The Lord of the Rings
Seen it?1978 | 132 min | Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
It made about 8 times its budget, but middling reviews (48% on Rotten Tomatoes) held it back. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for fantasy fans, adventure fans and animation lovers. If you loved The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring or The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, start here.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 2 hr 12 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG: peril. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Made in 1978: an older pace and style.
Young Hobbit Frodo Baggins is thrown into an amazing adventure when he's tasked with destroying the One Ring, created by the dark lord Sauron. Frodo must travel in a small fellowship of nine warriors and accomplices. But it won't be an easy journey for the Fellowship of the Ring, on the ultimate quest to rid Middle-earth of evil.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
48% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$33 million worldwide on a $4 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 317K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed epic fantasy adventure.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Friday Night FlickAnother epic fantasy film, and a Friday Night Flick.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Saturday SpecialAnother epic fantasy adventure, and a Saturday Special.
Warcraft Weeknight WatchAnother epic fantasy adventure, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Wizards Weeknight WatchAlso from director Ralph Bakshi, though it's a different kind of film: an animated story, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Ralph Bakshi
- Christopher GuardFrodo (voice)
- William SquireGandalf (voice)
- Michael ScholesSam (voice)
- John HurtAragorn (voice)
- Simon ChandlerMerry (voice)
- Dominic GuardPippin (voice)
- Michael Graham CoxBoromir (voice)
- Anthony DanielsLegolas (voice)
- David BuckGimli (voice)
- Norman BirdBilbo (voice)