‘The Lord of the Rings (1978)’ Blu-ray Review
At the turn of the century Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga to life on film. But decades before these were released in theatres, the 1970s saw animated versions of these epic tales. They included The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Return of the King.
Warner Bros. home video release of The Lord of the Rings has been out of print for many years. So, this film was mostly unattainable until now. Warner Bros. have decided to re-release this animated classic in high definition so that the world can experience this groundbreaking film in HD.
Controversial animator Ralph Bakshi’s literal adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, is brought to the screen. An evil sorcerer from a previous era created a magical ring which enables its users to call upon its tremendous powers to rule the world, but it inevitably warps them to evil. It was believed lost, but during a resurgence of magical evil in the world, Bilbo, a simple, plain-spoken hobbit, recovers it from its hiding place. The forces of good give his nephew Frodo the choice to bear the awful burden of the ring to a place where it may be destroyed.
Ralph Bakshi brings the world of Middle-earth to life in epic fashion in this animated classic. Probably what stands out most is his pioneering use of rotoscoping – animating over live-action footage. The rotoscoping really brings another worldly feel to this tale. Plus, the film is pretty faithful to the source material. It is an extremely entertaining little animated film.
Warner Bros. have transferred this film to Blu-ray in 1080p and is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The audio track is English TrueHD 5.1. This film’s Blu-ray transfer is not a great one. When screening this Blu-ray I was surprised to see many specks throughout the film. A new 4k scan, cleaning up the artefacts, would have brought new life to this film. But that being said, the film still looks nice in HD! And there are bonus features on this disc as well. So it is at least not a bare bones release.
Special Features:
- Forging Through The Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for The Lord of the Rings
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Complete First Season Trailer
The 30-minute in-depth interview with director Ralph Bakshi really is a nice addition to this Blu-ray. He dives deep into creating this epic animated film. But, this being the only real bonus feature is a bit disappointing. While this version of The Lord of the Rings may not satisfy purists or even casual fans, this Blu-ray release of The Lord of the Rings (1978) is an essential pickup for animation enthusiasts, Tolkien collectors, and fantasy film historians.
***½ 3.5/5
The Lord of the Rings (1978) is out now on Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Video.
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