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The Hobbit (1977)
The Hobbit (1977)
Directed by: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Starring: Orson
Bean, Richard Boone, Hans Conried
Before
you watch this movie, there are a few things that you should know.
Firstly it was made in 1977
for around $3 million.
Secondly it’s animated
and includes lots of singing
(some of which is based on poems and lyrics from the book). Thirdly,
and most importantly, it presents an oversimplified
version of the story, omitting several key plotlines and
misrepresenting others.
If you know all this and still want to watch it, put aside your cynicism and modern
day fantasy epic expectations (raised to new heights by The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson,
who is also involved in the new version of The Hobbit)
and approach not with caution but with a very open mind.
In
that spirit, I think you’ll find this quite an enjoyable
watch (for an old movie made on a tight budget…). A narrator guides us
through the story from The
Shire to Smaug’s
den as Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves face one danger after another.
Although the artwork was done in the US, a reputable Japanese animation
studio called Topcraft
produced the animation, giving it a distinctly Asian feel. Interestingly,
many of the movie's makers were also involved in the 1980 movie The Return of the King.
This
rendition of Bilbo Baggins' adventure is nowhere
near as sophisticated as modern fantasy movies. But it does provide an
accessible doorway to Middle
Earth to our youngest fantasy fans.
CLICK HERE to read more about the characters Bilbo, Gollum and Smaug
RETURN HOME from The Hobbit to read more about the top 100 fantasy books and top 100 fantasy movies of all time
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