History YMMV / TheLordOfTheRings

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives makes it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be visceral and outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the books as about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." Partly this was due to the fact that the "Fantasy" genre did not yet exist. "Fantasy" was either ye olde myths from Greek or Norse mythology, or fairy tales for children. It was not considered a "respectable" or "serious" genre for adults. The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, and didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, and are considered one of the most influential in the western canon and laid the foundation for all modern western fantasy.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives makes it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." Partly this was due to the fact that the "Fantasy" genre did not yet exist. "Fantasy" was either ye olde myths from Greek or Norse mythology, or fairy tales for children. It was not considered a "respectable" or "serious" genre for adults. The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, and didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, and are considered one of the most influential in the western canon and laid the foundation for all modern western fantasy.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives makes it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." Partly this was due to the fact that the "Fantasy" genre did not yet exist. "Fantasy" was either ye olde myths from Greek or Norse mythology, or fairy tales for children. It was not considered a "respectable" or "serious" genre for adults. The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, and didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, and is considered one of the most influential in the western canon and laid the foundation for all modern western fantasy.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: As the TropeCodifier for all of modern, western Fantasy, this is practically inevitable. After decades of imitation, inspiration, homage, subversion and parody by dozens if not hundreds of authors, by the time someone gets to the real thing it can seem [[StandardFantasySetting unbelievably stereotypical.]] Of course, they ''weren't'' tired clichés when Tolkien wrote them; his setting was just so successful that everyone copied him!

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: A slew of imitators followed in Tolkien's wake, some more blatant than others. Still other writers used Tolkien homages, and almost every fantasy-based game has used Tolkien-esque elves, dwarves, Orcs, etc. Then there's ''Literature/DragonLance'' and ''Literature/ForgottenRealms'', which draw heavily from the sort of worlds that Tolkien created. Add to that the number of times other writers are compared to Tolkien that by the time a reader gets to the Real Thing, [[StandardFantasySetting they've seen it before]]...
** Creator/TerryPratchett probably said it best when he compared the influence of Tolkien on modern fantasy to Mount Fuji in Japan: It's always visible, sometimes big and obvious, sometimes small and distant, but always there (unless you're standing right on top of it).

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives makes it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." Partly this was due to the fact that the "Fantasy" genre did not yet exist. "Fantasy" was either ye olde myths from Greek or Norse mythology, or fairy tales for children. It was not considered a "respectable" or "serious" genre for adults. The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, and didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, and is considered one of the most influential in the western canon and laid the foundation for all modern western fantasy.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, too many songs, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives made it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, strangely enough among counter-culture youth and hippies who were attracted to its GreenAesop and anti-war themes. The series didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, and is considered one of the most influential in the western canon and laid the foundation for all modern western fantasy, from {{Literature/Discworld}} to Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire to Franchise/TheWitcher.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, too many songs, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives made it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, strangely enough among counter-culture youth and hippies who were attracted to its GreenAesop and anti-war themes. The series didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, and is considered one of the most influential in the western canon and laid the foundation for all modern western fantasy, from {{Literature/Discworld}} to Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, too many songs, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives made it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, strangely enough among counter-culture youth and hippies who were attracted to its GreenAesop and anti-war themes. The series didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, and the work is considered one of the most influential in the western canon and laid the foundation for all modern western fantasy, from {{Literature/Discworld}} to Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today were the same criticisms made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, too many songs, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives made it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, strangely enough among counter-culture youth and hippies who were attracted to its GreenAesop and anti-war themes. The series didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, with the work being one of the most influential in the western canon and setting the foundation for all modern western fantasy, from {{Literature/Discworld}} to Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today was the same criticims made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, too many songs, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives made it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." The books didn't start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, strangely enough among counter-culture youth and hippies who were attracted to its GreenAesop and anti-war themes. The series didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, with the work being one of the most influential in the western canon and setting the foundation for all modern western fantasy, from {{Literature/Discworld}} to Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today was the same criticims made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, too many songs, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives made it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." The books didn't really start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, strangely enough among counter-culture youth and hippies who were attracted to its GreenAesop and anti-war themes. The series didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, with the work being one of the most influential in the western canon and setting the foundation for all modern western fantasy, from {{Literature/Discworld}} to Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire.

* VindicatedByHistory: While some praised the work on release, the books generally received middling reviews when first published. Pretty much all the same criticisms you hear today was the same criticims made back in the 1950s: that it's too long, too boring, too many songs, that its BlackAndWhiteMorality and EverybodyLives made it childish, and that there's a lack of sex, romance, and female characters. While the reception from the general public and book reviewers was mixed, professional literary critics could be outright contemptuous. One called it "juvenile trash." Another disparaged the book as a story about "a silly, furry little hobbit [who makes] his dreams come true." The books didn't really start to gain popularity until the Vietnam War, strangely enough among counter-culture youth and hippies who were attracted to its GreenAesop and anti-war themes. The series didn't ''really'' become popular until the turn of the 21st century. Today the books are widely regarded as genius, with dissenting views in the minority, with the work being one of the most influential in the western canon and setting the foundation for all modern western fantasy, from Literature/Discworld to Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire.

* VindicatedByHistory: The book wasn't really popular until the Vietnam War and then the reading public started seeing parallels between Vietnam and the War of the Ring.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Early on in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', Tolkien briefly stops the action to describe a fox's train of thought, which runs something like this: "three hobbits, out at this hour, beneath a tree? I sense a disturbance in the [[IncrediblyLamePun fox]]." Tolkien concludes with: "and he was absolutely right, though he never found out any more about it." This was likely a holdover from the early drafts of the story, which were more in the vien of ''the Hobbit'' explaining the narrative aside.

