It’s not strange that The Lord of the Rings is receiving the animation treatment—after all, J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy was initially mainstreamed by Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 film, which established many of the visual designs that now define the material and heavily influenced Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning trilogy.

The best JRR Tolkien adaptations tend to resemble long walks in miserable weather. (To be clear, this is a good thing.) But this weird yet watchable animated foray into Middle-earth history – fast-tracked so that New Line Cinema could hang onto the film rights to Tolkien’s work – feels more like ice skating on a well-tended rink.