I recall reading that filmmakers renamed Saruman "Aruman" because his name sounded too much like Sauron. Wouldn't want this to confuse the audience! We'll leave THAT to the rest of the movie.
Right, so... Ilbo Baggins Rodo Baggins Amwise Gamjee Erry Brandybuck Ippin Took Andalf The Grey Ragorn, Son of Rathorn Imli, Son of Loin Egolas Greenleaf Oromir Lord Lrond King Heoden And lastly, the Dark Lord Auron There. Sounds better?
they do still call him Saruman now and again, but they're not very consistent with the pronunciation thing. one minute it's Saruman and then it's Aruman.
@@ArnoldTohtFan I think it's because this was a very late change and for whatever reason either due to time and budget they didn't go back and record lines.
"In place of a dark lord you would have a queen. Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn. Treacherous as the Sea. Stronger than the foundations of the Earth. All shall love me and despair." Said Galadriel calmly
@@TheGeekMonster it's a movie. From the very core movie is visual spectacle so everything needs to be dramatic, hence the term " book adaptation" not "book recreation". Learn moviemaking first before spouting some bullshit from your ass.
I still cannot believe why on God’s Earth would someone spend the time and money to make and include that scene in a movie. I’m happy they did because it is simply hilarious, albeit unintentionally.
I appreciate that it made him seem more human, and that their probably getting tired running for days - though I've no idea if a well made sheath would not get under your feet like that - it's supposed to be of Elvish design.
It's not bewildering at all! The actor who clumsily pretended to be Aragorn, tripped over his sword - and Ralph Bakshi either thought It's cool to keep the scene, or there wasn't enough time and/or money to reshoot the scene 😉
5:20 Sam (just after Aragorn runs by): "Woah Sam Gamgee! You're legs are too short, so use your head." (Thinks for a moment and gets an idea) "The BOATS!" Me: "Oh yes Sam. They'll make you much faster on LAND."
I've always gotten them mixed up 😅. I mean, in the context of each scene that the names are said, I can deduce who they're talking about. But if you were to ask me to say which is which off the top of my head, we're gonna be here a while. Lol
Brad Neece I mean if Ralph Animated the whole trilogy instead of stopping at the end of Helms deep he’d probably have to Animate the Eye of Sauron at least giving us 2 seperate villains so Saruman would become less confusing
My god! You've just reminded me of something! Back in the early 80's, The _Flash Gordon_ film had just come out. You know the one- "Flash! Aha! Saviour of the Universe!" and I pestered my mum and dad for _ages_ to take me to see it. About the same time, the Filmation cartoon version was on telly and my mum suggested I watch that instead. She _literally_ did the "We have .... at home" thing on me!
This was a very real thing to happen to me, I grew up watching the animated one on vhs. Didn’t watch the live action ones till years after there release because my parent were like “but we already have lord of the rings”
It came out just a few years after I read the book, and although I thought the characters were Disneyfied, thought Sam was appalling and was completely mortified at it ending halfway through, I came away resigned to the fact that the book was just too hard to adapt, so I let it off the hook quite a bit at the time. The SFX advances in the early nineties (Jurassic Park) gave me hope for a lot of adaptations, but I was still nervous when I first heard about Jackson's LOTR. That made it all the more satisfying when he succeeded so well.
In the scene where Sam us whistling, ut's supposed to show him cheer Frodo up by pretending to be in better spirits than he actually is. It does not not come across...
I always thought a balance between Bakshi's version of Frodo offering the ring to Galdriel and Jackson's version would have been most effective. Bakshi's makes the ring too little a temptation for her, but it gives her a sort of warmth that was welcome. Jackson's is a little too overblown, but it also shows you her power and the ring's influence better.
Grima looks like an overweight pint sized stage magician. But I do like Bakshi’s words in the closing part of the video, it’s genuinely inspirational stuff. Overall, great review series!
I just found this lord of the rings video series and binge watched them. It was very well put together. Thank you for teaching me about the behind the scenes of this film.
Apparently they named Saruman Aruman to not confuse him with Sauron. As I was very young when first watching Jackson's LOTR, I DID confuse Sauron and Saruman, so I can relate actually...
18:30 This is exactly as written in the book. Sam is a bit more "quaint" in the books than in the Jackson films, though not as bumbling and annoying as in the Bakshi version. And in the book, at this moment... `I don't know how long we shall take to - to finish,' said Frodo. `We were miserably delayed in the hills. But Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit - indeed, Sam my dearest hobbit, friend of friends - I do not think we need give thought to what comes after that. To do the job as you put it - what hope is there that we ever shall? And if we do, who knows what will come of that? If the One goes into the Fire, and we are at hand? I ask you, Sam, are we ever likely to need bread again? I think not. If we can nurse our limbs to bring us to Mount Doom, that is all we can do. More than I can, I begin to feel.' Sam nodded silently. He took his master's hand and bent over it. He did not kiss it, though his tears fell on it. Then he turned away, drew his sleeve over his nose, and got up, and stamped about, trying to whistle, and saying between the efforts: 'Where's that dratted creature?'
As underwhelming as the execution was on much of this film, I can't help but think that Jackson might not have made _quite_ as good a trilogy without Bakshi's groundwork. I mean, one need look no further than the Black Rider and bed-slashing scenes (the latter not even being in the book, mind you), which he clearly heavily aped, not to mention the fact that Jackson chose to end "Two Towers" at the very same place that this film did (though this one completely omitted both the rest of the Ents' subplot and Frodo, Sam, and Gollum's time in custody of Faramir, of course).
