Return to the magic of Middle-earth with 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim'

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Writers: Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins
Starring: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto
Rated: PG-13 for strong violence

Synopsis: Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.

Review: “The War of the Rohirrim” was handicapped from the beginning in the sense that it was going to upset someone regardless of its merits. Make a film that is very different from the Peter Jackson trilogy, and you’ll disappoint those who want exactly that. Make a film that feels like an extension of Jackson’s films and you are going to be directly compared to what is widely considered the best cinematic trilogy ever made. “The Lord of the Rings” is the standard that all fantasy films chase.

Kenji Kamiyama chose the latter and rarely waivers from his commitment. “The War of Rohirrim” doesn’t match the grandeur of Jackson’s films it does stir up many of the same feelings I have while watching the live-action movies. The epic quality is somewhat undercut by the animation in the sense that it never captures the real sense of immersive wonder that made the live-action films spectacular. It is still an enjoyable film despite being a bit long and perhaps a little too familiar.

The familiarity comes from the strength of the trilogy’s screenplays (and J.R.R. Tolkien’s text) where Éowyn merely references the Shieldmadens of Rohan and I, the audience, feel the weight and somehow sense the narrative of a story I’ve never actually heard.

“The War of the Rohirrim” is that story. I found it to be an engaging slice of history that carries me back to Middle-earth, a place I’m rather fond of. You could argue that it only adds subtext to the events of “The Two Towers,” but often that is exactly what history is. A fire upon the hill illuminates a path that otherwise might go unseen.

I like “The War of the Rohirrim” and I think most of you will too.