I knew Topcraft did it - but not that they also worked on Last Unicorn. They did work for Rankin/Bass previously - doing the animation for the Super-friends Cartoon movie. I hadn't realized Rankin/Bass had produced the Hobbit animated film - until I fell down that rabbit hole.
But I also adored the animated film and grew up on it. I even played the Great Goblin in a children's theater adaptation of the book, that was pretty much the same script as the Rankin/Bass production. (I was in the sixth grade, and had read The Hobbit prior to all of this.)
And I'd say it does hold up in some respects better than Jackson's Hobbit films. Jackson seems to adore war scenes and fight scenes, because he went a bit overboard on them in both the Hobbit films and the Lord of the Rings. (They make more sense in the Lord of the Rings.) Also the Dwarves got more focus in Jackson's films, while the animated film stayed in Bilbo's point of view throughout, and was more focused as a result.
But also? It's really hard to beat John Houston and Richard Boone as vocal talents.
So I agree. I think the animated Hobbit film kind of ruined Jackson's films for me in an odd way. Although I do like the beginning of first Hobbit film quite a bit. (And any scene with Lee Pace in it).
ETA: Forgot to add - I'd remembered Return of the King (animated version) being better than it actually was. When I watched the clips, I kind of cringed. That is dire.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2022-10-20 01:40 am (UTC)I hadn't realized Rankin/Bass had produced the Hobbit animated film - until I fell down that rabbit hole.
But I also adored the animated film and grew up on it. I even played the Great Goblin in a children's theater adaptation of the book, that was pretty much the same script as the Rankin/Bass production. (I was in the sixth grade, and had read The Hobbit prior to all of this.)
And I'd say it does hold up in some respects better than Jackson's Hobbit films. Jackson seems to adore war scenes and fight scenes, because he went a bit overboard on them in both the Hobbit films and the Lord of the Rings. (They make more sense in the Lord of the Rings.)
Also the Dwarves got more focus in Jackson's films, while the animated film stayed in Bilbo's point of view throughout, and was more focused as a result.
But also? It's really hard to beat John Houston and Richard Boone as vocal talents.
So I agree. I think the animated Hobbit film kind of ruined Jackson's films for me in an odd way. Although I do like the beginning of first Hobbit film quite a bit. (And any scene with Lee Pace in it).
ETA: Forgot to add - I'd remembered Return of the King (animated version) being better than it actually was. When I watched the clips, I kind of cringed. That is dire.