ComeOnisSuchAJoy: Too bad Peter Jackson's Battle of Pelannor fields was ruined for me by just sending in the Army of the Dead instead of the fiefdoms of Gondor and the Grey Company as it should have been. I guess they had neither the time or money to include the book version.
@@danielolsson7134 I'm not a 'Tolkien fundamentalist,' so that never bothered me (nor did the Lothlórien Elves appearing at Helm's Deep -- though the fact that they were apparently all wiped out kind of did). Frankly, I think it would've been foolish for Aragorn to have let them off that easily. The armies of Gondor and Rohan had largely already turned the tide in the battle anyway.
@@alanpennie8013 I don't recall seeing the cave troll at all in the Bakshi film; it was a random Orc who threw the spear at Frodo, if memory serves me.
As a kid I grew up on the 'first' episodes of Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies. Of the three the last one left the deepest mark on me. In 2012 I read the three books in three weeks. I love it so much, so many characters and the life lessons of Tolkien stayed with me and I keep discovering new meanings and details I missed in the past. I'm glad I watched this series. I knew little of this adaptation. The last part were Ralph Bakshi is talking about his childhood, growing up and expressing his views made me tear up. I'm glad he's still with us, and I wish more people were like him. As an artist I'm going to take his words to heart. Thank you for your work, this series, and including that particular part of the interview!
while writing, Zaentz found the similarity of the names Saruman and Sauron confusing, and it was decided to rename him "Ruman" or "Aruman" but when Beagle was rewriting the shooting script, he began reinstating Saruman while the scenes were being recorded, which resulted in inconsistency in the wizard's name. ( Hope this answers your question Ryan)
This was a really cool video, and I loved your closing statement and the tribute to Ralph! You did a really really good job, mate! :) Also, you need way more subscribers and views!!
The actor playing Gollum is actually really good. His voice here is a little... off but he reprised his role in the BBC radio drama a few years after this and he clearly nailed the voice by then. I actually think he's on par with Andy Serkis there. Here's a sample of it: ruclips.net/video/Ixi5OR0ZVdw/видео.html
Haha Aragorn tripping up😂😂😂 Then the mash up of Sam and Gollum speaking 😂😂😂 Laughed out loud several times during this video. Quality...still enjoyed the film though...it definately had charm
I'd kill for a scene in which I see Gimli and Legolas being bros, and not just compete over who can kill the most orcs. Say, a scene where Legolas teaches Gimli how to use a bow
I grew up watching this, always preferred Gollum in this cartoon over the other cartoons & even the movie. He fits the aesthetic of having a permanent adolescent in your corner that you don't trust, complete with being a spaz when rebuffed and grandiose when given the chance.
I watched that movie so much as a kid, so I really can’t hate it, regardless of how bad it was, i will always love it and it will always hold a special place in my heart
LotR has been an annual read for me since I discovered it in my HS library in the early ‘70s, when almost no one had even heard of Tolkien. So when this came out a few years later, I was elated. Now that Jackson’s films have pushed Tolkien mainstream, I can admit that, while it still holds a sentimental place in my heart, it really was a cringe fest.
I love it for every reason you hate it. Its a bizarre but fun story book adaptation of a beloved trilogy, I personally even love the Beren and Luthien refrence, as it was a great story of the Sillmarillion
I was about to watch the whole movie. Then I your first video and did not stop.. Thank you, this was the best thing to watch on my Mondays. I had some good laughs Tard Fetish hahahahaha I was in tears dude.
Reasons as to why Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of The Rings should be labelled as a “Rock” cartoon 1. It had its roots in Rock. Ralph Bakshi was originally gonna make it an animated cartoon Rock Opera with Led Zeppelin writing the songs and music. Mick Jagger was also desperate to voice Frodo. (Although with Punk dethroning Hard Rock and Prog as the dominant Rock genres at the time, Bakshi’s ideas may have been a tad outdated). (Honestly, seeing Led Zeppelin write an animated LOTR rock opera would've brought their career full circle) 2. Almost everyone has long hair in the movie 3. The backgrounds look like Metal album covers 4. The Orcs look similar to the devil from Venom’s Welcome to Hell Album cover 5. Pippin sounds like Jimmy Page 6. Sam looks like a deformed caricature of Ringo Starr 7. Boromir looks like John Bonham in a Viking suit at a Halloween party 8. Some scenes actually sync up well with certain Classic Rock Songs. For example: With careful timing, the final battle of Helm's deep actually syncs up very well with Child in Time by Deep Purple. And when the Orcs chant at Helms Deep on the way to battle against the red background, it syncs up well with 2 Black Sabbath songs; Black Sabbath and Children of The Grave PS: About my first point, The Beatles also wanted to make a LOTR Rock Opera with Stanley Kubrick, but it ultimately was never made due to Tolkien hating the band. Also, I wish Gerald Scarfe (The guy who animated the cartoon scenes in Pink Floyd's The Wall) and Roger Dean (The artist who designed Yes's album covers) animated the film. It would've been so badass
You talked about the score by Leonard Rosenman. When I heard the "Hymn to Mithrandir" in the theater, it occurred to me that it sounded a lot like the "hymn" from the Jupiter movement of Gustav Holst's "The Planets". That's no critique; it was a good model for incidental music for that scene at that point in the movie. It just points to what Bakshi's film could have been if they had given him the proper time and resources.
