Lord of the Rings (1978)

All of the magical adventure of J.R.R. Tolkein's thrilling Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to life in this brilliantly animated tale of the enchanted land of Middle Earth, and the brave band of hobbits, heroes and wizards who set out to save it. Covering the events of the first two books of the series -- The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers -- brave hobbit Frodo Baggins sets out from the Shire with his friends Sam, Meri and Pippin, to destroy the magic ring his uncle Bilbo has bequeathed him. Joined by brave warriors Aragorn and Boromir, Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, and the powerful wizard Gandalf the Grey, the fellowship struggles against the forces of darkness that threaten to overtake the land. Featuring the vocal talents of John Hurt (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Alien) and Anthony Daniels (both Star Wars trilogies), and directed by animation legend Ralph Bakshi (Cool World, Fritz the Cat).