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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings: Overrated or Underrated?

Discussion in 'Archive: SF&F: Films and Television' started by Bacon164, Jan 3, 2006.

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  1. Bacon164

    Bacon164 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2005
    I'm sure many are familiar with Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings Cartoon made in 78, using "rotoscope" in which live action shots are used as the backbones of the animation, so that it looks more 'real' in a sense. Atleast this is what I've always associated it with. Many have criticized this film for various reasons, many and most if not all are relevant and justified. I do think this film was not done as well as it could have been, yet nevertheless, I like watching it, atleast the first half anyways. I think the Fellowship of the Ring half of the film was done pretty good. It was rushed. The animation was not spectacular, mostly due to the rotoscoping, imo. However, it left me with a sense of mystery about Middle-Earth. Because we don't see that much of it, it becomes much more... enchanting to me anyways. It was like this in the book as well.

    I agree that they should've agreed on whether Saruman was called 'Aruman' or not. I do agree that Aragorn is seen as fat, and Boromir is shown as a viking, Gandalf a madman whose sole purpose is to give exposition, Treebeard was a walking carrot, etc. But all in all it was a decent film for me, atleast a fun film anyways. What are your thoughts?

    BTW, if you're not familiar at all, check this Wikipedia Article out. :)
     
  2. Idrelle_Miocovani

    Idrelle_Miocovani Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2005
    Oh dear. I was not at all impressed with this version of LOTR. Boromir as a viking? It just missed all the elegance Tolkien had created for Middle-earth and I did not like how Sam was portrayed as a sort of bumbling side-kick. However, I admire their attempt, but it just did not work.
     
  3. HL&S

    HL&S Magistrate Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2001
    I own it. My dad got it for me when I was a little kid after I saw the Hobbit and Return of the King cartoons on television. I did like it then because I hadn't read the books. I mean the animation was cool and plot was good. The one thing that bugged me was that they never finished it. For years my dad and I looked for the second part because we didn't know the budget was cut and thus no completion.

    Oh I like Leonard Rosenmans score too.

    Eventually I read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and was disgusted with this version. Mainly because it combined the Fellowship with the Two Towers at the end. Completely sloppy. They might as well have never made the thing. At the time though, only cartoons could give the Lord of the Rings any sense of justice. The first half I think does for its time, but then it just completely falls apart. I guess studio politics are to blame though.
     
  4. -Courtney-

    -Courtney- Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 8, 2005
    The animation was terrible, Thranduil looked like a frog, Boromir a viking & the hobbits looked like trolls. I know that it was aimed at young children, so they dumbed it down a bit, but did they have to destroy the story in the process? The Lord Of The Rings is a dark story there was no way that they could have made it work as a childrens cartoon. I believe it is an offence to Tolkien's work, they probably hired a group of people who barely understood the story but thought it had some "cool" battle scenes to work on this sad excuse for a film.

    They missed loads of information, to the point where you have no idea what Middle Earth is really like. This is Tolkien we are talking about here not C.S Lewis, Tolkien always had alot of detail in his work where as Lewis left alot to the imagination.

    There was a scene it it that I found really disturbing. It was when Gandalf was riding on Shadowfax & killing orcs in gruesome detail yet there was Christmasy-bell music playing in the back ground. That was just creepy!

     
  5. darthtenbiscuits

    darthtenbiscuits Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2001
    His other films are very good.

    His LotR adaption, not so much.
     
  6. lightsaber_wielder

    lightsaber_wielder Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2002
    I'm still looking for one word to epitomise my thoughts on this adaptation.

    A nasty word, of course. But I haven't found it yet.
     
  7. rumsmuggler

    rumsmuggler Chosen One star 7

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    Aug 31, 2000
    It's pretty bizzare. The first time I saw it, I was laughing at how bad it was. It was entertaining, but really bad.
     
  8. Sn4tcH

    Sn4tcH Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 22, 2004
    Helms Deep was better in this...

    That is all...
     
  9. Bacon164

    Bacon164 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2005
    I sense sarcasm... I hope...
     
  10. Darth_Omega

    Darth_Omega Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 19, 2002
    Underrated, its not good what so ever but not as bad as many people are saying it is. Like the other LotR adaption this one fails at TTT, they all do.
     
  11. Sn4tcH

    Sn4tcH Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 22, 2004
    Yeah, that's really what I was getting at. I haven't liked any rendition of TTT...
     
  12. Kimball_Kinnison

    Kimball_Kinnison Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2001
    This page more or less describes my opinions on that Geneva Conventions-violating piece of trash.

    Kimball Kinnison
     
  13. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    Terrible. I was laughing until I cried at some of the idiocy.
     
  14. lightsaber_wielder

    lightsaber_wielder Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2002
    As was I. This "film" barely works as a piece in and of itself, let alone as an adaptation. The look that Sam and Frodo share in the scene where Aragorn relates the tale of Beren and Lúthien - if that's not implying homosexuality, I don't know what is.

    I quite like that site too, Kimball_Kinnison.
     
  15. Siths_Revenge

    Siths_Revenge Jedi Youngling star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 27, 2004
    It's a horrible trainwreck.
     
  16. redxavier

    redxavier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 23, 2003
    Well it being my introduction to LOTR, I have a soft spot for it. I love the prologue narrator ("Nine... for mortal men, Seven... were for the dwarf lords, and...three for the tall elf kings"), and there are moments which I feel it does better than PJ's version (some bits in Moria and Theoden)

    Great page though Kimball!

     
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