Hobbit Deluxe Edition DVD9 DVD

This movie is a piece of history and this DVD is an absolutely fantastic version of the film regardless of the new audio track. Read more

Rankin/Bass’s 1977 animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” hews fairly close to the original novel, both in plot and in tone. Certain elements are omitted for time, including the scene with Beorn. The art for the backgrounds and landscapes uses watercolors to evoke Tolkien’s own original artwork, capturing the fairytale beauty of the story. It also resembles David T. Wenzel’s later artwork for Eclipse Comics’ 1989 adaptation. Jules Bass ensured that Tolkien’s songs from the book appear in the film, further contributing to its overall tone. The only original song, “The Greatest Adventure” performed by Glenn Yarbrough, fits well with the rest and acts as a recurring motif throughout the story. Rankin/Bass produced this film for television and many of the commercial breaks are obvious, but they don’t detract from the story. The 78-minute film foreshadows the animated fantasy films of the 1980s and, like the novel, will entertain both children and adults. In this 1977 animated musical, Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass crafted a far more faithful adaptation of Tolkien’s book than Peter Jackson’s 2012-2014 film trilogy. The bonus features summarize Tolkien’s work along with that of Rankin & Bass. Perhaps most oddly, the film includes three Bugs Bunny cartoon shorts: “Knight-Mare Hare,” loosely inspired by Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” “Knighty Knight Bugs,” also based on King Arthur stories & the only Bugs Bunny cartoon to win an Oscar, and “Rabbit Hood,” which features a great Robin Hood cameo. Though they display all the creativity of the classic Merry Melodies cartoons, the only connection these seem to have with “The Hobbit” is that Warner Brothers owns the rights to both and the stories in the cartoons take their inspiration from medieval fantasy. Read more

You know it was a good christmas gift when all your husband wants to do after opening presents is know when we can watch this movie. Whenever he got sick or had to stay home on a rainy day he would ask his mom if he could rent this movie from the library and watch it on repeat. I am so grateful that I was able to ensure that he can still do this and also be able to watch it with out son. 10 out of 10 cartoon hobbit with songs is far superior to a love story that was never there and an elf surfing on some tree bark. Read more

My brother had an LP with storybook when we were little ( in the late 70s early 80s). Listening to it with big 70s style headphones was a treat for us. It was on HBO max for a while but is no longer, so I purchased it digitally. I love the story, music, voices, & classic Rankin Bass animation. It was originally on tv as a special in 1977, but it was on past my bedtime. It was one of our favorite Christmas presents and sometimes when I’m having trouble falling asleep, I will listen to it as I drift off. It never gets old. I love Tolkein, even if it isn’t 100% accurate to the book. I LOVE Gandalf’s voice & Bilbo’s. It’s a classic. A perfect introduction for young kids- exciting but not TOO intense/scary. Wholesome family entertainment. Read more

While it makes a few very odd choices, such as the Elvenking looking like a goblin, most of the spider sequence, and Gollum’s design, I really enjoyed this film. Generally speaking, I found it hewed closer to the spirit of the book than the more recent trilogy did (Although there were certainly other things that they did better), and was a very faithful telling of a classic novel. It is interesting to see how Tolkien’s world was imagined before the Jackson films, and this is certainly an interesting and delightful take. As with Tolkien’s books, music is found throughout, and in many cases, his own lines are used, either directly, or for inspiration, in creating the songs of this film. I listen to the warg-song on its own sometimes, it is so good. “Misty Mountains” is also very good. The animation is very visually appealing, outside of the spiders and wood-elves. The Shire, Smaug, and the Company all look especially good. Gandalf’s voice actor, while not McKellen, fits the role very well. The film is very unwilling to show violence, which is good for young viewers, but in a story with battles, I personally don’t find spinning-effects a suitable replacement for sword-strikes. I was not a fan of Gollum’s voice actor, but making him essentially a frog-thing, larger than Bilbo, rather than a withered and worn creature that had once been a hobbit himself, really ruined the riddles scene for me. Overall, this movie has some major flaws, but it is a very fun viewing experience, and I would strongly recommend anyone who likes the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings see it at least once. Read more