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The Hobbit ( 1977 ) Or The Hobbit (2012, 2013, 2014 )

posted 10 years ago by RichN36
7 replies | jump to latest

I don't know after watching the final installment of The Hobbit over the weekend, I still feel like the 1977 Cartoon Version of The Hobbit was best. It covered the entire story and stayed more or less with the original source. It even packed an emotional punch toward the end.

The Three Part Hobbit we have just watched added way to much unnecessary garbage that wasn't in the Books and there was no reason to even add it. I mean really did we need so much screen time devoted to the Mayor's Flunky?

The Cartoon Version even covered some of the little bits that made the book so enjoyable like J.R.R. Tolkien's Poetry. More of the inter personal relationships between Bilbo and the Dwarf's during the journey.

Oh well it was an enjoyable time at the Movies spent with one of my Favorite Books even though PJ didn't keep to the source.

Col. G. Stonehill: Most people around here have heard of Rooster Cogburn.

[–] kadpro 10 years ago

Plus, this film stayed to the point and had the same tone as the book. Not to mention almost every one of the songs were included and remarkably well done in this version, whereas only TWO (Misty Mountains and Blunt the Knives) even made it into Jackson's Hobbit. This was clearly the better adaptation.

[–] WeirdRaptor 10 years ago

1977, to be sure. Then again, it was made by Rankin-Bass, not that arrogant pig, Peter Hackson.

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf

[–] sm_street 10 years ago

The Rankin-Bass Hobbit remains the best. I still have mixed feelings about Jackson's Hobbit. If only they had stuck to the source it could have been something great. Stick to the source like Rankin-Bass did and you can't go wrong.

[–] Stenian 9 years ago

Peter Jackson's version. No question.

[–] Cult_of_Kibner 9 years ago

I think we've yet to see the definitive Hobbit adaptation. The '77 movie could have used some more run time and Jackson's could have used a lot less.

[–] kenburke (2372) 2 years ago

I prefer the three part Hobbit movies but I still give the 1977 Hobbit a definite thumbs-up. I even like the Leonard Nimoy Hobbit song. HOBBITS RULE!!!

[–] Aylmer (441) 15 days ago

When I was a kid, I found the cartoon version absolutely absorbing and spellbinding. Today I still think it has some of the best animation of the era and even compares favorably to all other Rankin/Bass animated films (including The Last Unicorn - which is classier maybe but a lot less fun and kinda runs out of steam toward the end). The cartoon is a master class in good efficient storytelling. They trim all the right fat and even find a way to incorporate the poetry and the songs into the presentation.

Jackson was more interested in making some big sweeping fantasy saga and shoe-horning The Hobbit into the the LOTR universe. The tones don't match at all and the 3 Hobbit films were deadeningly boring to anyone familiar with the story. All the added characters were terrible too, like the antagonist guy in Part 3 who seemed to soak up more screentime than anyone else.