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The Lord of the Rings
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The Lord of the Rings (1978) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
5.8/10   11,207 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Ralph Bakshi
Writers:
J.R.R. Tolkien (novels)
Chris Conkling (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Lord of the Rings on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
15 November 1978 (USA) more
Tagline:
Come to Middle-earth, a world beyond the furthest reaches of your imagination. more
Plot:
The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron's reign over Middle Earth. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
First Rings Director Slams Jackson
 (From WENN. 19 December 2001)

User Comments:
Animated version of The Lord Of The Rings - quite good, but suffers because too many unfairly compare it to the new Peter Jackson version. more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Christopher Guard ... Frodo (voice)
William Squire ... Gandalf (voice)
Michael Scholes ... Sam (voice)

John Hurt ... Aragorn (voice)
Simon Chandler ... Merry (voice)
Dominic Guard ... Pippin (voice)
Norman Bird ... Bilbo (voice)
Michael Graham Cox ... Boromir (voice) (as Michael Graham-Cox)
Anthony Daniels ... Legolas (voice)
David Buck ... Gimli (voice)
Peter Woodthorpe ... Gollum (voice)
Fraser Kerr ... Saruman (voice)
Philip Stone ... Theoden (voice)
Michael Deacon ... Wormtongue (voice)
André Morell ... Elrond (voice) (as Andre Morell)
more

Additional Details

Also Known As:
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (USA) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
132 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Sindarin
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Company:
Fantasy Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Peter Woodthorpe (Gollum) and Michael Graham Cox (Boromir) played the same roles in the BBC radio dramatization in 1981. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the first shot of the orc attack in Moria, Legolas' bow is tall with spiral tips (which he uses throughout the movie). In the very next shot, two seconds later, it is much smaller, with the regular curved tips of a straight-limb longbow. more
Quotes:
Frodo Baggins: I wish it need not happen in my time.
Gandalf: So do I.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Enteng Kabisote: Okay ka fairy, the legend (2004) more
Soundtrack:
MITHRANDIR more

FAQ

Why does the film only cover half of the story?
Why wasn't it indicated that this would be the first part of the story?
Why is Saruman sometimes called "Aruman?"
more
29 out of 38 people found the following comment useful:-
Animated version of The Lord Of The Rings - quite good, but suffers because too many unfairly compare it to the new Peter Jackson version., 30 May 2006
7/10
Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England

More than twenty years before Peter Jackson's visionary adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings, there was this 1978 animated effort from director Ralph Bakshi. An ambitious and reasonably faithful version of the story, this has sadly been rather over-shadowed by the Jackson trilogy. Indeed, many reviewers here on the IMDb (mainly those who saw the newer version first) seem to be fiercely unkind to this version.... but if one applies a little common sense, and takes into consideration the time when it was made and the technical possibilities that existed at that time, then they will realise that this is a pretty good film. Indeed, it was shortly after seeing this animated movie back in the early '80s that I sought out Tolkien's book and immediately became a lifelong fan of these richly detailed Middle Earth adventures. So, in some respects, I owe this film a degree of acknowledgement as the film which shaped my literary tastes forever.

Sauron, the Dark Lord of Middle Earth, forges an all-powerful ring that gives him incredible power. Following a great battle during which Sauron is defeated, the ring falls into possession of a king named Isildur…. but instead of destroying it he foolishly chooses to keep it. For centuries the ring passes from hand to hand, eventually coming into the possession of a hobbit named Frodo Baggins who lives in a peace-loving community known as The Shire. Frodo learns from a wizard named Gandalf that his ring is in fact The One Ring, the very same that was forged by Sauron all those centuries ago, and that its master is once again searching for it in order to restore his dark power over the entire land. Frodo embarks on a perilous journey to protect the ring with three other hobbit companions, but every step of the way they are hunted by Sauron's ring-wraiths, the Black Riders. There follow many adventures, during which a company of nine adventurers is formed to guide the ring to the only place where it can be "unmade" – Mount Doom, in the land of Mordor. The film concludes with Frodo and his best friend Sam on the borders of Mordor, closing ever nearer to their horrifying destination. Meanwhile Gandalf and the other members of the company fight off a huge army of orcs at the legendary fortress of Helm's Deep.

This version covers just over half of the original book. A second instalment was planned to bring the story to an end, but was sadly never completed. While the ending feels abrupt, it does at least end at a sensible point in the story. One has to feel a little frustration and regret that no sequel exists in which we might follow these animated heroes to their eventual goal. The animation is passable, with a nice variety of locales and characters presented in interesting detail. The music by Leonard Rosenman is suitably stirring and fits in appropriately with the epic narrative. The voice-overs are decent, too, especially John Hurt as Aragorn and Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum. On the other hand, Michael Scholes - who provides the voice for Sam - is rather campy and goofy, which is not well suited to the character. The Lord Of The Rings is a commendable attempt to visualise the staggering book on which it is based.

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The Ending? Who cares about the ring! ireth_elessar
One of the Worst + Best Animated Films Ever Made pknyglife
This movie is... daynlarz
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