Dear Geek: How funny that you posted this right after I had finally watched the Bakshi film. I was actually really impressed with it despite its list of flaws. It really does “feel” like the book: I found myself so sucked into the epic adventure aspect! John Hurt as Aragorn is probably the best adapted version of the character, and I find myself really questioning people’s admiration for Viggo. (He’s obviously a great actor, but he definitely plays Jackson’s version of Aragorn, not the real deal of the book.) Ever since I finished the book when I got sick a while ago, I have enjoyed listening to so many of your videos and whatever Tolkien thing you thought up! You’ve definitely got a fan.
Bakshi's was my Lord of the Rings movie, since it took until 2000s for the Jackson films to come out. I wore that VHS out, and I fully agree that it was very faithful and despite its goofiness at times, a very good watch. John Hurt was great. As for Rankin-Bass, it gave us the banger that is Where There Is a Whip, and that would already be enough to make it worth a watch. :)
Agreed. Bakshi's was a favourite for me, early on. The characters are far more faithful and accurate, whilst obviously the plot is cut to just the bare bones. Jackson alternatively got the visuals and the lived in world, but changed nearly all the characters. I think Gandalf is accurate, and maybe Sam, but everyone else is shifted for dramatic convenience.
The animated Hobbit movie really nailed feeling like an animated story book. I feel like a kid being read a bedtime story instead of watching a big action movie like the live action movies tried to be.
@Chociewitka True, I'll never understand why they thought they needed to make the wood elves look like that. I can only assume they were designed by someone who had a very different interpretation of what the elves were supposed to look like or had not read the books very carefully.
I think that Bakshi was trying to tell a more mature tone, where the evil is visually and tonally evil, and the good is pure and joyful. The contrast of the uruk hai army against the tranquil lothlorien, you really feel that this is an ancient and forgotten magical place. Jackson's feels more typical medieval setting fantasy.
I saw the Bakshi film three times in its original theatrical release I had read the Hobbit but not LOTR at that point. I loved it and it was remarkably faithful to the text. I wish he had gotten funding for a 2nd movie. When I think Gandalf, Gollum and Aragorn it is the Bakshi version I hear in my head. I like the Hobbit too, I was only 10 when it came out. I’ve never warmed to the Rankin Bass RTK. The voice of the Witch King is straight out of Scoobie Doo.
Big point about Legolas being the comedian. When I fully read through the books for the first time, I was laughing just at the fact that Legolas really takes every opportunity to be a sarcastic asshole, constantly teasing the others for basically not being as awesome as an elf. And not in a bad way. Elves are meant to represent the joyousness of youth - forever youthful - but also with the weight of thousands of years of war on their shoulders. Dwarves are the serious ones. Secretive and mistrustful of others.
My only MAJOR problem with Rankin Bass Hobbit is that completely misses Bilbo's character arch with Gollum and I think overall mainly being post-Vietnam where it becomes quite anti-war and more gloomy even killing off at least six of dwarves at the end.
Also don't forget the game adaptions of FOTR and the Hobbit. They also do a pretty good job. The Two Towers and Return of the King games sadly only really follow the Jackson movies although apparently there were plans to make a Two Towers game, in the style of FOTR, but it was cancelled for licensing reasons. To think what could have been aye? That was back when there was still care and effort being put into Tolkien. It hadn't yet become slopified.
Sadly the Rankin Bass movies were never released on PAL. And I doubt they ever will now. I remember watching the Ralph Bakshi version as a kid, apparently my dad saw it in theatres back in the 70's.
I will always defend the Rankin Bass Hobbit film, especially after the bloated experience of the live action films stretching out the story to three films. The lyrics in that one come directly from Tolkien, with a few obvious exceptions. The art style is distinctive and striking and the same as is used so artfully in The Last Unicorn.
Yeah for a TV movie made at the time, it really feels like it captures the vibe of the book really well. It feels like watching how a kid would imagine the story while listening to their grandfather reading it to them. Always felt very cozy when the live action movies wanted to be epic and bombastic.
