The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit: Ranked From Worst To Best

4. The Lord Of The Rings (1978)

Now Middle-Earth is synonymous with New Zealand, it's easy to forget that Peter Jackson wasn't the first film-maker to dabble in bringing Tolkien's work to the screen. There's been plenty of other attempts, leading to some rather mixed results, but the only one that ever made it to cinema screens was Ralph Bakshi's incredibly ambitious animation. Adapting The Fellowship Of The Ring and The Two Towers (a sequel dealing with The Return Of The King never materialised, although an unoffical TV version was made), the plot follows rather similarly to the movies audiences are much more familiar with - similar major omissions are made in both versions, while any differences feel almost purposely opposed. Where Bakshi's vision is distinct from the Kiwi's is in its visual style. The Middle-Earth here is more typical of the classical, less-realistic fantasy of yesteryear, but thanks to the various animation methods used it's made enduringly unique. By far the most interesting element is the heavy use of rotoscoping, with live-action footage given a cartoon sheen in post-production. While it certainly dates the film, there's no denying it's an intoxicating effect that makes the sword-fights pop, the ringwraiths terrifying and Bakshi's world exciting to inhabit. To any fan of the Jackson's movies, this is pretty much a must see, showing what the director brought to the world and presenting an alternate take on now-iconic events. And to anyone else (if people who don't like The Lord Of The Rings actually exist), it's a forgotten animated gem that shows just how much the medium, even in its traditional form, can do.