Few franchises have become such worldwide pop culture phenomenon's in the way that The Lord Of The Rings and Star Wars franchises have. With eighteen theatrical movies between the two and an insane amount of box office, they are two of the most popular and incredibly successful properties of all time.
Alongside critical acclaim and immense earnings, they both have rabid, passionate fanbases, and beloved by hardcore fans and casual fans alike. A gauge of this popularity amongst fans is the Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score, which we will use to rank the ten best movies between the franchises here.
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013) - 85%
Going by Rotten Tomatoes, The Desolation Of Smaug is the highlight of The Hobbit trilogy, with a superior score on both the critics and audience side of things, and it is easy to understand why.
The movie garnered praise for its quality and entertainment value over the first entry, and even though none of the movies within the trilogy live up to The Lord Of The Rings, there is some stuff to like.
The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (2003) - 86%
The final chapter to the historic Lord Of The Rings trilogy clean swept the Oscars and brought to an end one of the best cinematic trilogies of all time, taking a lot of time to wrap up the characters' stories.
From an audience standpoint, it is by far the least popular movie of the trilogy, perhaps due to its slow nature, and with how much time it spends ending the story of its characters. Nevertheless, it is a satisfying end to an immense trilogy.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019) - 86%
The sequel trilogy of the Skywalker saga was immensely divisive at every turn, with its final entry being no different.
Pretty strongly hated by a lot of critics, as well as some fans, the movie proved to be far more popular with fans on Rotten Tomatoes, with over a 30% difference between critics and fans. It has some stuff to love, some stuff to hate, which most fans agree.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) - 86%
Rogue One is a great war flick set in the Star Wars Galaxy, and the entire third act is one of Star Wars' very best acts across all its movies.
It does suffer from a lack of true character development, and, for some, emotional investment. However, its action, story, and Darth Vader make it a great and popular movie.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) - 86%
Before the Star Wars fandom was torn apart from the inside, the sequel trilogy seemed to get off to a universally good start.
There were those fans who boycotted Disney from the start and moaned about nonsensical issues, but overall fans and critics alike enjoyed The Force Awakens and looked forward to what was to come, even with the striking similarities the film has with A New Hope.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi (1983) - 94%
Return Of The Jedi is not looked upon as fondly as the previous two original trilogy movies. Still, despite its issues, it does provide a super satisfying finale to one of the greatest trilogies of all time.
Critics are much more cynical of the movie than fans, as seen on Rotten Tomatoes. The entire ending is pretty perfect, and the film has so much to love for everyone who watches.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) - 95%
The Fellowship Of The Ring introduced us to the slew of fantastic characters and set our heroes on their journey that will be full of trials and tribulations.
Peter Jackson crafts a phenomenal first entry to a trilogy that may very well be perfect. It has breathtaking special effects, and a cast of fantastic performances, and will hold up for generations to come.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - 95%
By way of a higher critics score, the most popular Lord Of The Rings movie is The Two Towers. The second entry to the trilogy may well be one of the best blockbuster movies of all time quality-wise.
It is jam-packed with phenomenal action, while still retaining the emotional weight that gets fans so invested in the series. It is a fantastic continuation of the hero's journey and a brilliant movie.
Star Wars [Episode IV - A New Hope] (1977) - 96%
Star Wars changed the world when it was released in May of 1977, creating a pop culture phenomenon like no other, as well as changing the landscape of cinema from a popular and technological standpoint.
Its story is simple but beautifully told and stands both on its own and as part of a grander scheme, and is one of the few movies out there that people can rightfully argue to be a perfect movie.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - 97%
Of course, A New Hope is not the movie most people go to when you talk about the best Star Wars movie, that honor goes to The Empire Strikes Back, a sequel like no other.
It subverts all expectations, providing a movie with so much to love and so much going on. The characters, the story, the iconography is all perfect, and it has perhaps the greatest cinematic twist of all time at its conclusion—a truly perfect movie.