Honest Trailers | The Hobbit (1977)

[@GaryCurnowII]

This was the first Tolkien thing I was exposed to. I later read the books, and I still sincerely love this movie.

[@knittinkitten2595]

I had it on vhs when I was young and wore it out how much I watched it. Now I have it on my Google play. ❤❤

[@filidhdeklend893]

@@knittinkitten2595 Did the same thing to my Jr. High School Library's copy

[@Sylvia-t1f]

Same, the songs are so genuinely great too. The delivery of Roads Go Ever Ever On brings tears to my eyes still.

[@anthonyrygalski6424]

Genuinely they are fun to rewatch. The hobbit and return of the king i have somewhere around here on DVD.

[@slappyjones2136]

Same. I can recite the movie word for word. It got me into Tolkein, D&D, all sorts of fantasty films and videogames. And books. I read Narnia after seeing this.

[@richardadams4928]

I LOVE this movie. Never understood why so many Tolkien fans hate it. Within its restrictions, it does a great job capturing the essence of the story, and the voice acting is terrific.

[@jerbear7952]

Because every thing about it is poor quality. The only people who like this like it for nostalgia. There is nothing good about it.

[@bervestormbottom3357]

​@@jerbear7952salty and wrong

[@sameaston9587]

​@jerbear7952 the animation is no Don Bluth, and the dwarves look a bit like Disney, but this movie still slaps!

[@Femaiden]

at least the. .non. .humans, like hobbits, dwarves and elves look nothing like the humans. They don't just look like humans shrunk down. the all look like their own unique species. and the dwarves are taller than the hobbits. it checks out.

[@Bobby3OOO]

@@jerbear7952 It's ok that you have bad taste. But why would you go out and tell everyone?

[@enoughothis]

Don't you DARE throw shade at Tom Bombadil! He minds his own business and brings flowers to his hot wife. Dude's got his priorities right.

[@kholsinger]

If memory serves, even the Council of Elrond was like, "Yeah, Tom could've held onto the One Ring without being seduced by it. But then he would've gotten bored and forgot all about protecting it. DON'T GIVE IT TO HIM."

[@brodielarson9096]

and he can see through the magic of the One ring.

[@brodielarson9096]

@@kholsinger yup. Always nice to meet another "nerd of the rings."

[@shan3game]

@@kholsingeryeah. I was just rereading by audiobook and laughed out loud in my car when they were like “it’s so trivial to him that he would just think it’s useless and lose it”

[@seangarmire]

Bombadil is the only one holding the whole thing together.

[@OrdinarilyBob]

And how the police broke up - "...We are no match for Sting!" BAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAhhahahahahahahahaha

[@SeasideDetective2]

I'm practically facepalming because it wasn't "How the nWo broke up."

[@radishattack]

I loled

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

2:46 "Now now, I'm already late because of bothering with you people." Gandalf the Passive-Aggressive. How that delivery managed to be so smooth and calm is beyond me.

[@RKroese]

...Gandalf said calmy.

[@justtocomment5848]

"Wizard is never late". I sense a contradiction.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@justtocomment5848 Or maybe, that was the point when Gandalf decided he hates the idea of being late so much that he'll never admit to it again. 😆

[@corneliusmooseknuckle2829]

This is how I'm ending all my conversations .

[@blueshit199]

Gandalf, the very person who gathered this group and organized their quest

[@rolothomosky]

The thrush was of some ancient lineage that could still talk, Bilbo couldn't talk to most birds, just that one was special.

[@DrakeBarrow]

THANK YOU! I was going to resist typing that out, but now that someone else has done it, you have my axe! (IIRC it was one of the descendants of the messenger birds used by the dwarves, not many of them in the first place but they were _very_ special little creatures)

[@tonypine3434]

You sound like you're experienced with thrush. Must run in the fam.

[@kippy7883]

One of the Dúnedain, blessed with long life. Or possibly a parrot

[@Chris-ut6eq]

I always assumed it was gandalf shapechanged

[@Swiftbow]

@@Chris-ut6eq Gandalf can't do that.

[@johndaily263]

Can’t wait for “Where there’s a whip, there’s a way”

[@kholsinger]

Only two things I remember from that movie were what you just said and, "Fro-doooo...of the nine fingers...and the ring of dooooom!"

[@mat9h1]

Love the Disco Orcs!

[@sartorius73]

I was probably 7-8 when I first watched this. I had no idea that this was based on, "where there's a will, there's a way". The whip version is much better, and still comes unbidden to my mind from time to time.

[@ipigs]

@@johndaily263 I can't believe they didn't mention it! I'm bummed.

[@DarrylBallegeer]

Disco singing orcs stuck in my brain. Don't forget 13 Birds.