* {{Adorkable}}: Sam is a sweet-natured gardener who is endlessly supportive of his best friend and too shy to talk to the girl he likes (at least until the last film). His awkward adorableness accounts for his popularity among the fandom.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** The relationship between Frodo and Sam is subject to HoYay interpretations just like in the books.
** And just like with the books, fans debate whether Frodo was the real hero of the book or if the real hero was actually Sam, since Sam was able to resist the ring's influence despite being in close proximity to it as opposed to Frodo, who eventually did become corrupted by it, if only temporarily, after carrying it for so long. [[TakeAThirdOption A third party]] argues that Sam and Frodo are both heroes and saying that either of them could have finished the quest on his own misses the point.
** Saruman's line: "There are none who can (contend with the will of Sauron)." A simple boast? Or perhaps somewhat even apologetic, saying that even he couldn't contend with Sauron's will, no matter how he tried?
* AluminumChristmasTrees: "Second Breakfast" is a real thing in some European cultures, including England, which The Shire is based on. In real life, second breakfast is more of a mid-morning snack than a full meal (though given Hobbit culture, for them it probably ''is'' [[BigEater a full meal]]). "Elevenses" is real too, again more of a snack.
* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: One aspect of the films that raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry during production was having Music/HowardShore as composer. Before ''LOTR'', Shore was almost exclusively known for his work in composing scores for thriller films [[note]] Such as Film/TheFly1986, Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs, and Film/Se7en [[/note]] and more family-oriented movies [[note]] Like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Big Big]] and Film/MrsDoubtfire [[/note]]. He had never dabbled into scoring either the [[Main/FantasyFilms fantasy genre]] or in [[Main/EpicMovie large-scale epics]]. On top of that, the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen other main contender to score the films]] was Music/JamesHorner, who ''[[{{Film/Willow}} did]]'' [[Film/FieldOfDreams have]] [[{{Film/Braveheart}} experience]] [[{{Film/Glory}} in the]] [[{{Film/Jumanji}} aforementioned genres]] and had recently received acclaim for composing the score of ''Film/Titanic1997'', which won him the Academy Award for Best Score [[note]] Horner wasn’t able to score the trilogy because he was too busy working on other films [[/note]]. Many assumed that having Shore serve as composer for ''LOTR'' was a poor choice, a sign that the films would surely fail, not to mention an incredibly risky gamble. Needless to say, Howard Shore’s Score for ''LOTR'' has been critically acclaimed and was a massive success. It earned him ''Two'' Academy Awards for Best Original Score and is regarded one of the greatest film scores in cinematic history.
* AntiClimaxBoss: Saruman, who despite getting a more [[AdaptationalBadass formidable showing with his magical powers]] than his book counterpart, is still undone by an act of villainy whose [[GaiasVengeance consequences]] he didn't consider, and he's killed in an even more abrupt manner than he was in the novel. In the theatrical release, he didn't even get that much: his death scene was cut entirely and he was not confronted at all; Gandalf was content to let him rot powerlessly in his tower.
* AudienceColoringAdaptation: The success of the films has dramatically colored public perception of the work, since the films put their own dramatically different spin on various themes. The number of people who read the books for the first time prior to seeing the films or knowing everything that happens therein is pretty small. The studio struggled for a while to get ''Film/TheHobbit'' off the ground, due in part to the pressure of making it conform to the existing films and turning it into a trilogy.
** In particular, many people seem to have forgotten that ''The Hobbit'' was originally a children's story and not an action-adventure tale for grown-ups. Or, for that matter, that Tolkien came up with the Middle Earth mythology merely as a hobby and only gradually worked out the details of the entire saga.
** Some specific aspects that have colored perception include Frodo's age. He was played by Elijah Wood, then 18, which was appropriate seeing as Frodo, at 33, was the Hobbit equivalent to 18. The problem is the movies leave out the 17-year time gap between Gandalf's leaving the Shire and returning to tell Frodo he must leave. Frodo in the novel was 50 for most of the story, not a child; although he still looks young due to possessing the One Ring, he's considerably more mature and educated than the other hobbits.
* AwardSnub:
** ''Fellowship of the Ring'' and ''Two Towers'' losing Best Picture to ''Film/ABeautifulMind'' and ''Film/{{Chicago}}'' at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s. Despite this, the trilogy along with the ''Film/HarryPotter'' series is credited for upending the SciFiGhetto.
** No nomination for Creator/AndySerkis' mesmerizing work as Gollum, with his chances almost certainly being hurt by motion capture bias from the academy.
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
** The [[https://monsterlegacy.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/watcherinthewater.jpg Watcher in the Water]] from ''Fellowship of the Ring''. It shows up, attacks the Fellowship, gets shot in the face with an arrow, destroys the entrance to Moria behind them, and then it's never even given a passing mention afterwards.
** The appearance of [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/lotr/images/0/02/MinasMorgul.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141228211206 Minas Morgul]] in ''Return of the King''. The only purpose of the place was to have Sauron's army depart from it to begin the march towards Minas Tirith, and what's actually inside the city is never seen. The beam into the sky that served no purpose other than perhaps as a warning to the people of Gondor that Mordor is on the move certainly didn't help.
* CantUnHearIt: Most, if not all, of the main cast. Some notable examples:
