The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
When it get to expansions ofThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise , I ’m much more disposed to embraceThe Lord of the Rings : The War of the RohirrimthanThe Hunt for Gollum . At this stage of Hollywood ’s IP epoch , studios have become so dread of upsetting fandom that new movies and shows plow the sometime single like holy text . The more conversant ground is retreaded , the more the bowing intensifies . An Zanzibar copal telling a self - incorporate story from two C beforeThe Lord of the Ringsgives me more hope than a springy - natural process film lay in the middle ofFellowship .
Cast
Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy , The Lord of the Rings : The War of the Rohirrim is an animated activity - adventure phantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand . When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings , Hammerhand gear up himself and his ally to fight back against them , with the warfare result to the eventual establishment of Helm ’s Deep .
I receive Andy Serkis to evidence me wrong in 2026 . For now , though , I ’m glad thatRohirrimdirector Kenji Kamiyama did his good to prove me right . If I bumped now and again on references to the original that did not seem all necessary , I was mostly pleased to see this picture show had the chance to be its own thing , and that the filmmakers took it . It ’s a strong , lock story that showcases some dramatic vivification , and if I am to return to the wider humanity of Peter Jackson ’s Middle - earth , this seems to me an ideal manner to go about it .
The War Of The Rohirrim Uses Familiarity To Its Advantage
Without Going Out Of Its Way To Subvert Expectations
The War of the Rohirrimestablishes itself to us as part of an oral storytelling custom : Éowyn ( Miranda Otto ) , the unforgettable heroine from Jackson ’s trilogy , introduces us toHéra ( Gaia Wise ) , another rough daughter of Rohan . We are tell thatthough Héra action many great things , her story wo n’t be set up in any written disc . Cynically , both these choices are some ingenious franchise direction – an original superstar comeback via voiceover and the script nods to the protagonist being unnamed in Tolkien ’s Middle - earth history .
But the film producer wisely employ this model to give their pic a real identity . Éowyn ’s opening calls aid to the unheralded theatrical role of women in ( as the enfranchisement calls them ) the Kingdoms of Men , which Kamiyama have up as a run theme . Beyond that , it placesRohirrimin a fabled register , and legends work in figure . Any straightforwardness of story or part becomes a feature film , not a bug , and any echoes of stories we know feel knowing and reminiscent .
Even if the specifics put off us , we intuitively live the rhythm of the story that will follow , but that does n’t make it any less engaging .
Héra is a good slew wilder than Éowyn when we converge her . Helm Hammerhand ( Brian Cox ) , her father and Rohan ’s mighty , aging King , has afforded her a level of independency bordering on outrage . But , as the intimate narrative goes , her desire for freedom is about to butt up against royal duty . At a assemblage of Rohan ’s bannermen in Helm ’s Hall , Freca ( Shaun Dooley ) , an ambitious lord of the wild Dunlendings , confronts the King with a rumor : Helm intend to marry Héra off to one of the boy of Gondor , solidify a slight confederation with the big realm to the due south .
This , of course , comes as a surprisal to Héra . As does Freca ’s offer that she instead marry Wulf ( Luke Pasqualino ) , his son , and her childhood friend . in camera , she tries to get him down easy ; she has no intention of marrying whatsoever . But Freca is more transparently try for the throne , and Helm evoke they take it outside . The Dunlending ’s overconfidence prove fateful . After set down a serial of assailable setback and hurling insult , he is accidentally killed by the angered King , with a individual punch .
The story brings together intriguing persona relationships and allows us to ponder the nature of familial love , its conditions , and expectations .
This proves the nominal war ’s set off incident . Wulf , who tries straight off to revenge his male parent , is bar from Rohan , and year turn over with no trace of where he ended up . But in that time , he ’s built an United States Army of dotty men and mercenaries to take his revenge . He ’s come not only for the throne , but for Helm , his boy Hama ( Yazdan Qafouri ) and Haleth ( Benjamin Wainwright ) , and , of course of action , the woman who freeze off him .
This Anime Adaptation Puts Its Visual Style Front & Center
And Tells Its Story As Well As It Needs To
Tolkien found his earth of Middle - land on Norse , Celtic , Old English , and Welsh mythologies , andThe War of the Rohirrimtaps into just the right toneto feel aline with that custom . Even if the specifics elude us , we intuitively know the rhythm of the story that will keep abreast , but that does n’t make it any less piquant . For me , at least , it mean I could give myself over to the tragical lows and triumphant highs more well .
Given the enfranchisement element , there were doubtless limit applied to character and yield pattern … But Kamiyama sour within those bound to bear beautiful , impactful images that further key theme .
Héra is a born hero , bright and brave , and it ’s only the strictures of her humankind that hold back her back . Wulf , meanwhile , is a made villain – having known him as a son , Héra struggles to accept who he has become . This conflict creates the conditions for alteration , and her rise mirrors not only Éowyn ’s inThe Lord of the Rings , but Wulf ’s descent . As fun as it can be to subvert expectation , comprehend more traditional arc for the pro- and resister just feel right for this film .
Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand. When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings, Hammerhand prepares himself and his allies to fight back against them, with the war leading to the eventual establishment of Helm’s Deep.
Outside of story mechanics , The War of the Rohirrimexecutes well . Its secure asset , as you ’d hope , is the invigoration . Given the franchise element , there were doubtless limit applied to fibre and production blueprint , and the movie does expect like an anime take on the world of Jackson ’s films . But Kamiyama works within those bound to birth beautiful , effective picture that further key motif . The grandeur of the live - action movie becomes mythic tableaux I could easily imagine woven into a tapis and hang in Edoras ' slap-up hall .
The voice performances are all sturdy enough to hang the movie on , though only Cox will a endure effect . He givesHelm Hammerhandthe form of richness and big businessman that sells him as a figure who will be remember in song . I would ’ve liked to see like depth in the other main performances , but there ’s nothing that take away from the experience in the moment , only the film ’s power to linger with time .
Even so , The War of the Rohirrimis a film I would merrily go back to . If Warner Bros. is to go along milking this property for all it ’s deserving , as they doubtless will , I go for they continue to take this approach , ideally with less of a mandate for callbacks . It would be nice to see more animators get the chance to filter this and other franchise through their imaginations .
The Lord of the Rings : The War of the Rohirrimreleases in theaters nationally on Friday , December 13 . The celluloid is 134 minutes retentive and is rated PG-13 for inviolable violence .
Your Rating
Your comment has not been saved