[@charliegriffey7773]

Still in my opinion the most accurate in terms of feel for tolkien. It just feels like what Tolkien was intending in terms of atmosphere.

[@midgetydeath]

For The Hobbit, anyway.

[@weezact7]

Agreed

[@fernandarubio5343]

Agreed

[@forest8779]

Preach brother 👏🏻

[@LembeckIsStaying]

I'm not even a "Rings" fan and I definitely see it.

[@isador21]

"how The Police broke up" LMAO

[@nathanc6204]

That was a humiliating kick in the crotch!

[@JeighNeither]

Yeah, that was a sick burn, mostly because it's 100% spot on.

[@bbworks159]

I don’t get this joke?

[@EdgarRoock]

@@bbworks159 Me neither

[@ethans9379]

@@bbworks159 It's about Sting

[@jimgilmour1221]

This version is such a gem. Truly a wonderful adaptation. The artstyle, the music, the landscaped. Simply wonderful

[@gametracker308]

"Child of the kindly West, I have come to know, if more of us valued your ways - food and cheer above hoarded gold - it would be a merrier world."

[@newtpondskipper]

But sad or merry, I must leave it.

[@logansfury]

This was one of the best lines of the movie. Truly tragic that Thorin waited to learn this lesson on his deathbed. It was great to see him reconcile with Bilbo though.

[@slappyjones2136]

@@gametracker308 I call my son “Child of the kindly west”. He’s from California

[@tedhenkle]

Thorin’s Farewell in this version was far more moving than in Peter Jackson’s movie. All the voice actors in this movie were top-notch talent back then.

[@RoninDave]

this line always made me cry when I was child - delivered so perfectly with feeling. Top tier voice actors

[@a.m.theshinyjohtohunter4287]

John Huston was a massive Lord of the Rings nerd and did his own directing for Gandalf. He is and always will be my nostalgic first pick for Gandalf. I've watched and cherished my old VHS copy of this adaptation of The Hobbit to ever hate it. My brother even found at Value Village (thrift store) and Rankin Bass release of the Hobbit novel, with all the original artwork and even some storyboards so you get both! The complete book and all the amazing artwork to go with it!

[@suburbanbanshee]

He dragged the director Otto Preminger into it and made him play Thranduil. (Preminger had been an actor too.) Preminger had no prior knowledge of the book or script, IIRC. He did a great job, all the same.

[@combatprinciplesmma]

The very fact you didn't figure out a way to reference Leonard nimoy's Bilbo baggins song for this is damn near criminal

[@HauntingBull]

THIS!!

[@logansfury]

oh man.... some things are better left forgotten...

[@tommyfrerking]

TUBA PLAYING INTENSIFIES

[@steakknives]

I wholeheartedly agree!

[@JeffreyGoddin]

whatnow?

[@androidsychoshocker]

This is my favorite piece of Tolkien media. You won't see animation, music, or voice acting like this ever again. Beautiful stuff.

[@americaroleplayer]

This will forever be my favorite because it left in nearly ALL of the songs

[@CornerTalker]

Had many flaws, but even recognized... love it.

[@jerbear7952]

It was all terrible

[@forest8779]

​@@jerbear7952😂 edgelord out here trying to bait people and not getting any bites 🤡

[@sonofherne]

The elves?????? I hope I NEVER see anything like that on screen again!

[@WillKeaton]

Are we not gonna talk about how Smaug looks like a kitty cat in this version? It's not just me who sees it, right?

[@RKroese]

Miauw... Smaug the cat sees a mouse! 🐭 🐲

[@613aristocrat]

That's straight from the Book of Dragons. Dragons used to be cats. Or was it cats used to be dragons. I need to go reread it.

[@rmsgrey]

@@613aristocrat Cats used to be dragons, according to E. Nesbit, though she did suggest that it was possible a cat would become a dragon once more if suitably provoked...

[@davidgannon5388]

Always thought the same!

[@Dunybrook]

Never noticed that but that live action scene with Benedict did like he was doing an impression of a talking cat.

[@therantcastpodcast]

The Hobbit '77 is the best hobbit adaptation, period

[@helloidharbl6753]

Nah. You just smoke the good stuff.

[@jamessickmore236]

@@helloidharbl6753 while watching it

[@SkorLord]

Absolutely

[@Bobby3OOO]

@@helloidharbl6753 Maybe. But he's right

[@HeroQuestFans]

@@Bobby3OOO gives new meaning to the term "high fantasy"

[@BabaCorva]

Ohmygosh, this and The Last Unicorn are my entire childhood. I'm laughing with you but I think we can all agree this movie is actually perfect.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

I remember the Last Unicorn! I later read the book, and it's good, too!

[@DeadDevilDying]

With you there, I take this over Peter Jackson's three movie cash grab, any day.

