The Animated Movie

[Varda]

one part of the animated movie that i did not really appreciate was at the end of rotk when gandalf says that one day hobbits will be as men are and points out that the younger hobbits are larger than the older ones. first of all, merry and pippin are larger because they drank the stuff the ents gave them, although this was not in the movie. secondly i thought hobbits actually came from men. also, i thought that tolkien hinted that there were actually hobbits in our time, but they are just good at hiding from the "big people." i do like most of the movie, but that part is annoying. also when he finally says "ages from now when this story is told, there may be those who wonder is there hobbit in me? is there?" it just seems cheesy, and i know it is supposed to appeal to kids, but i find it just dumb. so yeah.... that's my two cents

[Ñólendil]

I agree, although Pippin and Merry even before they drank the draughts were rather tall: four feet.

[webwizard333]

There are still Hobbits around according to Tolkien (he was unusually tall for one). Wrote thar they hide when we come along because we're so noisy.

[Varda]

Didn't Tolkien say he was a hobbit in everything but stature? or something like that?

[Forge315-Halfling]

Didn't Tolkien say he was a hobbit in everything but stature? or something like that?

Lol! I think so, he sure was a cool guy.

[samwise of the shire]

I saw the Hanna Barberas animated Hobbit and I liked the voices and the songs were good but frankly I did'nt like the animation all that well. The elves were TALL,GREEN,frog like beings that looked as if they came out of Dracula or something or other, and to add insult to injure they wore TUTUS made out of leaves. Other then polluted history(every dwarf dies in the cartoon),ooogly characters(Elrond for instance looked like he was choking,blue elf hmmmmmm),and generraly stupid songs it was ok. The illustrations of Smaug and Gandalf were perfect, and they added some humour when Bilbo screams" Extinguise ME!!!)on Erebor I liked those parts but if you have not see The Hobbit,my suggestion DONT!
Sam

[Darkhalcyon]

"Didn't Tolkien say he was a hobbit in everything but stature? or something like that?"

I did a term paper that examined this. though lots of this is my own opinion.
Hobbits are 100% Tolkien's creation. i read in a critical essay (forgive me, i don't remember whose) that he based the hobbits on englishmen such as himself. Forgive me, anyone out there who's english, but it's sort of the stereo type of old englishmen. Ya know, stay home, eat a few meals a day and smoke your pipe by the fire. SOme say that it's how tolkien was. so, i think that bilbo represented not only growing up (this was a kids' book, after all) but something that he wanted himself. adventure, and excitement and all that.
Well, that's my two cents ^-^ sorry, this has nothing to do with the topic...mebber i should've made a new thread...

[Taramoor]

There are three sequences, and one moment, in the Rankin/Bass Hobbit that I enjoy. They do not compare to the book, but they are still impressive in their own right, and a nice introduction for younglings and adults who don't know the novels.

1) The opening sequence, supper, between Gandalf, Thorin and co. and Bilbo. Mostly due to John Huston's characterization of Gandalf, and his skillful narration of the Dwarve's fall to Smaug. "They have come for tea, and for supper, and for you; Burglar Baggins." Amazing voicework.

2) The Bilbo/Gollum sequence. Alot of people don't like this image of Gollum, but it grew on me, and I find it an interesting interpretation. I did not like the musical rendition of the "dark" riddle, but I did like Gollum's voice and the offplay between him and Bilbo.

3) The conversation between Bilbo and Smaug. I absolutely love this, Smaug's little sub-comments while Bilbo rambles on. Again, primarily because of the voicework I find this sequence very well done.

The moment I like most is at the very end, and the way John Huston delivers the line to Bilbo. "You're a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I'm very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all."

Also, after the Battle of Five Armies, the conversation between Gandalf and Bilbo goes this way:

Bilbo: "Of our original thirteen, how many are left."
Gandalf: "Seven."
Bilbo: "And, Thorin?"
Gandalf: "Soon, it will be only six."

They don't all die in the cartoon, Samwise. And only the wood elves are made to look like frog-things. Elrond looks (almost insanely) similar to how he appears in the upcoming movie. As a demi-human, with pointy ears and a crown of stars.

[Tessar]

Hey! i loved the movie!

And it was a LOTR that i could understand at a young age. (yes i know you all still think I'm young, but i think I'm older)

And just look at it this way.... if i hadn't seen the animated one, the i probably wouldn't be here. (hummmmm... ok bad example but you get the idea )

[surjay]

The animated Hobbit is a great movie! Sure it's a simple movie, but I think it goes along well with the overall mood of the book.

It is by far the most accurate of any of these films, with only a few things left out due to time constraints. At least it didn't blatently change things like the other two movies mentioned in this thread.

It's a fun movie and I think it is enjoyable as such. I don't think it should be looked at for anything more then that.

The songs are great! I have them all downloaded.


"Fifteen birds...........in five fir trees!"

