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The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
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The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings

1978
Drama, Fantasy
2h 12m
The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron's reign over Middle Earth. (imdb)

Directed by:

Ralph Bakshi

Screenwriter:

J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter S. Beagle, Chris Conkling

Starring:

John Hurt, Annette Crosbie, Anthony Daniels, Philip Stone, André Morell, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, Simon Chandler, Dominic Guard, Norman Bird, Peter Woodthorpe

Franchise:

The Lord of the Rings

Genres:

Drama, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation

Countries:

Spain, UK, USA

Languages:

English, Sindarin
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The Lord of the Rings

1978
Drama, Fantasy
2h 12m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 36.37% from 1024 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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beedubBeeDub
Rated 06 Mar 2020
75
29th
Clunky, awkward, and bizarre telling of Tolkien's story (well, the first half of it anyway). Jackson's trilogy has reduced this version to a misbegotten curio.
Rated 06 Mar 2020
nilkynarfynilkynarfy
Rated 25 Mar 2016
50
34th
Rotoscoping taught the world about the uncanny valley. D&D taught the world about adult virginity. This movie is both things.
Rated 25 Mar 2016
amazedemonamazedemon
Rated 10 Sep 2020
62
31st
Baskshi's take on The Lord of the Rings is a interesting curiosity more than it is a good film, especially when it is inevitably compared with Jackson's trilogy. The influence it had on Jackson's masterpiece is obviously evident, from shot recreation to structural changes to Tolkien's story, as well as in the differences between the 3 versions (thank Eru, "Aruman" was abandoned). The animation is an interesting use of partial rotoscoping, that sadly neither holds up nor quite works.
Rated 10 Sep 2020
groovysoulsGroovy_Souls
Rated 31 Jan 2015
50
29th
Definitely not the Peter Jackson films. With some... interesting animation, some strange directorial choices, and some really annoying characters this is not the Lord of the Rings that you will want to pass on to a new generation. By far.
Rated 31 Jan 2015
martrynmartryn
Rated 17 Jun 2012
60
27th
Loses a lot of it's value now that Peter Jackson did it all live action like.
Rated 17 Jun 2012
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 22 Oct 2010
62
30th
I remember being terrified at parts of this when I was 6 or 7. It's a bit laughable now as the animation is mostly subpar (except for a few really good scenes) and the story is so slapdash it doesn't make much sense.
Rated 22 Oct 2010
auhasarderikauhasarderik
Rated 17 Oct 2018
5
22nd
Very abridged and short on wonder, almost tone deaf; the manners seem far too nondescript for a storyline of such scale and imagination. Only Rosenman seems to be really trying. In the Darwinian history of movies this was killed dead forever by the Peter Jackson adaptation. I mean massacred.
Rated 17 Oct 2018
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 08 Mar 2017
60
12th
Relies a lot on the original story to be engaging, which it manages to be but only barely. The pacing is awkward, as is the tone, and the art is a very mixed bag.
Rated 08 Mar 2017
talonmalontalonmalon
Rated 24 Feb 2014
50
19th
This is a very hard movie to rate. Truthfully, I have nothing but the utmost respect for it, what it tries to do, what it has to accomplish in such a short time frame, and the risks it takes. Unfortunately, it simply does not work. The experimental animation is hit or miss, few characters are memorable, and most importantly, two giant stories just can't be told in 133 minutes.
Rated 24 Feb 2014
x_humanx-human
Rated 20 Dec 2012
61
18th
First let me say that I hate rotoscope. Second let me say that I hate, hate, rotoscope. And third let me say that I hate, hate, hate, rotoscope. But when they're not hand tinting B&W live action footage it's pretty good. It's something of a surreal master piece that offers glimmers of a better film. Unfortunately you'll need to have read the book to understand half of what's going on and even Tolkien couldn't help explain what's going on during the other half. Still would like to of seen Part 2.
Rated 20 Dec 2012
velvet_croweVelvet Crowe
Rated 06 Dec 2010
34
27th