[@evilcowhead]

Yessssss

[@janeenschultz8502]

I like how those movies share a couple sound effects, like Sting and the unicorn's horn.

[@shannarobinson7550]

Love BOFUVEM

[@Steelburgh]

The best Gollum. "Off to the back door!" This movie was a core childhood memory alongside Watership Down and Beastmaster.

[@slappyjones2136]

@@Steelburgh Watership down is great! Super violent and scary for an 8 year old kid (that’s when I saw it). But it holds up amazingly. Beast master was a cable favorite

[@jasonblalock4429]

Not to mention getting Gollum's voice right. I love Andy Serkis' performance, but it's always bugged me that he played the "Gollum! Gollum! Gollum!" like a cat horking up a hairball, when the book specifies it's a gurgling/swallowing sound. The cartoon actor is much closer to what Tolkien described.

[@slash_wombat]

Breastmaster?

[@greysnake2903]

Yoshi Gollum is best Gollum

[@greysnake2903]

​@jasonblalock4429 Serkis voice with this Gollum would be hilariously superior.

[@Frosty_tha_Snowman]

"More wrinkles than a Balrogs nuts" made me laugh way too much 😂😂😂

[@Dunybrook]

Somehow it captured the heart of the book the way Peter Jackson never did. No wonder they became Studio Ghibli.

[@justinklenk]

Facts. It was STEEPED in nostalgic style.

[@nunyabizness6595]

Wait. Rankin-Bass became Studio Gibli? Seriously?

[@FreakyRufus]

No. Rankin Bass worked with Topcraft on the Hobbit and other movies. Topcraft morphed into Studio Ghibli.

[@jasonblalock4429]

@@FreakyRufus Well, roughly half of Topcraft joined Ghibli. Another big chunk helped form the workforce at Gainax! (Which later morphed into Studio Trigger.) And IIRC most of the rest went to Toei. Topcraft had an insanely talented staff.

[@slash_wombat]

The backgrounds were straight out of Tolkien's watercolours.

[@msbhaven]

Oh yes Rankin & Bass! I still have the VHS of this. Still love this. Rankin & Bass movies make up my childhood.

[@Lorddacenshadowind]

Same i don't even have a vhs player anymore but I have the movie and will never get rid of it

[@dreamguardian8320]

When I got the DVD version I saw they took out some sound effects and added a few new ones that were not necessary. It makes me like the VHS version more. Rankin Bass really did do some good movies over the years and their stop-motion animation was very good and is still miss today.

[@Unownshipper]

The Hobbit (1977) is the perfect introduction to Tolkein for kids. Enough to entertain and enchant and get a kid curious to read the books. Then the Peter Jackson films can come when they're a little older. On top of that, the film is a delightful product of its era with the post-Disney darker, rougher animation and the 70s folk music mixing so well with the fantasy setting; it's all very charming. All these years later, I'll occasionally have a verse or two from the songs randomly play in my head.

[@LemurDreamer87]

I loved Smaug's design in this movie. Way more unique and interesting than just another dragon, imo.

[@weezact7]

Agreed. He's weirdly chunky which kinda threw it off, but like...Cumber-Smaug is just so generic. There is nothing memorable or unique about him. Now, given that Smaug is basically the trope codifier for modern day fantasy dragons (because nearly all modern-day fantasy tropes are based on Tolkien), that would be ok if the PJ trilogy came out before we'd already seen a billion other dragons that look exactly like that.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I'll never be remotely objective about this one, I grew up on the Rankin-Bass adaptations. I truly love the artwork too. I get why the 'modern' LOTR adaptations go for a more gritty, realistic look - but I adore the psychedelic takes from the 60s-70s too. Plus they actually have a book-accurate Gollum!

[@greysnake2903]

This Gollum with Andy Serkis voice would be amazing.

[@IknowIamkindagreat]

That was the BEST Gollum, someone needs to say it

[@RoninDave]

indeed weird gross and creepy voice. His delivery of the riddle of time was excellent

[@M0b1us_118]

Wait, so was Gollum meant to look more reptilian than human?

[@IknowIamkindagreat]

@@M0b1us_118 It just really stuck with me my whole life. I find this version SO unsettling and the movie version to be a bit...grating. Movie Gollum is annoying, this Gollum gets in your head and lives there rent free.

[@GhoultownBlues]

​@M0b1us_118 I wouldn't say he's meant to be reptilian, but it's an interesting artistic interpretation of how the Ring might have warped him after 500 years of living in a deep underground lake. A lot of foreign language illustrated editions of the Hobbit featured some pretty out there designs for Gollum before the version from John Howe and Alan Lee's illustrations became the "official" look.

[@houston1342]

​@@IknowIamkindagreat So he's just more annoying.

