Options
Rank the six "Middle Earth" movies from best to worst
Yes I have posted another LOTR/Hobbit related topic but I am a big fan so 
I see there doesn't seem to be a lot of love for The Hobbit here so I don't expect them to be in many peoples top three but for me one of them is.
1. LOTR: The Return of the King
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
5. LOTR: The Two Towers
6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
I see there doesn't seem to be a lot of love for The Hobbit here so I don't expect them to be in many peoples top three but for me one of them is.
1. LOTR: The Return of the King
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
5. LOTR: The Two Towers
6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
0
Comments
The ones I've seen:-
1) LOTR Fellowship of the Ring (prefer to watch the extended version)
2) LOTR Return of the King (prefer to watch the theatrical version)
3) LOTR Two Towers (prefer to watch the theatrical version)
4) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (in a distant fourth place)
2) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
3) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
4) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
5) The Hobbit: An Expected Journey
6) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
I consider the extended editions of the LOTR films to be *the* definitive versions, and have not watched the theatrical cuts since their original release (although I would still rank them higher than any of The Hobbit films).
Extended editions of The Hobbit? Only watched the first. It just seemed to be more songs. Only seen the theatrical cuts of the second and third.
You should definetly watch the extended cut of TDOS it gives the film a lot more depth.
I love the extra footage in AUJ including the song by James Nesbitt
2) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
3) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
4) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
5) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
6) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2. Fellowship
3. TT
4. DOS
5. AUJ
6. BOTFA
Don't understand why anyone would chose theatrical over EE ROTK, unless the length is an issue for you?
2. LOTR - The Fellowship of The Ring
3. LOTR - The Two Towers
4. The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug
5. The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
6. The Hobbit - The Battle of the Five Armies
If they made the Hobbit films into two parts, I'm certain they would have been a lot better.
I almost agree but then I think TDOS has one of the most epic endings ever when Smaug finally flies out. I can't imagine that film having the ending of TBOTFA at all.
Also as much as I find TBOTFA the weakest its still a great movie filled with some awesome scenes. I do just find it a little bit too battle orientated same as The Two Towers though.
Two trilogies work better overall in terms on longevity and marketing as a six film set.
2) The Return of the King
3) The Two Towers
4) The Desolation of Smaug
5) An Unexpected Journey
6) The Battle of the Five Armies
Well personally I think the first trilogy was a landmark in film and set the standard to push on from for the 21st century. The Return of the King is magnificent and well deserved its record equalling 11 Oscars (though that was probably recognition for the trilogy as a whole too).
The Hobbit is a beautifully realised fabulous action film trilogy but it was always the starter rather than the main course. Its maybe slightly awkward that we had the main course first. Then again LOTR may not have had the same impact that it deserved had it been post Hobbit.
2) The Fellowship of the Ring
3) The Two Towers
4) An Unexpected Journey
5) The Desolation of Smaug
6) The Battle of the Five Armies
2. The Fellowship of the Ring
3. The Return of the King
4. The Desolation of Smaug
5. An Unexpected Journey
6. Battle of the Five Armies
I find some of the extra scenes in RotK (and TT) irritating and out of place. There's one particular added scene involving Aragorn that completely undermines his character.
I actually bought the extended DVDs a long time ago, and only recently bought the theatrical trilogy on Blu. Last time I re-watched them I used the extended Fellowship DVD, and the theatrical Blus of the other two, and that's what I'll do next time.