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

Item: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Review
Author: Joe Bendel

by Joe Bendel

©Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Even in Middle Earth, 183 years represents a long time for mere mortals. However, it is a manageable span for a powerful wizard. That is how a critical character from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy (and his immediately recognizable voice) could re-appear, but only for a brief cameo, in this animated prequel. Viewers should understand there will not be any hobbits or elves either—and no rings—at least not the ones you are thinking of. Instead, fans will witness the great siege that forged the mighty reputation of one of the most important landmarks throughout J.R.R. Tolkien’s entire fantasy lore. When their supposed allies betray them, the royal family of Rohan must retreat to their storied sanctuary in Kenji Kamiyama’s anime prequel, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which opens this Friday in theaters.

Like the Prime streaming series, The War of the Rohirrim was adapted from the appendixes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which outlined the early history of Middle Earth. Screenwriters Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, and Phoebe Gittins had considerable blanks to fill in, including the name of their heroine, Hera, the daughter of King Helm Hammerhand. Yes, that Helm. At this point, his celebrated fortress is still known as the Hornburg. It acquires its more famous nickname, “Helm’s Deep,” over the course of the Dunlending siege.

Arguably, the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers is one of the most celebrated battles in all epic fantasy literature (having served as a reasonably satisfying conclusion to Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated adaptation). As a result, this prequel should mean much more to Tolkien readers than the streaming series. In fact, you will be able to identify the real Tolkienists in the audience, because they will pump their fists in the air when Hera finally utters the term “Helm’s Deep.”

©Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Getting there will be an appropriately epic journey. Befitting a high fantasy with tragic sweep, King Helm’s own wrath and hubris contributed to his rift with the Dunlendings. Freca, their lord, sought to marry his son Wulf to Hera, so he could eventually succeed the King—presumably after assassinating her brothers, Haleth and Hama. Yet, Helm refuses, recognizing Freca’s ruthless ambitions.

Unfortunately, Helm accidentally kills Freca in a duel and banishes Wulf when he intemperately curses the king. Clearly, the prodigal son will grow into a powerful enemy, even though he probably still carries a torch for Hera. Indeed, her rejection hurts even more than Helm’s scorn. By the time Wulf strikes, Helm’s overconfidence nearly proves his undoing. Nevertheless, Hera’s decisive action facilitates their retreat to the Hornburg, where the walls are strong, but the provisions are low.

Admittedly, the screenwriters took some liberties fleshing out the details of the War with the Dunlendings, but the film clearly understands Tolkien’s themes and their evergreen appeal to fantasy consumers. In truth, they largely created Hera’s personality from scratch, but she is not a Mary Sue stock figure. Her tragic flaws and heroic nobility are very much in keeping with Tolkien’s worldview, while her relationships with her father and brothers and largely shape her outlook and values.

©Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Kamiyama and the animation team create some stunning otherworldly creature designs and fantasycapes worthy of some of Studio Ghibli’s fantastical classics. Their human-figures reflect an anime aesthetic, but that helps set War of the Rohirrim apart from the Bakshi and Rankin-Bass animated films, which all had a more cartoony style.

Of course, Brian Cox’s booming voice sounds commandingly regal and ferociously bossy as Helm Hammerhand. He is clearly the biggest vocal talent heard throughout the film, except perhaps the late Sir Christopher Lee, whose estate allowed past recordings to be used to reprise his original role of Saruman, who only serves as a bystander to the events of the film. In addition, Miranda Otto supplies a further apostolic link to the Peter Jackson trilogy, narrating the film, in the persona of Eowyn, the shieldmaiden.

Fans should indeed feel reassured by Jackson’s seal of approval as a “presenting” executive producer. Plus, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, his co-screenwriters on the live-action Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies are also on-board in producing roles. The vision and vibe remain true to Tolkien’s source material, but more importantly for casual audiences, Kamiyama stages one heck of a rousing animated fantasy adventure. This is what the streaming series should be more like, but sadly isn’t. Very highly recommended for all fantasy and anime fans, The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim opens this Friday (12/13) in theaters.