There are many elements withinthe medieval fantasy genrethat tempt viewers — dragons, wizards, orcs, and knights to name just a few. But no matter what they come for, they all stay for the climactic battle. It’s what the fantasy movie builds up to with its play of politics, loyalties, and betrayals, setting the stage and the actors for a clash of epic proportions. But not all battles are created equal, and none are created as ambitious and grand as the ones depicted in theLord of the Ringsfranchise. It has been more than two decades sinceLord of the Ringswas released, and in that spanmany movies rust with time, their stories fail to resonate, and their special effects turn comical. But theLord of the Ringsmovies have endured the test of time andstill look as magnificent as we remember them to be. During its time of release,Lord of the Ringsbroke many records — most awarded film series, highest grossing movie trilogy, among others — and there are some impressive records it still holds,one of which is depicting the largest battle sequence.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron’s new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
‘Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ Holds the Record for Largest Battle Sequence in a Film
The battle sequences withinLord of the Ringscan often feel like a movie within a movie.Peter Jacksonsomehow manages to capture the enormity ofJ.R.R. Tolkien’s worldwithin the movies' absurdly large-scale battles. Look no further than the battle of Helm’s Deep fromThe Two Towers,where humans, orcs, dwarves, elves,and ents, among many other entities, come together to clash in a single field.
It’s a miraculous feat of cinematic and technologic mastery, for which the movie holds the Guinness world record for thelargest battle sequences on film.Lord of the Ringsfeatures battle scenes with over 200,000 fighting characters, an unprecedented number — for context, it’s almost equivalent to the entire population of Samoa. The characters are mostly computer generated with the help of a crowd simulation software called “Massive.” The program merged artificial intelligence and digital animation to regulate the large crowd, directing their interactions and giving them a life-life feel. There had been no battles like it before, and none since have been able to live up to its immensity.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Has the Best Battles in Film History
J.R.R. Tolkien created a vast and intricate world, filled with diverse factionsmade up of different specieswith shifting allegiances and enmities. And he cautiously guided them to converge at a crucial point in time, one that’s radiating with great zeal and urgency, the ultimate battle between good and evil. Along the journey, we get to learn about each prominent player. We learn about their backgrounds, strengths, flaws, fears, and loves. Then, whenthe moment of epic battlefinally arrives, unconsciously, we’ve already chosen a side. And so, the clash that unfolds doesn’t only feel spectacular to behold but also feels imbued with profound meaning. Our experience of it is heightened to such a great level that we actually feel the palpitating sense of joy in our chest when we see cavalry riding in to rescue our heroes. And that’s the hallmark of a great battle sequence; it doesn’t just call attention to its violence, it makes us feel all the emotions under the sun.
TheLord of the Ringstrilogy is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
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