[@justtocomment5848]

I personally think Rankin & Bash Hobbit is more faithful to the book than Jackson version. Both in mood and content. It is a childrens book and lot of the breezing through stuff actually happens. LIke Bilbo literally misses what happens in the battle of the five armies because he gets hit in the head with a rock at the strat of it from what I remember.

[@claytonrios1]

This was how I was introduced to The Lord of the Rings. Honestly this is the kind of pacing that The Hobbit deserved all along. Though the Gamecube Hobbit game was pretty good too.

[@sakunaruful]

Me,too. This and Return of the King.

[@EliasuSan]

The one from Sierra?! 😮😍☺️

[@sakunaruful]

@@EliasuSan The Return of the King Rankin Bass film.

[@claytonrios1]

@@EliasuSan That's the game!

[@cincymutt]

Honestly, when I last rewatched it, it felt a little more rushed than I remembered at 78 minutes. Could've actually stood to be a little longer; not three 2+ hour movies longer, but maybe like 20 more minutes.

[@newtpondskipper]

I love this movie. The voices are amazing, the artwork is beautiful and the songs are memorable. John Huston is the voice I hear when someone mentions Gandalf, definitely a core memory.

[@StarryEyed0590]

I really like how in the Andy Serkis audiobook, he's clearly referencing this take on Gandalf, not Ian McKellen

[@tenzhitihsien888]

Still my favourite film version of The Hobbit. And bonus points for having a proper dragon.

[@szabok1999]

A cat?

[@armydog123]

That is not a proper dragon 😂

[@asmodiusjones9563]

An eastern-inspired look, which would have been extremely unfamiliar to American audiences in the 70s.

[@tenzhitihsien888]

@asmodiusjones9563 Most importantly, four legs and two wings that are separate from them.

[@jasonblalock4429]

@@asmodiusjones9563 People in the 70s-80s didn't know what anime art looked like. It's obviously Japanese in hindsight, but at the time, it just had a cool distinctive look. Same with the other Topcraft or post-Topcraft American projects like Thundercats. Took me years to figure out the Japan connection. (Says the oldtaku.)

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

I unironically like this movie more than any of Jackson’s films.

[@user-wi9hv2pb2q]

All of Jackson's films that reference the source material came from these cartoons, include a lot of his shots and cinematography. He never read the books just watched the cartoons, then made up extra garbage.

[@greysnake2903]

@user-wi9hv2pb2q Ok

[@d.whillmar1740]

I wouldn't go so far to put it above Jackson's LotR, but it is most definetily better than Jackson's attempt of The Hobbit adaptation

[@weezact7]

@@d.whillmar1740 Same

[@Celador]

They reused dragon animations from Hobbit in The Flight of Dragons. Never even realized it the same studio, let alone that they would become Ghibli. Wild.

[@Thegravedigger0]

What.

[@rolothomosky]

They peaked in Last Unicorn. That was almost all Ghibli animators.

[@Celador]

@@rolothomosky Suddenly, all the dots connected. Like now, I realize that animation in all of them is similar, but before it never occurred it's the same studio.

[@HydraSpectre1138]

The few animators that didn't go to Ghibli, they went to either making the Disney direct-to-video sequels, or GAINAX, the studio that made Evangelion.

[@JeffreyPiatt]

Topcraft went under some stayed with the old management to form Gibili, some formed what became Walt Disney Studios Japan who also animated Thundercats before Disney aquired Them, the rest formed the endlessly bankrupt Gainax

[@stuartwiner7920]

The music and creatures of this story are really excellent, and perfect for kids. It's much easier to throw shade than it is to make a work of art like this.

[@ImpudentInfidel]

The battle in Hobbit 77 was still longer than it was in the book. Higher body count too.

[@charliegriffey7773]

Yea ironically Jacksons battle had the more accurate death count (it was only Fili, Kili, and Thorin who died in the book) even if the movie was a bloated disaster. Rankin and Bass decided to take a blowtorch to half the dwarves

[@WillFredward7167]

I have always wondered why this version killed 4 more of the dwarves than in the book. Was it some loose reference to how Balin, Ori, and Oin later died at Moria? But then, why Bombur? Was it a warning against morbid obesity? Maybe they just reeeeeally wanted more dead dwarves😅

[@goodial]

@@WillFredward7167 less dwarfs remaining, less to animate maybe?

[@WillFredward7167]

@ Brutal😆

[@dmapes159]

The music from the cartoon is beyond epic.

[@vice.nor.virtue]

That gag about how _The Police_ broke up is the first gag that's got me in ages! 😂😂

[@zimriel]

Stewart Copeland was absolutely a match for Sting tho'

[@aw9680]

Nothing will ever surpass this movie. The music is epic. The story is simple. The voice acting is top notch. Huge part of my childhood.

