Product: The Hobbit [VHS] (1977)
Rating: 3.0
A Timeless Classic with a few bugs...
Prior to this purchase, I had not watched the 1977 Rankin/Bass production of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" in well over 20 years. Addressing and, in some cases, echoing the concerns of other reviewers, these are the two main issues my Wife and I discovered upon viewing:1. The first minute or so of the movie is a bit "herky-jerky" as the animation scrolls towards Mr. Baggins' house. However, the problem seems to correct itself once Bilbo is introduced.2. The film definitely "skips" in three places: towards the end of Glenn Yarbrough's opening song ("The Greatest Adventure"), towards the end of the dialogue between Bilbo and Gandalf after the party is deposited in Mirkwood, and towards the end of Bilbo's encounter with Smaug. The "skips" are very minor (stretching perhaps .5 to 1 second in length), but noticeable nonetheless.Other, more minor concerns include the film's "washed-out" color, the addition of digital effects during the introduction, and the aforementioned brightness/contrast issues.In all, I rated this "Movies on Parade" DVD release of the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated production of "The Hobbit" a 3/5, although a 2.5/5 is probably more realistic. For $9.95 it's a relatively cheap investment - if one can overlook the issues mentioned above. Hopefully, propelled by the (almost certain) success of PJ's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," fans of this timeless tale will be able to purchase a faithful DVD/Blu-ray of this timeless animated classic soon.