Product: The Hobbit [VHS] (1977)
Rating: 3.0
I thought it was scary!
I remember having my little "Hobbit" read-along book and record player when I was a little girl. I still recall all the nightmares I had with Gollum chasing me through my dreams. Seeing the little book turned into the full-length movie was still frightening to me 20 years later! I Just finished reading J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" for the first time. My husband asked me to read it, claiming it as his favorite book of all time. It was good, but at the age of 26, I did find it a tad tedious. I do however, understand why it has so many devoted followers.The cartoon version of "The Hobbit" is old. It was produced in 1978. I really liked the animation. It had a very enchanting, dark, "foreign" quality to it. There are many lines taken verbatum from the book, but you can't expect the movie to live up to the printed edition. It doesn't come close..but I must say I still thought the scene with Gollum was most horrifying. I hope someday to overcome my fear of the slimy little monster.Would this be a great edition to a Tolkien fan's collection? It would make a good gift. Do I recommend this to young children? I'm not sure...the characters are pretty frightening and the whole movie has a real gritty aura to it. I think it would be more appropriate for a child that has already read the book/series and understands it's concept. I mean, after 20 years, I watched the movie cringing and holding on to my couch pillow as a shield. I give it three stars for a very different kind of cartoon flick-one with a beautiful dark and rainy day atmosphere.