Chief Aragorn does not like these hyper real animations! Chief Aragorn does not believe that an incomplete story is beneficial! Chief Aragorn also does not like how Sam is a homo-sexual and I am apparently an aboriginal for some reason!
Rated 06 Dec 2010
caocaocaocao
Rated 03 Sep 2007
64
30th
It would be pretty good if it didn't skip huge chunks. I know there was a lot of backroom politics and this was a relatively expensive production for what it was but it ends up really just being a taste for what it could've been.
Rated 03 Sep 2007
jimmynmujimmynmu
Rated 31 Jan 2007
58
36th
A mediocre attempt at bringing Tolkien's world to life. Not nearly as good as the Hobbit, but not nearly as bad as The Return of the King.
Rated 31 Jan 2007
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 07 Apr 2024
75
50th
This is an interesting take on the popular book series. This film has a good visual look. The voice actors for the most part do a good job with their roles. Overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 07 Apr 2024
brrrpbrrrp
Rated 19 Feb 2024
40
19th
The animation is the strong point, and it has an unusual style involving live action footage.The imagery is quite powerful at times, but the disaster that is the narrative is often confusing and disorienting. If I didn't know the source material I would have no idea what the fuck this is supposed to be about.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
gogolitgogolit
Rated 04 Nov 2023
79
69th
Atmospheric, brooding ambitious and artistic but unfinished early interpretation of LOTR that Peter Jackson 'borrowed' a strangely large amount from. A few scenes of genuine animation genius, especially when Frodo slips into the dark world and is being hunted by the dark horseman of the apocalypse.
Rated 04 Nov 2023
ohmessylifeohmessylife
Rated 11 Jan 2023
4
66th
Oh, so that's where Peter Jackson got a shedload of visual ideas from (ironically, for both Dead Alive and the Hobbitses franchises).
Rated 11 Jan 2023
ununniliumUnunnilium
Rated 29 May 2021
45
27th
This is like five different adaptations with seven different animation styles, all mooshed together. There are often multiple styles for the same character in different shots, or even multiple styles in different parts of the same shot! Plus, weirdly extended horseback chases and battle scenes right next to weirdly shortened story beats, odd emotional tones applied via both voice and animation, and a fetishistic focus on hobbit feet. (There's a time and a place, you know?) What the heckle.
Rated 29 May 2021
war_machineWar Machine
Rated 20 Feb 2021
80
78th
Ringtrynagetbacktomaster-turnsyouintowraith+muchsmallerbalroglol+youcannotpass!+lotsofirlanimation
Rated 20 Feb 2021
picklemanPickle_Man
Rated 15 Aug 2020
70
35th
Wildly uneven mile-a-minute adaptation. Rather than pick and choose scenes to include or omit, Bakshi smashes everything into the two hour runtime, alotting about ten seconds to each scene.
Rated 15 Aug 2020
pyrosexualpyrosexual
Rated 08 Feb 2019
78
56th
Way less boring than that Peter Jackson crap
Rated 08 Feb 2019
metalhankmetalhank
Rated 02 Feb 2019
76
89th
Was going through an old hand-written list of movies I watched many years ago and saw this one which had completely slipped my mind since Jackson's epics. This is certainly a worthy different view of the story (really half the story). Bakshi's animation style is all over it, and he even gets inventive with rarely used rotoscoping for the time.
Rated 02 Feb 2019
buddhaloubuddhalou
Rated 12 Nov 2018
70
49th
Fan of Bakshi's style? You'll appreciate this version. If you're looking for the superior telling of Tolkien's story, though... this ain't it. Personally, I'm down with both Bakshi's and Jackson's versions, but that's because I grew up on Bakshi's films and appreciate his animation style. While this version is highly condensed and an incomplete telling of the story, I think it still does an admirable job of remaining faithful to the books.
Rated 12 Nov 2018
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 29 Oct 2018
70
38th
Slimmed down Tolkien adaptation is a fascinating landmark for its use of comparatively primitive rotoscoped animation, and while the second half becomes a little rushed and overstuffed, the simplified storytelling is an asset for those perhaps not inclined to embrace the more verbose aspects of the Jackson trilogy; like the later films it is the hilariously snivelling Gollum who steals the show. Abrupt finish is a pity, but still an enjoyable and endearing ride, supported by a fine voice cast.
Rated 29 Oct 2018
mwestcottmwestcott
Rated 02 Jan 2018
45
15th