[@SilverScribe85]

I honestly liked THIS version better than Jackson's take, mainly because they kept the children's book feel with the animated adaptation

[@MarvNARK]

Don't be insulted

[@SilverScribe85]

@@MarvNARK Insulted? How?

[@slappyjones2136]

@@SilverScribe85 I agree 100%. It’s an adventure about an unlikely hero who grows throughout the book but ultimately is at peace with who he is. I understand a lot of choices Jackson made but ultimately it was trying too hard to be another LOTR and it didn’t really have a soul. Despite excellent casting

[@leonbeverly7020]

Thank you

[@MarvNARK]

​@@SilverScribe85insulting. My bad

[@AliceHolbrooke-lc4ty]

No fluff. No insulting the audience. No bloating for $$. Just pure quality storytelling and fun. This is what it was like when writers had and were allowed to express/apply their talent. This movie is the perfect example of how to tell a story. It gives all the important and fun stuff, no fluff, certainly no excess fluff. Always leave them wanting just a bit more, and they'll re-watch it for decades. ❤️ This movie is still the best version and always will be. This story doesn't need 6.5 extra hours...then it gets tedious and boring. Watching this, then watching the subsequent films and this one will win out every time. ❤️ Also, the music and overall performances are SIGNIFICANTLY better in these animated classics. They should be investing in rewatchability for long term gains, rather that one shot money grabs that disappeare from the consciousness in less than a day, unless reminded.

[@kholsinger]

4:15 I loved how there was no setup for this scene. Also, Gandalf reveals at the end that he knows that Bilbo's ring is the One Ring, but does nothing about it because destiny and such.

[@williamcrowe2576]

And with all the subtlety of a comedian; "Your story, Bilbo, has the *ring* of truth. Yes, it *rings* true".

[@slash_wombat]

Retconned slightly in Fellowship, to him suspecting it but requiring years of research and detective work to be sure.

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

I would watch this every year when I was a kid. I loved this thing!!

[@zrayburton]

I still do watch it almost every year!

[@mesousagaby740]

Ironically, the live-action movies ALSO don't give the dwarves traits, and those were three nearly three-hour movies.

[@brodielarson9096]

instead Peter Jackson decided to have one get into a pointless love story that had no reason being in that series.

[@jbvader721]

@@brodielarson9096 That was a last minute studio mandated "love story" that was added in reshoots. Much to Evangeline Lily's dismay.

[@Caderynwolf]

@@brodielarson9096 peter jackson was brought in after the decisions were made, in order to fix things and finish the movies. He only wanted it to be 2 movies himself.

[@brodielarson9096]

@@Caderynwolf I never watched the appendices to the Hobbit movies, man. I'm just making an observation.

[@CsDeathshadow]

@@jbvader721 yeah so last minute they had to create the entire character of tauriel for it, since she's not the in the book and serves no purpose whatsoever

[@andreykuzmin4317]

This version of Gandalf is the most book-accurate, because Gandalf IS jerkass.

[@myriadmediamusings]

Freaking Maiar folk always acting high and mighty.

[@mikitz]

Although, was Gollum supposed to be *that* big?

[@slappyjones2136]

@@mikitz they never say in the book. Later they say he was a distorted hobbit so I assume he’s small

[@Deatheater4444]

FOOL OF A TOOK

[@user-lb9xw4xf2q]

He had occasional jerk moments in the films, too. Like any Hobbit that wasn't Frodo, he'd bully and demean. Plus, he does that needlessly cryptic reappearance when he acts confused at being addressed by his name, only to be a pedantic dick about with "Oh, yes Gandalf was my name. Gandalf the Grey. I am Gandalf the White." Your name's still Gandalf dude! Don't scare us by pretending to be Saruman for a minute!

[@jaykoops9502]

Can you say in your epic voice, "Where there's a whip, there's a way."

[@Disgruntled_Grunt]

Seconded

[@mattonthewater]

This is the most underrated movie. The nostalgia is real.

[@dreamguardian8320]

I for one find this cartoon much better than the live action ones.

[@cashewnuttel9054]

Waterworld is mine. I know nobody asked, just saying.

[@DJCMORE]

Now i get that south park joke 😂😂😂 damn it

[@Disgruntled_Grunt]

_Rom dom the battle's on,_ _Lemmiwinks, wikileeeaks_

[@martian8987]

And smiling friends

[@jbvader721]

All hail Lemmiwinks the Gerbil King

[@duncancurtis5108]

One does not simply walk into Mordor.

[@kmn2222]

Same thing happened to me few years back lol saw south park first before this

[@Strider-bl5sq]

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie! It's literally my favorite animated film ever and probably one of my favorite movies period. I even love the Ralph Bakshi 1978 LOTR which is terribly underrated and is actually pretty true to the Fellowship book.

