Nerdly » ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ Review

27th Dec2024

‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ Review

by James Rodrigues

Featuring the voices of: Gaia Wise, Brian Cox, Miranda Otto, Luke Pasqualino, Lorraine Ashbourne, Shaun Dooley, Benjamin Wainwright, Yazdan Qafouri | Written by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, Arty Papageorgiou | Directed by Kenji Kamiyama

It has been over 20 years since Peter Jackson’s adaptations of The Lord of the Rings were all released onto the big-screen. With box office takings that reach almost $3 billion worldwide, 17 Academy Award wins, and extended edition marathons which repeatedly show at cinemas, it is an understatement to call this adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels a success.

Ever since, there have been repeated attempts to recapture the success of that massively influential trilogy. Peter Jackson returned to direct a trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit, which may have replicated the financial success but fell short everywhere else. Amazon Prime Video released The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a streaming series focusing on Middle-earth’s Second Age which received good reviews and racist hostility.

The latest attempt to replicate the trilogy’s success is The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an anime film from Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). Set 183 years before the original trilogy, the story focuses on Héra (Gaia Wise), the daughter of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), the King of Rohan. When the Dunlending lord arrives to cause havoc, Helm’s attempts to put the unruly lord in his place results in accidental murder and leaves the lord’s son, Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), to swear vengeance against King Hammerhand. What unfolds is a vicious war, where the Hammerhand family defend their kingdom while making a final stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.

Based on details in the appendices of Tolkein’s novels, this expansion of Middle Earth utilizes an anime lens to tell this story on the big screen. Being so far removed from the original story offered promise that this would be a singular work, feeling like its own beast within an expansive world. Sadly, that does not resonate across the needlessly overlong 134-minute runtime, as this unexciting origin for Helm’s Deep would have been better suited for a cash-grab video-game released for Christmas 2004.

Issues like these can feel miniscule if the characters are worth caring about, which makes it unfortunate how paper-thin the characterization is. As the red-haired Héra defies the societal wishes to have her marry a suitable suitor, instead wishing to live as she pleases while exploring nature and utilising weaponry, one wonders if the creators of Brave are entitled to some royalties. There are some interesting elements, like the antagonist holding onto revenge because he has lost everything else in life, but they are not strong enough to keep one’s attention.

At least the animated style works wonders. There may be moments when it appears to lag behind, but these instances are overshadowed by an excellent look at the settings and characters, along with fun spectacle which carries the film. Do not underestimate the value of seeing a King with Brian Cox’s vocal stylings demolishing enemies with one punch.

It has since come out that this feature’s existence was a tactical move by New Line Cinema, with the film fast-tracked to keep hold of the film adaptation rights to Tolkien’s works. It honestly makes sense, as The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is too devoid of personality and weightless to make an impact. 2026 will see The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum next on the big screen, so let us see if this next return to Middle Earth will make an impact or dilute the brand even further.