** Creator/SeanAstin's distinctive accent for Samwise Gamgee is very similar to one of the most famous (extant) audio dramatizations of the book, done by BBC Radio in the 1980s, though Astin claims he wasn't aware of the audio version. Eerily, Sam is never actually written with such an accent in the books, making it all the weirder.
** Creator/SeanBean as Boromir. Despite or perhaps ''because'' of his [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent distinctive Sheffield, Yorkshire accent]] (as in all of his roles) that no one else in the films has.
** Creator/ChristopherLee was born to be the voice of Saruman. He even mentions this trope during a behind the scenes featurette.
** Speaking of distinctive accents, Creator/BillyBoyd's Scottish tone as Pippin, Creator/DominicMonaghan's slight Manchester twang as Merry and Creator/JohnRhysDavies' deep, guttural Welsh-Scottish mix as Gimli (and Treebeard).
** Creator/IanMcKellen as Gandalf, to the extent that the thought of re-casting him in ''Film/TheHobbit'' was deemed unthinkable.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c13JFt0LQU And of course]], Creator/AndySerkis as Gollum.
** The French dub counts too, especially Creator/JeanPiat as Gandalf, Bernard Gabay as Aragorn, Creator/FeodorAtkine as Elrond and Sylvain Caruso as Gollum.
* CommonKnowledge: The Nazgûl are the Ringwraiths, not the giant dragon-like beasts they ride on in ''Two Towers'' onward. To a book reader this is obvious, as would it be to anyone who actually listened to Aragorn call them that in a single line in Fellowship, yet there were still numerous people who referred to the flying mounts as Nazgûl when the movie first came out. Part of this can be blamed on marketing, however, as in various other mediums such as toys, commercials, and video games the Nazgûl were only referred to as "Ringwraiths". Also Faramir shouting out "Nazgûl!" as the creatures fly over them at the end of ''Two Towers'' led people to believe he was just calling out the winged beast.
* ConsolationAward: While ''Return of the King'' finally won the Best Picture Oscar, many believe it won as proxy to the whole trilogy and not as its own film. It thus caused an AwardSnub in turn to major 2003 contenders ''Film/MysticRiver'', ''Film/LostInTranslation'', ''Film/{{Seabiscuit}}'' or ''Film/MasterAndCommander''.
* CrossesTheLineTwice: In ''The Two Towers'', the Uruk ring-leader decapitates a hungry orc who tries to eat Merry and Pippin. That's quite frightening, until he yells "[[MonstrousCannibalism Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!]]" and the other orcs and uruks starts ripping the corpse apart within seconds.
* EndingFatigue:
** Common complaint of the end of the third movie. It doesn't help that the screen fades out in about five places and really looks as though the film is ending there, only for it to reappear again. Slightly different cinematography may have made this a much less common complaint.
** Discussed on the cast commentary track, where somebody says that the fade after "Here, at the end of all things" could be the end of the movie, albeit a very artsy and far-out ending.
** Inverted for some fans of the original books, who actually claimed that the ending was ''too short'' due to the Scouring of the Shire being turned into a vision that Galadriel gives to Frodo in the first film.
* EnhancedOnDVD: The extended editions of all three films included better depth to the films as well as scenes that are more faithful to the book.
* EnsembleDarkHorse:
** [[FanNickname Figwit]], an unnamed elf played by [[Music/FlightOfTheConchords Bret McKenzie]], is probably the epitome of this trope. One scene, no lines, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figwit and an entire Wiki article]]''. He returned in specially reshot scenes for the third movie [[AscendedMeme precisely because]] of the fandom around him, and he gets a few lines.
** The Haradrim leader in ''Return of the King'' only appears in around four scenes, is unnamed, and dies relatively quickly. Yet his LargeHam, BloodKnight personality, combined with the great costuming, and how Eomer takes him out, made him a surprisingly popular character among viewers.
** Ugluk, the Uruk-Hai leader in ''Two Towers'', though this one's much more of a joke. He's often praised by the fandom for being an upstanding gentleman of an Uruk commander for respecting the chain of command (refusing to allow Mordorian Orcs to order them around), allowing his men to rest when tired, giving medicine to a sick hobbit, offering medicine to the other hobbit as well, keeping the mood light with jokes, preventing the prisoners from being harmed, and even providing meat when asked.
* EvilIsCool: Heavy amounts of appeal to the villains, with their menacing weapons and armor. At its peak in the final film with Sauron's army looking badass, with huge menacing [[GiantMook trolls in armor]] and giant WarElephants.
** Sauron's physical form may [[OneSceneWonder only appear in the prologue]], but his badass armour and single-handed wiping out of his enemies cements him as one of the most iconic fantasy villains in cinema.
** Saruman thanks to his grand speeches and [[CompellingVoice epic voice]], courtesy of the late Christopher Lee.
** The Nazgûl, in particular the Witch-King of Angmar, for their terrifying designs and presence.
* FranchiseOriginalSin: The things people complain about in ''Film/TheHobbit'' trilogy like {{Padding}}, {{Slapstick}}, and {{Romantic Plot Tumor}}s have their seeds here, showing up more and more as the trilogy progresses. Similarly, the awkward pacing was also very prevalent in the original theatrical cuts of both trilogies.
* GeniusBonus: A little bit of extra awesome for those versed in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''. In the scene in the extended edition where Sam tells Frodo, "There's light and beauty up there that no shadow can touch," the star he sees is no ordinary star. That's the Star of Eärendil, the Evenstar - yeah, the one Arwen was named after. We would call it Venus. In Middle-Earth, though, it's an elf (Arwen's grandfather, no less,) on a flying ship with one of the three Silmarils, which contain the light of the Two Trees; holy light that predates the sun and moon. The Star of Eärendil was the source of the light contained in Galadriel's Phial.
