The age of IP cash grabs has never been stronger, and with so many avenues to make as many of them as possible, it shows no signs of slowing down. Most feel like the Mines of Moria, digging too deep and awakening a monster of diminishing returns. “Lord of the Rings” like “Star Wars,” has seen nearly every attempt to recapture the magic of the original falls short.
That’s not to say everything is bad, and many of the reasons YT grifters scream about aren’t even valid and should be ignored. That’s a different topic altogether, but it’s important to understand where “Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim” falls in the bigger picture to truly appreciate its successes and discuss some of its failures. Returning to Middle-earth has proven challenging, with the atrocious “Hobbit” trilogy, long and slow “Rings of Power,” and the ill-advised but definitely happening soon “Hunt For Gollum.”
Nothing short of the original “Lords of the Rings” trilogy compares, and it seems impossible to return to the fantasy world with the same sort of imagination and magic with each passing entry. Thankfully, “War for the Rohirrim” gets more right than wrong, and for the first feels like an earnest attempt to expand the lore without indulging in cash grab pitfalls. From its dazzling animation to its more grounded story of men, this latest entry is both a new unique story and one that follows closely to ones you already know. Yes, “War for the Rohirrim” feels like diet “The Two Towers,” less meaningful in the grander scale and repetitive in its story beats. But it also feels wholly invested in ways both anime and fantasy genre should, operating well within those confines to deliver a familiar but compelling tale of rulers, revenge, and unlikely heroes.
It is also one of those stories that feels expansive without needless padding. “War of the Rohirrim” is adapted from the appendices of “Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien that covers the history of rulers of Rohan. It is set 183 years before the events of the original film trilogy and tells the story of legendary king Helm Hammerhand and his people as they defend their kingdom against the vengeful army of Dunlendings lead by scorned and angry Wulf. It focuses on Hammerhand’s unnamed daughter (named Hera in this film) who helps turn the tide of the war and fights to save her people. It voice cast includes Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, and Miranda Otto. It is directed by Kenji Kamiyama (“Star Wars Visions,” “Ultraman”) with a story by Philippa Boyens (original screenwriter for both “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies) and a screenplay by Will Matthews, Jeffrey Addis, Pheobe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Boyens also serves as a producer, and Gittins is actually her daughter.
“War of the Rohirrim” works best when it is simply enjoying itself in Middle Earth telling stories that aren’t as concerned with expanding the overall lore and giving us a lived in world beyond the key characters we’ve come to know. Hera (Wise) is a compelling protagonist, though is bound to be compared a little too much to Eowyn in both demeanor, character and story arc. Hammerhand (Cox) captures the pride of Rohan with his booming voice and quick tempered decisions that serve as a catalyst of events. Wulf (Pasqualino) is a rutheless villain blinded by rage, and while his pursuit is rather one note he is still nuanced enough to be a formidable foe. “War of the Rohirrim” succeeds in these smaller squabbles the most, serving as both a deep cut LOTR story and easily accessible to those unfamiliar. Anyone with any knowledge of middle earth can put the pieces together and are easily welcomed back into the world as the deeper implications take a backseat.
It is predicable, and doesn’t stray too far from the typical stories that exist in the genres it is working in. The animation makes up for a lot, as “War of the Rohirrim” is gorgeously brought to life with stunning, immersive visuals. And I say that as someone who really does not enjoy anime style animation. Predictability doesn’t always mean bad, and that comfort is more welcoming than eye rolling. Only when it starts to lean into its connective tissue (like how Helm’s Deep got its name…a question very few asked and frankly doesn’t need two hours to answer) does it start to lose its way and almost fall into the traps of its previous attempts. Hobbit heads will surely find all of the easter eggs scattered about the land, but “War of the Rohirrim” chooses to have them all be secondary to the simple if not redundant story they’re trying to tell and is served significantly better for it. It stretches itself a little too thin with its length, but it also fleshes out its characters to give them much more complexity than just carbon copies of previous characters or worse, fantasy archetypes.
“Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim” may be a middling return to middle earth, but it is better than most and better than most would expect, standing tall above its previous counter parts and only below the original trilogy. THIS is the kind of the return we want. The kind that sheds the need to return to the same 3 characters and expand the world on a smaller scale. It proves that we don’t always need recognizable names to tell a good story, even one familiar and heavily borrowed. If it looks good, feels lived in, and gives us characters we can root for and against, then I’d say you’ve got yourself a solid film worth checking out. “War of the Rohirrim” may not hold a candle to the best of what we have, but it is a beacon of Gondor lit with genuine love and passion amidst long line of unlit and uninspired aid.
“Lord of The Rings: War of the Rohirrim” is a genuine surprise and worth the ride, and while it may not be the best of its kind, it is the best we have had since our first journey to Mordor, and that’s something worth fighting for.
Also, looks like Amazon already has listings for the steelbook 4K, but no other details yet. We’ll let you know when it goes live. Oh, and the official popcorn bucket is amazing.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim” arrives in theaters Dec 13th. You can watch the trailer below.
