Set nearly 200 years before Bilbo Baggins touched the ring, this is the first major film to take place in Middle-earth in a decade, and is an anime based on appendices written by J. R. R. Tolkien
A still from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Film: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
U/A: Anime, fantasy, adventure, action
Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Runtime: 134 minutes
Cast: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto
Rating: 2.5/5
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Kenji Kamiyama’s anime film is basically a prequel to Jackson’s trilogy. Set nearly 200 years before Bilbo Baggins touched the ring, this is the first major film to take place in Middle-earth in a decade, and is an anime based on appendices written by J. R. R. Tolkien with no major celebrity voice actors lending support.
The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), a legendary king of Rohan, and his family. Helm’s daughter, Hera (Gaia Wise), who is wilful, young and fearless refuses her childhood friend, Wulf’s (Luke Pasqualino) suit when he proposes to her. Helm himself has reservations regarding the match and ends up warring with Wulf’s father who eventually dies at his hands. Wulf forms an army to seek revenge thereafter. Hera is kidnapped and saved, Helm is trapped and mortally wounded and Rohan is being attacked from all sides. Wulf eventually forces Helm Hammerhand, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.
The overall animation is not of a consistent quality. The 2D and 3D mixed textures don’t look seamless. The depth of field doesn’t feel right and there’s sloppiness when we see characters floating in the air while walking. The art style also feels at odds, the reduction in the action of characters and their movement, doesn’t look appealing. The graphics and visuals look floaty with little interaction between characters and environment. The story telling is not up to the mark either. The narrative fails to come across in an impactful, invigorating way.The voice acting is also not strong enough.
There was plenty of action in the first half. The eagles aren’t utilized well. They don’t seem to have any major purpose in the progression of the story. There’s quite a bit of drama in the middle but there’s not enough to sustain the momentum going forward. The climax fails to arouse much interest either. The scale feels like a let down. The War of the Rohirrim, though it tells a grounded story with fantastical elements, influences from Japanese anime and hand-drawn animation, doesn’t have either the consistency or the gravitating pull to hold your attention throughout. There’s no singularly impressive screen image to take your breath away and the runtime feels way too long and tedious.
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