21 Best Films Of The 21st Century By Genre

15. Fantasy - Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King

There could really only be one film franchise to occupy top spot here, and no it didn't contain a wizard. Sure, the adventures at Hogwarts brought us a lot of fun, but let's face facts, the books were better!

The first two entries of the classic Tolkien trilogy were appropriately epic in scale, but too often got bogged down in the book's lore that made it largely inaccessible for those who hadn't read the book. The final episode though gets the mix just right, with battle scenes like nothing we had seen before or since and the right blend of humour and suspense mixed in.

It is the challenges faced and overcome by central characters Sam and Frodo that really make the film click, their encounters with Gollum as they make their way to Mordor enthralling throughout. Sean Astin must take credit here, making us believe his journey from awkward hobbit to the real hero of the day.

The finale goes on for a tad too long, but considering how much material was required to be condensed from the source material director Peter Jackson can be forgiven for his indulgences.