The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Early Review

The world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth has captivated generation after generation of fans for almost a century, generating countless literary adaptations, most notably “The Hobbit” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy among countless others. Nowadays, respective film trilogy adaptations of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” have continued to captivate audiences for the better part of the 2000s, with the latter widely considered as some of the greatest films of all time. That being said, the demand is still there with Prime Video’s The Rings of Power, the first television series set in the world of Middle Earth, running for now two seasons. Clearly, there is still plenty of mileage left in Tolkien’s universe. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is the latest entry in the Middle Earth cinematic universe, is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy that turns to animation to tell the story of how Helm’s Deep came to be. Despite the different medium, the film maintains much of the same epic nature as its live action counterparts, delivering in that department. In the end, it is arguably at its most compelling as a story about a young woman finding her inner strength and coming into her own in the midst of a life or death battle.

Set 183 years before the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of the King of the Rohan, Helm Hammerhand (Cox), and his daughter Hèra (Wise). Incredibly stubborn and set in his ways, Hammerhand ruled with an iron fist for so long. Challenging that position, however, is Wulf (Pasqualino), a young and ruthless Dulending lord looking for revenge for the death of his father. Bringing an army of Wildmen with him to the front door of Hornburg, a fortress ruled by Hammerhand, he was ready to enact his revenge. Further complicating the situation, the history between Wulf and Hèra that went back to their childhood and the long-gestating feelings he still had for her. Nevertheless, the battle was on as the Rohan fought valiantly to defend their home in an epic battle that saw multiple waves of combat and numerous key casualties on both sides. In spite of the odds seemingly stacked against he and his people, blinded by his stubbornness Hammerhand persisted against the better judgement of Hèra whose pushes to ask for help were left unanswered by her father. As a result, she was left in an unenviable position trying to salvage the situation.

A bridge between the present and the future of her people, Hèra had a better grasp of where things were and where things were going. A staunch advisor to her father, her credibility as a leader was not yet earned. Retreating within the depths of Hornburg following a series of losses during their battle with Wulf and the Wildmen, the next stage of the war was a war of attrition as the two sides found themselves in a standoff. Propelled by two stubborn figures who simply want to destroy the other, it felt like it was never going to end until the playing field, unexpectedly, started to even out. Presenting an opportunity for Hèra to step up and take charge, she would soon emerge as a leader, inspired by her lineage of great female warriors known as the ‘Shieldmaidens’ whose legend still loomed large across Rohan. Meanwhile, the morale on the other side of the conflict dwindled over the course of the standoff as Wulf’s army of mercenaries grew restless and their loyalty waned. At this point, however this war was going to end, it would be between Hèra and Wulf, culminating in a thrilling conclusion that packs an emotional punch for the characters and sets up what most Tolkien fans already know is to come.

On a technical level, the film employs an anime style of animation, seamlessly mixing 2D and 3D. The sharpness of the characters and environments do stand out but the level of anime, as a whole, is still standard fare. However, fans of anime will likely see more here and maybe get a kick out of it. When it comes to the Middle Earth cinematic universe, its entries have always been synonymous with their music thanks to the tireless efforts of legendary composer Howard Shore. When it comes to The War of the Rohirrim, its score follows suit, albeit literally. While it fits the moment, more often than not, it also feels very derivative of Shore’s work at times. On the other hand, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In terms of voice acting, Brian Cox’s voice was made for animation as he brings his effortless gravitas and presence to Hammerhand, a powerful and intimidating force driven by principle that is not to be messed with. A joy to watch, the best part of the film was easily Wise’s performance as Hèra. The undisputed heart of the film, she was an absolute force and a compelling character to watch as she came into her own in the midst of the chaos that surrounded her. Pasqualino was a fitting foil as Wulf. Similar to Hammerhand, as a flawed character fully driven by emotion, it was clear to see (or hear) those nuances play out on screen. Finally, having Miranda Otto’s Éowyn as a narrator is a nice touch.

Ultimately, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a worthy entry that is perhaps better fitting as a streaming release but nevertheless still a rousing character epic that does get somewhat lost in the war of it all. Using a style of animation that may not be for everyone and telling a deep cut story that will mostly appeal to the diehard Tolkien fans, its overall audience is on the limited side. All that being said, this new avenue into the world of Tolkien’s Middle Earth is certainly a promising one.

still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.