Woodyanders
Joined Dec 2005
Badges28
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Ratings6.7K
Woodyanders's rating
Reviews6.6K
Woodyanders's rating
Ralph Bakshi's admirably ambitious animated adaptation of the first two novels in the much-beloved Lord of the Rings fantasy adventure trilogy has its fair share of flaws, but overall still passes muster as an admirably serious and sincere attempt at adapting the first two books into a single movie.
For starters, Bakshi is to be commended for treating the books with the utmost of respect. Secondly, the use of rotoscoping begets often striking results, with the Ringwraiths and orcs in particular brought to stunningly sinister and nightmarish life. The painted backgrounds possess a pleasingly hand-crafted quality. The pathetic and sniveling character of Gollum is quite the marvelously grotesque sight to behold. The friendship between brave hobbit Frodo and his bumbling buddy Sam gives this picture a good deal of genuinely sweet and touching heart. The Battle of Helm's Deep rates as a truly exciting set piece. Leonard Rosenman's robust orchestral score hits the stirring spot.
However, this film nonetheless has its shortcomings. Amongst the fellowship of the ring only the noble and helpful Aragorn registers as a fully fleshed out person while Gimli and Legolas are given especially short shift. The pace alas tends to drag. Most damagingly, the decision to adapt the first two books into an overstuffed 133-minute running time in turn results in a pretty unwieldy and sometimes confusing narrative structure. The cliffhanger ending is more than a bit frustrating, too. But those criticisms aside this is still a perfectly solid and respectable animated adaptation of the first two books.
For starters, Bakshi is to be commended for treating the books with the utmost of respect. Secondly, the use of rotoscoping begets often striking results, with the Ringwraiths and orcs in particular brought to stunningly sinister and nightmarish life. The painted backgrounds possess a pleasingly hand-crafted quality. The pathetic and sniveling character of Gollum is quite the marvelously grotesque sight to behold. The friendship between brave hobbit Frodo and his bumbling buddy Sam gives this picture a good deal of genuinely sweet and touching heart. The Battle of Helm's Deep rates as a truly exciting set piece. Leonard Rosenman's robust orchestral score hits the stirring spot.
However, this film nonetheless has its shortcomings. Amongst the fellowship of the ring only the noble and helpful Aragorn registers as a fully fleshed out person while Gimli and Legolas are given especially short shift. The pace alas tends to drag. Most damagingly, the decision to adapt the first two books into an overstuffed 133-minute running time in turn results in a pretty unwieldy and sometimes confusing narrative structure. The cliffhanger ending is more than a bit frustrating, too. But those criticisms aside this is still a perfectly solid and respectable animated adaptation of the first two books.
Insights
Woodyanders's rating
Recently taken polls
146 total polls taken
