I thought it appropriate to watch this 1977 animated version as
preparation for the Peter Jackson extravaganza that is now hitting
theaters. The story opens with a narration by Gandalf (voiced by John
Huston) to explain just what a hobbit is and what Middle Earth is. It
then jumps into the arrival of Gandalf and the 13 dwarves at Bilbo's
door. The dwarves need a burglar and Gandalf had suggested Bilbo (Orson Bean) for
the post. Though he is clearly not excited by the idea, especially
since the contract offers to pay funeral expenses, he accepts. The
following morning, they set out.
The dwarves prove to be utterly and completely incompetent. The first big encounter is with trolls who scoop up the unarmed dwarves with little trouble. The dwarves are saved from becoming stew by the return of Gandalf. However, as luck would have it, the troll cave is filled with booty and there are swords to be had. Thorin, the leader of the dwarves, takes a blade. So do Gandalf and Bilbo. The other 12 dwarves are content with their level of disarmament.
The band arrives in Rivendel to consult with Elrond. He identifies Thorin's sword as the Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver and Gandalf's as Glamdring the Foe Hammer.
Back on the road, the band take shelter in a cave and are soon overwhelmed by goblins who easily capture our unhappy band while, once again, Gandalf is away. The lead goblin is about to slay Thorin for the crime of carrying Orcrist when Gandalf arrives to save the day. Gandalf is not done saving them yet, having to summon eagles to snatch them away from pursuing goblins on worgs. Now tired of rescuing this pathetic party, he places Bilbo in charge of future rescues.
In Mirkwood Forest, Bilbo has to save the dwarves from spiders and wood elves. It doesn't hurt that he has the One Ring and is, unlike most of the dwarves, armed with a blade which he names Sting. As if he hasn't done enough already, the dwarves send him alone into the bowels of the Lonely Mountain to `burgle' something from the Dragon Smaug's lair. Bilbo pesters Smaug in perhaps the best part of the movie. Smaug (voiced by Richard Boone) is pretty full of himself and rather entertaining.
Having reclaimed the treasures of the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves are finally in proper armor and armed when the humans (who killed Smaug) and the Wood Elves (from whom they escaped thanks to Bilbo) arrive and demand a cut of the treasure. Thorin says no and plans to fight the two armies with his band of 14. Oh, that should work out well. Three more armies arrive before the battle so that it becomes the Battle of Five Armies. Bilbo demonstrates his wisdom by sitting on the sidelines with his invisibility ring and watching the carnage.
The movie is a bit short. It sometimes feels rushed and there are parts that are clunky, most notably the hostility of the elves since the scene of dwarves crashing the elf feast were cut out. The music is often terrible. There is a song (which is so 1970s that it hurts) that repeats throughout. It has the melancholy quality combined with epic daring which doesn't work well. Also, there are times when the music drowns out the dialogue. This is most notable when Bilbo talks to Thorin on his deathbed. I watched the scene twice and still didn't get what he said.
The artwork is just okay. It is odd to see the differences between Elrond and the Wood Elves. The Wood Elves are green-skinned, long-legged, claw-footed, German-accented drunkards. Don't seem elvish at all. Some of the dwarves looked more like gnomes.
I must say I far prefer Bilbo to Frodo. Bilbo is a daring adventurer who went there and back again; Frodo is a reluctant victim who stumbles along to be repeatedly saved by his companions. Frodo was whiny and woe is me. Bilbo was can do. Really, there is no comparison between the two. I remember back when I first read the books that I would have preferred that Bilbo had gone instead of Frodo.
The dwarves prove to be utterly and completely incompetent. The first big encounter is with trolls who scoop up the unarmed dwarves with little trouble. The dwarves are saved from becoming stew by the return of Gandalf. However, as luck would have it, the troll cave is filled with booty and there are swords to be had. Thorin, the leader of the dwarves, takes a blade. So do Gandalf and Bilbo. The other 12 dwarves are content with their level of disarmament.
The band arrives in Rivendel to consult with Elrond. He identifies Thorin's sword as the Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver and Gandalf's as Glamdring the Foe Hammer.
Back on the road, the band take shelter in a cave and are soon overwhelmed by goblins who easily capture our unhappy band while, once again, Gandalf is away. The lead goblin is about to slay Thorin for the crime of carrying Orcrist when Gandalf arrives to save the day. Gandalf is not done saving them yet, having to summon eagles to snatch them away from pursuing goblins on worgs. Now tired of rescuing this pathetic party, he places Bilbo in charge of future rescues.
In Mirkwood Forest, Bilbo has to save the dwarves from spiders and wood elves. It doesn't hurt that he has the One Ring and is, unlike most of the dwarves, armed with a blade which he names Sting. As if he hasn't done enough already, the dwarves send him alone into the bowels of the Lonely Mountain to `burgle' something from the Dragon Smaug's lair. Bilbo pesters Smaug in perhaps the best part of the movie. Smaug (voiced by Richard Boone) is pretty full of himself and rather entertaining.
Having reclaimed the treasures of the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves are finally in proper armor and armed when the humans (who killed Smaug) and the Wood Elves (from whom they escaped thanks to Bilbo) arrive and demand a cut of the treasure. Thorin says no and plans to fight the two armies with his band of 14. Oh, that should work out well. Three more armies arrive before the battle so that it becomes the Battle of Five Armies. Bilbo demonstrates his wisdom by sitting on the sidelines with his invisibility ring and watching the carnage.
The movie is a bit short. It sometimes feels rushed and there are parts that are clunky, most notably the hostility of the elves since the scene of dwarves crashing the elf feast were cut out. The music is often terrible. There is a song (which is so 1970s that it hurts) that repeats throughout. It has the melancholy quality combined with epic daring which doesn't work well. Also, there are times when the music drowns out the dialogue. This is most notable when Bilbo talks to Thorin on his deathbed. I watched the scene twice and still didn't get what he said.
The artwork is just okay. It is odd to see the differences between Elrond and the Wood Elves. The Wood Elves are green-skinned, long-legged, claw-footed, German-accented drunkards. Don't seem elvish at all. Some of the dwarves looked more like gnomes.
I must say I far prefer Bilbo to Frodo. Bilbo is a daring adventurer who went there and back again; Frodo is a reluctant victim who stumbles along to be repeatedly saved by his companions. Frodo was whiny and woe is me. Bilbo was can do. Really, there is no comparison between the two. I remember back when I first read the books that I would have preferred that Bilbo had gone instead of Frodo.
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