This is now my favorite RUclips video of all time. That ending got me. I love lord of the rings and Ralph bakshi films. Because he tells it like it is. And I love this video because you tell it like it is.
I'm not a big fan of the Bakshi version either, even though I own it - it IS LOTR , after all - but i have found a whole new respect for the man, just from the last 5 minutes of this. Thanks for your research about him.
My brother actually said that the Orcs in the Bakshi LOTR look more like the Orcs from Dungeons and Dragons, which were pretty much dudes with literal pig heads.
Heck, people were surprised in the theater after Fellowship of the Ring ended. That it was supposed to be 3 movies was known by some but not all moviegoers
In my most humble opinion to get the most faithful version of the Lord of the Rings, the first three books. One should take and merge both the Bakshi and the Jackson versions. As neither versions are completely true to the books. Yet for its day and time the Bakshi version was good. It was the Jackson versions that fulfilled the yearning in my heart for a live action of the Lord of the Rings, that was sparked with Star Wars.
They didn't respect fantasy as a genre until Peter Jackson made LOTR and demonstrated to the movie studiois that a serious fantasy movie could both be made well and have an audience. When the cartoon was made they just had to get the job done on with low budget and limited time frame they were given. This was pre CGI, considering their limitation I think they did a descent job. Peter Jackson had 3 years of pre production, a year of shooting and 2 years of editing.
The concept art you mention at 12:45 is actually paintings done by Alan Lee, a famous tolkien artist who worked on the Jackson trilogy and won an Oscar for his work. I agree that his art is badass and much better than the silly Lionog
Actually, the Aruman change was explained. Late on, the producers thought that Sauron and Saruman would be too similar for audiences, and would confuse them. But the director had already recorded several scenes worth of dialogue by that point, so they do the swap mid-way.
I always liked Peter Woodthorpe's Gollum. He played the character so well in the BBC Radio adaptation, they cast him for the same role in the movie just a couple of years later.
@@stirlock I do believe you're right - I'm not sure why I got that the wrong way round. But he made a great in both versions. Andy Serkis was good too - I'm not sure which I prefer.
"Fictional ryan.exe has stopped working. Do you want to feed him a Xanex to reboot him?" I was already laughing and I laughed so hard tears came out and my stumach started hurting. Thank you for so many laughs in these videos...I needed that
You know, the more I see Ralph's interview at the end, the more I wouldn't mind him directing an animated "Harry Potter" adaption with Don Bluth and J.K. Rowling. It could be something great if done right.
I think it’s kind of funny that Theoden has (all most) full cataphract barding and half decent armour but the rest of the riders don’t have a lick of protection, heck! Half of them don’t even saddles
What an execelent movie review! Had me cracking up throughout all 3 parts. Glad i watched the movie before i watched this review series as the movie was still fresh in my mind. Thank you Ryan for making the characters in this movie even more hallarious 😂 👍
I always thought he had died. The version I watched had an addendum that explained why the rest of the movie was never made. I think it was actually the producer that died and they claimed that's what stopped any further production but there seemed to be a lot more to it than that. Bakshi is 82 years old at this point so I highly doubt he'll be making a follow up. Would love to see that myself too though.
Sitting in the theater, watching Fellowship for the first time, among many other things, i was waiting to see how they handled the Balrog. I kept repeating to myself, "PLEASE don't let it have butterfly wings", thinking of course, of this visual from the Bakshi movie. Needless to say, I was NOT disappointed. When Peter Jackson's version of the Balrog leans down and roars in Gandalf's face like Hell's hottest blast furnace, I think my response was more like, "HOLY SHIT!!!"
They actually did animate the fight between Gandalf and the Balrog, it was just cut from the film. Bakshi posted a short sequence from the scene on his social media pages, it would have also been another scene that wasn't rotoscoped
Making eye of Sauron so underwhelming kinda makes sense, it wasn't as iconic thing in the books and could even be more of a metaphor of Mordor's reach than Sauron being a literal fiery eye. The book Sauron had even reformed his physical body (never described except that it's missing one finger) by the events of LOTR anyways, but it was implied he was just chilling in Barad-Dur since he lacked the strength to fight without the ring.
Thanks for doing this video. I particularly appreciate your final segment. At the time the movie was released, I understood that the entire movie was supposed to be rotoscoped as a creative experiment. When the project was half complete, rotoscope was abandoned. Budget animation was used to sort of cobble together a releasable movie. Today's CGI has made the debate irrelevant, but was there any way to make a successful rotoscope animation? Bakshi demonstrated that real actors, costumes and props were still necessary. Many of the rotoscope scenes were rendered so darkly that viewers couldn't see what was happening. Rotoscope constrained the fantasy content -- the lion-man balrog is the best example. ...The movie was an "interesting" experiment, but it explains why rotoscope never gained popularity.
So much of this movie really nails the fantasy nostalgia of the books. The birthday party had some weird and fantasy characters which was more in keeping with the books. The musical leitmotif for when they travel is so catchy and good. The backgrounds are often really inventive, some of my favorites being the blue trees and starry night atop beautiful mountains when Gandalf is guiding Frodo around the Shire. A LOT of the the time they did actual animation (like Tree Beard you mentioned) worked well; theonering did an interview with his son and they released the animated Balrog (which looked WAY better). I agree that more difference between the races and several other improvements that would be minor changes could make vast improvements on the product. But, I still think this is an unfinished potential masterpiece!