[Tessar]

:huggs surjay: thank you.......

[Agburanar]

Youwhat? Where can I obtain this film? What is going on? When? How? I'm confused.

What company produced it? It's not Disney is it? Imagine: Disney's 'Short People' (based on 'the hobbit' by JRR tolkien). In comes Bilbo skipping happily and singing with the birds. Suddenly, in an explosion of pink blossoms Gandalf enters... yeuch!

[Wayfarer]

My parents decided to get me the Rankin Bass lotr on video for christmas.

*SOB*

Hopefully the movie will be good in the cinema. I couldn't stand two awful viewings so close together.

[Agburanar]

oh dear. that's on my list too.

[Greg Ferlito]

I've seen both The Hobbit and The lord of the rings animated verisons i thought the hobbit was great the animation was good and the songs spectacular the lord of the rings on the other hand was not so great i didn't like the animation as well as the hobbit the orcs and ringwraiths looked terrible however the blood made it a little better the same company that made the hobbit warner bros. i think made the Return of the King which i haven't seen nor have i seen it anywhere but i would like to

[Greg Ferlito]

Does anybody know where i can download the songs from the Hobbit? they're great!

[Agburanar]

I thought the animated LotR was sooooooo much better than PJ's film version. Even though I thought the hobbits in the animated version were badly interpreted and Saruman's red robe was an interesting choice, the orcs and ringwraiths were much scarier and aalthough they cut more stuff out they didn't add in pointless pantomime bits (the collapsing stairs in moria [nobody chucks a dwarf???] for example)

[mithrand1r]

Of the Three animated movies, the Hobbit is the most accurate followed by LOTR and ROTK.

I have enjoyed all three films to varying degrees. Mainly since I enjoy animation. I did not like some of the "real" animation scenes in LOTR.
I enjoyed the songs in the Hobbit and ROTK.

The Hobbit and ROTK are by Rankin Bass and LOTR by Bashki. I think all three were distributed by Warner Bros.

The Tolkein Sarcasm Page helped me enjoy LOTR even more. LOTR was a good try and I would have liked to have seen the completion of LOTR. I think that the animated format is the best format for LOTR and the Hobbit.

Sincerely,
Anthony
:rollin

[Agburanar]

There's an animated film of ROTK? I never heard of that one!

[mithrand1r]

Here is some more info about ROTK from

http://us.imdb.com/

and a review from Kurt of Florida.

Return of the King, The (1980)(TV)
Directed by
Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writing credits
J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
Credited cast overview:
Orson Bean .... Frodo and Bilbo Baggins
Theodore Bikel .... Aragorn
William Conrad .... Denethor
John Huston .... Gandalf
Roddy McDowall .... Samwise Gamgee
Brother Theodore .... Gollum
Paul Frees .... Goblin, Elrond
Don Messick
John Stephenson (I)
Casey Kasem .... Meriadoc Brandybuck
Sonny Melendrez .... Peregrin (Pippin) Took
Nellie Bellflower .... Eowyn
Glenn Yarborough .... The Minstrel
Runtime: 98
Country: USA
Language: English

User Comments:

Kurt (takamoto84@hotmail.com)
Florida, USA

Date: 24 July 1999
Summary: More Than Just a Book-to-Movie

Some of you may have read my review of 'The Hobbit' on IMDB. If not, I suggest you do, as I think it brings up some things that should be realized.

Like it's prequel, this movie has been plagued by bad reviews by mainly Tolkien-fans who believe that it oversimplifies the story, and that it takes things away until it has transformed their much-loved story of the beginning of the age of man into a kids-movie with no more value than being such.

I strongly disagree. This movie is far from being a children's-film, though it is definitely enjoyed by many. As a child I watched it many, many times, until the point that the tape lost quality. And yet, after all those viewings, I didn't realize the important lessons it teaches.

This movie tells a lot of its lessons through song. These songs can mean different things
to different people, as all things in all movies do. The story, also, means different things
in different perspectives -- to some, the loyalty or realizations of Samwise might be familiar to their own personality, and they will see what he goes through as their lessons.

Others will see themselves as Frodo, having to go through a time of not only global(outter)-conflict, but inner as well, as they travel through that time and end up changed, and then have to move on past the troubled times they've triumphed over. Or it could be more complicated, those combined, or maybe also with the Ring becoming something they know.

There's a lot to be learned from this movie, however you look at it, so long as it's not
looked at with eyes that are searching only for the story from the book. If you watch it with an open mind, you'll learn something that will help you.

I don't go into as much detail as I did in my review of the Hobbit, as this movie's lessons
are much more broad, with there being more going on than in the prequel. It takes a mind looking for answers to see them in this movie, as everyone who looks at it with their different life-experiences and personality will interperet the songs and actions and deeds of characters differently.

This movie and its prequel are wonderful things to experience for people of any age.


Sincerely,
Anthony