* GenreTurningPoint: Along with the ''Film/HarryPotter'' series, the LOTR trilogy proved that fantasy films didn't have to belong to cheesy B-movie fare and could be critically and commercially successful. A literal torrent of high-budget, CGI-heavy fantasy, sci-fi and superhero blockbusters followed in the next few years, and there seems to be no end to it. This extends to television, with ''Series/GameOfThrones'' following in its footsteps and launching a slew of its own imitators, and being (in terms of cinematic production values, MultipleDemographicAppeal and lasting pop culture impact) to the television landscape what LOTR was to the film landscape, not to mention the [[Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower megabudget Amazon series]] trying to recapture at least some of its magic.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** Dwarf-tossing being played for laughs, after ''Series/GameOfThrones'' star Creator/PeterDinklage gave a ShoutOut to dwarf Martin Henderson, who was ''injured'' in [[AluminiumChristmasTrees such an event]], and stirring up a controversy about similar events. It gets worse when you realize the films probably inspired such events (even more, at least).
** Gimli's FantasticRacism against elves becomes this in light Creator/JohnRhysDavies' controversial stance on Islam and Brexit.
* HilariousInHindsight:
** In the 1950s, Tolkien was contacted by producers who wanted to make [[WhatCouldHaveBeen an animated adaptation]] (unconnected to Ralph Bakshi's effort, which happened after his death). He was sent a draft script to review. His response, included in ''The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien'' (#210), was filled with complaints that sound a lot like the ones some fans would make about the live-action trilogy, including "a preference for fights."
** On the flip side, Tolkien was willing to accept changes [[MoneyDearBoy if the financial benefits were satisfying enough]] - as he put it (letter #202): "Art or Cash: Either very profitable terms indeed; or absolute author's veto on objectionable features or alterations". While he greatly objected to some aspects, such as beaks and feathers on the Orcs, he actually suggested some changes that would be more acceptable. So he wasn't as unyielding as some fans can be.
** Legolas riding the Uruk-hai shield like a surfboard in ''The Two Towers'' becomes a lot funnier when you learn that Tolkien originally intended for Bilbo to kill Smaug in the earliest drafts of ''Literature/TheHobbit''. How? [[spoiler:Bilbo would have infiltrated Smaug's lair, then stabbed him through the bare spot in his chest with Sting (which went so deep it vanished completely), and then ''ride a golden bowl like a surfboard on the massive amount of blood pouring out of Smaug's belly'' before triumphantly exiting the mountain]].
** Creator/PeterJackson joking about giving Treebeard his own spin-off detective show in the commentary ("He solves crimes!... ''Very slowly".)'' Then in ''Film/TheHobbit'' trilogy Creator/MartinFreeman and Creator/BenedictCumberbatch from ''{{Series/Sherlock}}'' were both cast. So alternate universe Bilbo and Smaug have three seasons of a detective show!
** In ''The Two Towers'', Treebeard commenting that Saruman now has a mind of metal. Creator/ChristopherLee would later work with metal bands like Music/RhapsodyOfFire and Music/{{Manowar}}, as well as release two {{Concept Album}}s of his own: Music/{{Charlemagne}}.
** After Creator/DavidWenham was a victim of horrible ParentalFavoritism as Faramir, in ''Series/IronFist2017'' he's the one dishing out a case just as bad.
** The original trilogy cast Brett [=MacKenzie=] from ''Music/FlightOfTheConchords'' as an elf. His co-collaborator Jemaine Clement would eventually play Sauron in ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie''.
** That infamous Nazgûl scream now sounds a bit like Website/FourChan's [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/reeeeeee REEEEEEE]] meme.
** Galadriel's big speech about what would happen if she took control of the ring, since she's played by Cate Blanchett. Cate stars in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' as Hela - a death goddess who is indeed as "terrible as the dawn" [[spoiler: and it takes a literal apocalypse to stop her]].
** [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/30726292_10214179064927899_2122841590966779904_n.jpg Never]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/30698634_10214145685533435_257188508609806336_n.jpg trust an elf!]][[note]]Well, except maybe [[Creator/LivTyler Arwen]] and [[Creator/EvangelineLilly Tauriel]].[[/note]]
*** Even better knowing that [[Creator/LivTyler Arwen]] and [[Creator/EvangelineLilly Tauriel]] went on to become heroes in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, with Liv Tyler as Betty Ross in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'' and Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp in ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp''. It would seem that many Middle Earth elves are destined to become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they will only stay on the side of good if they had an on-screen LoveInterest during these films or its prequel trilogy.
** Hiroshi Yanaka, Japanese dub actor for Lord Celeborn, would go on to voice white-haired elven prince Nuada in ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy''.
** In 2019, the first image of a black hole was released. It looked a great deal like the Eye of Sauron.
** It seems like [[Creator/JohnNoble Denethor]] has become an AbusiveParent to [[Creator/KarlUrban Eomer]] in ''Series/TheBoys2019''.
* HoYay: Kind of inevitable given the gender ratio of the main cast.
