Product: The Hobbit [VHS] (1977)
Rating: 4.0
The quality of the transfer could be better
Of course this is the 1977 Rankin-Bass animated version of J.R.R. Tolkien's internationally-famous work, "The Hobbit".THE STORY: Bilbo Baggins, a well-to-do and content Hobbit, is shoe-horned by a Wizard and a dozen Dwarfs to go on an adventure (Hobbits despise adventures!) to recover the Dwarves' lost treasure from a very nasty Dragon, Smaug. Bilbo is to serve the Dwarves in the capacity of "burglar". They do, in fact, experience multiple adventures along the way, incursions with terrifying trolls and other enchanted world undesirables. The Dwarves make it hard on themselves by way of their greed which made me think how very true this story is. A big battle between good and evil forces concludes this yarn.The animation is quite good and stands the test of time; however, the actual quality of this transfer is pretty disappointing. It's not nearly as sharp as I recall it when it was originally broadcast on television. Most young kids will likely ignore this flaw.Comparing it to Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated "The Lord of the Rings", the latter is a far superior presentation in every aspect.Lord of the Rings (1978)I can definitely recommend it.