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The Hobbit

Play trailer Poster for The Hobbit 1977 1h 18m Fantasy Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
An animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's tale of the adventures of a hobbit on a quest to regain a dwarf king's gold.
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The Hobbit

Critics Reviews

View All (17) Critics Reviews
Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Rankin-Bass bring their typically serviceable animation, strong voicework, and corny folk ballads to The Hobbit… worthwhile for kids and not too bad for parents. Rated: C+ Jan 30, 2004 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 3/5 Dec 24, 2002 Full Review Kevin Carr Fat Guys at the Movies Quick and breezy compared to the live-action films, this offers a good introduction to on-screen Tolkien lore. Rated: 3/4 May 12, 2023 Full Review Rachel Wagner rachelsreviews.net For a made for TV movie from the 70's I was impressed. Rated: 6/10 Apr 18, 2019 Full Review Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy There is something undeniably fun about this kind of crisp, unfussy fantasy storytelling. Rated: 7/10 Nov 24, 2012 Full Review Charles Cassady Common Sense Media Cartoon adaptation of famous book is a great intro for kids. Rated: 4/5 Dec 15, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Lennon B A wildly fun introduction to anyone who is getting into "Lord Of The Rings". The cartoon covers all key elements of the original book and is engaging enough to keep both children and adults entertained. Has a certain charm that today that can not be replicated. Great original songs too. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/07/25 Full Review matthias s Gave *The Hobbit* (1977) a shot, and it’s definitely a mixed bag. As a Tolkien fan, diving into this old-school animated version felt like a nostalgic treat. The hand-drawn animation is stunning, and the music adds a whimsical, epic vibe that elevates the whole experience. The voice acting is also spot-on, bringing the characters to life in a charming way. The short runtime holds it back, though. They hit the major highlights of the book but left out so much depth that it feels incomplete at times. Gollum’s design is a big miss, which is disappointing given how iconic the character is. It’s clear Peter Jackson drew inspiration from this adaptation, which adds a fun layer for fans of the live-action films. With an extra 30 minutes and more key plot points, this could have been a 4-star movie. Despite its flaws, it’s still a worthwhile watch for Tolkien fans. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/05/25 Full Review Audience Member First time seeing this . Ahhh that 70s animation. I really liked Gandalf animation and the Goblin Town song that Peter Jackson used for the live action . 77 min and to combine all the plot with Samug and the battle of the five armies. Gollum animation looks so odd like a salamander . Wasn't a fan of the songs . But this is what LOTR fans had from the books until the movies. 5/10 it was borderline ok. Thorin death scene was so weird . I could go on talking about this for a hour about what they did and didn't use. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/16/24 Full Review Dustin M When I was 6 years old I would watch this nightly... then I read the book and was frankly ticked off by how much was left out. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 12/05/24 Full Review Teddy B Meandering in almost every aspect of production. It is a serviceable adaptation and its voicework is effectively executed but its animation, character designs, droning music that repeats the same song so often that I feel my brain going numb, and sound design and mixing are horrendous and really drag the experience down. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/14/24 Full Review Tom R Whimsical old school version of the hobbit. How can you not like this? Powerful tale and Rankin/Bass, the best in the biz making it happen. Legendary Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Hobbit

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis An animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's tale of the adventures of a hobbit on a quest to regain a dwarf king's gold.
Director
Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Producer
Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Screenwriter
Romeo Muller
Production Co
Rankin/Bass Productions
Genre
Fantasy, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 31, 2014
Runtime
1h 18m
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