[@jasondowns940]

This was my introduction to Tolkien, and I absolutely loved it!

[@JonathanMCook]

Same. Although by the time I was old enough to watch it, it had been an annual broadcast staple on CBS for 3-4 years. But it wasn't just Tolkien. This special was my entry into the whole "sword and sorcery" genre. Basically I went from Rankin-Bass Hobbit to Vox Machina within a span of 45 years. Along the way: Last Unicorn, Dark Crystal, D&D cartoon, Naira, LOTR, Record of Loddess War, Slayers, and so on.

[@maderaartstudios4738]

Now you have to make an Honest Trailer for Ralph Bakshi's LOTR

[@sidwhiting665]

The 1977 Gollum was much creepier than the Andy Serkis version. And I really liked Elrond. For it's time, a good movie. Used to have it on a 3 record set with illustrations.

[@brucetucker4847]

Elrond looked to old though. For appearance the Bakshi Elrond is the closest to what I imagined, although still not quite right. And maybe this isn't Jackson's fault but I can't look at Hugo Weaving in anything and not see Agent Smith.

[@bryanesmith8739]

@@brucetucker4847 But Elrond doesn't wear sunglasses....

[@utuberwatchin]

“ if you spark one up in the woods it won’t be long until a wizard wants in on the rotation” Top-tier commentary 😂

[@williambeckett6336]

This movie changed my life. My real introduction to fantasy itself.

[@ahsuser]

The "Police" reference was A Deep Cut. I never comment, but you kids slayed me on that one. Well played.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

this was clever!

[@cashewnuttel9054]

I don't get it. Kindly do explain to me what the reference is about, my good sir.

[@angelofmusic1992]

I grew up with this version and still prefer it over the Jackson trilogy. I can quote it word for word 😆

[@zrayburton]

How convenient!

[@cashewnuttel9054]

The Jackson trilogy is just terrible. It's time people stop making excuses and admit that.

[@zrayburton]

@@cashewnuttel9054 💯 I can’t bring myself to rewatch it and I don’t think I even made it through the 3rd one. I didn’t even see it in theaters because the 2nd was so disappointing.

[@thatboybear]

Thou shalt NOT besmirch the absolute legendary masterpiece that is the Rankin and Bass Hobbit. Outmatches that farce of a trilogy in every conceivable respect.

[@JSFal]

It is the correct hobbit movie to watch before your LOTR marathon

[@ChrisDogg2k6]

Live-action Hobbit trilogy is better. Change my mind.

[@garypatterson2857]

Well, perhaps not visually. Or aurally. But it is shorter, which is a bonus. And amazingly, less silly.

[@brucetucker4847]

@@ChrisDogg2k6 You can't change what isn't there.

[@ChrisDogg2k6]

@@brucetucker4847 You have failed. Next!

[@hannibalwilmetcalf8363]

05:35 "And how The Police broke up...." Good stuff 😂

[@chrisbuttonshaw2088]

wish it would've been longer. still the best version of Hobbit & especially Smaug

[@maia3420]

Bracing myself to watch my childhood getting roasted into oblivion.

[@manuelalbertoromero9528]

Huh. Actually went pretty smooth, all things considered.

[@woodjacoodja9544]

Oh my god. I held it together for most of that video, but that Police joke..... I'm wiping away tears lmao

[@triggeredgamer94]

Finally!! This has been long overdue!!!! Epic stuff

[@whiskeyvictor5703]

Saw this in 1977. In 1980 read the books. JRRT inspired me to become a Linguist (in ye olde dayes, called a Philologist). Thank you, Dr. Tolkien! 😎

[@bryanzirkel304]

One of the best animated features ever.

[@tomislavlukicloznica]

LoL, you just made me go find this and watch it. It was hilarious in pace and design, but it certainly had its charm. Thanks!

[@Mcb0223]

YOU DID THE DISNEY COMMERCIAL!!!!! No one - NO ONE - ever remembers that Seven Dwarves Disney commercial. 😭😭😭😭

[@kwinland]

This film still holds up. And at 78 mins, SMOKES Jackson's trilogy...

[@zrayburton]

🎯

[@brianbeeson]

I was 5 when I first saw this film and I legit had nightmares from those spiders. I vividly remember running out of the room and sitting in the hallway until that scene was over.

[@JonathanMCook]

About the same age (5-6) during one of the annual CBS broadcasts + mom and dad later got me the "Hobbit" storybook and record which I still have today. In my situation, the Gollum did that with me. That's why I never took the Peter Jackson Gollum seriously. The Rankin-Bass version was legit omega level nightmare fuel! 😱

[@Quinkerbell_3604]

Gave me nightmares, too!

