Parent reviews for The Hobbit (1977)

Fun little movie!

i think the hobbit is a amazing movie but its not for kids because its really vilonte a guy shoots and kills a dragon in the neck theirs a big battleground of dead bodies and a old guy is seen in bleeding bandages and then dies with that being said i dont reccomend the hobbit 1977 for anyone under the age of 14

My sensitive 7 yo definitely could not watch the Peter Jackson versions of this story, which we read together and he loved. Because we'd read the book, he wasn't scared, though it definitely gets tense. This was a great alternative. For a kid who hasn't read the book, this will be fine as long as they're okay with your typical Disney movie (almost all of which have peril, threat, and fast action). If your kid hasn't read the book, prefers slapstick and/or does't pay close attention to plot lines, it might not be the video for them. In other news ... this old style, hand-painted animation is really just a marvel to take in. I really appreciated the beauty of it.

It isn't entirely a word for word adaption since it omits some characters and scenes like Beorn and the Arkenstone. However, it is a good adaption that, while dark in some places, isn't too dark, as I used to watch it a lot as a little kid. Has good role models and I like Bilbo's personality and mannerisms. The scene with the dragon Smaug is probably the scariest scene. The animation is unique because it was animated by Japanese company Topcraft, who became Studio Ghibli in the 80's.

As animated fare, this definitely isn't Disney. It feels darker than most animated movies with many scenes of peril and times when a sensitive child might get scared (those spiders and goblins can be nasty!) The animation is pretty detailed and not 'cute/cartoony' (none of the characters would every be considered good looking - not even an elf). However, this definitely isn't the live-action movie(s) either. It's generally kid-friendly and quick-paced. Biblo is the star - the dwarves all blend together as a group and there's not a lot of emotional impact when *spoilers* any dwarf dies. This can be a positive thing (young kids won't come away in tears) or a negative thing (we don't really care that someone died?). Although the book is better, as a first introduction to Middle Earth, this is pretty good and well worth watching - especially for kids who are too young to see Peter Jackson's version. I'd include this on a must-see list.