The Return of the King (1980)

The Return of the King is Rankin/Bass’ sequel to their earlier film The Hobbit (1977), but it also shamelessly capitalises on Ralph Bakshi’s more successful Lord of the Rings (1978) feature by doing what he was denied a chance to do: it finishes the story. While the battle of Minas Tirith rages, Frodo and Sam walk and walk some more toward Mount Doom to carry out Tolkien’s disappointing ending that I never really liked.
It’s stylistically similar but thematically darker than The Hobbit, so the happy folk songs fit less comfortably.

2½ lashes out of 5