Ralph Bakshi's vision may have turned out to be an interesting display of what was to come. His adaptation is not a good one. The effort is impressive to be sure. The outcome is unfortunately a messy showcase of inconsistent animation techniques and odd rotoscoped fight scenes. The true saving grace comes from a hilariously miscast John Hurt as Aragorn.
Rated 02 Jan 2018
flipzoflipzo
Rated 26 Oct 2017
90
85th
I watch this movie every then and now. Hands down, this hybrid cartoon defined an age. The shire looks awesome, you can feel tranquillity everywhere. Rivendel is pure magic. Bizzarre doubling, the Italian version is a true masterpiece. One of my fav movie.
Rated 26 Oct 2017
evilmangoesEvilMangoes
Rated 12 Sep 2017
77
46th
B
Rated 12 Sep 2017
katottavaakatottavaa
Rated 24 Aug 2016
80
61st
Black rider scenes and rotoscoping in this film are awesome. Also, if my memory serves me well, good voice actors.
Rated 24 Aug 2016
geebers1421Geebers1421
Rated 14 Jun 2016
98
98th
A great movie in just about every regard. Tolkien's fantastic story appears on the big screen and does not disappoint. From gorgeous landscapes, epic battles, emotionally compelling characters, and the classic tale of good vs. evil this film has everything one could want. The only thing keeping the movie from perfection is the time period in which it was filmed, as the effects and CGI simply could not quite cope with the magnitude of the story unfolding in this masterpiece.
Rated 14 Jun 2016
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 08 Sep 2015
2
21st
The animation is an inelegant cobbling of hand-drawn work with rotoscoping and other computerized effects. It's ambitious, but tacky and inconsistent. Of course it doesn't help that this film now exists in the shadow of Peter Jackson's monumental achievement.
Rated 08 Sep 2015
vengefulkbmVengefulKBM
Rated 11 Feb 2015
45
21st
It's a decent attempt at adapting the classic material, but there are so many areas where it just plain misses the mark. Then it just kind of ends, to make way for the horrible, horrible Rankin & Bass follow-up. Not really worth your time now that we have the Jackson movies, but it's not terrible either, so it's worth a watch for the curious.
Rated 11 Feb 2015
wubafwezwubafwez
Rated 23 Aug 2013
5
9th
LSD
Rated 23 Aug 2013
mccorpseMcCorpse
Rated 14 Apr 2012
63
22nd
i find this one hard to review. knowing some back story makes it a lot more impressive but once again i feel another bakshi film has failed due to bad pacing and storytelling. His movies are always hard to follow although this one didnt suffer as much as his others. Still as always it looks really cool and definatly has its own sense of style so it passes as an entertaining view. Too bad he wasnt able to finish the story though.
Rated 14 Apr 2012
rulke55Rulke55
Rated 27 Mar 2012
56
14th
Not seen this in ages, but the most memorable part of Bakshi style is the Ring Wraiths, those were things of nightmares.
Rated 27 Mar 2012
overratedoverrated
Rated 28 Nov 2011
30
21st
Middle Earth just looks kind of shitty and boring in this one.
Rated 28 Nov 2011
troothTrooth
Rated 22 Nov 2011
72
61st
I'm not a big fan of the style of animation, but a lot of effort clearly went into it. Aside from the Peter Jackson trilogy, this has to be the best movie version of LotR. Plus, the trilogy even took some inspiration from this version of the movie, including a scene or two that existed here, but not in the books.
Rated 22 Nov 2011
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 16 Mar 2011
10
1st
No, boo, no good.
Rated 16 Mar 2011
okkervilOkkervil
Rated 03 Jan 2011
35
24th
There is not too much to admire in Bakshi's unfinished telling of Tolkien's masterpiece. The rotoscoping is an interesting animation technique, but for the most part just draws attention to the sloppy hand animated sections of the movie. There are some impressive cinematic flourishes to admire, but they are sporadically littered amongst some overall ugly animation, average direction and awful voice acting. Not great.
Rated 03 Jan 2011
silviosilvio
Rated 13 Aug 2010
50
39th
Disjointed but brave work.
Rated 13 Aug 2010
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 18 Jan 2010
30
15th
Epic fail.
Rated 18 Jan 2010
kiralioKiralio
Rated 08 Dec 2009
40
30th
2/5
Rated 08 Dec 2009
antagonAntagon
Rated 11 Aug 2009
50
17th
Not a good movie but entertaining as hell for the wrong reasons
Rated 11 Aug 2009
tathieltathiel
Rated 03 May 2009
10
0th
oh my goodness...
Rated 03 May 2009
evan_watersEvan Waters
Rated 28 Apr 2009
77
13th
