'TLOTR: The War of the Rohirrim' review: Middle-earth anime adventure feels made for TV
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Fast-tracked into production on a modest $30 million budget, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” feels like a small-scale adventure that somehow made its way to the big screen. Warner Bros. seemingly commissioned this movie to maintain the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved collection of orcs, Hobbits, and more. With a live-action film on the horizon in the next couple of years, “The War of the Rohirrim” exists more as a minor placeholder than a significant contribution to the franchise. In other words, it’s fairly inconsequential.
Set 183 years before the events of “The Hobbit,” the story—written by Jeffrey Addis, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou—takes extensive creative liberties by expanding upon an appendix in Tolkien's works. The film aims to answer the most burning question on every Middle-earth fan’s mind: How did Helm’s Deep get its name?
From less than three pages of source material, these writers, along with renowned anime filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama, have turned in a bloated, nearly two-and-a-half-hour saga that peaks roughly thirty minutes in. Nevertheless, Tolkien fans may still appreciate whatever lore they can glean from any adventure set in this universe, and they may connect with the characters. However, even this novice fan was somewhat disappointed that, given the expansive and detailed nature of the live-action trilogy, a film with “The Lord of the Rings” in the title could feel so small in comparison.
“The War of the Rohirrim” centers on the adventures of Hera (voiced by Gaia Wise), daughter of King Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), and her contested ascension to the throne. An old childhood friend, Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), seeks revenge after her father killed his own in a brawl. Hera must protect her people, and they retreat to a fortress deep within the mountains, where they hole up until they can regroup and plan their counterattack.
In an era where every major studio and streaming service is mining their IP vaults for anything they can profit from, the idea of an anime “Lord of the Rings” adventure seems, on paper, to be an inventive approach. In execution, however, it feels awkward and stagnant. While some of the visuals display vibrancy, especially in the film's best sequence—where Helm confronts Wulf's army amidst a snowstorm—it lacks the distinct charm and visual "pop" of a Studio Ghibli production. In fact, the most fitting compliment one could give “The War of the Rohirrim” is that it makes you want to go home and watch “Princess Mononoke” instead.
Many of the characters move like cardboard cutouts, and there are far too many subplots to keep track of. The cheeky fan service—brief shout-outs to Gandalf, the One Ring, and fleeting notes from Howard Shore's original score—only highlights how much this entry misses the mark. I suppose we’ll have to wait for the upcoming “Hunt for Gollum” live-action film to gauge whether Warner Bros. made the right call in subjecting fans to this subpar Middle-earth adventure. Right now, it really stinks.
Grade: C-
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM is now playing in theaters.
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