** Frodo and Sam, as usual. Actor Creator/IanMcKellen, who is gay, was interested in the close relationship between the two characters. He noted the attention to detail in the pair's close relationship from page to screen, such as when Sam grabs Frodo's hand after he awakens from unconsciousness. In fact, both pairs of hobbits can reasonably be called HeterosexualLifePartners. It's worth noting that Sam is ironically the only hobbit to show interest in any specific woman in the films. In this regard, Merry and Pippin might be closer to this trope than Frodo and Sam. This is pushed up to eleven in the DVD cast commentaries for the three films (but especially ''The Two Towers''), where all four hobbit actors play with this trope at one point or another.
** The cast commentary even provided some for the actors. Sir Ian rather comes off as if he has a little crush on Elijah Wood. Everyone else sounds like they've got a crush on Sir Ian.
** Aragorn/Legolas also get a lot of this. Actually, Aragorn/anyone do. Viggo kind of encourages it.
** It really doesn't help that some scenes with just Aragorn and Legolas together (like after the battle of Helm's Deep) were originally supposed to be romantic scenes of Aragorn and ''Arwen.''
** And not only Legolas. Viggo kissed Billy Boyd offscreen. [[http://demoisellecetra.tumblr.com/post/50836206556/tossme-after-viggo-mortensen-kissed-billy-boyd Really]]
* ImprovedByTheReCut: All of the films in the trilogy have extended cuts, and all are considered even better than their already-praised theatrical cuts, with scenes added to expand the world-building or even explain major moments, such as the [[spoiler:death of Saruman]], which were not present in the theatrical cuts.
* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: There are ''numerous'' instances when Jackson attempts to psych the audience into thinking a character is going to die - when even someone who has never read the book can tell, just by looking at the running time, "[[SpoiledByTheFormat It's twenty minutes into movie one]], the four main characters are not going to all die" or "No way Aragorn is going to be [[DroppedABridgeOnHim killed by an anonymous drop off a cliff]]." Although for those not familiar with the books, there ''are'' several heroic characters who die, [[UnbuiltTrope subverting our modern traditions of hero-immortality.]]
* MemeticMutation: [[Memes/TheLordOfTheRings Has its own page.]]
* MisaimedFandom:
** A lot of fans cheer for Éowyn because, [[RealWomenDontWearDresses unlike Arwen]], she's an ActionGirl who [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething gets a lot of]] [[ActionGirl action and fighting]], while Arwen does no fighting and her arc mainly revolves around her love for Aragorn. Modern fans tend to miss that Tolkien chose to write strong heroines whose dreams are portrayed as equally valid to one another, as well as that Arwen's choice is a difficult one and entirely her own and no less right than Éowyn's choice to fight (and they sometimes forget Éowyn retires from war once it's over and happily settles with Faramir). Also, they tend to not realize that Tolkien was ''heavily'' anti-war, and that Éowyn's fighting, and indeed the entire war, was meant to be seen in a negative, WhatASenselessWasteOfHumanLife kind of way. There's a list of the major and minor dead after every large battle. Not to mention that Éowyn is a DeathSeeker who is not fighting to show she's as strong as the guys, but to die in battle due to her severe depression.
** Theoden's line, "You have no power here!" has become a memetic way to mock someone's real or perceived powerlessness, ignoring [[InstantlyProvenWrong what happened next]] in the movie.
* MisBlamed: No, Frodo didn't send Sam away because he thought he was the one that ate all the Lembas. He turned him away because Sam offered to "share the load" and carry the Ring for a while after Gollum convinced Frodo that Sam might try taking the Ring. The fact that Frodo was also under the Ring's influence didn't help, either.
* NarmCharm:
** Many lines were perfectly fine originally, but have become Narm due to MemeticMutation. One does not simply walk into NarmCharm.
** '''"They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"'''[[note]]This is a bit of an odd one as the line was perfectly fine in the book, but then the film failed to make clear that there was some question of whether the orcs were going to Isengard or Mordor, making it seem like just another one of Legolas's CaptainObvious moments.[[/note]]
** Just about every bonding scene between the Hobbits, Frodo and Sam, rely on the film earning audience respect for them beforehand.
** Gollum again.
** Boromir's anguished rant at no one in particular in ''Fellowship of the Ring'', punctuated by falling into a pile of leaves. In any other film, utterly ridiculous. But Boromir's TragicHero status and Sean Bean's acting sell the hell out of it, and it's a near-TearJerker.
* NeverLiveItDown:
** While more of a BaseBreakingCharacter than [[TheScrappy a scrappy]], Frodo is often accused and criticized for doing nothing but get his ass saved from the trouble he's in and abusing poor Sam. Many, however, tend to forget that he chose to bear the weight of the One Ring which is physically and mentally wearing him down throughout the entire trilogy, and that said "abuse" is due to the Ring warping his mind and he often [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone shows remorse for it]]. The results would no doubt be the same if another person were to take up the task (in fact, it's doubtful if many others could last as long as he did).
* OlderThanTheyThink:
** [[CompositeCharacter Combining]] WarriorPrince Éomer with Erkenbrand, the Rohan captain who leads TheCavalry at Helm's Deep (actually infantry) in the books, was first done in the Ralph Bakshi film.
** Making Sauron a literal Eye like a lighthouse was first done in the Creator/RankinBass animated version of ''WesternAnimation/TheReturnOfTheKing''.
** Likewise, the absence of the Scouring of the Shire was first done in the Creator/RankinBass animated version of ''WesternAnimation/TheReturnOfTheKing''.
** ''Series/TheKeepers'', in 1991, already [[https://youtu.be/vquKyNdgH3s?t=1206 seem to be using]] HeartbeatSoundtrack as Déagol is being strangled, although an actual influence is unlikely to the extreme.
* OneSceneWonder:
