72 Ian McKellen Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

After inheriting a mysterious ring forged millennia ago by Dark Lord Sauron to conquer Middle-earth, Frodo Baggins volunteers to carry it to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. In this epic quest, he is accompanied by The Fellowship consisting of Wizard Gandalf, Elf Legolas, Dwarf Gimli, Boromir of Gondor, Isildur's heir Aragorn, and fellow Hobbits Sam, Merry, Pippin.

The fight for control of the future of Middle-earth intensifies as Aragorn, aided by Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli, rallies his army at Minas Tirith to fight against the evil forces of Sauron. However, it is only a distraction to give Frodo and Sam more time to destroy the One Ring at the fires of Mount Doom.

The second installment of The Lord of the Rings saga continues Frodo and Sam's epic quest to destroy the One Ring and sees them enlisting the guidance of the mysterious Gollum to traverse through the treacherous Dead Marshes, while their friends from the Fellowship, including resurrected Gandalf, help free King Theoden of Rohan from Saruman's deadly spell.

In 2023, mutants are pushed to the brink of extinction by Sentinels, robotic killing machines programmed to identify and exterminate them, as well as humans helping them. In a desperate attempt, Professor X, Magneto, Storm, and Kitty Pryde send volunteer Wolverine five decades back to stop a younger Mystique from attempting to assassinate Bolivar Trask, who created the Sentinels.

Following an unexpected visit from the wizard Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins, a simple hobbit from the Shire, reluctantly joins thirteen dwarves on a perilous quest to reclaim their home under the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. They travel through treacherous lands across the Middle-Earth and encounter various dangerous creatures, including the mysterious Gollum obsessed with his 'precious' ring.

This is the second movie the in three part film series The Hobbit based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s book of the same name. In the movie, Bilbo Baggins continues his pursuit, with Wizard Gandalf and fellow dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, to retake the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from dragon Smaug.

Humans have a growing fear of mutants, who are born with unique genetic mutations, and employ various discriminatory practices to keep their powers in check. Professor Xavier advocates peace between the two groups and runs a school for "gifted" mutant children. However, his old colleague Magneto, who detests humans, steals one of Xavier's protégés to destroy humans.

After brainwashed mutant Nightcrawler attempts to assassinate the President in the White House, it triggers an all-out military offensive led by fanatic scientist Colonel William Stryker, who abducts Professor Xavier to use him to kill all mutants with the device Cerebro. The rest of the X-Men must work together with arch enemy Magneto to stop Stryker.

Tristan Thorn is in love with Victoria and in order to marry her promises to bring a fallen star. In the magical kingdom of Stormhold, he discovers that the star is actually a woman named Yvaine and three evil witches and the king’s son are also after her. As he tries to protect her on his way back, he unravels his own true identity.

In 1957, long after his retirement, renowned film-director James Whale is suffering from permanent health issues as a result of a series of strokes. Despite poor health, he continues to indulge in his homosexual fantasies, much to the consternation of his dedicated housekeeper, Hanna. Whale befriends his newly hired gardener, ex-marine Clayton Boone, with whom he reminisces about his WWI and Hollywood days.

Based on the novel The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, this epic fantasy film serves as one of the three prequels to The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The film revolves around a hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who engages in a war along with his comrades, to protect the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of darkness. 

Due to his lust for the British throne, Richard III starts descending into madness. Though England is torn apart by a civil war, he aspires to rise to dictatorship, but for this, he needs to remove the obstacles to his ascension.

An arrogant and selfish prince is cursed to live as a fearful monster unless he learns to love and is loved in return before the petals of an enchanted rose fall off. Following an unfortunate event, a beautiful young woman ends up locked in his castle, but can love spark between the unlikely pair before time runs out?

In 1947, Sherlock Holmes, now 93 and spending his retirement in a Sussex farmhouse, is struggling with his failing memory, and trying to recollect the facts about his last case that resulted in his retirement. Taking help of his housekeeper’s young son Roger, who is interested in Holmes’ work, he tries to find answers to the unsolved mysteries of that haunting case. 

Priest of Love is a British biographical drama film which tells the story of an author DH Lawrence, whose novel ‘The Rainbow’, attracts huge controversy and gets banned, due to which he is forced to leave his native country England, and go to the US, in order to escape the outrage. He soon writes ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, which becomes his greatest work.  

A mystery thriller that explores the events that unfold after a Harvard University professor is suspected of a grisly and unusual murder, The Da Vinci Code is a fast-paced drama with a surprise ending. The film is considered controversial. 

Apt Pupil is a crime drama thriller film, which tells the story of Todd Bowden, a college student who is studying the Holocaust. He starts suspecting that his neighbor may be a Nazi war criminal. He eventually starts blackmailing him, asking him to reveal the untold truths, in exchange for keeping his own mouth shut.  

Six Degrees of Separation is a comedy drama mystery film which revolves around Ouisa and her husband, who are art dealers living in New York. Their lives are turned upside down when a mysterious young African American man enters their lives.

The third film of the X-Men series, the movie revolves around a 'cure', which can apparently turn any mutant into a regular human being. This leads to outrage, and eventually a war is seen to be imminent. 

Logan leads a hermit's life tormented by visions of Jean Grey and struggling against his prolonged life. Yashida, an industrialist in Japan whose life he had saved, offers to cure his superhuman healing by transferring the ability to himself to cure his cancer. Logan declines the offer, but soon finds out that his wounds are not healing anymore.

A magic movie ticket transports teenager Danny Madigan into the fictional world of his favorite movie character, the indestructible Los Angeles Cop Jack Slater. When the fictional villain, Mr. Benedict, uses the same ticket to escape into the real world, Danny and Slater must also travel back and team up to stop him.  

In a parallel universe where the ruling power detests free thinkers, an unknown group is kidnapping children. An orphan joins a bunch of sailors, on their way to the far North, to look for the missing children. This fantasy adventure is based on the 1995 book Northern Lights.

The Shadow is a superhero action adventure thriller film which revolves around the Shadow, a superhero, who battles against Shiwan Khan, who is planning to take over the world by holding a city hostage using an atomic bomb.

The life of Roddy, a rat, is just perfect with luxuries all around him. So, when another rat Sid sends him into the sewers of London, it is too much for him to handle. As he struggles to get back to his comfortable life, he meets a scavenger rat Rita. Rita is pursued by Toad who is after her for a gem and also wants to wipe out all rats from the sewer.