The Hobbit

• Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
• November 27, 1977
• Based on the 1937 book The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
• NBC

Voice Cast

• Bilbo Baggins-Orson Bean
• Smaug-Richard Boone
• Thorin Oakenshield-Hans Conried
• Gandalf / Narrator-John Huston
• The Elvenking-Otto Preminger
• Elrond-Cyril Ritchard
• Gollum-Brother Theodore
• Bombur, Troll #1-Paul Frees
• Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Óin, Glóin, Ori, Nori, Bifur, Bofur, Troll #2-Jack DeLeon
• Balin, Goblin, Lord of the Eagles, Troll #3-Don Messick
• Dori, Bard, Great Goblin-John Stephenson
• The Balladeer-Glenn Yarbrough
• Goblin (singing voice), Background Voice-Thurl Ravenscroft

A hobbit is talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure and home from a dangerous dragon.

I had seen this animated version of The Hobbit MAYBE once in my youth when I was a bit too young to appreciate it at all. While mostly accessible to children it is far more mature than what I would’ve intentionally watched back in then. It’s not a fun and exciting action/adventure but truthfully much closer to the material we got in either the original LOTR Trilogy or even The Hobbit films. The comparison to either is not me calling it an undiscovered classic. Just a stronger movie than anticipated.

It’s a weird mixture of a traditional Rankin/Bass production which were often punctuated with inoffensive music (here of the mid 70s variety) and a slightly more mature movie. The songs are the usual montage that covers a great deal of narrative ground without the use of dialogue or character actions. While such a tactic may work for a Christmas special like Twas the Night Before Christmas, with something based on a richer mythos it can leave the presentation wanting. And that is a big problem here.

Weirdly this version of The Hobbit takes its time with certain elements while racing through others. The narrative also avoids digging into deeper themes but only barely hints at them. Thorin is certainly becoming obsessed and maybe even blinded by greed yet it passes and he just becomes a bit of a jerk. Bard is implied to have a close bond with Bilbo but at 90-ish minutes the bond that leads to his motivations as well as let Bilbo believe the man would help just is not there. There is a sentence or two that tells the audience why but we never get to see why. It feels like there is much that is just ignored. What you can shortchange in writing needs a bit more display in a visual format. The Battle of the Five Armies is glossed over with its consequences rushed through.

And that is my major complaint. It moves too quickly. Deeper themes which could be explored are glanced at. This thing should’ve been 20 minutes or more longer in order to properly address what is needed to address. The Hobbit is not an inconsequential event or story. It’s about stepping outside of your comfort zone and growing and learning. It’s that sometimes conflict is unavoidable and people with the noblest of intentions can be corrupted by baser feelings and desires. To use modern terms, it is about find yourself and becoming secure in that. Or so they say. 

But it’s not completely weak. The Hobbit is just not as strong as it could be. It’s unique amongst animation of the era but also just a fun adventure. It opens up the world of Tolkien in a way that could only be done in this format. I think animation is certainly a better way to address the land of Middle Earth.

The voice acting is excellent. It’s a combination of great actors and great voice actors. These were people who knew how to perform which is something necessary for animation in general and The Lord of the Rings in particular. The Hobbit may be the children’s companion of the The Lord of the Rings world but is still a more sophisticated story than many others.

This animated version of The Hobbit while good is not as good as it could be. It’s entertaining with some talented voice work and interesting character designs. LOTR fans may enjoy themselves and I think there’s something to be found for the general audience but don’t expect it to rock your world.