The Hobbit

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The Hobbit

1977

1h 18m

Fantasy

Animation

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Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

18 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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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

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David Day

Horror Movie Talk

I love this movie with all my heart, it got me started in fantasy and horror and I wouldn’t be the person I am today had it not been for renting ten thousand times on VHS.

Rated: 10/10

Sep 23, 2025

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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

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Rachel Wagner

rachelsreviews.net

For a made for TV movie from the 70's I was impressed.

Rated: 6/10

Apr 18, 2019

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

There is something undeniably fun about this kind of crisp, unfussy fantasy storytelling.

Rated: 7/10

Nov 24, 2012

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Charles Cassady

Common Sense Media

Cartoon adaptation of famous book is a great intro for kids.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 15, 2010

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Adam N

This film has always been very dear to me. The detailed animation perfectly captures the cozy feel of the original book. Glenn Yarbrough's bard-like trill adds an extra layer to the experience. I am quite impressed as to how faithful the plot is, and while they removed some elements, the way the exclusions were executed is absolutely seamless. As for the voice acting, I cannot emphasize enough how perfect Orson Bean, John Huston, and Theodore Gottlieb were as Bilbo, Gandalf, and Gollum, respectively. Rankin/Bass has truly outdone themselves with this one.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/03/25

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Zachary L

It is decent the only big gripe I have is how fast paced it was otherwise very ejoyable.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

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Ben C

One of my favorite childhood movies

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/25

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Ryan H

A classic LOTR story told at a very fast pace through hymns and classic animation that didn't age well.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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Audience Member

A beautiful abridged depiction of a fantasy classic. The Rankin/Bass animated version of “The Hobbit” has a cozy mythical feel to it, that aligns perfectly with the source material. A majority of the credit goes to the Topcraft animators whose unique style of boldly intricate character designs combined with softly flowing backgrounds. Airing originally as a television special, content from the original novel had to be cut, but the filmmakers mostly made smart decisions about what to remove without dismissing the novel’s themes. While songs in fantasy books are notoriously boring for most readers, the adapted and original songs in this film work well and add to its child-friendly charm.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/14/25

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Pat H

A step back in time.... Cryptic rhymes Insight to world and personal themes Drama and fantasy. Watch, and listen with open ears and mind. Timeless

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

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Jules Bass

Director

Arthur Rankin Jr.

Director

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Bilbo Baggins

John Huston

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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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