Summary
An ambitious animated prequel, rich in visuals and lore, though its pacing and reliance on prequel ties occasionally hinder its impact.
Animation has long been drawn to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. As early as the late 1930s, Walt Disney toyed with the idea of adapting The Hobbit, while Rankin/Bass and Ralph Bakshi took on the challenge in the 1970s and 80s with varying degrees of success.
Kenji Kamiyama’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM, however, feels like a bridge between eras. It draws as much from the visual language of Peter Jackson’s six live-action adaptations and the rich tradition of Japanese cinema and anime as it does from its animated predecessors. It also doesn’t hurt that Miranda Otto returns to narrate the film as the character of Éowyn.
Set 180 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, this animated tale shifts its focus to Hera (Gaia Wise), the daughter of Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), the King of Rohan. When tragedy strikes following Wulf’s (Luke Pasqualino) failed proposal to Hera, the son of Freca launches an invasion of Rohan.
In response, Hera and Helm lead their people to seek refuge at the Hornburg, where they hold out against the Dunlendings. This legendary stronghold, etched into the history of Middle-earth, will eventually come to be known as Helm’s Deep.
Drawing primarily from Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings (and with some inspiration from Unfinished Tales), Kamiyama and the writing team face the challenge of fleshing out a largely skeletal narrative. However, the film cleverly sidesteps this with Éowyn’s opening narration: “Do not look for tales of her in the old songs. There are none.” This gives the filmmakers room to expand on the legend, carving out a space for originality within the established mythology.
Hera proves to be a compelling protagonist, her strength and determination anchoring the story, while Wulf embodies a straightforward, single-minded villainy. Yet, for a narrative reaching well over two hours, some of the material feels (as Bilbo might put it) stretched a little thin. Tolkien’s legendarium often thrives on cycles and repetition—like the echoes of Beren and Lúthien in Arwen and Aragorn—and while this story is canonically rooted in the Appendices, it’s hard not to notice parallels to the motifs of the Battle of Helm’s Deep in Jackson’s films.
Visually, THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM is a feast. Frame by frame, the film captures the grandeur of Middle-earth, with the iconic Aotearoa New Zealand locations lovingly recreated alongside familiar settings like Edoras and Isengard. However, it’s in Kamiyama’s bolder departures that the animation truly shines—most notably in a gobsmacking sequence featuring an eldritch Watcher in the Water devouring an oliphaunt whole, a scene that brims with imagination and menace.
Some of this was achieved through an innovative blend of motion capture, translated into a gaming engine to determine 3D environments, and then recreated in 2D to get a more authentic fluidity to the movement. While this technique elevates the gloriously staged battle sequences, it occasionally falters, with some character movements feeling stiff and reminiscent of puppetry.
THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM may not resonate with the same impact as the films and books from which it draws inspiration. At times, its repeated nods to the new tenant of Isengard, wizards and Mordor’s search for rings leave it tethered to its role as a prequel rather than standing firmly as a standalone tale. Yet, this is a direction I’d wholeheartedly encourage for the franchise—a foray into stories rich with potential that don’t demand a sprawling trilogy to unfold. Kamiyama’s film isn’t without flaws, but its ambition and approach make me eager to see more in this vein.
2024 | USA, Japan | DIRECTOR: Kenji Kamiyama | WRITERS: Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, Arty Papageorgiou | STORY: Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Philippa Boyens (Based on characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien) | CAST: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Miranda Otto | DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures (USA), Universal Pictures (Australia) | RUNNING TIME: 134 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 12 December 2024 (Australia), 13 December 2024 (USA)