** Figwit, aka "Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?", a random elf that got a sudden fanbase.
** Sauron in his physical form in the prologue.
** The Mouth of Sauron in the Return of the King Extended Edition.
** The Easterlings in the Two Towers. In an army comprised mostly of ragged orcs, these highly disciplined, heavily armored human warriors marching to aid Sauron would certainly stand out. Unfortunately, after the scene of them marching into Mordor, they are never seen again.
* SacredCow: Not only are these movies considered amazing adaptations, but also downright legendary on their own. While criticising certain aspects of the movies is acceptable, if you call the movies bad, overrated, or claim that they "aged poorly", the fans will tear you a new one.
* SignatureLine: Gandalf's "YOOOOOOUU! SHAAAALL NOT! PAAAAAAAASS!" is arguably the most remembered and most often quoted line out of the trilogy. Even if he only said it a couple times in one scene in the first movie.
* SignatureScene: Oh, so many.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKGQFkWI_bM The "Gandalf vs. Balrog"]] scene in ''Fellowship''. Just typing "lotr" into the Youtube search has that scene as one of the top answers.
** Boromir's LastStand against the Uruk-Hai and his [[TearJerker tragic death]].
** Gandalf's resurrection as "Gandalf the White".
** Treebeard and the Ents storming Isengard.
** The Battle of Helm's Deep in ''Two Towers'', frequently cited as one of the greatest war sequences in film.
** [[TheCavalry The Rohirrim Charge]] in the ''Return of the King'', especially Theoden's speech.
** The backstory sequence of how [[DrivenToMadness Smeagol became Gollum.]]
** Aragorn's rousing speech before he and his army enter the Black Gate for the FinalBattle.
** [[CatharsisFactor The one ring FINALLY being destroyed in the fires of Mordor, taking Gollum along with it, as well as finally killing Sauron for good and ending his reign of terror over Middle-Earth.]]
** Frodo and Sam parting ways at the end of the series.
* SpecialEffectFailure: These start to pop up to the trained eye after repeated viewings:
** In the shot during the prologue where Isildur puts on the One Ring to try to escape from attacking orcs, he is quite obviously composited over footage of the fight happening in the background.
** In the aerial shot where the ring is destroyed and the ground under the orcs surrounding the good guys is collapsing, the dust is obviously swirling on a plate ''behind'' the little CGI orcs, as it doesn't pass in front of them.
** The montage of the Minas Tirth warning beacons being lit. Yes, it's a climactic moment in the film and the music and sweeping landscapes were breathtaking, but the fire effects were on the whole poorly done, with the Minas Tirith and Amon Din beacons being engulfed within five seconds with an obvious flame superimposed over the wood stacks, which just as obviously aren't burning at all. Plus, most of the montage has beacons alighting atop the very narrow peaks of towering, snow-covered and wind-blasted mountains (a task that would ''redefine'' being ReassignedToAntarctica), with nobody shown to be lighting them even in shots where the beacon is close enough to the screen where such details should be seen.
** In fight scenes, it's quite common for people being "stabbed" to actually have the sword tucked under their arm, which is one of, if not ''the'' oldest tricks in the moviemaking book. It's always in the background of shots, but once you start to notice...
** When Aragorn and Frodo are on the Collapsing Stairs of Khazad-Dum, it is...''rather obvious'' that they are in front of a green screen, with a fan blowing at their hair. (Understandably, since they couldn't possibly be filmed on a collapsing 500-ton staircase...) This was a very rare case of a failure that was quite easily visible on first viewing.
** Another obvious green screen: when Saruman descends the stairs at Orthanc the first time he's seen.
** Not so much "special effects failure" as much as "director didn't catch it when filming" but in the scene in the first film when Aragorn runs to the dying Boromir (It's the next wide shot after he kills Lurtz, specifically) pay attention to the Uruk-Hai corpses. One of the extras raises his head to look around after Viggo moves past him.
** When Legolas tries to shoot the torch bearing Orc during the battle of Helms Deep he is shooting his normal green and brown arrows but the arrows that connect are the white ones of Lorien.
** When the Fellowship is running from the Orc army in Moria, there is a scene just after their escape from Balin's Mausoleum where the tiny, running figures are clearly CGI characters rather than the actors themselves. If you look at them, rather than the Orcs gathering around them, you can see their legs aren't bending as they run, and their heads are swiveling evenly, as if they were all made of Lego.
** In the final movie, as Frodo is hanging over the edge in Mount Doom, Frodo's "missing finger" is just done by him bending his index finger to hide the rest of it from the camera. Occasionally it doesn't quite line up and the rest of his supposedly bit-off finger is clearly noticeable, most notably when he grabs Sam's hand.
** Some of the methods used to depict the height differences between the main characters are more easily noticeable than others. In particular the very cheap method of rarely showing their faces at the same time, so you see Elijah wood and the back of a seven foot tall scale double dressed as Gandalf; then the camera cuts to a different angle and you see Ian Mckellen talking to a four-foot-tall scale double dressed as Frodo. Once it's pointed out to you that the character with their back to the camera isn't the same person who plays them when facing the camera, it becomes very hard not to notice the wigs and body proportion differences between cuts.
** ''The Two Towers'' is hit the worst with this. While Gollum looks good, he is often poorly composited against the ground he is on, particularly during the final scene or when he is curled up after Faramir’s rangers beat him.
** During Theoden’s epic charge at the end of the Battle of Helm’s Deep, take a closer look at the bridge and the mountains around the horses, and you will see graphics out of an early 2000s video game, with visible pixels on the bridge. Considering this is the only place anywhere in the movies with special effects this poor, it’s possible that this was just missed before it could be finished.
