Films capture some of the culture of their time. This happens even if they're set in the past, the far future, or another world. Filmmakers are affected by social norms, ideological conflicts, and current moral standards. As such, films — even beloved ones — can feel dated years after their creation. However, some films hold up much better than others.

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The Lord of the Rings trilogy is by no means perfect. It shows off the culture and the filmmaking practicalities of its era. However, there are many ways that it's aged well. Some of its aspects have only become more apt in recent years. Others have aged gracefully. They feel like the triumphs of a previous era, rather than embarrassing baggage.

10 Its Sincerity Is Rare In Modern Times

Samwise Gamgee crouching by Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings

Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, pop culture has become more self-aware and self-deprecating. Particularly with adaptations, works are happy to laugh at their shortcomings. Characters lampshade tropes in the story. Emotive moments are undercut with humor. This approach is very entertaining in some films. Being present in most films, however, it can become stale.

There is very little of this in The Lord of the Rings. Everything about its story, writing, and acting is played completely straight. There is humor, but it's not at the expense of itself. The actors play emotional moments as sincerely as if they were on a Broadway stage. The films aren't afraid to be optimistic, heartfelt, and even somewhat poignant. It stands out among many of today's popular films in a good way.

9 The Lord Of The Rings Feels Like The Pinnacle Of Old-School Blockbuster Filmmaking

Theoden leads the Rohirrim at the Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The 2000s saw filmmaking change quickly, particularly in blockbusters. The Return of the King is from 2003. It feels very different from 2008's Iron Man. It makes heavy use of huge numbers of extras, location filming, perspective techniques, and more parts of filmmaking that have fallen out of fashion in recent blockbusters.

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This doesn't make The Lord of the Rings feel dated or lesser than modern films. Instead, it feels like the very peak of these older methods of filmmaking. In many ways, The Lord of the Rings caps off an entire generation of big cinema blockbusters. It's a fond look into a very different world — one that some cinemagoers still prefer.

8 Its Cast Went On To Be Iconic

The nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring at the Council of Elrond in The Lord of the Rings

Only a handful of The Lord of the Rings' cast were big names at the time. However, many of them have gone on to have very celebrated careers. This is, of course, helped by their presence in one of the biggest film trilogies ever. However, it's still down to their sheer talent as actors.

Ian McKellen remains one of the most beloved actors of his generation. Viggo Mortensen has starred in critical success after critical success. Cate Blanchett has won countless awards. Christopher Lee remains iconic years after his death. Sean Bean and Karl Urban have only gone on to greater heights. The Lord of the Rings' cast is, if anything, more popular two decades after the trilogy.

7 Female Characters Have Agency

Eowyn at the Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings adapts a much older book series from a much more conservative time. As such, some take umbrage with the low number of significant women in the story. This criticism does have merit. However, those characters' stories are as significant as those of the films' male characters. Furthermore, they forefront the choices those women make.

Eowyn's story is defined by her choice to go to war. Against the objections of those around her, she chooses to fight for Middle-Earth on her terms. At the story's end, she embraces peace by her own choice. Arwen's story is less significant. Nonetheless, it centers on her choice to marry Aragorn for love, despite the other options available.

6 Its Battle Sequences Are Unsurpassed

haldir and the elves at helm's deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings follows a continent sliding into war. Its latter two films, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, are noted for their excellent war sequences. Even the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, has the War of the Last Alliance in its prologue and several smaller fights.

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In the opinion of many, these remain some of the best battles in all of filmmaking. The direction, the cinematography, the effects, the choreography, and more all simply work. They're gripping, a delight to watch, and inspiring. Years later, few mass battles in films come close to the Battle of Helm's Deep or the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

5 There Aren't Many Better Adaptations

The poster for the Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The Lord of the Rings trilogy isn't a perfect adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's seminal fantasy novel. Tolkien fans and scholars take umbrage with several changes, particularly on a thematic level. Nonetheless, the films tackle the difficult job of recreating such an iconic, influential, and imaginative novel.

The Lord of the Rings isn't an easy work to adapt. It has vast amounts of worldbuilding and exposition, heavy mythological motifs, and frequent strange happenings. The films are pragmatic adaptation, but possibly the only one that could have been made. Since then, cinema has seen many much worse attempts to recreate novels on screen. Few can match The Lord of the Rings in quality.

4 It Distances Itself From The Culture Of The 90s And 2000s

Frodo Baggins riding in a cart with Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

No work of fiction can be completely divorced from the time of its creation. Nonetheless, The Lord of the Rings makes a good effort. The films take place in another world that's completely alien to 21st-century Earth. Unlike the quippy, pop-culture-overdosed Marvel Cinematic Universe, its story has few ties to the real world. This avoids dating the film with references and fashion alone.

However, there are other, subtler differences from the time. Male characters openly express affection and love for one another, rather than the macho male interactions of the time. The film doesn't openly touch on political hot topics. It commits to the world of Middle-Earth and avoids feeling like a bygone era of the real world.

3 Many Of Its Effects Simply Look Excellent

Gandalf facing off with a balrog in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

One major change in 2000s filmmaking was the growing power of CGI and other special effects. The decade saw CGI become more realistic and much more accepted by audiences. The Lord of the Rings was made shortly before this major transition. Instead, it uses CGI to enhance its location shooting and practical effects.

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Special effects are used to add details to scenes, to help with the films' immense scale, and to pull off impossible things. They don't dominate any scene. The practical effects have a huge amount of effort, dedication, and love behind them. The result is that, many years later, The Lord of the Rings looks better than many films that have come out since.

2 Its Optimistic Story Is More Welcome In Recent Years

Aragorn and Arwen at his coronation in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings tells an evergreen story with themes that are never unpopular. It deals with the triumph of good over evil, the horrors of war, and the importance of unity to overcome problems. These themes remain relatable and have never been timely. In fact, they've only become more welcome to audiences in recent years.

For Western audiences, The Lord of the Rings trilogy came out at a time of relative peace and prosperity. Recent years have seen increased division, disillusionment, and struggle for many. A lot of people appreciate a story about people banding together to topple seemingly-insurmountable evil more than ever.

1 It's Helped Fantasy Become A More Mainstream Genre

Ned Stark, gripping his sword Ice while sitting on the Iron Throne, in a Game of Thrones poster

Fantasy has had to struggle against much stigma compared to many other genres of fiction. It's been considered lesser, low-quality, or nerdy by many. However, recent years have seen its status rise. The Lord of the Rings isn't solely responsible for this, but it's undeniably a major part of it.

The Lords of the Rings films became one of the highest-grossing trilogies ever. They're a pop culture touchstone, respected by audiences and critics alike. The Lord of the Rings has aged well because it's gone on to allow and inspire countless popular fantasy works. Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and more all owe at least some debt to the franchise for pushing fantasy into the mainstream.

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