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The Hobbit

Play trailer Poster for The Hobbit 1977 1h 18m Fantasy Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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The Hobbit

Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 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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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 Full Review 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 Full Review Ben C One of my favorite childhood movies Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/21/25 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews
The Hobbit

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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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