** The fact that Minas Tirith and Edoras are scale models built in the middle of nowhere becomes really apparent when you notice, for example, the lack of a roadway leading to the city and the complete absence of farms. This is especially egregious in the case of Minas Tirith, a fantastical stand-in for Constantinople built on a barren steppe, somehow able to feed its hundreds of thousands. This is something of a recurring problem with the third film where Gondor is basically a land of empty steppes and its metropolis is decontextualized from the setting as a mere set piece. In the books, this is averted. The Pelennor Fields are composed of farmland and villages enclosed by the Rammas Echor.
* ToughActToFollow: Just about every future adaptation of Tolkien's works (and the prior ones, for that matter, due to the surge in interest in them after the fact) has had to be compared to the Jackson films, which is rather unfortunate when they got a lot right. Not only do they deal with the most widely-acclaimed of Tolkien's works, but they also managed to execute most of the scenes, ideas, characters, and iconography in those works so authentically that for many people, those things simply ''are'' [[AudienceColoringAdaptation what they look like]]. Consequently, a large number of the critiques for other Tolkien adaptations involves direct comparison to the Jackson films in some way, whether in terms of casting, design and prop work, deviation from the source material, or simple overall quality. It notoriously happened with ''Film/TheHobbit'' and ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' which, while having qualities of their own, don't come close to the universal acclaim the first Jackson trilogy got.
* UglyCute:
** Gollum WhenHeSmiles and not plotting to steal the One Ring back. It's more prominent in the ''The Two Towers'' as well as ''Film/TheHobbitAnUnexpectedJourney''.
** Grima Wormtongue, for Creator/BradDourif fan girls. At times around Eowyn he looks almost boyishly innocent.
* ValuesDissonance:
** Notably lessened as allusions to Aragorn's inherently "kingly" status and bearing (explicitly magical in the book's backstory, as mythology was wont to do; basically he's descended from [[{{Atlantis}} Atlanteans]], who the gods turned into supermen - the "Kings of Men", though ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' elaborates that they are just as susceptible to falling into evil as other men, and in fact the majority of them become corrupted by Sauron), as well as a sense of [[TheChosenOne great destiny]] looming over him since birth (most explicit in the "Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" [[AllThereInTheManual in the Appendices]]), are greatly reduced in the movie. His major character arc is reversed as he has a personal reluctance to be king and fulfill his destiny. While in the book he didn't exactly go trumpeting that he was the rightful heir to everyone and he spent decades [[KingIncognito incognito]] working against Sauron [[WalkingTheEarth in many lands]] [[IHaveManyNames in different guises]], his acceptance of his heritage was never in doubt, and he had embraced the cause against Sauron even before he learned of it. His final "labor" or "quest", so to speak, involved the matter of the Ring and Sauron's final defeat, which would fortitutiously take him to the throne. Unknown but to a few, the labor was also [[EngagementChallenge out of love]]. While the book's account is steeped in classic mythological motifs, Peter Jackson's theories of "character growth" were at work here, as he felt that seeing Aragorn go from "zero to hero", so to speak, would be more realistic and acceptable to modern audiences.
*** This change also results in Aragorn's folk, the Rangers, being cut from the movies which thus give the impression he is the very LastOfHisKind. By downplaying his determination to take up the duties of his ancestors, the movies gloss over his doing just that for decades already as the leader of the Rangers, let alone through his adventures in other lands (which do get a brief nod). Since they are Aragorn's kin, they are all also superhuman.
*** It's still present in Gandalf's speech to Pippin in ''Return of the King'' (given lines that were spoken by Denethor in throes of madness in the book), how the rule being given to "lesser people" caused Gondor fall to to ruin.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The trilogy was basically the ''Franchise/StarWars'' of its time, shattering the boundaries of visual effects.
* TheWoobie:
** Frodo. Perhaps overly so, as a common criticism of the character (or at least Elijah Wood's portrayal thereof) is how he spends basically the entire trilogy with a pained expression on his face.
** Faramir is hated by his own father- who even tells him that [[KickTheDog he wished his older brother Boromir had lived instead of him]], and he loses said brother, whom he loved so dearly.
** Treebeard. He witnesses Saruman- who once appreciated the trees- turn to evil, and loses several beloved tree friends that he knew since they were "nut and acorn" to Saruman and the orcs.
* WTHCastingAgency:
** Some older [=LotR=] fans objected to Creator/ElijahWood being cast as Frodo, as they believed that he looked too childlike. However, it can be justified, as the book specifically points out that the Ring (which he acquired just as he came of age) stopped Frodo's aging. The timeline is different to the book anyway. Frodo is 33 (the cusp of adulthood for a Hobbit) at Bilbo's party. In the book, seventeen years pass before he sets out on the adventure; the film is a bit vague but certainly implies that Frodo sets off far sooner, possibly as little as a few days later. Also, contrary to popular belief, Hobbits mature at the same rate as humans. The 33 thing was college professor Tolkien's droll way of commenting that Hobbits, as a sensible folk, didn't consider young people in their "irresponsible tweens" adults.
** Most of the [[InhumanlyBeautifulRace Elves]] are played by [[PrettyBoy Pretty Boys]] and [[AngelicBeauty Angelic Beauties]], which makes the rough, [[PerpetualFrowner perpetually scowling]] Creator/HugoWeaving as Lord Elrond stick out like a sore thumb. Of course, Elrond is only half-elven, a fact the movies slough over.

