The Lord of the Rings

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The Lord of the Rings

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The Lord of the Rings

Christopher Guard, Michael Scholes, John Hurt, William Squire, Simon Chandler

Although it was ultimately overshadowed by Peter Jackson's live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic is not without charms ...( read more  read more... )of its own. A target of derision from intolerant fans, this ambitious production is nevertheless a respectably loyal attempt to animate the first half of Tolkien's trilogy, beginning with the hobbit Frodo's inheritance of "the One Ring" of power from Bilbo Baggins, and ending with the wizard Gandalf's triumph over the evil army of orcs. While the dialogue is literate and superbly voiced by a prestigious cast (including John Hurt as Aragorn), Leonard Rosenman's accomplished score effectively matches the ominous atmosphere that Bakshi's animation creates and sustains. Bakshi's lamentable decision to combine traditional cel animation with "rotoscoped" (i.e., meticulously traced) live-action footage is jarringly distracting and aesthetically disastrous, but when judged by its narrative content, this Lord of the Rings deserves more credit than it typically receives. --Jeff Shannon

Id: 6351295

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The Lord of the Rings Recent Reviews
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    I really liked it as a kid! What was the name of that little furry animal and who was it supposed to be again?
  • phubbs1
    July 18, 2009
    phubbs1
    Now this is much better than the live action movies. Its done with rotoscope and looks great. Very dark, brooding and alittle eerie, especially the orges and the landscapes. It really looks sooo good, the animation is also good for the time and hurt offers that classic touch. Thi...( read more)s is how the Lord of the Rings should have been.
  • AgentLexi2132
    February 3, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    Pending Review...

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  • jsd35
    October 28, 2007
    jsd35
    Under studio pressure this was to become part one of a two-part piece (Bakshi wanting to provide three films). This is not a total loss. But then again, its hardly a classic. Some of the use of the Rotoscoping works fine... The nazgul are suitably creepy, and I liked the orcs wel...( read more)l enough, but the principle characters seem to be in a constant slur of motion and the film falls apart under its scale. The story, while at times staying more faithfully to the novel than Jackson, is simply too compressed, and it has all the evidence of inadequate funding and excessive studio interference (the incompleted rotoscoping, the use of the word "Aruman", rather than "Saruman", the shrinking to two films, the lack of any indication it was merely the first part... it goes on...).

    I wonder if the original film structure was used by Jackson as a basis for his films (he says he originally approached New Line with a 2-part conception)? I don't know, and its not important. However, Saul Zaenz produced both films, and Jackson seems to make references to the earlier film in his version.

    I tried to watch this film again recently - but despite some affection I have for it I couldn't make it through the whole film, and when it comes down to the nitty-gritty it has to be said, it isn't great.
  • TheSonofBaphomet
    August 13, 2007
    TheSonofBaphomet
    Not a good movie.
  • kahohasegawa
    December 18, 2009
    kahohasegawa
    I remember it a bit, I think I need to watch it agaiin just to remember and than rate it correctly~
  • ajazoeyie
    December 13, 2009
    ajazoeyie
    Great!!
    No word can explain how much I love this film.
  • blacksheikhi
    November 28, 2009
    blacksheikhi
    Very interesting film, that I will never get tied watching it.
  • filmguy450
    November 22, 2009
    filmguy450
    This is the 1978 Bakshi flick. As per usual, the animation is pretty good, but they rush everything in the story, and it does not feel cohesive.
  • doctordoom
    October 28, 2009
    doctordoom
    This is a decent animated version of Lord of the Rings. The story is close to the book and the animation is decent. They do however not get to do the entire story. They only seem to do the a part of Lord of the Rings book. I am not sure if they decided to not continue or lack of ...( read more)funding to make more. I like Peter Jackson's version better. But if your a Tolkien fan then you should enjoy this.
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