The Lord Of the Rings [1978] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Amazon.co.uk Review

Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is a bold, colourful, ambitious failure. Severely truncated, this two-hour version tackles only about half the story, climaxing with the battle of Helm's Deep and leaving poor Frodo and Sam still stuck on the borders of Mordor with Gollum. Allegedly, the director ran out of money and was unable to complete the project. As far as the film does go, however, it is a generally successful attempt at rendering Tolkien's landscapes of the imagination. Bakshi's animation uses a blend of conventional drawing and rotoscoped (traced) animated movements from live-action footage. The latter is at least in part a money-saving device, but it does succeed in lending some depth and a sense of otherworldly menace to the Black Riders and hordes of Orcs: Frodo's encounter at the ford of Rivendell, for example, is one of the film's best scenes thanks to this mixture of animation techniques. Backdrops are detailed and well conceived, and all the main characters are strongly drawn. Among a good cast, John Hurt (Aragorn) and C3PO himself, Anthony Daniels (Legolas), provide sterling voice characterisation, while Peter Woodthorpe gives what is surely the definitive Gollum (he revived his portrayal a couple of years later for BBC Radio's exhaustive 13-hour dramatisation). The film's other outstanding virtue is avant-garde composer Leonard Rosenman's magnificent score in which chaotic musical fragments gradually coalesce to produce the triumphant march theme that closes the picture. None of which makes up for the incompleteness of the movie, nor the severe abridging of the story actually filmed. Add to that some oddities--such as intermittently referring to Saruman as "Aruman"--and the final verdict must be that this is a brave yet ultimately unsatisfying work, noteworthy as the first attempt at transferring Tolkien to the big screen but one whose virtues are overshadowed by incompleteness. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

Bored of the Rings...........2007-11-05

At first glance, the animation is rather quirky and inspiring. The movement of the characters in particular is the most convincing aspect of the animation, and they've put some effort in there. Some of the character design is a bit off-putting (Boromir looks like a viking! And Gollum is a spud on legs), but for the most part it is acceptable.
The script is problem. Limp and lifeless, the dialogue serves only as exposition and shows very little character depth outside of the two main hobbits. Merry and Pippin might have never been there!
The pace of the film is too fast and the tension that should have been apparent in the first half (based on the first book) is virtually non-existant constantly jumping from scene to scene and setting to setting. You certainly won't get any idea of the geography of Middle-Earth from this version. Oddly, despite the speed of the picture, I was getting bored after an hour....
The voice work is fine, though none of them manage to rescue a dire script.
The second book, The Two Towers, is butchered to death and I doubt many will really understand what is going on.
In all, the animation is nice and the first half just about manages to keep the story in one piece, but the annoying dialogue and direction get in the way (anyone else notice Frodo freely pass the ring to Gandalf in Bilbo's house beside the fire? Didn't seem so concerned then did he?). The music is bland and worthless, but the actors are okay.
Looks fine, but the rest is just a mess....

Not at all bad!.......2007-09-30

While it's not Peter Jackson's definitive visual offering this is still an interesting curiosity.

Using different animation techniques combined with "live action" elements it takes the trilogies narrative to just after the attack at Helms Deep. It's a pity that there wasn't a sequel to complete the story as I was really getting into it by the end.

Although anyone familiar with Jackson's version will notice where the two differ, characters such as the Orcs (reminded me of psychotic Sand People)and Gollum (Kenneth Williams meets Russell Brand) play along nicely.

weird but wonderful!.......2007-09-18

Ive owned this dvd for years and it took a couple of watches to get used to it, i watched all of peter jacksons trilogy at the pictures and over and over on dvd and think there brilliant, but didnt understand the story properly until i watched this! The beginning of this film tells you alot more about the story than the modern films do, most people also say this film sticks by the book unlike peter jacksons version. Watching the film is so magical and the animation is so unique kids will love it, it kinda reminded me of watching the BFG when i was a kid! the only problem with this film is that it only covers the first two books and not the third which is dissapointing, but if youve read the books or watched peter jacksons films you no what happens in the end anyway.

Sententally appealing.......2007-07-27

My parents had a video of this lying around the house, and it was thanks to that, that I became a strong Tolkien fan. After all, due to budget constraints, and the fact that it flopped on the silver screen, the second installment was never made (shame). So, this film ends unfortunately just post-helms deep. It may be of interest, having read the biography of Peter Jackson, that he too watched this film, and it was only as a result that he too developed a deep rooted appreciation of the trilogy. So in many ways this quaint cartoon is important.
It essentially took the same route as Jackson, by ignoring such superfluous adventures was the Old forest, Bombadil etc. Randomly, instead of Glorfindel, they had Legolas rescue them at the ford of Rivendell (while Jackson plumed for Arwen). The animation is a little disconcerting at times, with the style changing, and trying to mix live actors, as seen in the orcs. I actually prefer the orcs in this addition, much more sinister I thought than the prosphetic monsters of the more polished Jackson version.
Helms deep was done rather well, and they even included the battle outside Fangorn (during which Pippin and Merry escape). I mean, the thing even had a prologue, and it seems clear to me that Jackson has taken a few things fro Zaentz and co., even though he's never admitted as such. Well worth a look for LOTR fanatics and people just looking for a different interpretation.

I loved this as a kid, it gave me nightmares........2007-06-25

For a few years before peter jacksons live action LOTR trilogy came out I had been trying to track this version down, without success. When I was little it was often shown at christmas along with starwars. I love the imagery, it's so dark I actually found it scary as a child. I used to have nightmares of horses with red eyes and shadowy monsters.
The rotoscoping used in the making of the film may not have been great by todays standards but the effect was masterful. Over all it isn't a patch on the new ones but it is worth checking out for all tolkien enthusiasts.

Average customer rating:
Fishing - Carp And Tench On The Long Pole With Bob Nudd
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Manufacturer: Boulevard Entertaiment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EQ451A
Release Date: 2006-04-10

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