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IMDbPro

The Lord of the Rings

  • 19781978
  • PGPG
  • 2h 12m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
34K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,297
544
Christopher Guard and William Squire in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Blu-Ray Combo Pack trailer
Play trailer1:20
1 Video
83 Photos
AnimationAdventureFantasy
The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron's reign over Middle-earth.The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron's reign over Middle-earth.The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron's reign over Middle-earth.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
34K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,297
544
    • Ralph Bakshi
    • Chris Conkling(screenplay)
    • Peter S. Beagle(screenplay)
    • J.R.R. Tolkien(novels "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers")
  • Stars
    • Christopher Guard(voice)
    • William Squire(voice)
    • Michael Scholes(voice)
    • Ralph Bakshi
    • Chris Conkling(screenplay)
    • Peter S. Beagle(screenplay)
    • J.R.R. Tolkien(novels "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers")
  • Stars
    • Christopher Guard(voice)
    • William Squire(voice)
    • Michael Scholes(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 347User reviews
    • 75Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    The Lord of the Rings
    Trailer 1:20
    Watch The Lord of the Rings

    Photos83

    Peter Woodthorpe in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Ralph Bakshi in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Anthony Daniels in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Michael Deacon and Philip Stone in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Simon Chandler in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Anthony Daniels, John Hurt, David Buck, Simon Chandler, Michael Graham Cox, Christopher Guard, Dominic Guard, Michael Scholes, William Squire, and Peter Woodthorpe in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Simon Chandler, Michael Graham Cox, and Dominic Guard in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    David Buck in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Norman Bird in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Christopher Guard in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Christopher Guard in The Lord of the Rings (1978)
    Christopher Guard, Michael Scholes, and Peter Woodthorpe in The Lord of the Rings (1978)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Christopher Guard
    • Frodo
    • (voice)
    William Squire
    William Squire
    • Gandalf
    • (voice)
    Michael Scholes
    • Sam
    • (voice)
    John Hurt
    John Hurt
    • Aragorn
    • (voice)
    Simon Chandler
    Simon Chandler
    • Merry
    • (voice)
    Dominic Guard
    Dominic Guard
    • Pippin
    • (voice)
    Norman Bird
    Norman Bird
    • Bilbo
    • (voice)
    Michael Graham Cox
    Michael Graham Cox
    • Boromir
    • (voice)
    • (as Michael Graham-Cox)
    Anthony Daniels
    Anthony Daniels
    • Legolas
    • (voice)
    David Buck
    David Buck
    • Gimli
    • (voice)
    Peter Woodthorpe
    Peter Woodthorpe
    • Gollum
    • (voice)
    Fraser Kerr
    • Saruman
    • (voice)
    Philip Stone
    Philip Stone
    • Theoden
    • (voice)
    Michael Deacon
    • Wormtongue
    • (voice)
    André Morell
    André Morell
    • Elrond
    • (voice)
    • (as Andre Morell)
    Alan Tilvern
    Alan Tilvern
    • Innkeeper
    • (voice)
    Annette Crosbie
    Annette Crosbie
    • Galadriel
    • (voice)
    John Westbrook
    • Treebeard
    • (voice)
      • Ralph Bakshi
      • Chris Conkling(screenplay)
      • Peter S. Beagle(screenplay)
      • J.R.R. Tolkien(novels "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Tim Burton worked as an animator on this movie. He was not credited, but worked as an "in-between" artist. It was his first job on a movie.
    • Goofs
      The name of the wizard of Isengard fluctuates between "Saruman" and "Aruman" throughout the movie.
    • Quotes

      [after Gandalf opens the door to Moria]

      Legolas: So all you had to do was say friend... and enter.

      Gilmi: Those were happier times...

    • Alternate versions
      The version screened on British TV in the 1980s contains more music than the recently-released VHS and DVD version.
    • Connections
      Edited from Alexander Nevsky (1938)
    • Soundtracks
      MITHRANDIR
      Music by Leonard Rosenman

      Words by Mark Fleischer

    User reviews347

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Animated version of The Lord Of The Rings - quite good, but suffers because too many unfairly compare it to the new Peter Jackson version.
    More than twenty years before Peter Jackson's visionary adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings, there was this 1978 animated effort from director Ralph Bakshi. An ambitious and reasonably faithful version of the story, this has sadly been rather over-shadowed by the Jackson trilogy. Indeed, many reviewers here on the IMDb (mainly those who saw the newer version first) seem to be fiercely unkind to this version.... but if one applies a little common sense, and takes into consideration the time when it was made and the technical possibilities that existed at that time, then they will realise that this is a pretty good film. Indeed, it was shortly after seeing this animated movie back in the early '80s that I sought out Tolkien's book and immediately became a lifelong fan of these richly detailed Middle Earth adventures. So, in some respects, I owe this film a degree of acknowledgement as the film which shaped my literary tastes forever.

    Sauron, the Dark Lord of Middle Earth, forges an all-powerful ring that gives him incredible power. Following a great battle during which Sauron is defeated, the ring falls into possession of a king named Isildur…. but instead of destroying it he foolishly chooses to keep it. For centuries the ring passes from hand to hand, eventually coming into the possession of a hobbit named Frodo Baggins who lives in a peace-loving community known as The Shire. Frodo learns from a wizard named Gandalf that his ring is in fact The One Ring, the very same that was forged by Sauron all those centuries ago, and that its master is once again searching for it in order to restore his dark power over the entire land. Frodo embarks on a perilous journey to protect the ring with three other hobbit companions, but every step of the way they are hunted by Sauron's ring-wraiths, the Black Riders. There follow many adventures, during which a company of nine adventurers is formed to guide the ring to the only place where it can be "unmade" – Mount Doom, in the land of Mordor. The film concludes with Frodo and his best friend Sam on the borders of Mordor, closing ever nearer to their horrifying destination. Meanwhile Gandalf and the other members of the company fight off a huge army of orcs at the legendary fortress of Helm's Deep.

    This version covers just over half of the original book. A second instalment was planned to bring the story to an end, but was sadly never completed. While the ending feels abrupt, it does at least end at a sensible point in the story. One has to feel a little frustration and regret that no sequel exists in which we might follow these animated heroes to their eventual goal. The animation is passable, with a nice variety of locales and characters presented in interesting detail. The music by Leonard Rosenman is suitably stirring and fits in appropriately with the epic narrative. The voice-overs are decent, too, especially John Hurt as Aragorn and Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum. On the other hand, Michael Scholes - who provides the voice for Sam - is rather campy and goofy, which is not well suited to the character. The Lord Of The Rings is a commendable attempt to visualise the staggering book on which it is based.
    helpful•88
    25
    • barnabyrudge
    • May 30, 2006

    FAQ14

    • Why does the film only cover half of the story?
    • Why wasn't it indicated that this would be the first part of the story?
    • Who is Aruman?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 15, 1978 (United States)
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
      • Spain
      • RalphBakshi.com
      • English
      • Sindarin
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Belmonte, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Fantasy Films
      • Bakshi Productions
      • Saul Zaentz Film Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 12 minutes
      • Color

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