One thing I think we can all agree on; the poster was epic! I grew up in the 70s, when movie posters were works of art. They definitely got people's attention.
I used to love this film when I was a kid years before the trilogy was released. But that mash up of Sam and gollum has made me cry with laughter. I’ve watched it about 5 times. Great review
I love this movie, this three part review has probably been the funniest review Ive seen on this movie though, fair play. I remember watching it so many times and my child self thought back then most of the things about the animation you brought up. But thats what makes it great. Watched it many times after a rave or with the tribe after a few herbal ciggies. New subscriber here though mate, great job not offending the people that like the movie, but pointing out the hilarious and obvious flaws.
Just found your channel and I can honestly say this is the hardest I've laughed in months. I simply wanted to say thank you. You really brightened my day! :)
2:12 About halfway through this bloody production they decided to change Saruman to Aruman Because they thought it was too similar to Sauron. Yeah Ralph got fucked over by the studio on this film My head canon is, He changed his name to Aruman after he changed sides I know it’s not the best thought process, But it makes more sense Also I don’t know why but 10:34 just kills me also, I love Ralph Bakshi , He seems like such a down to earth, genuine, and sweet guy
For many years, this film was shown on German TV as a staple for Christmas (don't ask why Christmas) together with "The Last Unicorn", and this video made me realize that BOTH films have way superior German dub versions. Yes, even when Sir Christopher Lee voiced both versions of King Haggard, his German interpretation has so much more soul. And it's the same here: The voice actors put much more emotion into their lines. I recommend you watch it in German again.
Imagine what Shelob would look like in this animation style......a rotoscoped Tarantula....how horrifying would THAT be 0_0
Missed opportunity.
Me seeing rotoscoped Shelob: Oh hell no!!
I imagine it would have been like Treebeard and actually be good.
I recall reading that filmmakers renamed Saruman "Aruman" because his name sounded too much like Sauron. Wouldn't want this to confuse the audience! We'll leave THAT to the rest of the movie.
Right, so...
Ilbo Baggins
Rodo Baggins
Amwise Gamjee
Erry Brandybuck
Ippin Took
Andalf The Grey
Ragorn, Son of Rathorn
Imli, Son of Loin
Egolas Greenleaf
Oromir
Lord Lrond
King Heoden
And lastly, the Dark Lord Auron
There. Sounds better?
they do still call him Saruman now and again, but they're not very consistent with the pronunciation thing. one minute it's Saruman and then it's Aruman.
@@ArnoldTohtFan I think it's because this was a very late change and for whatever reason either due to time and budget they didn't go back and record lines.
There's little chance of anyone who hasn't read the books making sense of this movie anyway.
It is an odd thing to worry about, isn't it?
"In place of a dark lord you would have a queen. Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn. Treacherous as the Sea. Stronger than the foundations of the Earth. All shall love me and despair."
Said Galadriel calmly
She doesn't turn into a writhing psychopath in the book. She's far more appealing, gentle, and laughs often. I hated what Jackson did.
@@TheGeekMonster it's a movie. From the very core movie is visual spectacle so everything needs to be dramatic, hence the term " book adaptation" not "book recreation". Learn moviemaking first before spouting some bullshit from your ass.
Did you put your name in the mirror of Galadriel?
@@paperclip9558 Not every scene in a movie needs to be bombastic.
Oh, just like: "Harry, Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" asked Dumbledore, CALMLY... 🤣🤣🤣
I honestly can't remember the last time I've laughed this hard. My eyes are watering up. That Sam & Gollum edit may the funniest thing I've ever seen!
You need to see more funny stuff then.
The scene where Aragorn trips absolutely bewilders me.
I still cannot believe why on God’s Earth would someone spend the time and money to make and include that scene in a movie. I’m happy they did because it is simply hilarious, albeit unintentionally.
If he isn't tripping in animation, he's breaking his toe kicking a helmet.
I appreciate that it made him seem more human, and that their probably getting tired running for days - though I've no idea if a well made sheath would not get under your feet like that - it's supposed to be of Elvish design.
Production had probabl given up at some point and this was an hope to add something of value into the film
It's not bewildering at all! The actor who clumsily pretended to be Aragorn, tripped over his sword - and Ralph Bakshi either thought It's cool to keep the scene, or there wasn't enough time and/or money to reshoot the scene 😉
The “Andalf the grey” shit killed me 🤣
5:20 Sam (just after Aragorn runs by): "Woah Sam Gamgee! You're legs are too short, so use your head." (Thinks for a moment and gets an idea) "The BOATS!"
Me: "Oh yes Sam. They'll make you much faster on LAND."
I've always thought of Bakshi's adaptation as a animated theatre play.
Id take a few more of those!
Exactly! Which doesn't have to be a drawback. My problems are more with tonal inconsistencies and characterization.
Ralph actually made them say Aruman because apparently he thought we were all dumb and would get mixed up between Sauron and Saruman
This actually does make sense if they had just done it consistently
I've always gotten them mixed up 😅. I mean, in the context of each scene that the names are said, I can deduce who they're talking about. But if you were to ask me to say which is which off the top of my head, we're gonna be here a while. Lol
Brad Neece I mean if Ralph Animated the whole trilogy instead of stopping at the end of Helms deep he’d probably have to Animate the Eye of Sauron at least giving us 2 seperate villains so Saruman would become less confusing
Funny thing is there are lots of times in the film they still refer to him as Saruman.
