The Hobbit out on DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Rolando]

I have a friend about to order this online. I did not know this was out on DVD. Is this legit? The animated Hobbit is out on DVD?

 

[Joshua Lane]

Yeah, it's been out since September 11, 2001... yes, that september 11th. It's a Warner Brothers title. The other LOTR animated films are also available (Lord of the Rings and Return of the King).

 

[Philip Klein]

yes

 

[Ernest Rister]

WARNING

The Warner DVD release of The Hobbit (a film I happen to like, by the by) has serious audio errors -- for whatever reason, a number of sound effects from the original release version are missing completely on the DVD, most noticeably during Bilbo's battle with the spiders.

The Warner release of the Rankin/Bass treatment of Return of the King is not so flawed, but the chapter listings inside the front flap are misprinted -- Warner mistakenly listed the chapter titles for the Ralph Bakshi adaptation of Lord of the Rings in place of the chapter listings for the Rankin/Bass film. In other words, don't select "Chapter 20: Balrog Strikes" and expect to see anything of the sort.

Buyer beware.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Warners should reissue this as a double feature with Bakshi's animated LOTR. Eitherway I refuse to purchase these because of their packaging. Warners seems to be screwing up this month's new Rankin Bass specials also by releasing them in snapper cases for some reason... I thought these were finally behind us?

 

[Ernest Rister]

Astonishing, isn't it? How little respect was given to these films? Granted, Bakshi's LOTR is a nefarious blight on animation history, and one would be hard pressed to defend the wearying use of ballads in the Rankin/Bass adaptation of ROTK...

However...

The Rankin/Bass adaptation of ROTK absolutely nailed the "Choices of Master Samwise" segment of the book, which was painfully left out of Peter Jackson's film. I don't mean just the temptatin of the ring -- I mean the whle chpater....from Sam's temptation, to his struggle with the Watchers, to the use of the Phial of Galadriel again, to Frodo's sudden turn to evil when he learns Sam has the Ring...all of this was woefully absent in the Jackson film, and these are true highpoints in the LOTR books. The film begins with a conflict between two hobbits...what a perfect set up for the moment when Frodo learns Sam has the Ring, and becomes a snarling, vicious animal, ready to attack Sam and claim it for his own. All of this...gone in Jackson's film. What a giant wasted opportunity.

So, if truth be told, there are moments when the much-derided Rankin/Bass adaptation of ROTK orchestrated some things better than Jackson, Boyens, and Walsh.

 

[Eric F]

I always liked the music in The Hobbit, especially The Road Leads Ever On.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Yes, Ernest, but it also has the "Where There's a Whip, There's a Way" song. Kind of negates any coolness.

I still admire Bakshi's film as an ambitious failure.

 

[Fred Mitchell]

On a different hobbit topic completely, has anyone heard ANYTHING about the NEW LINE/MGM/SONY rights? I'm still holding out hope for that project to be started after PJ finishes Kong

 

[Stephen Brooks]

Down down to goblin town, down down to goblin town, you go my lad! Ho ho, my lad!

That song ROCKS in this movie. As a kid I would rewind that part and play it over and over again. I think I wore out the library's tape.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I still have a pristine copy of the double LP set of this. Listened to that over and over with my family as a kid.

Love this cartoon. Just wish the sound-effect issues weren't there on the DVD. Other than some minor EE, it's a decent looking disc.

-dave