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"LOTR" & "Hobbit" movies: 5 best action sequences

"LOTR" & "Hobbit" movies: 5 best action sequences

After the memorable epic trilogy of "The Lord Of The Rings" (2001-2003) and the first two "Hobbit" movies (2012-2013), the cinematic Middle-Earth saga will finally reach to its conclusion with "The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies" this 18 December 2014.

To coincide with the upcoming final epic movie, let's take a look back at the five best action sequences from "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy to the first two "Hobbit" movies below:

1. The epic fight between Gandalf and Balrog from "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" (2001)

Many viewers who had seen "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" would remember Gandalf's (Ian McKellen) immortal line of "You shall not pass!" during the tense battle against the Balrog on the bridge of Khazad-Dum. However, it's not just the memorable line that had been etched in viewers' mind, but also the foreboding imagery and the sacrifice of where Gandalf was willing to give his life to stop the fiery demon at all cost.

2. The Battle Of Helm's Deep from "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers" (2002)

In the second chapter of "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy, Peter Jackson and his team of technical crew had improved considerably well in terms of delivering the action sequences. The most memorable one of all was the elaborate epic battle sequence at Helm's Deep involving Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas, Gimli (John-Rhys Davis) and an army of Rohan soldiers fighting against hundreds of thousands of the fearsome Uruk-Hai, the warrior beasts created by the evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee).

3. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields from "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" (2003)

The (most) hardcore or even casual fans of "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy would tell you that The Battle of the Pelennor Fields in this final chapter is easily ranked as the most epic battle sequence that is hardly matched by others ever since. Among the most iconic sequence during the famous final confrontation was the one where Legolas (Orlando Bloom) single-handedly defeated the soldiers riding a massive tribal elephant known as the Oliphaunt, before killing the beast itself in a gloriously stylish fashion.

4. The bridge chase in the underground Goblin-town from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was mostly a long-winded slog, but the second half of the movie did redeem itself with a good portion of excitement. The biggest highlight of the movie was, of course, the spectacular action set-piece where Gandalf led the 13 dwarves across the multi-level wooden bridges deep within the underground section of the Goblin-town, while battling against an endless army of goblins reminiscent of the classic mine cart chase scene in "Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom" (1984).

5. The barrel-in-the-river chase from "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013)

Forget about the climactic ending set in the Lonely Mountains where Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and the dwarves faced against the massive dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). The real deal in this improved sequel was the exhilarating action set-piece where the dwarves rode the barrels down the river, while fighting against a group of behemoth Orcs that came charging in all directions. The camerawork for this particular action sequence was very creative and almost akin to riding a roller coaster in a theme park. Adding to the fun was the acrobatic appearance of Legolas who helped the dwarves dispatch the Orcs with his nifty use of bow and arrows.

"The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies" opens in cinemas nationwide on 18 December.