Rating: 
Summary: Okay... If you're not a Tolkien purist
Review: unfortunately, I am.I would have really liked this movie a lot more if I hadn't read the book first. Bilbo was nothing like I had pictured him. In fact Gandalf was the only one who was! Gollum looked like a giant, starved frog. Smaug's head looked like a giant cat's. They cut out Beorn completely. I really liked him. I did like the part where at the beginning of the war, the people who were fighting each other 5 minutes earlier were saying that they loved each other "Like brothers!" But besides that, it tried to hard to stick to the book, losing the essence. It is great for little kids who want to see the "big person" Lord of the Rings, but it is too sacary for them.
Rating: 
Summary: Scary as Heck
Review: Never before has such an evil, creepy film crossed my path. Years of psychological treatment have not undone the scarring caused by this movie. I first encountered this movie with its terrifying musical numbers and frightening characters at the tender age of 11 and I still suffer the repercussions of it. I do NOT recommend this film to anyone under the age of 17.
Rating: 
Summary: A Tale for All Ages
Review: This is a good rendition of JRR Tolkien's work. It combines a sense of wonder and loss with songs and scenes that the young and the young at heart will enjoy. The difficult to believe that Tolkien wrote this book and the others. It is so tightly woven that I almost think that he merely translated the story from an old manuscript. THe movie complements the book well.
Rating: 
Summary: Really bad art and animation
Review: Although this was a pretty good adaption of the Hobbit and crammed a lot into 78 minutes, my biggest gripes are the art, which is purely awful and the many songs. I really got bored with the characters breaking into song every minute. A few songs are okay, but throughout the whole movie? I also found myself falling asleep during the last half so really can't critique it on content. Lord of the Rings (animated) is ten times better.
Rating:
Summary: Beware Krappy video-ness
Review: The story is a classic one and is protrayed pretty well story wise. The problem is that the characters are freakishly non-human looking (not that kids would mind, i liked it then). Also, this movie was made in the 1970's and they haven't made any effort to fix up the old film, so it looks like a bootleg; seriously! JUST BEWARE QUALITY.
Rating:
Summary: Dreadful
Review: The one word that sums this movie up is dreadful. I love the story, but the little Nazi-style elves sprouting leaves are just one example of how this interpretation went wrong. With only one exception (The Return of the King, also by Rankin -Bass) it is it is the worst adaptation of Tolkien's works that I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Very good, but with a big flaw.
Review: This is one of my favorite movies. A great story with wonderful music. This DVD seems to have a big flaw, though. Unless there is some sort of flaw in my player, a significant portion of the soundtrack seems to be missing. All of the music and dialog is there, but a portion of the soundtrack that contains a large portion of the sound effects has been left out. Things like the Eagles screaming, rocks grinding, some of Smogg's tail crashes and screams, the sounds of the eagles/goblins/and battle at the end. Their absence makes for some uncomfortably quiet spots in dramatic moments of the movie. Someone should go back and check on the master for this one.
Rating:
Summary: Nightmares
Review: I saw this when I was a kid and after seeing the NEW LOTR...found a renewed interest in The Hobbit. So re-rented it and immediately wished I hadn't. No, I haven't read the books yet, but I intend to. However, that doesn't excuse how gross this cartoon is. As a child it scared the (insert expletive here) outta me and today it still does. The only interesting character is our heroic wizard and sometimes I wished that he'd just zap Baggins right off the screen for good. The film really didn't delve into any depths the book, I believe, touches on...and I was left with questions...lots-o-them. So, I guess for real entertainment I should read the trilogy from Tolkien, ... .
Rating: 
Summary: Missing sounds in DVD version
Review: I've loved this story since I was 10 years old. And even though the cartoon-movie isn't exactly like the story, I still love it. I was waiting for it to come out on DVD, but now that I have it I am disappointed. Important sounds are missing. I first noticed the sounds missing when the orcs captured Bilbo and his gang in the cave. The sound of the chains is just not there. Also one of my favorite sounds -- when the spiders die -- isn't there as well. Sounds are missing throughout the movie: swords pulled from their sheaths, horses hooves, Smaug roaring, the thrush's wings flapping, arrows striking Smaug, Wargs howling, etc. I could go on with everything that's missing. It honestly detracts from the movie, especially if you're someone (like me) who knows this movie by heart. Maybe I'll try watching the DVD on mute and play the sounds from the VHS version through the speakers at the same time. :) I am obssessively in love with this movie and I hope there is another version soon that fixes this major glitch. I recommend waiting for a new DVD version of this movie or buy it on VHS.
Rating:
Summary: over-whelmed with a sense of its own importance
Review: seeing this film successfully kept me from reading anything by tolkien for over ten years. after i had read "the hobbit," i was able to watch it and laugh more often than i felt appaled.
the film lacks the quiet dignity of the book and feels heavy-handed. watching it i could only think of the phrase, "bilbo gump." the progress the character of bilbo makes in the book is lost in film and we are left with a hero who wanders through his various adventures, which apparently have very little effect on anything aside from his financial situation. and as an extra side-note, the music feels ridiculous.
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