My 6 Most Epic Moments in Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth Universe*

Over the summer the other half and I watched all 6 movies from Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth universe. We watched the three movies based on The Hobbit together and three movies based on The Lord of the Rings while texting each other. It was definitely one of the things that really made me realise how happy I was with my bf, he enjoyed all the geeky things I had to add from reading the books. Although I do love the books more, the movies are enjoyable and definitely a cinematic masterpiece in terms of the cinematography, they’re just beautiful. I saw all 6 of them on the big screen and I own all the extended editions, I’ve even watched the additional features on all of them. I’m a fan, a huge fan.

Now fans of Middle-earth will have the opportunity to re-live the entire collection of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, from Academy Award®-winning film-maker Peter Jackson, when the two epic trilogies are released as a single collection on Blu-ray and DVD on 31st October from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It’s available to buy on Amazon.

I’ve chosen my top six epic moments from the movies. Why six? Because there are six movies, of course. I’ve tried to pick one moment that gives me goosebumps from each movie. I know for a fact my bf would probably disagree with me on all these (as we prefer different movies haha) and maybe everyone else will but these are my 6 most epic moments from Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth universe;

I’m doing it in timeline order as it’s probably the best order for someone who knows nothing about Middle-Earth history to watch. So first up, The Hobbit trilogy.

An Unexpected Journey
While waiting on the release of The Hobbit movies, the scenes I was most excited about come from the chapter aptly titled “Riddles in the Dark” which features the introduction of Gollum and the One Ring. Because The Lord of the Rings movies came first not many people had an in-depth look at how Bilbo ended up with the ring, and how Gollum lived before the ring fell into the hands of Hobbits. I thought the exchanges between Bilbo and Gollum were brilliant and bone chilling, it is also great how you can see immediately the rings power at work. In the books and motion pictures there is no denying this scene is of epic proportions to the story as a whole and so many of the moments within that scene do have a repercussion at a later date, such as Gollum feeling like the ring was stolen rather than it just leaving him and the fact Bilbo spares Gollums life when he could have easily killed him.

The Desolation of Smaug
This moment is right at the end of the movie so I apologise for any spoilers. By this point Smaug is pretty annoyed by Bilbo and the Dwarves, they’ve disturbed him from his sleep and now they’re after his home and treasure. The dwarves set a trap for him and he ends up covered in molten gold, for a moment if you haven’t read the books, you could think he was day. Alas he’s not and he flies out of the mountain in a rage straight towards Laketown, and that’s the cliff hanger they leave you on.. “I am fire! I am death!” I always get chills.

The Battle of the Five Armies
This moment is really a turning point in the movie. Thorin is losing the plot and I have to admit I really have no love for him in this movie. He’s become selfish and I hate the way he treats Bilbo and the other dwarves (some of which are his kin) so when Bilbo betrays him and takes the Arkenstone to the Elves and men, I’m glad and I feel like it’s such a big moment for Bilbo. Although he is doing it to try and save his friends I felt like Thorin needed that to really give him the kick up the butt he needed. It also leads into the moment that showed the dwarves what Thorin had become when he tried to throw Bilbo from the battlements. It needed to happen for Thorin to be redeemed which is why it’s such an important moment.

Now the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Personally I feel there are so many more epic moments in the these three movies but I think that’s all to do with the content Jackson had to work with (The Hobbit is one book and written for a younger audience). I could probably pick at least three moments in each movie that give me goose bumps or have me in tears but I’m settling for one from each.

The Fellowship of the Ring
Like my feelings for Thorin, Boromir isn’t top of my list of characters I like however his death at the end of Fellowship gets me every single time. I don’t know if it’s because it’s Sean Bean (and he always dies!) or if it’s because he sacrifices himself for Merry and Pippin or if it’s the speech he makes to Aragorn. I’m probably already sobbing by the speech but what he says is so important for what will come in the later movies. Even to this point Aragorn is still unable to accept that he is the King of Gondor and Boromir has fought against this notion since he’s next in line to be the Steward however by his death he has grown to respect Aragorn and his last words are even in praise; “I would have followed you, my brother… My captain… My king.” The fact that he has Boromir’s blessing is Aragorn’s first step to becoming king.

The Two Towers
So, can I pick the whole battle sequence at Helms Deep? Because the whole thing is pretty epic. I remember watching it in the cinema with my dad (it was a tradition to see the Middle Earth movies with my dad, we’ve now moved onto Star Wars) and his reaction was priceless. But if I had to pick a single moment during that sequence it would be when all looks lost, Theoden is ready to accept defeat then Aragorn asks him to ride out with him and meet the attacking orcs. That exchange between the two of them before the horn sounds gives me goosebumps just writing about it. Again, Aragorn shows himself to be a true leader but even here Theoden gives us no reason to feel that he’s anything other than a good king. Of course this leads straight into Gandalf’s arrival with the riders of Rohan and the battle can be truly won.

The Return of the King
And to the last movie (or if you watch them in release order, third) and again I could have picked more than one epic moment in this movie. For starters there are two battles in this movie, then of course the destroying of the ring and the crowning of Aragorn. Not forgetting every bit in between. Although I’ve mentioned him as being a part of my favourite epic moments in the previous two movies, he’s yet to have a moment of his own. So I’m picking his speech at the black gate. It looks like they’re completely doomed, they are surrounded and this battle is purely to allow Frodo time to destroy the ring. They have all accepted this is the end, but Aragorn makes his most kingly speech to date and I do cry every single time. Despite the quarrelling between them, he joins everyone together as men. It gives me chills.

“Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers, I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!”

It’s an epic speech worthy of an epic saga and a great one to end on!