[@kc3reo]

I can't believe you didn't mention 'far over the misty mountains cold' song! That scene and gandalf and bilbo's remarks were so compelling! Easily one of the best parts of the movie

[@zrayburton]

🔥🔥🔥

[@goldsearcher7606]

Peter Jackson would have done two Hobbit movies if WB didn’t interfere with him.

[@Disgruntled_Grunt]

In the Battle of Five Studios, nobody wins.

[@jbvader721]

​@@Disgruntled_Grunt"Why does it hurt so much?" "Because it was real."

[@BitingComics]

Even two is too much. The Hobbit was a short novel, a two hour movie could have covered it very well.

[@JR-zp3nw]

He should have told them no.

[@scorp77snake]

At least there's a fan edit that cuts out the romance and all the over the top sillyness

[@thomashauguel6811]

Cast all the shade you want, this was the introduction of Tolkien for many Gen Xers. It was a gift, and set many of us on the road to becoming Tolkien fans.

[@oldtombombadill]

Hey dol! Merry dol! Ring-a-ding-dillow! Did you forget when I saved them from a willow? People say without me the books would have been faster, But without my help they would have ended in disaster!

[@logansfury]

This was one of my favorite made for television movies of all time. I had read the books by age 9 and I was thrilled to see my beloved book animated. Still a favorite to this day I keep a good quality video file of this movie redundantly backed up on my multimedia drives and watch it at least annually if not more.

[@motherplayer]

This feature does meet more the idea of being a bedtime story in the eyes of Tolkien than the later take did trying to make it a grander tale than it needed to be.

[@tharqal2764]

One thing I really wonder about was how the Guillermo del Toro Hobbit movie would've been. I think he would've done an amazing job.

[@jbvader721]

@@tharqal2764 Oh, Guillermo. "Why does it hurt so much?"

[@motherplayer]

@@tharqal2764 Likewise. I could have seen him making some good magic with the crew.

[@rgallitan]

@@tharqal2764 Would love to have seen del Toro's take. Though Raimi was also attached for a while and also could have been great (It does raise the question of where Bruce Campbell cameos, and the answer is that he would've been a great Master of Laketown). There's lots of ways to tackle the story really. But at the end of the day it's *BILBO'S* story. That's what Jackson was missing. His tale got so big that the main character got lost in it.

[@anubisawakened3250]

Still one of my favorite 2-record sets. Still have it.

[@zrayburton]

I found a copy in not too great a condition but I’m so glad I have it

[@BalbazaktheGreat]

Ah, the good version of the Hobbit.

[@zrayburton]

💯

[@frankf684]

@@zrayburtonwhy ah?

[@mattwo7]

3:40 Well, these _were_ the people who brought us the Heat and Snow Misers. Among all the other stop-motion Christmas specials.

[@comraderaoul]

1:58 That's John Huston for you. "Forget it, Bilbo. It's Laketown."

[@zrayburton]

Nice lol

[@richardwallis9374]

2 is definitely the right amount of movie. There’s a fan cut called the M4 Hobbit cut that makes the movie amazing and pretty much shaves it to 2. Fixes everything.

[@TheAllSeeingEye2468]

They don't make em like this anymore

[@cashewnuttel9054]

No because this animation sucks, and so does the voice acting. It looks like a TV show and not a movie.

[@TheAllSeeingEye2468]

@cashewnuttel9054 everything you just said is wrong

[@sean.durham999]

"No, no, I'm already late because of bothering with you people." 🤣🤣🤣

[@arkant]

BEST Gollum. Also best music, especially Goblin Town and Attercop.

[@rgallitan]

Yo Ho My Lads!!

[@brucetucker4847]

FIFTEEN BIRDS IN FIVE FIR TREES, THEIR FEATHERS WERE FANNED IN A FIERY BREEZE! WHAT FUNNY LITTLE BIRDS, THEY HAD NO WINGS, OH WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THE FUNNY LITTLE THINGS? (I feel like the goblins were always singing in all caps. And I never knew that orcs were so musical before seeing this.)

[@arkant]

@@brucetucker4847 GOBLINS QUAFF AND GOBLINS BEAT GOBLINS LAUGH AND GOBLINS BLEAT YOU GO MY LAD! HO HO MY LAD! (That sounds about right XD ).

[@Sahmgirl]

If it weren't for this movie playing on television when I was in 4th or 5th grade, I wouldn't have read the book, which lead to me reading The Lord of the Rings. All favorites of mine. I re-read them all every year for 2 decades. It's not the highest quality adaptation, but I still love this movie so much because it introduced me to some of the greatest literature ever written.