** Though many of the rotoscoped monsters have an ominous and unnatural appearance (like the Nazgul), the armies of Orcs are clearly photocopies of men standing around in cheap monster masks. They also display excessive MookChivalry that diminishes their fear factor.

** The Nazgul in the scene where the Hobbits hide under a tree. It limps like Igor and moans like an old man getting ice water poured on his nether regions in the middle of a yawn. It alone takes the pertinent scene straight from SoOkayItsAverage to SoBadItsGood.

* RetroactiveRecognition: With many people likely now coming to the film after seeing the Jackson films, the parts he took direct inspiration from really stand out. Most notably the "Proudfeet!" shot in the Shire, and scene of the hobbits hiding from a Nazgul under a tree was duplicated almost shot for shot. He also elected to end the ''Two Towers'' film in the exact same spot this film does in both storylines rather than where the book ends.

** The Nazgul, in particular the Witch-King of Angmar, for their terrifying designs and presence.

* BetterOnDVD: The extended editions of all three films included better depth to the films as well as scenes that are more faithful to the book.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: One aspect of the films that raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry was having Music/HowardShore as composer. Before ''LOTR'', Shore was almost exclusively known for his work in composing scores for thriller films [[note]] Such as Film/TheFly1986, Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs, and Film/Se7en [[/note]] and more family-oriented movies [[note]] Like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Big Big]] and Film/MrsDoubtfire [[/note]]. He had never dabbled into scoring either the [[Main/FantasyFilms fantasy genre]] or in [[Main/EpicMovie large-scale epics]]. On top of that, the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen other main contender to score the films]] was Music/JamesHorner, who ''[[{{Film/Willow}} did]]'' [[Film/FieldOfDreams have]] [[{{Film/Braveheart}} experience]] [[{{Film/Glory}} in the]] [[{{Film/Jumanji}} aforementioned genres]] and had recently received acclaim for composing the score of ''Film/Titanic1997'', which won him the Academy Award for Best Score [[note]] Horner wasn’t able to score the trilogy because he was too busy working on other films [[/note]]. Many assumed that having Shore serve as composer for ''LOTR'' was a poor choice, a sign that the films would surely fail, not to mention an incredibly risky gamble. Needless to say, Howard Shore’s Score for ''LOTR'' has been critically acclaimed and was a massive success. It earned him ''Two'' Academy Awards for Best Original Score and is regarded one of the greatest film scores in cinematic history.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: One aspect of the films that raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry was having Music/HowardShore as composer. Before ''LOTR'', Shore was almost exclusively known for his work in composing scores for thriller films [[note]] Such as Film/TheFly1986, Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs, and Film/Se7en [[/note]] and more family-oriented movies [[note]] Like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Big Big]] and Film/MrsDoubtfire [[/note]]. He had never dabbled into scoring either the [[Main/FantasyFilms fantasy genre]] or in [[Main/EpicMovie large-scale epics]]. On top of that, the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen other main contender to score the films]] was Music/JamesHorner, who ''[[{{Film/Willow}} did]]'' [[Film/FieldOfDreams have]] [[{{Film/Braveheart}} experience]] [[{{Film/Glory}} in the]] [[{{Film/Jumanji}} aforementioned genres]] and had recently received acclaim for composing the score of ''Film/Titanic1997'', which won him the Academy Award for Best Score [[note]] Horner wasn’t able to score the trilogy because he was too busy working on other films [[/note]]. Many assumed that having Shore serve as composer for ''LOTR'' was a poor choice, a sign that the films would surely fail, not to mention an incredibly risky gamble. Needless to say, Howard Shore’s Score for ''LOTR'' received near-universal acclaim and was a massive success. It earned him ''Two'' Academy Awards for Best Original Score and is regarded one of the greatest film scores in cinematic history.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: One aspect of the films that raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry was having Music/HowardShore as composer. Before LOTR, Shore was almost exclusively known for his work in composing scores for thriller films [[note]] Such as Film/TheFly1986, Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs, and Film/Se7en [[/note]] and more family-oriented movies [[note]] Like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Big Big]] and Film/MrsDoubtfire [[/note]]. He had never dabbled into scoring either the [[Main/FantasyFilms fantasy genre]] or in [[Main/EpicMovie large-scale epics]]. On top of that, the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen other main contender to score the films]] was Music/JamesHorner, who ''[[{{Film/Willow}} did]]'' [[Film/FieldOfDreams have]] [[{{Film/Braveheart}} experience]] [[{{Film/Glory}} in the]] [[{{Film/Jumanji}} aforementioned genres]] and had recently received acclaim for composing the score of ''Film/Titanic1997'', which won him the Academy Award for Best Score [[note]] Horner wasn’t able to score the trilogy because he was busy working on other films [[/note]]. Many assumed that having Shore serve as composer for LOTR was a poor choice, a sign that the film’s would surely fail, not to mention an incredibly risky gamble. Needless to say, Howard Shore’s Score for LOTR was a massive success. It earned him Two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and is regarded one of the greatest film scores in cinematic history.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: One aspect of the films that raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry was having Music/HowardShore as composer. Before LOTR, Shore was almost exclusively known for his work in composing scores for thriller films [[note]] Such as Film/TheFly1986, Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs, and Film/Se7en [[/note]] and more family-oriented movies [[note]] Like Film/Big and Film/MrsDoubtfire [[/note]]. He had never dabbled into scoring either the [[Main/FantasyFilms fantasy genre]] or in [[Main/EpicMovie large-scale epics]]. On top of that, the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen other main contender to score the films]] was Music/JamesHorner, who ''[[{{Film/Willow}} did]]'' [[Film/FieldOfDreams have]] [[{{Film/Braveheart}} experience]] [[{{Film/Glory}} in the]] [[{{Film/Jumanji}} aforementioned genres]] and had recently received acclaim for composing the score of ''Film/Titanic1997'', which won him the Academy Award for Best Score [[note]] Horner wasn’t able to score the trilogy because he was busy working on other films [[/note]]. Many assumed that having Shore serve as composer for LOTR was a poor choice, a sign that the film’s would surely fail, not to mention an incredibly risky gamble. Needless to say, Howard Shore’s Score for LOTR was a massive success. It earned him Two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and is regarded one of the greatest film scores in cinematic history.

* SpecialEffectsFailure:

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: One aspect of the films that raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry was having Music/HowardShore as composer. Before LOTR, Shore was almost exclusively known for his work in composing scores for thriller films [[note]] Such as Film/TheFly1986, Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs, and Film/Se7en [[/note]] and more family-oriented movies [[note]] Like Film/Big and Film/MrsDoubtfire [[/note]]. He had never dabbled into scoring either the [[Main/FantasyFilms fantasy genre]] or in [[Main/EpicMovie large-scale epics]]. On top of that, the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen other main contender to score the films]] was Music/JamesHorner, who ''[[{{Film/Willow}} did]]'' [[Film/FieldOfDreams have]] [[{{Film/Braveheart}} experience]] [[{{Film/Glory}} in the]] [[{{Film/Jumanji}} aforementioned genres]] and had recently received acclaim for composing the score of Film/Titanic1997, which won him the Academy Award for Best Score. Many assumed that having Shore serve as composer for LOTR was a poor choice, a sign that the film’s would surely fail, not to mention an incredibly risky gamble. Needless to say, Howard Shore’s Score for LOTR was a massive success. It earned him Two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and is regarded one of the greatest film scores in cinematic history.

** While more of a BaseBreakingCharacter than [[TheScrappy a scrappy]], Frodo is often accused and criticized for doing nothing but get his ass saved from the trouble he's in and abusing poor Sam. Many, however, tend to forget that he chose to bear the weight of the One Ring which is physically and mentally wearing him down throughout the entire trilogy, and that said "abuse" is due to the Ring warping his mind. The results would no doubt be the same if another person were to take up the task (in fact, it's doubtful if many others could last as long as he did).

* ToughActToFollow: Just about every future adaptation of Tolkien's works (and the prior ones, for that matter, due to the surge in interest in them after the fact) has had to be compared to the Jackson films, which is rather unfortunate when they got a lot right. Not only do they deal with the most widely-acclaimed of Tolkien's works, but they also managed to execute most of the scenes, ideas, characters, and iconography in those works so authentically that for many people, those things simply ''are'' [[AudienceColoringAdaptation what they look like]]. Consequently, a large number of the critiques for other Tolkien adaptations involves direct comparison to the Jackson films in some way, whether in terms of casting, design and prop work, deviation from the source material, or simple overall quality.