The movies of The Lord of the Rings franchise are often hailed as some of the greatest fantasy films ever made, but they have also had a negative effect on many other titles in the genre. The Lord of the Rings movies famously adapted the works of J. R. R. Tolkien onto the big screen, with Peter Jackson’s original epic trilogy proving one of the all-time great pieces of fantasy cinema. Breaking records and winning awards cemented the movies as the gold standard for modern fantasy, and that has resulted in many other movies in the genre being measured against them.
Unfortunately, very few films actually live up to the quality of The Lord of the Rings, resulting in many underrated fantasy movies. The following are notable examples of fantasy movies that actually suffered because they were compared unfavorably to the Middle-Earth movies, with the blows taken by their respective reputations ultimately leading to them being unfairly dismissed. They might not be perfect, but just because these fantasy films weren’t The Lord of the Rings, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth watching.
Over the years, many movies have attempted to adapt the medieval legend of King Arthur, but some have been far more successful than others. Though there is no single definitive adaptation, 2004 saw Antoine Fuqua helm a gritty take on the legend, reimagining Arthur as a former Roman soldier who rose to become the king of England. With an exceptional cast of talent and a well-established director, King Arthur had the potential to be a huge success, but its historical medieval fantasy mostly failed to land. Releasing just shortly after the conclusion of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, audiences hoping it might be the next major fantasy blockbuster were underwhelmed. The movie moved mostly away from the more fantastical elements of the legend, and while its sprawling battle scenes were epic, they lacked the fantasy flair of Lord of the Rings. Though it is a solid historical action movie with a touch of fantasy, many felt (both consciously and subconsciously) that it should have been closer in tone to The Lord of the Rings.
There are several forgotten fantasy movies that tried and failed to start franchises, and 2007’s The Golden Compass is a prime example. Based on the first book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, The Golden Compass sought to establish a foundation for the next major fantasy franchise after the conclusion of The Lord of the Rings. In terms of source material, the franchise certainly had the potential to be every bit as successful as Peter Jackson’s trilogy, but the tone of The Golden Compass didn’t quite nail the adaptation in the same way. Where The Lord of the Rings perfectly translated the appeal of the books onto the screen, The Golden Compass struggled a little to adapt its first chapter as convincingly. The movie itself ended up something of a jumbled mess, but the potential was still clear for all to see. Unfortunately, fantasy audiences who had been recently spoiled by the strength of Lord of the Rings didn’t have much time for The Golden Compass, and the franchise died before it had the chance to grow as a result.
Often, the lines between science fiction and fantasy get blurred, resulting in a genre dubbed science fantasy. One of the most beloved examples of science fantasy is Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars series, which was adapted into the 2012 movie John Carter. In terms of scope and potential, it seemed poised to become the spiritual successor to The Lord of the Rings, but the execution left a little to be desired. While John Carter was an entertaining and enjoyable movie, it struggled to make back its colossal budget and, especially when compared to The Lord of the Rings, it was considered a massive failure. The disastrous sci-fi movie therefore was unable to live up to its franchise potential; compared with other adaptations of beloved literary works, it wasn’t a major financial success. Both original novels were considered pioneering works in their respective subgenres, but John Carter was considered nowhere near as good an adaptation as The Lord of the Rings, and it suffered because of it.
