Peter Jackson Reveals His Favorite ‘Lord of the Rings’ Film and It’s the Correct Answer

It’s hard to emphasize how much of an impact The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had on my twelve-year-old brain. I wasn’t a big reader and was unfamiliar with the world of Middle Earth. I just knew that my dad was a fan of the books. He took me to see the film one Saturday morning before church and tried to back out at the last second (a recurring theme with him taking me to do things), so the day also sticks in my head pretty firmly. It launched a fandom in me that stands to this day, but it has never been as intense as it was in the year between Fellowship and its sequel.

When the trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers dropped, I watched it on Apple.com/trailers nowhere short of 200 times. My dad spoiled Gandalf’s return for me moments after we walked out of the theater, but I was still in awe watching him reveal himself in all white. The Battle of Helm’s Deep looked epic in a way that I had never seen before. The hype I felt for The Two Towers was as real as possible, and boy, oh boy, did it pay off, holy s***.

Two Towers is a magnificent piece of filmmaking. The practical effects are phenomenal, making the world feel real and lived-in to this day (over twenty years later). Gollum remains a high standard for having a CG creature onscreen. The battle is enormous with hundreds of extras and so much friggin rain you’d assume you’d get wet too. Everything about the story is engrossing, romantic, and wonderful. My anticipation was palpable, but I still contend that The Two Towers is the best film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Peter Jackson agrees!

Jackson recently sat down for an interview with Letterboxd. He was asked which of the three films was his favorite. The director admitted that he hasn’t watched the movies since release (I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen them) but did reveal which one he holds in the highest regard. “I can’t watch my own films. I just, I mean, one day … I sort of enjoy it more as more time goes by, so one day I’ll watch them again,” Jackson explained. He then said that The Two Towers was his favorite and quickly admitted, “But if I see them again, I might have a totally different one.”

I don’t know, Peter! I love all three flicks but Two Towers is the best. The extended edition (which is the only version I’ve watched since its release) makes the movie even better (gimme more Boromir)! I would hear arguments for why either of the other two is the best because they’re all great. For now, I’ll sit here knowing that Peter Jackson and I are in agreement, making him an imaginary surrogate father who would never try to back out of taking me to the movies multiple times during my young life. Never!