I'm not sure, but I think it wasn't his decision
- "I love this film. It's awesome and you suck"
- "ARUMAN"
Me: Hey mom can we get lord of the rings
Mom: we have lord of the rings at home
Lord of the rings at home:
This scenareo could've really happended in 2001 when the DVD of Fellowship came along.
We have one yes. But what about a second Lord of the Rings?
My god! You've just reminded me of something!
Back in the early 80's, The _Flash Gordon_ film had just come out. You know the one- "Flash! Aha! Saviour of the Universe!" and I pestered my mum and dad for _ages_ to take me to see it.
About the same time, the Filmation cartoon version was on telly and my mum suggested I watch that instead.
She _literally_ did the "We have .... at home" thing on me!
This was a very real thing to happen to me, I grew up watching the animated one on vhs. Didn’t watch the live action ones till years after there release because my parent were like “but we already have lord of the rings”
@@kateg1355 SAME
It came out just a few years after I read the book, and although I thought the characters were Disneyfied, thought Sam was appalling and was completely mortified at it ending halfway through, I came away resigned to the fact that the book was just too hard to adapt, so I let it off the hook quite a bit at the time.
The SFX advances in the early nineties (Jurassic Park) gave me hope for a lot of adaptations, but I was still nervous when I first heard about Jackson's LOTR.
That made it all the more satisfying when he succeeded so well.
1:49
Me when I’ve been binge watching these reviews and realize it’s 2:45 am and I have no purpose in life other than to browse memes
14:52 me when I see this guy not having more subs that he deserves
In the scene where Sam us whistling, ut's supposed to show him cheer Frodo up by pretending to be in better spirits than he actually is. It does not not come across...
In the text yes he tries to raise Frodo's spirits, comforts him, gives him some food then cradles him tenderly to sleep. This is done... badly.
And trying to feign nonchalance - he’s about to offer to help Frodo carry the ring ?
These lord of the rings videos are freaking hilarious. You need to make more content like this.
Absolutely. Get snarky with Harry Potter next. As much as I like that series, there is a lot to mine for comedy sarcasm gold.
Frodo is the only character that is remotely normal in this film
I always thought a balance between Bakshi's version of Frodo offering the ring to Galdriel and Jackson's version would have been most effective. Bakshi's makes the ring too little a temptation for her, but it gives her a sort of warmth that was welcome. Jackson's is a little too overblown, but it also shows you her power and the ring's influence better.
I loved this film when I was a kid (way back in the 70's/early 80's. I'm old). Hilarious review though.
Grima looks like an overweight pint sized stage magician.
But I do like Bakshi’s words in the closing part of the video, it’s genuinely inspirational stuff. Overall, great review series!
Gimli looks like a depressive fisherman.
I just found this lord of the rings video series and binge watched them. It was very well put together. Thank you for teaching me about the behind the scenes of this film.
Apparently they named Saruman Aruman to not confuse him with Sauron. As I was very young when first watching Jackson's LOTR, I DID confuse Sauron and Saruman, so I can relate actually...
Its my understanding it was the studio, not Bakshi that insisted on the change.
7:56 is nobody going to comment about how he sounds like he's forced to laugh😂😂🤣
18:30 This is exactly as written in the book. Sam is a bit more "quaint" in the books than in the Jackson films, though not as bumbling and annoying as in the Bakshi version. And in the book, at this moment...
`I don't know how long we shall take to - to finish,' said Frodo. `We were miserably delayed in the hills. But Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit - indeed, Sam my dearest hobbit, friend of friends - I do not think we need give thought to what comes after that. To do the job as you put it - what hope is there that we ever shall? And if we do, who knows what will come of that? If the One goes into the Fire, and we are at hand? I ask you, Sam, are we ever likely to need bread again? I think not. If we can nurse our limbs to bring us to Mount Doom, that is all we can do. More than I can, I begin to feel.'
Sam nodded silently. He took his master's hand and bent over it. He did not kiss it, though his tears fell on it. Then he turned away, drew his sleeve over his nose, and got up, and stamped about, trying to whistle, and saying between the efforts: 'Where's that dratted creature?'
As underwhelming as the execution was on much of this film, I can't help but think that Jackson might not have made _quite_ as good a trilogy without Bakshi's groundwork. I mean, one need look no further than the Black Rider and bed-slashing scenes (the latter not even being in the book, mind you), which he clearly heavily aped, not to mention the fact that Jackson chose to end "Two Towers" at the very same place that this film did (though this one completely omitted both the rest of the Ents' subplot and Frodo, Sam, and Gollum's time in custody of Faramir, of course).
ComeOnisSuchAJoy: Too bad Peter Jackson's Battle of Pelannor fields was ruined for me by just sending in the Army of the Dead instead of the fiefdoms of Gondor and the Grey Company as it should have been. I guess they had neither the time or money to include the book version.
@@danielolsson7134 I'm not a 'Tolkien fundamentalist,' so that never bothered me (nor did the Lothlórien Elves appearing at Helm's Deep -- though the fact that they were apparently all wiped out kind of did). Frankly, I think it would've been foolish for Aragorn to have let them off that easily. The armies of Gondor and Rohan had largely already turned the tide in the battle anyway.
@@ComeOnIsSuchAJoy
I do think Jackson copied some errors from the Bakshi film, particularly giving way too much prominence to the cave troll.
