary as when we’d read about them years ago and Beorn was just as mysterious and intimidating. This made the film so much more enjoyable for nostalgic reasons, especially comparing it to The Battle of the Five Armies which contains a lot of made up moments that didn’t take place in the book.

The accomplishment in animating Smaug blew away many who’d approached the CG-heavy prequels with a critical eye. Special effects progress so fast that it’s easy to forget how making Smaug talk was a major feat, especially since the dragon was what people were anticipating most about this film. In this respect, The Desolation of Smaug absolutely delivered! The mouth movements of the dragon matched up with what he was saying so perfectly without looking silly, which we all know is far more impressive than a CGI tiger.

4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Gross USA: $303,003,568
Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $1,021,103,568
3 Academy Award Nominations
3 BAFTA Award Nominations

There were a lot of immediate reactions to this film which criticised it for being a little messy and full of unrelated content. Although many criticised The Battle of the Five Armies for similar reasons, An Unexpected Journey had a different purpose to the last film in the trilogy. After an almost ten year gap since The Lord Of The Rings ended, An Unexpected Journey is our first dip back into Middle Earth; it has to set the scene and starts the story.

The Hobbit Trilogy may have been about one film too long, but this is an opinion only forged in retrospect. In this first instalment, it was exciting to see things like the rock giants fighting in the mountains and Radagast with his woodland pals being intimidated by the Spiders. It felt like a promise for all the goodness that was yet to come, it’s just a shame that the promise was not fulfilled.

Number 10: The Princess Diaries (2001)

This 2001 film is based on the teen book series of the same name written by Meg Cabot; and who better to bring a modern day Princess story to life than Disney? The Princess Diaries was the debut performance of Anne Hathaway and, together with veteran Julie Andrews, this made for a very strong cast. Now, there is nothing particularly complex of even original from this film, but what it is, is simply enjoyable and fun – it keeps the innocence of any Disney Princess film from the past but brings it into the 21st century. Primarily it is a film for young girls, the typical story of the awkward ugly duckling becoming a swan, but it is also a film about growing up and knowing who you are, and it can therefore be enjoyed by everyone.

Number 9: 101 Dalmatians (1996)

The 1996 version of 101 Dalmatians is a live action remake of the 1961 animated classic. It is a story that everyone knows and loves and with a screenplay by John Hughes, and an incredible cast, not to mention some very adorable dogs. It more than lives up to the original. 101 Dalmatians was one of the first live action remakes from Disney, an idea that has spiraled recently. What really stands out in this film is the incredible performance by Glenn Close as the ultimate Disney villain Cruella De Vil – she plays the part to perfection. The dogs are the main feature of this film however, and the integration between live action and computer animation to give them human like personalities, is almost seamless – a great triumph as this was still new territory in the effects world. The film is clean and fun, and clearly for children, but those who know the story or anyone who grew up with the original will love it too.

Number 8: Saving Mr Banks (2013)

Saving Mr Banks is the emotional story behind the creation of one of Disney’s greatest masterpieces, Mary Poppins. The film centers around the struggle to get the approval from Mrs Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, to bring her book to life. She is reluctant to give up her beloved Mary Poppins because of her personal connection to the story, something we discover throughout the film. The performance from Emma Thomson is incredible and the likeness Tom Hanks has to Walt Disney is uncanny. Let’s face it Walt was going to be a challenge for anyone to play, but Hanks gave it everything he had and completely pulled it off.. However, it’s a surprising performance from Colin Farrell as Travers’ father that steals the show; he is a man who loves his family but can not overcome his personal demons. Saving Mr Banks is beautiful, hilarious and heartbreaking all at once; an amazing film.

Number 7: Hocus Pocus (1993)

Hocus Pocus is a film I remember being terrified of as a child but has become something I will go back and watch every Halloween without fail. It is a traditional Halloween scary story that has witches, zombies and black cats; everything you could possibly want. It is a magical fairy tale that is comical, charming, funny and creepy, without losing its appeal to children. The three witches are cast perfectly and the two musical numbers, ‘I’ll Put A Spell On You‘ from Bette Midler and ‘Come Little Children‘ from Sarah Jessica Parker are brilliant and haunting. It seems to be one those Disney films that is timeless and will be watched for many years to come.

