Having changed fantasy forever while simultaneously inspiring countless other fantastical worlds and fairy stories, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest literary works of our time. Originally published between July 1954 and October 1955, this high-fantasy epic is the "gold standard" for the genre and expertly expanded on the world of Middle-Earth that readers were first introduced to in The Hobbit. Decades later, Peter Jackson's film trilogy - which was one of the biggest filmmaking undertakings in movie history - would make a similar mark on the motion picture industry, walking away with 17 Academy Awards and opening the doors for new Tolkien fans to charge through. But did you know there was another film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings that predated Jackson's masterpiece?

Back in 1978, filmmaker and animator Ralph Bakshi, who is most well-known for his often X-rated animated features like Fritz the Cat or his post-apocalyptic fantasy Wizards, took it upon himself to direct his own animated adaptation of Tolkien's magnum opus. With the help of the now-defunct United Artists, Bakshi's film worked its way through The Fellowship of the Ring and the first half or so of The Two Towers, ending with the Battle at Helm's Deep. In fact, this animated classic influenced Jackson so much that it lead him to read Tolkien's work for himself, only to later direct his own (complete) adaptation. Of course, Jackson wouldn't be the only one whose love for Middle-Earth began here.

Bakshi's Animated Classic Comes Off as Disjointed

Many Lord of the Rings fans grew up watching this '70s cartoon fever dream, and many more have fond childhood memories of watching the Fellowship journey across Middle-Earth to destroy Sauron's One Ring. But childhood memories and pure nostalgia aren't exactly enough for everyone, especially those who didn't grow up with the film. Upon this author's first viewing of what was described by others as an "animated classic," well, let's just say that we came to some very different conclusions. Don't misunderstand, there are some wonderful moments in Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, namely the time spent in the Shire, Frodo's well-rounded characterization, and the terrifying nature of the Nazgûl (which certainly influenced Jackson's interpretation later on), but the rest of the movie mostly feels disjointed.

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Chalk it up to Bakshi's unfinished vision, technological limitations, or our modern millennial attention spans (or lack thereof), but the animated Lord of the Rings is actually kind of boring. Sure, a few of the action sequences are interesting, and it's certainly fun to watch a different take on Tolkien's source material, but most of the time, the film feels like we're at a standstill, waiting for a second wind that never quite arrives. Of course, sometimes Tolkien himself takes paragraphs and pages to describe a single moment or event, and maybe, in an effort to remain true to the source material, this is what Bakshi was going for, but he doesn't keep us nearly as engaged as the professor does on the page. Not only that, but many of these action and chase sequences (especially when Frodo is on the run from the Nazgûl after Weathertop) feel void of any geography or sense of direction, and certainly don't feel all too dire.

The Lord of the Rings is a strange adventure because in one breath it can introduce a new (or old, technically) interpretation of Aragorn (played masterfully by John Hurt), one who looks completely different from the Viggo Mortensen version we're used to but in the best of ways, while at the same time it can ignore the personalities and character development of both Legolas (Anthony Daniels, yes, that Anthony Daniels) and Gimli (David Buck), who have very little to do here other than engage in combat. At least Boromir (Michael Graham Cox) is a more well-rounded character here than in Jackson's trilogy, one who actively attempts to atone for his mistakes. Boromir's entire character design is fascinating and his arc in the film, though small, is immensely powerful.

Christopher Guard's Frodo Is an Excellent Adaptation

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Image via United Artists

Likewise, Christopher Guard's Frodo is an excellent adaptation of the character with a solid moral compass and a healthy attitude towards his mission that would put Elijah Wood's to shame. He's confident, and capable, and doesn't really need anyone to go with him on his journey, yet he graciously accepts help from Sam (Michael Scholes), who is not the most bright or attractive-looking Hobbit in the Shine. Yet, in the film's unfocused fashion, the Frodo and Sam plot is completely overshadowed by the end in favor of the Rohan plotline, not even catching up with the two Hobbits again before the credits roll. And that's not even to mention how the movie completely forgets about Merry (Simon Chandler) and Pippin (Dominic Guard)! Sadly, the longer the film continues, the more Bakshi and his The Lord of the Rings lose sight and focus of their main character, and by extension the ultimate goal of their quest.