A surreal hyper-condensed rendition of the first half of Tolkien's saga: some great visuals, but makes very little sense if you haven't read the book.
Rated 28 Apr 2009
janusjanus
Rated 07 Apr 2009
25
3rd
Glaringly incomplete, to the point where I can hardly believe it was even released. Clearly a labor of love, with competent (though often overacted) rotoscope animation and a memorable scene or two (LOVED Flight to the Ford), but as happens all too often with Bakshi, the script is all over the place and many corners have been noticeably cut. Peter Jackson's trilogy renders this completely irrelevant.
Rated 07 Apr 2009
cultofsamecult_of_same
Rated 04 Mar 2009
60
72nd
One of the movies I watched as a child which had a very strong emotional impact.
Rated 04 Mar 2009
garlonussGarlonuss
Rated 24 Feb 2009
35
0th
It starts out ... okay, but about half way through the movie, the film-makers seem to have simply given up. It gets a bit painful for those who truly love the story.
Rated 24 Feb 2009
optimusmikeOptimus_mike
Rated 03 Nov 2008
30
14th
Painfully bad animations.
Rated 03 Nov 2008
dukeDuke
Rated 24 Aug 2008
80
59th
Less epic, more faithful to the book.
Rated 24 Aug 2008
astfglAstfgl
Rated 11 Aug 2008
50
25th
Not a good movie by any standards, but a ridiculously entertaining one. I will ALWAYS stop what I'm doing and watch when I catch it on TV.
Rated 11 Aug 2008
teddedonTedDedon
Rated 07 Jun 2008
67
36th
The animation is grittier and scarier in a way that really captures a lot of the terror found in The Fellowship of the Ring, but that being said it still lacks a lot of the life that makes the series so brilliant. It's a good children's cartoon and definitely can pique interest for people unexposed to the literature, but there are better film adaptations out there today where there were not in the 70's.
Rated 07 Jun 2008
csimpsoncsimpson
Rated 19 May 2008
10
80th
By far the best LOTR ever made.
Rated 19 May 2008
elfflameElfflame
Rated 08 May 2008
65
8th
Flawed.
Rated 08 May 2008
recklessmessrecklessmess
Rated 12 Feb 2008
70
48th
Faithful to the book, but it's unfinished!
Rated 12 Feb 2008
flyingwhalesflyingwhales
Rated 12 Dec 2007
84
68th
Best part of this Movie: over the course of the film, Aragorn's kilt goes from regular length and gets progressively shorter until it is barely a miniskirt.
Rated 12 Dec 2007
walruswalrus
Rated 16 Sep 2007
67
14th
I always found this movie to be very interesting. It captured my imagination as a kid. Looking back at it now I can see how poor the movie was and how the story behind it was what captured my attention when I was a kid. Besides - this movie doesn't have an end ...
Rated 16 Sep 2007
ytadelYtadel
Rated 14 Aug 2007
3
28th
Despite the shoddy animation, annoying characters, horrible action scenes, and incomplete plot, look for a very few moments that Peter Jackson played relatively close homage too. "Proudfeet!"
Rated 14 Aug 2007
ayavaronAyavaron
Rated 14 Aug 2007
40
26th
Bakshi puts his heart into this film but that doesn't make it very good.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
actionbergActionberg
Rated 14 Aug 2007
40
11th
Like a bad acid trip.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
angrypierreangrypierre
Rated 14 Aug 2007
22
7th
If I had started watching this film in the womb, it would still not have finished by now. Or been more interesting than anything, and I do mean anything, I've done in those intervening twenty one years.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
thedenizenTheDenizen
Rated 14 Aug 2007
40
17th
A nice try, but Bakshi is too much of a hack to make it work.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
kingcheebakingcheeba
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
22nd
A weird cartoon version - it has its moments, where the promise is there of a good movie, but other moments are jarring and detract from the story.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
battletoadBattleToad
Rated 05 Jun 2007
75
48th
The animation is a little hard to swallow, but this film is true to the books, and it's great to see the story told thusly. Pretty good!
Rated 05 Jun 2007
kain424Kain424
Rated 20 May 2007
50
23rd
Memorable songs at least.
Rated 20 May 2007
difontaineDifontaine
Rated 17 Apr 2007
18
1st
Probably on a loop in Peter Jackson's trailer as a 'How Not To' for the trilogy.
Rated 17 Apr 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 21 Feb 2007
55
49th
Good animation.
Rated 21 Feb 2007
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 04 Dec 2006
5
44th
Not bad, forgettable.
Rated 04 Dec 2006

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