The Hobbit with Jules Bass: DVD Cover
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The Hobbit Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.

DVD - Pan & Scan / Dolby 5.1 / Mono Learn more

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  • DVD Release Date: 09/11/2001
  • Original Release: 1978
  • Rating: Rated PG
  • Sales Rank: 8,419

Viewer Rating: (16 ratings)

Detailed Rating: "Engaging" See All

 
  • Overview
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Scenes
  • Customer Reviews
  • Cast & Crew
  • Full Product Details

Scenes

Features

Interactive menu; Tolkien and filmmaker highlights; Scene access; Subtitles: English, Français & Español

Full Product Details

Scene Index

Side #1 --
0. Scene Selections
1. Bilbo's visitors [4:07]
2. Outlining the adventure [3:53]
3. Credits [2:20]
4. Troublesome trolls [3:35]
5. Lonely Mountain map [3:06]
6. Elves of Rivendell [3:04]
7. Goblin attack [3:33]
8. Gollum's Riddler [6:20]
9. Follow the leader [4:28]
10. Funny Little Things [2:12]
11. Flown to Mirkwood [2:36]
12. Forest diary [3:04]
13. Spider's web [1:19]
14. Sting strikes [2:00]
15. Wood Elves [2:50]
16. Laketown [2:04]
17. Secret doorway [2:09]
18. Smaug's lair [4:14]
19. Weak spot [4:31]
20. Black arrow's mark [3:08]
21. Treasure clash [2:59]
22. Five armies meet [4:42]
23. Farewell, Thorin [2:07]
24. Only beginning [1:50]
25. End Credits [:56]

Scene Index

Editorial Reviews

J.R.R. Tolkien's classic book about the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins and his unexpected adventures came to life in this animated, televised adaptation by Rankin-Bass Productions. Enthusiasts of Tolkien's lengthy and more demanding Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as adult readers of The Hobbit, may be disappointed by this somewhat simplified adaptation of the book, though children and first-time readers of Tolkien will appreciate its whimsical introduction to the fictional world of Middle Earth.

As the story goes, "In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit...." Bilbo Baggins would much rather relax in his comfy hobbit-hole or take long walks in the Shire than have adventures. After all, "adventures make one late for dinner." Unfortunately, Gandalf the Wizard shows up one day with other plans for Bilbo. Gandalf introduces Bilbo to a rag-tag band of dwarves whose leader, Thorin Oakensheild, asks Bilbo for help in recovering his family's treasure from the fire-breathing dragon Smaug. Bilbo meekly accepts the offer, and soon finds himself on a long journey through Mirkwood forest, to Smaug's dark lair in the Lonely Mountain. Along the way, the unlikely band is captured and nearly eaten by trolls, shackled and prodded by goblins, tied-up in webs and hung from trees by giant spiders, and finally imprisoned by the swarthy, distrustful woodland elves of Mirkwood. With keen hobbit-wits and a magic ring he finds in the goblin caves, Bilbo manages to free the band on several occasions and helps them recover their lost inheritance.

Understandably, much detail was omitted from Tolkien's novel to fit this made-for-TV adaptation -- most notably the story of the group's encounter with Beorn the shape shifter, and the somewhat complex issue of the Arkenstone, a legendary gem which Bilbo steals from Smaug's treasure-trove unbeknownst to the dwarves. Rankin-Bass Productions made another foray into Middle Earth several years later with The Return of the King, picking up where animator Ralph Bakshi left his unfinished adaptation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Anthony Reed, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

I enjoyed this item very muchby Anonymous

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April 28, 2004: I enjoyed this movie the first time I saw it in 1979 and still enjoy it. The animation and music are great. The story is entertaining for young and old. I had the VHS version but I wanted the DVD version. I am glad I got it. The technical limitations, if existent, were transparent to me. I have read all the these books and find these DVD's very close to the book stories. Needless to say, I love the new versions of LOTR too. Enjoyable pieces all of them.

Fantastic movie, but the DVD is disappointing!!by Anonymous

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March 01, 2003: This was always one of my favorite films as a child, and stands the test of time even today. If you love Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, or just fantasy films in general, you will adore this picture. If you're a fan of animation, you will love what you find here--every unique scene looks like a fantasy watercolor masterpiece come-to-life. The voice acting is superb--some of the best actors of the day lended their voice talents to this sparkling gem of a movie. However, that being said, let me tell you how disappointed with the DVD I was. Having watched the original on TV many times, and later watching the VHS version over and over, I was treated with a sad surprise upon watching the DVD for the first time: in MANY scenes there is a glaring absence of the orignal sound-effects. If you never saw the orignal (non-DVD) version, you'd never know what you were missing. But let me tell you, without those sound-effects, a lot of the dramatic punch is lost from many of the best scenes. It's almost like someone just turned the sound off at the most dramatic moments! Warner Bros, you should be ashamed of yourselves, releasing this film for the first time on DVD in an incomplete state! Do right by this American classic film and those that love it, and redo the DVD--restore it back to it's original magnificence! This timeless film deserves better.


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