Number 6: Tron:Legacy (2010)

When I first watched Tron:Legacy I was truly blown away. As well as paying homage to the original, it offers something new and fresh from Disney. This film is a spectacle for the eyes, a visual experience that deserves to be marveled at, not to mention that the soundtrack created by Daft Punk is phenomenal. The action sequences throughout the film are outstanding, in particular the bar scene, and the overall look is simply stunning. The story is kept simple so that it still appeals to young kids but it is still strong enough to keep the attention of an older audience. Tron: Legacy was Disney taking a risk by rebooting a cult favourite from the 80’s, but it was a risk that completely paid off; they managed to create something spectacular. Bring on Tron 3.

Number 5: The Muppets (2011)

The Muppets is the ultimate feel-good film, and is as much for adults as it is for kids. The jokes are genuinely hilarious, the songs are amazing, and the plot is as fun as it could possibly be. To put it plainly, it is a truly happy film experience. I don’t say this about films very often but The Muppets is pretty much flawless – I can not think of one thing that I dislike about the film. It is filled with nostalgia and has all of the original characters we know and love such as Kermit and Miss Piggy back, as well as being brilliant enough to bring in a whole new generation of fans. The writing from Jason Segal is full of affection and passion for these beloved characters – it is smart, witty and completely heartfelt. Every time I watch this I am unable to stop smiling.

Number 4: Enchanted (2007)

Enchanted is a new and interesting take on the traditional Disney Princess film, merging the world of animation and live action like never before. It as a traditional fairy tale in the modern world. When Giselle is thrust into the world of modern day New York city, it is clear that she will have to make some big adjustments. She is filled with the innocent notions of love at first sight and good always being triumphant over evil, but when she meets Robert she discovers that these notions do not seem to exist in this world. It is not only Giselle that has to adjust to this, but Prince Edward t00, for when he comes looking for her he is confronted with new and strange sights, and it is simply hilarious when this happens. Enchanted is charming, sweet and magical, it will go down as a true Disney classic; a film I will never get tired of watching.

Number 3: Maleficent (2014)

This is a whole different side to the story we thought we knew. Angelina Jolie’s casting as Maleficent was a moment of inspiration, and the supporting cast only strengthen her performance. After seeing this you will never look at Sleeping Beauty in the same way again; it is no longer a black and white good vs evil story, Maleficent gives dimension to a character that was never really explained in the original animated classic. The film was a lot darker than I expected, and the origin of Maleficent’s evil doings is one I did not expect to be explored in a Disney film. It is a story of emotional and physical betrayal, and how someone overcomes that. It is not a simple revenge story, it is far more complicated, it is about rebuilding yourself emotionally and not slipping into darkness. It is about learning to love and trust again, and not in the typical romantic sense. The story is sophisticated and the visuals are stunning, it is not a simple retelling and is potentially a sign of great things to come from Disney.

Number 2: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) 

Much like 2015’s Tomorrowland is based on a section of the Disneyland Park, Pirates of the Caribbean is based on a famous Disneyland ride. I have seen this film more times in the cinema than any other. It is a film that is thoroughly enjoyable – it is full of sword fighting, shouting, and utter mayhem – just what you would expect from a Pirate film with a killer score. Pirates of the Caribbean creates one of Disney’s most memorable and lovable characters, Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp who gives one of the performance of his life. The Sparrow character makes this film what it is; he is hilarious and fun and breathes new life into the notion of being a ‘Pirate’. The rest of the cast stand up well too; the characters are interesting and they all gel together effectively. The magic of Disney brought the beloved ride to life, and now Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl will go down as one of the greatest live-action films in Disney history.

Number 1: Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins is a true Disney classic. It is the perfect combination of live action and animation and in its time was something completely new and innovative from Disney. Julie Andrews is the perfect Mary Poppins and truly deserving of her Academy Award. Even though the special effects may now be seen as outdated, the film stands the test of time and is still loved more than 50 years later. It is silly, spectacular and heartwarming, with musical numbers that are simply exquisite, not to mention some of the most memorable in movie musical history. Mary Poppins is magical, charming and has a good message for children and adults, (as explained in Saving Mr Banks) Mary is not there for the children she is there for the father, to bring the family back together and to make him realise that his family is more important than his job or money. It is a beautiful story and a beautiful film that will continue to delight for generations to come.