Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's classic epic fantasy novel is the most impressive big-budget production in Hollywood history. That's not saying it's the "greatest" Hollywood movie of all time because that would be a foolhardy claim and one that would be nearly impossible to argue. I will attempt to show however, that there has never been a series of movies in the history of Hollywood that took on a story of such size, scale, and scope, located exactly what made the source material so loved, and transferred it directly to the screen as spectacularly as these film did. What makes the trilogy even more impressive was that this was essentially Jackson's first big Hollywood movie and he had never made anything to hint at how well he could handle such a vast and complex project. Fortunately he delivered and billions of dollars and boatloads of Academy Awards later, and The Lord of the Rings is one of the seminal series in cinematic history. In one of the rare moments of brilliance in the Hollywood studio system, New Line went all in on the project and allowed near complete creative freedom while allocating a massive budget for a relatively untested filmmaker. The shoot is still one of the most carefully planned, and ambitious in Hollywood history, encompassing almost eight years from pre-production to the release of The Return of the King. When you consider that the whole series is essentially one 12 hour movie split into three sections, it's hard to argue against it being among the most spectacular accomplishments in film history but if you need some more convincing, here are 10 reasons that make it the greatest achievement in Hollywood history.