Over the years there have been many a franchise, and many a franchise based on books, that have left their mark on pop culture in a huge way. Two such franchises are that of The Lord Of The Rings, and Harry Potter.
Of the sixteen films set between the two magic-infused universes, the majority of them have landed critical acclaim and adoration with fans for which both franchises have a huge amount of. A good gauge of such acclaim and love is IMDb which rates so many of the films of the franchise very highly. Here are the 10 best movies of both the Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter universes, ranked according to IMDb.
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001) - 7.6
The kickoff of the entire Harry Potter universe comes in The Sorcerer’s Stone which follows Harry in his first year of Hogwarts as he makes close friends, bitter rivals, and encounters his arch-enemy, doing all this while navigating school and magical life.
From 593,624 reviews, the film gained a 7.9/10. Heralded for its book-to-screen adaptation while being a jam-packed, exciting introduction to the magical world of Potter, Sorcerer’s Stone may be a bit on the childish side but is an immensely fun adventure.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (2010) - 7.7
The kickoff of the Harry Potter finale, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 sees our trio of heroes on the run from Voldemort and Death Eaters who have taken over the entire magical world, all while they search for Horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord.
From 444,117 reviews, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 earned 7.7/10. Critics and fans alike pointed to the visual stunningness of the movie as well as its emotional touch as reasons to love it, but a common criticism is the fact it at all times feels like a build-up to the next movie, rather than its own.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005) - 7.7
The Goblet Of Fire sees Harry in his fourth year of Hogwarts as he is forced into competing in the dangerous Tri-Wizard tournament all the while Lord Voldemort finds his way back to physical form, and power.
The movie earned its 7.7/10 from 509,173 reviews. The movie gained acclaim for its maturing characters and coinciding maturing craftsmanship, with its special effects and solid ensemble performances earning it well-deserved love.
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (2013) - 7.8
The Desolation Of Smaug sees Bilbo and the rest of our heroes continue their journey as they head East towards Lonely Mountain encountering various dangers which all lead towards a confrontation with Smaug.
From 578,827 reviews, Desolation of Smaug earned 7.8/10. Despite this good score, the film had some mixed critical reviews but was still relatively positive with the creation of Smaug praised and overall most claimed it to be an improvement over the first installment.
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (2012) - 7.8
The first of The Hobbit trilogy, An Unexpected Journey sees Bilbo Baggins convinced by Gandalf to embark on a journey with him and a group of wizards to reclaim the Kingdom of Erebor, all while encountering familiar dangers to fans of Tolkien’s franchise.
The first installment gets ahead of its sequel due to having more reviews with 733,185 making up its 7.8/10. The movie has garnered average to below-average reviews elsewhere from critics, but fan opinions bump it up in IMDb with a return to Middle Earth that is slow, deliberate, and visually pleasing.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004) - 7.9
Prisoner Of Azkaban is the only movie in the main Potter series to not feature Voldemort, but instead sees serial killer Sirius Black go after Harry, the same serial killer blamed for giving Harry’s parents location to Lord Voldemort, as Harry uncovers secrets of his and his parents past, and secrets at Hogwarts.
Prisoner Of Azkaban’s 7.9/10 comes from 510,832 reviews. Often heralded as one of, if not the finest Harry Potter movie, the injection of Alfonso Cuarón’s direction massively aided the franchise, helping it develop its darker look and tone as well developing the performances and a great story appreciated by critics and adored by fans.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (2011) - 8.1
The epic finale of the Potter series comes in Deathly Hallows: Part 2 which sees the heroes on the search for the final Horcruxes, taking them back to Hogwarts for one last huge battle with Voldemort and his army, to set the Wizarding world free once and for all.
From a relatively big 717,066, the Potter finale earned an 8.1/10. The movie is fast-paced, action-packed, and crammed full of story, set pieces, and battles alongside brilliant moments and an emotional end, all this alongside its satisfying nature earned it praise universally.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002) - 8.7
The Two Towers continues our heroes journeys on from the first film as Frodo and the torn Fellowship seeks to destroy the ring. It follows Frodo and Sam as they are joined by Gollum en route to Mordor, all while Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn encounter the Rohan Kingdom.
The franchise’s second entry earned an 8.7/10 from 1,403,755 reviews. The movie followed on from the first excellently, retaining all the positives from it which left no other option but mass acclaim, and at the time left fans craving the final chapter.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001) - 8.8
The Fellowship Of The Ring is the beginning of the epic trilogy and follows the future of civilization fall onto the finger of Frodo, as he comes in possession of the one ring which must be destroyed at Mount Doom, an almighty task which sets him and our heroes off on a turbulent journey.
The film earned its amazing 8.8/10 from big 1,566,942 reviews. The movie became a phenomenon for its excellent ensemble cast, its stunning effects, and just for overall being a perfect visualization of Tolkien’s legendary novel.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) - 8.9
Return Of The King is the unbelievable conclusion to the trilogy and sees Frodo and Sam reach Mordor to destroy the one ring, all the while Aragorn leads the forces of good against the evil of Sauron’s army at Minas Tirith.
The trilogy’s final entry earned an incredible 8.9/10 on IMDb with 1,555,111 reviews. The movie swept at the Oscars with 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay among a load of others and is widely regarded as one of the best final chapters to one of the finest cinematic trilogies of all time.
