Lord of the Rings: 1978 Animated Movie (Remastered Deluxe Edition)

Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's revered Middle-earth saga, The Lord of the Rings: 1978 Animated Movie, captures the dark mood of the books extraordinarily well. The film covers the first half of the trilogy - "The Fellowship of the Ring" and the earlier part of "The Two Towers" - as Frodo (voiced by Christopher Guard), the cousin of Bilbo Baggins from "The Hobbit", is given the all-powerful ring sought by the evil Sauron of Mordor. Frodo's adventure begins as he must elude Mordor's black riders in an effort to prevent the ring from returning to its owner and thereby signaling the end of Middle-earth. Even with the mighty wizard Gandalf as his ally and faithful friends Merry, Sam, and Pippin by his side, Frodo is still up to his hobbit neck in peril.

Unfortunately, the 1080p/VC-1 transfer of Bakshi's animated adaptation reveals the film's desperate need for the kind of complete restoration that studios like Disney have granted their catalog classics over the years. While the color palette has been accurately preserved, with earthy hues, gloomy skies, and muddy reds effectively evoking the filmmaker's intended tone, the presentation is still murky and bruised, even when compared to the Blu-ray edition of Bakshi's Fire and Ice.

The image quality is reasonably improved, with clearer details and errant strokes of the animators' pens, but the whole presentation remains soft, scratched, and plagued by nicks, specks, and solarized live-action footage. Contrast is also terribly underwhelming, and issues like wobbling, wavering, banding, and faint artifacting further hinder the viewing experience.

In terms of the audio, Warner's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track is the highlight of the release, offering diehards a worthwhile reason to upgrade from their old DVDs. While it's not a remarkable remix - with inconsistent dialogue, underwhelming LFE output, and a somewhat timid rear speaker presence - it handily bests the previous Dolby Digital track. The cast's voices are clean and clear, Leonard Rosenman's score leaves a fitting mark, and the sound effects have welcome weight and stability, even if the overall presentation retains the film's front-heavy disposition.

Ultimately, the quality of the audio and video may not satisfy everyone, but this remains the best version of Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings available on the market. While a complete restoration would be ideal, the studio likely sees little financial incentive to invest in such a costly process, especially with Peter Jackson's acclaimed adaptation already in existence. Fans of the 1978 animated film will find this release a worthwhile upgrade, even if it falls short of the standards set by more recent home video releases of classic titles.

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