[@awkwardninja5738]

We need a 9 hour 3 movie trilogy on Tom Bombadil. All that time will really capture the essence of Tom Bombadil.

[@audreydimmel6674]

NOOOOO DON'T GIVE AMAZON ANY MORE IDEAS THEY ABSOLUTELY CANNOT GET THE IDEA FOR A BOMBADIL SPINOFF NOTHING IS SACRED TO THEM THEY'VE ALREADY PROVED THAT BY HAVING HIM IN RINGS OF POWER AT ALL

[@sylvirgiomanach1491]

Ok. But there's going to be a lot of really weird, anime-level fanservice shots of Goldberry.

[@nickmattio3397]

“STAND…by the grey stone…When the THUSH KNOCKS…And The LAST LIGHT of the Setting Sun…Will SHINE…Upon The Key Hole.”-Gandalf The Grey

[@danjoredd]

This movie was great. I prefer a too-short, but fun to watch version of The Hobbit over a too-long and boring version

[@llamachai]

Thank you for the obligatory Benedict Cucumber smaug clip 😂

[@DrewsOnFirst]

This is the best Gollum. Fight me.

[@JBartus913]

I was going to say that too. Serkis' version is garbage.

[@redclayscholar620]

I liked Serkis' Gollum but this one holds a special place in my heart.

[@gilbertsrival]

There are still times when someone asks me a question that I lean back and mutter, "Let us give us a chance, my precious." I love the Brother Theodore version.

[@rgraham9792]

I really liked Bashkis Gollum

[@stephenbellinger9583]

I hate to ruin this for everyone, but if you love Andy Serkis's Gollum, then NEVER watch Disney's The Black Cauldron, and NEVER listen to the voice and phrasing of John Byner's Gurgi...

[@slayer0235]

I’m honestly shocked there was no mention of the goofy looking -garden gnomes- elves. But seriously, thank you for covering this. This movie was my introduction to the Lord of the Rings, and for all its jankiness it will always hold a special place in my heart.

[@marcusestube]

Although the live-action elves probably look more like what Tolkien intended- essentially angels- for my money the elves from this movie are the iconic ones. They seem to have sprung directly from nature and to look like they could melt back into it at any point.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

3:57 Gollum's face looks like a warped version of Littlefoot from The Land Before Time. 🐱‍🐉

[@josephjohnson5415]

He looks like an evil ducky.

[@jimmymiller1313]

1000%

[@graciegj63]

I kinda think he looks like a gecko

[@mscoop8361]

I think he looks more like Ducky from TLBT.

[@zrayburton]

Oh. My. God! You nailed it hahaha

[@CBrown]

"If you spark one up in the woods, it won't be long until a mooching wizard wants in on the rotation". 😂 I needed that today.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Hahahaha! Oh my word, this is great.

[@RustyShackleford-eq8ie]

Best Tolkien adaptation.

[@rileynelson6624]

This cartoon is a fantasy classic and I don’t care what anyone says. It was my first film introduction to the story after I read the book in 4th grade.

[@tonypine3434]

It's not

[@alexkreiner5461]

The Tom Bombadil slander is absolutely unacceptable

[@Lorddacenshadowind]

I love this movie and still listen to the songs. Will always be a classic in my heart and i will always defend it

[@dwmlue9299]

5:00 You shut your mouth.

[@williamcrowe2576]

Bear in mind, this is the same company that gave us Frosty and Rudolph.

[@manuelalbertoromero9528]

Oh my god Ghibli...0_0

[@Optimegatrongodzilla]

​@@manuelalbertoromero9528 🤦‍♂️ No. Rankin/Bass Productions, not Studio Ghibli.

[@cashewnuttel9054]

Bear in mind, Cambodians were having a miserable time when this movie was released.

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

Grew up watching this movie, since I was born in 1982. Love this.

[@FlyingWithSpurts]

I haven't seen this in decades. Never put together that the animation studio also did The Last Unicorn but it comes across clearly in the faces and some of the gestures.

[@Thegravedigger0]

WHAT?

[@FlyingWithSpurts]

@@Thegravedigger0 I now can't unsee Rhuk's (Mommy Fortuna's cronie) movements with Gollums art at @3:50

[@DrControversy]

Grew up on this cartoon. First exposure to Tolkien. Loved it. Recently had my 7 year old son watch it.

[@FuzzyStripetail]

Sharing a grand adventure with an old man was spottier than the Battle of the Five Armies that was turned into the Morse code War of the Horse Girls.

[@TheWesleyMeister]

My family's favorite part was when Gandalf was explaining the plan to Bilbo Bilbo: "So you are asking me to accompany you on this mission to help recapture the gold?" Gandalf: "None other." Bilbo: "eeeEeeeeEEEEH!!!"

[@zrayburton]

LOL!!!