@@alanpennie8013 I don't recall seeing the cave troll at all in the Bakshi film; it was a random Orc who threw the spear at Frodo, if memory serves me.
@@ComeOnIsSuchAJoy
Could be.
The Bakshi orcs looked so weird that I may have gotten confused.
Your comic timing is GOLDEN!!! I'm dyyyying!
Aragorn tripping up always got me.
Also - the battering ram part? How could you miss that. Its not even hitting the door. They are battering the wall.
As a kid I grew up on the 'first' episodes of Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies. Of the three the last one left the deepest mark on me. In 2012 I read the three books in three weeks. I love it so much, so many characters and the life lessons of Tolkien stayed with me and I keep discovering new meanings and details I missed in the past.
I'm glad I watched this series. I knew little of this adaptation. The last part were Ralph Bakshi is talking about his childhood, growing up and expressing his views made me tear up. I'm glad he's still with us, and I wish more people were like him. As an artist I'm going to take his words to heart. Thank you for your work, this series, and including that particular part of the interview!
while writing, Zaentz found the similarity of the names Saruman and Sauron confusing, and it was decided to rename him "Ruman" or "Aruman" but when Beagle was rewriting the shooting script, he began reinstating Saruman while the scenes were being recorded, which resulted in inconsistency in the wizard's name. ( Hope this answers your question Ryan)
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's ARROWMAN!
This series has thoroughly entertained me, I hope your channel blows up bro
This was a really cool video, and I loved your closing statement and the tribute to Ralph! You did a really really good job, mate! :)
Also, you need way more subscribers and views!!
The actor playing Gollum is actually really good. His voice here is a little... off but he reprised his role in the BBC radio drama a few years after this and he clearly nailed the voice by then. I actually think he's on par with Andy Serkis there. Here's a sample of it: ruclips.net/video/Ixi5OR0ZVdw/видео.html
I actually love gimili’s comical self in the Jackson movies!
It makes his more serious lines more impactful
Haha Aragorn tripping up😂😂😂
Then the mash up of Sam and Gollum speaking 😂😂😂
Laughed out loud several times during this video. Quality...still enjoyed the film though...it definately had charm
I'd kill for a scene in which I see Gimli and Legolas being bros, and not just compete over who can kill the most orcs. Say, a scene where Legolas teaches Gimli how to use a bow
Or them agreeing to visit the jeweled caverns of Helms Deep and Fangorn together in the event that they survive the war.
I like the scene in the extended PJ films of them having a drinking contest. That was pretty fun.
Also the scene where Gimli is threatened by the Rohan general, only for Legolas ready to kill the general to protect his bro.
I grew up watching this, always preferred Gollum in this cartoon over the other cartoons & even the movie. He fits the aesthetic of having a permanent adolescent in your corner that you don't trust, complete with being a spaz when rebuffed and grandiose when given the chance.
Holy crap, he did this on $3 million? Never mind, this is the best LoTR. That’s amazing.
I watched that movie so much as a kid, so I really can’t hate it, regardless of how bad it was, i will always love it and it will always hold a special place in my heart
LotR has been an annual read for me since I discovered it in my HS library in the early ‘70s, when almost no one had even heard of Tolkien. So when this came out a few years later, I was elated. Now that Jackson’s films have pushed Tolkien mainstream, I can admit that, while it still holds a sentimental place in my heart, it really was a cringe fest.
I love it for every reason you hate it. Its a bizarre but fun story book adaptation of a beloved trilogy, I personally even love the Beren and Luthien refrence, as it was a great story of the Sillmarillion
I was about to watch the whole movie. Then I your first video and did not stop.. Thank you, this was the best thing to watch on my Mondays. I had some good laughs Tard Fetish hahahahaha I was in tears dude.
Reasons as to why Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of The Rings should be labelled as a “Rock” cartoon
1. It had its roots in Rock. Ralph Bakshi was originally gonna make it an animated cartoon Rock Opera with Led Zeppelin writing the songs and music. Mick Jagger was also desperate to voice Frodo. (Although with Punk dethroning Hard Rock and Prog as the dominant Rock genres at the time, Bakshi’s ideas may have been a tad outdated).
(Honestly, seeing Led Zeppelin write an animated LOTR rock opera would've brought their career full circle)
2. Almost everyone has long hair in the movie
3. The backgrounds look like Metal album covers
4. The Orcs look similar to the devil from Venom’s Welcome to Hell Album cover
5. Pippin sounds like Jimmy Page
6. Sam looks like a deformed caricature of Ringo Starr
7. Boromir looks like John Bonham in a Viking suit at a Halloween party
8. Some scenes actually sync up well with certain Classic Rock Songs. For example: With careful timing, the final battle of Helm's deep actually syncs up very well with Child in Time by Deep Purple.
And when the Orcs chant at Helms Deep on the way to battle against the red background, it syncs up well with 2 Black Sabbath songs; Black Sabbath and Children of The Grave
PS: About my first point, The Beatles also wanted to make a LOTR Rock Opera with Stanley Kubrick, but it ultimately was never made due to Tolkien hating the band. Also, I wish Gerald Scarfe (The guy who animated the cartoon scenes in Pink Floyd's The Wall) and Roger Dean (The artist who designed Yes's album covers) animated the film. It would've been so badass
OMG I would've loved to see the Led Zeppelin rock opera...