Dear Geek:
How funny that you posted this right after I had finally watched the Bakshi film. I was actually really impressed with it despite its list of flaws. It really does “feel” like the book: I found myself so sucked into the epic adventure aspect! John Hurt as Aragorn is probably the best adapted version of the character, and I find myself really questioning people’s admiration for Viggo. (He’s obviously a great actor, but he definitely plays Jackson’s version of Aragorn, not the real deal of the book.)
Ever since I finished the book when I got sick a while ago, I have enjoyed listening to so many of your videos and whatever Tolkien thing you thought up! You’ve definitely got a fan.
Bakshi's was my Lord of the Rings movie, since it took until 2000s for the Jackson films to come out. I wore that VHS out, and I fully agree that it was very faithful and despite its goofiness at times, a very good watch. John Hurt was great.
As for Rankin-Bass, it gave us the banger that is Where There Is a Whip, and that would already be enough to make it worth a watch. :)
Agreed. Bakshi's was a favourite for me, early on.
The characters are far more faithful and accurate, whilst obviously the plot is cut to just the bare bones.
Jackson alternatively got the visuals and the lived in world, but changed nearly all the characters. I think Gandalf is accurate, and maybe Sam, but everyone else is shifted for dramatic convenience.
The animated Hobbit movie really nailed feeling like an animated story book. I feel like a kid being read a bedtime story instead of watching a big action movie like the live action movies tried to be.
safe for the ugly wood elves it is near pefect imho
@Chociewitka True, I'll never understand why they thought they needed to make the wood elves look like that. I can only assume they were designed by someone who had a very different interpretation of what the elves were supposed to look like or had not read the books very carefully.
Watched all the animated films in the 80s. Thanks for the video recap of them.
I think that Bakshi was trying to tell a more mature tone, where the evil is visually and tonally evil, and the good is pure and joyful.
The contrast of the uruk hai army against the tranquil lothlorien, you really feel that this is an ancient and forgotten magical place.
Jackson's feels more typical medieval setting fantasy.
I saw the Bakshi film three times in its original theatrical release I had read the Hobbit but not LOTR at that point. I loved it and it was remarkably faithful to the text. I wish he had gotten funding for a 2nd movie. When I think Gandalf, Gollum and Aragorn it is the Bakshi version I hear in my head. I like the Hobbit too, I was only 10 when it came out. I’ve never warmed to the Rankin Bass RTK. The voice of the Witch King is straight out of Scoobie Doo.
Big point about Legolas being the comedian.
When I fully read through the books for the first time, I was laughing just at the fact that Legolas really takes every opportunity to be a sarcastic asshole, constantly teasing the others for basically not being as awesome as an elf.
And not in a bad way. Elves are meant to represent the joyousness of youth - forever youthful - but also with the weight of thousands of years of war on their shoulders.
Dwarves are the serious ones. Secretive and mistrustful of others.
My only MAJOR problem with Rankin Bass Hobbit is that completely misses Bilbo's character arch with Gollum and I think overall mainly being post-Vietnam where it becomes quite anti-war and more gloomy even killing off at least six of dwarves at the end.
Also don't forget the game adaptions of FOTR and the Hobbit. They also do a pretty good job. The Two Towers and Return of the King games sadly only really follow the Jackson movies although apparently there were plans to make a Two Towers game, in the style of FOTR, but it was cancelled for licensing reasons. To think what could have been aye?
That was back when there was still care and effort being put into Tolkien. It hadn't yet become slopified.
Sadly the Rankin Bass movies were never released on PAL. And I doubt they ever will now. I remember watching the Ralph Bakshi version as a kid, apparently my dad saw it in theatres back in the 70's.
I will always defend the Rankin Bass Hobbit film, especially after the bloated experience of the live action films stretching out the story to three films. The lyrics in that one come directly from Tolkien, with a few obvious exceptions. The art style is distinctive and striking and the same as is used so artfully in The Last Unicorn.
Yeah for a TV movie made at the time, it really feels like it captures the vibe of the book really well. It feels like watching how a kid would imagine the story while listening to their grandfather reading it to them. Always felt very cozy when the live action movies wanted to be epic and bombastic.
I have to say I really disagree with you. The animated films never made me feel like I was in Middle-Earth. Jackson's films did.
I just could not get into the animated ones. I tried but they were just not for me.