Bakshi's Movie Features Groundbreaking Rotoscoping

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Image via United Artists

One thing that is incredible and noteworthy about Bakshi's production though is its groundbreaking use of rotoscoping. Rotoscoping is a technique in which scenes are initially shot in live-action before being traced onto animation cels to make for more "realistic animation." This was a trademark in Bakshi's work that he first used in Wizards only to continue using it after The Lord of the Rings in movies like American Pop, Fire and Ice, and Cool World. While not the most popular technique, the animated Lord of the Rings uses rotoscoping constantly, making it one of the few animated features to use this technique so consistently from beginning to end.

Sometimes it looks superb and works well within the film's context (especially during close-ups of the Orcs or the Nazgûl), while other times it's paired with ugly colored overlays, which make it feel a bit primitive and off-putting. Nevertheless, it's an impressive feat for a film released in 1978, and maybe even more so now in an age where so much animation is done digitally rather than by hand. Though, this does beg the question, if they filmed so many of these scenes in live-action anyway, why not just make the movie live-action in the first place?

Here in the 21st century, we've been spoiled by advances in practical effects, CGI, and animation, and though movies like The Hobbit trilogy and many recent Marvel Studios productions may not be the best examples of this, we've still come a long way from the rotoscoping techniques of 1978. However, acknowledging the importance of these past techniques doesn't stop Bakshi's high-fantasy epic from being a bit off-putting to watch at times, especially whenever the Black Riders are on-screen. Though to be fair, they're kinda meant to be off-putting, so rotoscoping actually does make them much scarier here than they are in Peter Jackson's trilogy.

Another scene of note is the moment where the four Hobbits all hide from the Black Rider beneath a tree root while on their way to Bree. This scene is nearly identical to the one in Peter Jackson's live-action The Fellowship of the Ring, and for good reasons, it's one of the best parts of the movie. Since the release of his trilogy, Jackson has gone on record in The Fellowship of the Rings' audio commentary and stated that this scene in particular was an influence in making The Lord of the Rings. For a more in-depth visual comparison, this video from Matt Skuta on YouTube is an excellent resource that shows just how similar many of the iconic shots in Jackson's trilogy are, which only serves to strengthen Bakshi's impact on Tolkien's legendarium.

The Animated The Lord of the Rings Was a Financial Success

animated lord of the rings movie
Image via United Artists

Possibly the strangest thing about The Lord of the Rings though is that it was a financial success that made over $30 million worldwide on a $2 million budget, and yet, there was never a sequel made. While some have confused the Rankin/Bass TV movie adaptation ofThe Return of the King as a sequel to Bakshi's film, it actually had nothing to do with this animated classic, though it mostly served as a satisfying conclusion to those wishing for a true ending. While Bakshi had plans for a continuation that could continue The Two Towers story and finish off with his own version of The Return of the King, mixed critical responses and intense frustrations from Tolkien fans put those plans to rest. Evidently, Bakshi was once approached by Warner Bros. to possibly complete his story, but, frustrated that he wasn't consulted on Jackson's trilogy, he seemingly rejected the offer.

Ultimately, it's sad that Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings was never finished, and although it is admittedly a very strange film, the real crime is that it has been left unfinished for so long. With Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth saga completed, Amazon's multi-million dollar The Rings of Power prequel on the rise, and The War of the Rohirrim anime feature set to be released in 2024, it's easy to see that there is more and more demand for a return to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and for many, the conclusion of Bakshi's adaptation would be a beautiful sight to behold. Personally, The Lord of the Rings still leaves a lot to be desired for this author, and a sequel probably wouldn't fix that, but for the sake of Ralph Bakshi and the longtime Tolkien fans who grew up with this animated classic, we can hope beyond hope that this interpretation of the tale will one day see its end.