This was the most awesome cartoon ever when I was seven. I liked it so much, my folks bought me the book in paperback.

And thus was a nerd born.

Ok, first, thanks for posting this awesome gem but I, unfortunately have a major problem with it. This is the official version released missing TONS of ambient and prominent sound effects from the old 80s VHS release. I happened to have grown up on a janky VHS copied version from TV way back as proof that Warner Bros. is fucking everyone over and REFUSES to release a proper copy of this amazing film. I ripped and released a torrent of my copy which isn't the best, quality-wise, like this is but it at least is proof of what the soundtrack should be in its intact state. Is there anything that can be done?? btw, Rankin/Bass Gollum is best Gollum...

I've always loved this movie's version of Gollum. He has a very blind-cave-amphibian look to him.

I'm skimming through and cringing at all the scenes I know for a fact have awesome sound effect accompaniment that they refuse to fix. Spider deaths, arrow deflection, Goblin King death, rumblings, roarings, crackling flames, etc. Hurts my damn heart! My most hated sound omission is the thundering noise when Smaug closes his claw sharply and yells, "SPEARS!!" My one hope is that they'll release some stupid "Ultimate Edition" when the live-action movie comes out and quietly restore it to its full glory.. I have this bad feeling they won't though since there's no outpouring of disgust and disappointment like I feel.

ok, check this out right quick:

http://youtu.be/ZlR_UEs4q9g

This is one of the only blessed examples I can find on youtube. Notice the sound of the gold coins falling away from his legs as he stomps around. And the 'my claws: spears' bit is way more impactful with the sound behind it.

There's so much missing from it, I'm glad I was alive during the time it was intact. If I didn't think I'd get banned from poetv, I'd post a link to my torrent of it with all sounds intact (albeit, low vhs quality). I'm no good with video/audio editing but it's probably possible to splice the HD video with the intact soundtrack, yeah?? Would sharing a torrent of a film released by a company that knew full well they were selling people a defective product still be illegal???

What an embarrassingly bad adaptation.

The voice casting on this is fun. John Huston as Gandalf and Brother Theodore as Gollum are great choices, Otto Preminger is pure WTF, and some of the veteran voice actors end up using voices you heard elsewhere (listen to John Stephenson as the Grand Goblin. He's basically Mr. Slate).

The backgrounds are a REVELATION.

I never got through this movie as a kid because I couldn't stand to look at Bilbo's face. To this day I have a hard time with his gross froggy eyes.