The Lord of the Rings (1978)

This is where it all began. A case could be made that this late-1970s cult item deserves to be slotted a couple spots higher strictly based on the fact that it was regarded as the definitive Lord of the Rings screen adaptation for well over 20 years until Peter Jackson came along. And one does feel tempted to cut visionary animator Ralph Bakshi some slack for taking the huge undertaking of translating Tolkien’s universe from page to screen with little blueprint to go on, limited resources, a tight schedule, and a notoriously troubled production saddled with untimely setbacks. But here’s the cold truth: The film is simply not that good.

An early pioneer in rotoscoping animation style, the 1978s “The Lord of the Rings” saw Bakshi push boundaries and experiment by fusing conventional hand-drawn backgrounds and characters with extended sequences of animation cels traced over live-action footage. The result of this costly and laborious process is unfortunately very wonky, unintentionally funny, and considerably less coherent than any of his future endeavors (“Fire and Ice”, “American Pop”). The film covers the first two thirds of the story and culminates in the siege of Helm’s Deep, setting up a sequel that was ultimately ditched by the studio (Led Zeppelin was originally tapped to compose the music and Mick Jagger asked to voice Frodo).

Forty-odd years later, Bakshi’s “Lord of the Rings” is a mixed bag overall, only partially redeemed by a uniquely-retro, uncanny visual style that is totally its own. If you’re a diehard completionist, it might be worth tracking down.