On July 22nd, Warner Bros. will be reissuing remastered, deluxe editions of the Rankin/Bass animated classics ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Return of the King’.
The Hobbit Deluxe Edition Synopsis: [Amazon.com]
The place is Middle Earth. The time is long ago, when humans shared their days with elves, wizards, goblins, dragons, heroes…and hobbits. Bilbo Baggins is a hero and a hobbit, a roundish, peaceable homebody going on a dangerous quest – even though adventures make hobbits late for dinner!
In this enchanting adaptation of the first installment of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bilbo the hobbit is asked to recover a fabulous treasure stolen from friendly dwarfs. All he must do is brave dark forests, towering mountains, hobbit-eating trolls, huge spiders, a fiery dragon and more. Fun and amazement await – so join the quest!
Special Features:
- J.R.R. Tolkien Facts & Trivia
- Cast & Crew credits
- From the Vault: 3 WB classic cartoons: ‘Knight-mare Hare’, ‘Knighty Knight Bugs’, and ‘Rabbit Hood’
- Trailers: ‘Tom and Jerry & The Lost Dragon’, ‘LEGO: Legends of Chima’, ‘LEGO: Hobbit’, ‘Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy’
Format: Multiple Formats, Animated, Color, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Run Time: 78 minutes
[Buy on Amazon.com]
My Thoughts: It’s been many years since I last saw this, and I had forgotten how much I loved the voice talent: Orson Bean as Bilbo, John Huston as Gandalf, Otto Preminger as a very German Thranduil/Elvenking, and (my favorite) 1960’s Surrealist comic Brother Theodore as Gollum. Picture and sound are both superb. A great soundtrack by Glen Yarbrough.
‘The greatest adventure is what lies ahead
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said
The chances the changes are all yours to make
The mold of your life is in your hands to break”
The Return of the King Deluxe Edition Synopsis: [Amazon.com]
Frodo the Hobbit, the remarkable hero of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, battles more evil forces plaguing Middle Earth in The Return of the King.
The Magic Ring of The Hobbit has now become the Ring of Doom – and to restore peace it must be destroyed in the raging fires in which it was made. Chosen for the task, Frodo and faithful servant Samwise face grave perils – the worst of which is the ring’s terrible power to possess its wearer. Will Frodo give in to the madness of the ring….or will he fulfill his quest?
Special Features:
- J.R.R. Tolkien Facts & Trivia
- Cast & Crew Credits
- From the Vault: WB cartoon shorts ‘Good Knight Droppy’ and ‘Jerry Hood & His Merry Meeses’
- Trailers: ‘LEGO: Hobbit’, ‘Tom and Jerry & the Lost Dragon’, ‘LEGO: Legends of Chima’, ‘Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy’
Format: Multiple Formats, Animated, Color, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Run Time: 98 minutes
[Buy on Amazon.com]
My Thoughts: It’s a shame Rankin/Bass didn’t have the chance to do ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ and ‘The Two Towers’, as ‘The Return of the King’ doesn’t do a great job of filling in the story for those that may be unfamiliar with the first two books. The mispronunciations are a little annoying, too. Still, the film is a lot of fun to watch; the Ringwraiths are fantastic, as is Eowyn’s confrontation with the Witch King of Angmar. As with ‘The Hobbit’, the picture, sound, and voice talent are all top-notch. Orson Bean, John Huston, Otto Preminger, and Brother Theodore reprise their roles; new additions include the great Roddy McDowell as Samwise Gamgee, and Casey Kasem as Merry. Best of all, ‘The Return of the King’ includes (in this writer’s humble opinion) one of the greatest Tolkien-inspired songs of all time:
“Where there’s a whip, there’s a way.
Where there’s a whip, there’s a way.
We don’t wanna go to war today,
But the lord of the lash says nay, nay, nay!
We’re gonna march all day, all day, all day,
Cause where there’s a whip, there’s a way.”
In this 50-minute lecture at at Swarthmore College, Professor Tom Shippey, the author of J.R.R. Tolkien, Author of the Century, charts the creative reshaping of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings into Peter Jackson’s award-winning trilogy of films. 
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