The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Here is where things start to get tricky. There’s a vocal contingent of fans who insist that this is the best of the lot, and upon re-watch, I’m almost tempted to concur. To squash any doubts: Peter Jackson’s “The Two Towers” has got a reasonable claim to being one of the greatest movie sequels of all time and delivers everything you’d want and more from the middle act in an epic saga. The fact there’s anything above it on this list just goes to show how high the bar has been set.

There’s so much to love here, from our favorite opening in any Tolkien movie to date — a slow pan across sweeping New Zealand mountains at sunset transitioning to Gandalf’s epic Balrog fight — to Christopher Lee and Brad Dourif’s finest hour as the two most scene-stealing and lovably-Machiavellian heels in the entire series.

What it may lack in sense of wonder (FotR) and closure (RotK), “Two Towers” more than makes up for with fantastic world-building and sheer forward momentum. The location work and use of real miniature sets (including Helm’s Deep, Osgiliath, and Isengard) is simply breathtaking and keeps the world of Middle-earth grounded. And don’t get us started with Howard Shore’s fist-pumping score (just the thought of the violins kicking in in the Rohan theme makes us want to charge into battle).

Andy Serkis’ work as Gollum remains a landmark achievement in CGI that feels today as textured and compelling as any of his flesh-and-blood counterparts, while the late Bernard Hill brings gravitas and a regal air to the proceedings as the King of Rohan Théoden. On top of all that, you get one of the finest battle sequences ever put to film. Wait, remind me again — why isn’t this No. 1?