@@juliamavroidi8601 So would I. Could've done that instead of In Through Out The Door.
Although we pretty much already earned it with Ramble On
@Supernintendo Chalmers interesting
@@juliamavroidi8601
As long as they stop calling ringwraiths ringraths it'll be cool.
Your editing makes me laugh so hard 🤣
You talked about the score by Leonard Rosenman. When I heard the "Hymn to Mithrandir" in the theater, it occurred to me that it sounded a lot like the "hymn" from the Jupiter movement of Gustav Holst's "The Planets". That's no critique; it was a good model for incidental music for that scene at that point in the movie. It just points to what Bakshi's film could have been if they had given him the proper time and resources.
Man that song sounded great.
As you say there are scenes which indicate that with a decent budget this could have been really good.
This is now my favorite RUclips video of all time. That ending got me. I love lord of the rings and Ralph bakshi films. Because he tells it like it is.
And I love this video
because you tell it like it is.
I'm not a big fan of the Bakshi version either, even though I own it - it IS LOTR , after all - but i have found a whole new respect for the man, just from the last 5 minutes of this. Thanks for your research about him.
17:49 - I like the sparkly things from Isengard, even though there's something distinctly "bibbidy-bobbedy-boo" about them.
That last part poked my heart a little. 😥❤️
Ahhh this is such a great video series! Part 3 got me a Lil emotional at the end. Nice job with this video man!! ^_^
My brother actually said that the Orcs in the Bakshi LOTR look more like the Orcs from Dungeons and Dragons, which were pretty much dudes with literal pig heads.
That cross over in between Gollum and Sam was 2 funny 😂😂😂😂
Heck, people were surprised in the theater after Fellowship of the Ring ended. That it was supposed to be 3 movies was known by some but not all moviegoers
In my most humble opinion to get the most faithful version of the Lord of the Rings, the first three books. One should take and merge both the Bakshi and the Jackson versions. As neither versions are completely true to the books. Yet for its day and time the Bakshi version was good. It was the Jackson versions that fulfilled the yearning in my heart for a live action of the Lord of the Rings, that was sparked with Star Wars.
They didn't respect fantasy as a genre until Peter Jackson made LOTR and demonstrated to the movie studiois that a serious fantasy movie could both be made well and have an audience. When the cartoon was made they just had to get the job done on with low budget and limited time frame they were given. This was pre CGI, considering their limitation I think they did a descent job. Peter Jackson had 3 years of pre production, a year of shooting and 2 years of editing.
The concept art you mention at 12:45 is actually paintings done by Alan Lee, a famous tolkien artist who worked on the Jackson trilogy and won an Oscar for his work. I agree that his art is badass and much better than the silly Lionog
"Sports Mascot with Wings" hahahaha
"ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR"
- Galadriel said calmly
Actually, the Aruman change was explained. Late on, the producers thought that Sauron and Saruman would be too similar for audiences, and would confuse them. But the director had already recorded several scenes worth of dialogue by that point, so they do the swap mid-way.
I always liked Peter Woodthorpe's Gollum. He played the character so well in the BBC Radio adaptation, they cast him for the same role in the movie just a couple of years later.
Actually, he was in the movie first, then the radio drama. I prefer him to Andy serkis
@@stirlock I do believe you're right - I'm not sure why I got that the wrong way round. But he made a great in both versions. Andy Serkis was good too - I'm not sure which I prefer.
Never been so excited to see something on my feed
"Fictional ryan.exe has stopped working. Do you want to feed him a Xanex to reboot him?" I was already laughing and I laughed so hard tears came out and my stumach started hurting. Thank you for so many laughs in these videos...I needed that
I actually started to say "wait!" There was a Return of the King - only it wasn't done by Bakshi's studio.
You know, the more I see Ralph's interview at the end, the more I wouldn't mind him directing an animated "Harry Potter" adaption with Don Bluth and J.K. Rowling. It could be something great if done right.
I think it’s kind of funny that Theoden has (all most) full cataphract barding and half decent armour but the rest of the riders don’t have a lick of protection, heck! Half of them don’t even saddles
so much rotoscoping to make sure the movement is fluid. it must've been a pain to animate back in the day lol
Its either that or super limited animation like Yogi Bear or the garbage tv animation you see in the 1970s.
''All shall love me and this pear.''
Your animated LotR vids are hilarious - they crack me up 😂 With best regards; your 1000th subscriber(:
What an execelent movie review! Had me cracking up throughout all 3 parts. Glad i watched the movie before i watched this review series as the movie was still fresh in my mind. Thank you Ryan for making the characters in this movie even more hallarious 😂 👍
I love Eragon! But why is that a B-film? I think it's really good. Also I couldn't stop laughing watching this video! 😂💕
BTW, Ralph Bakshi is still with us. You make it sound like he died at the end.
Good to know.
I wonder if there's a chance we still get part 2. Bakshi is still alive
I always thought he had died. The version I watched had an addendum that explained why the rest of the movie was never made. I think it was actually the producer that died and they claimed that's what stopped any further production but there seemed to be a lot more to it than that. Bakshi is 82 years old at this point so I highly doubt he'll be making a follow up. Would love to see that myself too though.
2:57 The eye of Sauron is a kaleidoscope screen saver
Sauron is just way cooler with the kaleidoscope eye.
The studio made the change of Saruman to Aruman because they thought audiences would be confused by the name Saruman and Sauron.
