Product: The Hobbit [VHS] (1977)
Rating: 4.0
Good as a kid's introduction to Tolkein
I saw this on television when I was a child, and it led me to read The Hobbit and later, The Lord of the Rings. Is this a great children's adaptation of a beloved book? In a word, yes. This version of the Hobbit keeps the flavor of the book.. lighter and more humorous than LOTR. I can still sing some of the songs from this version, most notably "The Misty Mountains" I must say, this film was also my first experience with death (The scene where Thorin dies is actually quite touching) and you may want to be prepared for an emotional reaction or questions about death and dying from your children after watching this with them (I had a reaction when I was younger, as did my oldest niece upon seeing it last year) Is it a worthy ADULT adaptation? Not really.. but a good introduction for older kids to literary fantasy.