Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings, on Adult Swim

It wasn't just Sir Christopher Lee who appeared in both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings films. Anthony Daniels was also present in both Middle Earth and a galaxy far, far away—or at least his voice was. The man geeks love as C-3PO provided the voice of Legolas in Ralph Bakshi’s animated adaptation. While divisive at the time of release, many fans warmed to it over time (and it looks like a true masterpiece compared to the streaming series). With Middle Earth returning to animation (look for an upcoming Cinema Daily US review), viewers can revisit the 1978 film, since Bakshi’s The Lordo of the Rings is conveniently scheduled to air this Sunday on Adult Swim.

You know how this goes—there was one ring to rule them all—and somehow in ended up in the possession of Bilbo Baggins. Fortunately, his friend, Gandalf the wizard, convinced the hobbit of the ring’s danger, so he relinquished it to the care of his nephew Frodo. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord Sauron has been searching for the all-powerful accessory, so Frodo embarks on a quest to safely dispose of it, once and for all.

Of course, a modest hobbit like the younger Baggins will need help. In fact, he will need a fellowship, including Aragorn, a brave but down-on-his-luck ranger, who also happens to be of noble blood. It is august company, considering Legolas is also the son of the elf king and Boromir is the heir to the kingdom of Gondor. However, hobbit tag-alongs Sam Gamgee, Pippin Took, and Merry Brandybuck are arguably even less formidable than Baggins, but they mean well.

At the time, Bakshi’s film took a lot of flak, because it was conceived as the first installment of a duology, but not marketed accordingly—and unfortunately, the second part was never produced. However, Bakshi and co-screenwriters Chris Conkling and Peter S. Beagle did a nice job combining the first two books, fittingly culminating with the Battle of Helm’s Deep.

Indeed, it is clear Bakshi “got” Tolkien. He understood the huge archetypal significance of events like Gandalf’s return from presumed death and clearly appreciated the fantasy genre in general (having already helmed Wizards).

Bakshi’s extensive use of rotoscope animation techniques was innovative at the time. However, the photo-negative effect is more potent for shorter scenes fueled by dark magic than the extended battle sequences. Regardless, his scenes of the shadow riders stalking the hobbits have lost none of their intensity.

Honestly, this film ought to be bigger fan-favorite for the voice cast alone. British character actor William Squire (who had a Doctor Who guest-starring gig) sounds reasonably Ian McKellen-esque as Gandalf. However, Daniels does not sound very C-3PO-ish as Legolas, which might be why some fans overlook his voicework here. However, the great Sir John Hurtis is instantly recognizable as Aragorn, a year before the Xenomorph popped out of his chest in the original Alien. Plus, Andre Morell, who appeared in numerous Hammer films with Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, supplies the voice of the wise elf Elrond.

Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings sometimes suffers from extremes. There are several scenes that are probably too scary for children, but some of the hobbit business gets a little cartoony. However, there is a lot of grandeur and some spectacular looking fantasy vistas. For decades this was realistically the best Tolkien fans could hope to see on the big screen—and it still holds up—perhaps even more solidly than you remember. Recommended for the terrific animated sequences and for keeping largely true to the spirit of Tolkien’s novels, Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings airs this Sunday (12/8) on Adult Swim (and it just started streaming on Max).