Sitting in the theater, watching Fellowship for the first time, among many other things, i was waiting to see how they handled the Balrog.
I kept repeating to myself, "PLEASE don't let it have butterfly wings", thinking of course, of this visual from the Bakshi movie.
Needless to say, I was NOT disappointed.
When Peter Jackson's version of the Balrog leans down and roars in Gandalf's face like Hell's hottest blast furnace, I think my response was more like, "HOLY SHIT!!!"
The first time I saw this, I had never seen anything from the animated movie. I had not laughed so hard in a long time.
20:15 the same happens in Jackson’s film when Aragorn and Theoden ride out of the Hornburg. The riders just swing at air while riding down the ramp
This video was so funny man... please make more
A part 3!?! Christ, this review was longer than the movie! Lol!
They actually did animate the fight between Gandalf and the Balrog, it was just cut from the film. Bakshi posted a short sequence from the scene on his social media pages, it would have also been another scene that wasn't rotoscoped
Making eye of Sauron so underwhelming kinda makes sense, it wasn't as iconic thing in the books and could even be more of a metaphor of Mordor's reach than Sauron being a literal fiery eye. The book Sauron had even reformed his physical body (never described except that it's missing one finger) by the events of LOTR anyways, but it was implied he was just chilling in Barad-Dur since he lacked the strength to fight without the ring.
I’ve never seen a video ended with such a beautiful message, Thank you sir.
I laughed my ass off at these lotr reviews. I’d love if you reviewed the rankin/bass version of return of the king someday down the line!!
The Ents didn’t help with the battle, they were busy trying to take down Isengard
They provided an army of walking trees, which got cut out of this adaptation.
@@alanpennie8013 Yeah the huorns, who basically erased the orcs attempting to retreat from Helms Deep.
Thanks for doing this video. I particularly appreciate your final segment. At the time the movie was released, I understood that the entire movie was supposed to be rotoscoped as a creative experiment. When the project was half complete, rotoscope was abandoned. Budget animation was used to sort of cobble together a releasable movie.
Today's CGI has made the debate irrelevant, but was there any way to make a successful rotoscope animation? Bakshi demonstrated that real actors, costumes and props were still necessary. Many of the rotoscope scenes were rendered so darkly that viewers couldn't see what was happening. Rotoscope constrained the fantasy content -- the lion-man balrog is the best example. ...The movie was an "interesting" experiment, but it explains why rotoscope never gained popularity.
So much of this movie really nails the fantasy nostalgia of the books. The birthday party had some weird and fantasy characters which was more in keeping with the books. The musical leitmotif for when they travel is so catchy and good. The backgrounds are often really inventive, some of my favorites being the blue trees and starry night atop beautiful mountains when Gandalf is guiding Frodo around the Shire. A LOT of the the time they did actual animation (like Tree Beard you mentioned) worked well; theonering did an interview with his son and they released the animated Balrog (which looked WAY better). I agree that more difference between the races and several other improvements that would be minor changes could make vast improvements on the product. But, I still think this is an unfinished potential masterpiece!
Laughed so hard at the Sam/Gollum edit.
This makes me want to see an animated Disney version that is actually good and doesn't switch between incompatible artstyles
Watch the hobbit and animated return of the king. Wish we got a fellowship of the ring and two towers though.
One thing I think we can all agree on; the poster was epic! I grew up in the 70s, when movie posters were works of art. They definitely got people's attention.
What's wrong with Voyage of the Dawn Treader? That's my fav of those 3 movies, tbh.
21:31 Three million dollars in 1978 is a little over 14 million dollars in 2023 dollars when adjusted for inflation
Lol! "Tell that fuckin' bitch to chill!" Oh man. Lost my shit there.
And that ending... Well done. That man deserves a medal.
I used to love this film when I was a kid years before the trilogy was released. But that mash up of Sam and gollum has made me cry with laughter. I’ve watched it about 5 times. Great review
I love this movie, this three part review has probably been the funniest review Ive seen on this movie though, fair play. I remember watching it so many times and my child self thought back then most of the things about the animation you brought up. But thats what makes it great. Watched it many times after a rave or with the tribe after a few herbal ciggies. New subscriber here though mate, great job not offending the people that like the movie, but pointing out the hilarious and obvious flaws.
The Sam of the animated version is basically Raj from Hell's Kitchen.
Just found your channel and I can honestly say this is the hardest I've laughed in months. I simply wanted to say thank you. You really brightened my day! :)
2:12
About halfway through this bloody production they decided to change Saruman to Aruman
Because they thought it was too similar to Sauron.
Yeah Ralph got fucked over by the studio on this film
My head canon is,
He changed his name to Aruman after he changed sides
I know it’s not the best thought process,
But it makes more sense
Also I don’t know why but 10:34 just kills me
also, I love Ralph Bakshi ,
He seems like such a down to earth, genuine, and sweet guy
For many years, this film was shown on German TV as a staple for Christmas (don't ask why Christmas) together with "The Last Unicorn", and this video made me realize that BOTH films have way superior German dub versions. Yes, even when Sir Christopher Lee voiced both versions of King Haggard, his German interpretation has so much more soul. And it's the same here: The voice actors put much more emotion into their lines. I recommend you watch it in German again.
I like the part where Frodo is chased by the Nazgul...
pretty dark stuff.
10:20 the more I hear this the more it becomes ‘Save me mr Frodo. Help I’m Frodo!
Why is Gimli the same size as Legolas?