What do you think of the Bakshi cartoon? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Feanor411 · 02-13-2009, 05:56 AM

such an interesting discussion!

I remember, a few years ago "Entertainment Weekly" ran a sidebar about Bakshi, and I got the impression that he didn't get to make the movie he wanted. It seems he and Saul Zaentz didn't see eye to eye on a lot. It's too bad--his animated "LotR" has the bones of a good movie, but the flaws are so huge and obvious, it makes it more difficult to appreciate the good aspects. Is that the one where the Ringwraiths are flying around on winged horses? Or is that the Rankin/Bass "RotK"? Anyway, that's probably the bottom of the barrel for me. And the orcs. And Sam. And everything else that everyone's already mentioned.

Rankin/Bass' "The Hobbit" was my true intro. to Tolkien--I saw it on TV when I was a kid. I remember being very impressed by Gollum (more true to the book than Jackson's), and for some reason always remembered the line "Deucedly fine blade." I just watched it again right after re-reading the book, and it's not quite as accurate as I'd remembered. I still think it was a good adaptation--all the essentials were there, and the changes generally helped the story along.

The R/B "RotK," on the other hand, is easily the worst adaptation I've ever seen. Any value, for me, is purely ironic (and there's not quite enough of that, either). "Is there some hobbit in YOU? IS THERE???" Pleeeeeease! I have to say, I tend to be a purist about these things, but I much preferred Peter Jackson's interpretation of Eowyn slaying the Witch King to the technically more accurate one in the R/B cartoon. The "foul dwimmerlaik" line just didn't work for me, whereas Miranda Otto did such a KILLER job displaying the emotions Tolkien describes in the book (you can even see the tears on her cheeks--a critical character element).

So, on a scale of 1-10, "Hobbit"-6, "LotR"-4, "RotK"-1.

02-13-2009, 05:56 AM	#25
Feanor411 Newly Deceased Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rural Minnesota Posts: 6	such an interesting discussion! I remember, a few years ago "Entertainment Weekly" ran a sidebar about Bakshi, and I got the impression that he didn't get to make the movie he wanted. It seems he and Saul Zaentz didn't see eye to eye on a lot. It's too bad--his animated "LotR" has the bones of a good movie, but the flaws are so huge and obvious, it makes it more difficult to appreciate the good aspects. Is that the one where the Ringwraiths are flying around on winged horses? Or is that the Rankin/Bass "RotK"? Anyway, that's probably the bottom of the barrel for me. And the orcs. And Sam. And everything else that everyone's already mentioned. Rankin/Bass' "The Hobbit" was my true intro. to Tolkien--I saw it on TV when I was a kid. I remember being very impressed by Gollum (more true to the book than Jackson's), and for some reason always remembered the line "Deucedly fine blade." I just watched it again right after re-reading the book, and it's not quite as accurate as I'd remembered. I still think it was a good adaptation--all the essentials were there, and the changes generally helped the story along. The R/B "RotK," on the other hand, is easily the worst adaptation I've ever seen. Any value, for me, is purely ironic (and there's not quite enough of that, either). "Is there some hobbit in YOU? IS THERE???" Pleeeeeease! I have to say, I tend to be a purist about these things, but I much preferred Peter Jackson's interpretation of Eowyn slaying the Witch King to the technically more accurate one in the R/B cartoon. The "foul dwimmerlaik" line just didn't work for me, whereas Miranda Otto did such a KILLER job displaying the emotions Tolkien describes in the book (you can even see the tears on her cheeks--a critical character element). So, on a scale of 1-10, "Hobbit"-6, "LotR"-4, "RotK"-1.