2. Eloquence
Sure they had Tolkien's writing to base their screenplay off of, but Walsh, Jackson, and Boynes managed to put together one of the best screenplays of any blockbuster ever, and Jackson filmed it in such a way that eloquence comes from what happens on screen as much as it comes from the words the characters say. Some examples include Theoden quoting poetry before a battle, Sam's closing speech at the end of Two Towers, Gandalf teaching Frodo a valuable lesson in a Moria crossroad, and the devastating finale of Return of the King to name but a few. Jackson's visuals themselves underscore and sometimes create eloquence of their own. Lots of movies have been based off of great books before, and many have been better books than The Lord of the Rings, but none have ever completely captured and actually enhanced the literary qualities of a pre-existing property quite like Jackson's films. Blockbusters have never been known for the eloquence or thematic beauty, at least until this remarkable trilogy rewrote the rules and raised the bar for every subsequent spectacle, blockbuster, and literary adaption.