The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a flawed but enjoyable return to Middle-earth

As a long-time fan of Middle Earth and its epic tales, I found “The War of the Rohirrim” to be a delightful dip back into the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The movie’s focus on Héra, Helm Hammerhand’s daughter, was an intriguing twist that added depth and richness to the lore we already knew. It was refreshing to see a female character taking center stage in this male-dominated universe.

Gather your friends and head to the cinema! A new movie set in the world of “The Lord of the Rings” has arrived – it’s called “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim“, an anime prequel directed by Kenji Kamiyama. This film takes place 183 years before “The Hobbit”, during a period when Mordor was relatively peaceful and Rohan was governed by the legendary King Helm Hammerhand, portrayed by Brian Cox. Helm Hammerhand is a significant figure in J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology, and the fortress of Helm’s Deep, prominently featured in “The Two Towers“, bears his name.

In essence, who was Helm truly? And was his tale entirely crafted by himself? The cinematic portrayal of “The War of the Rohirrim” provides a unique insight into this matter, as it deepens Helm’s character and broadens the role of his daughter Héra (Gaia Wise). In Tolkien’s writings, Héra is merely mentioned but never named; however, in this adaptation, she emerges as a powerful force of nature and an authentic child of Rohan. During one of their most grueling sieges, she stood strong and ensured the safety of her people.

Contrary to expectations, given its title “The Lord of the Rings” and being directed by Peter Jackson, the film “The War of the Rohirrim” has struggled at the box office, with an opening weekend loss of approximately $5 million against a production budget of $30 million. Over the weekend, I attended a nearly empty theater screening, and I’m here to share my thoughts: should you plan a return trip to Middle-earth, or is this one better left unvisited?

Your mileage may vary. The War of the Rohirrim is an enjoyable but flawed film, and I think the middling response it’s getting is warranted. But personally, I had a pretty good time with it! Read on for my review, which contains mild spoilers.

The War of the Rohirrim retreads familiar ground while still being a worthwhile journey

For older fantasy enthusiasts, it’s likely that you hold a deep emotional connection to experiencing Peter Jackson’s versions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films in cinemas. Jackson’s interpretation of Middle-earth is one of the most influential fantasy adaptations ever made. Kenji Kamiyama directs The War of the Rohirrim, but since Peter Jackson and his longtime collaborators Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh were involved in its production, the movie retains a strong connection to Jackson’s Middle-earth cinematic universe, as envisioned from J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. The film even incorporates some of the same music, evoking fond memories for many Lord of the Rings fans.

If you’re among those who cherish watching “The Lord of the Rings” in a cinema during the holiday season, then “The War of the Rohirrim” is an excellent choice to immerse yourself back into that world once again. I found myself thoroughly enjoying its two-hour and fourteen minute runtime and exited the theater with such delight that I immediately returned home to rewatch the initial “Hobbit” film, a task I’ve been avoiding for quite some time due to my lingering disappointment over the last “Hobbit” movie.

Without a doubt, I’d wholeheartedly suggest reading “The War of the Rohirrim” for any enthusiast of Middle-earth. It offers an intriguing glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of Tolkien’s mythos, as this story isn’t extensively covered in works like “The Silmarillion” or other major texts penned by the author. The account of Helm Hammerhand and the initial siege of the Hornburg – Helm’s Deep – is a topic that Tolkien only briefly touched upon in the appendices of “The Lord of the Rings”; here, the entire narrative is fleshed out over approximately two-and-a-half pages. Consequently, “The War of the Rohirrim” provides ample opportunity to delve deeper into this captivating tale.

The character Herá, only mentioned by Tolkien without a named appearance, is significantly developed in the movie without conflicting with anything written by him. Herá, brilliantly portrayed by Gaia Wise, is an exceptional heroine. Generally speaking, the voice acting in this film is commendable, with standout performances from Cox as Hammerhand and familiar faces like Miranda Otto (Éowyn), Billy Boyd (a different character here), and Christopher Lee (Saruman) making appearances. Saruman’s brief cameo, performed using archival recordings of the late Lee with the consent of his widow, is a touch I found debatable due to my personal feelings about posthumous performances. However, I felt the film handled Saruman’s appearance with sensitivity, given that it is one of the few established elements from the appendices in this story. This might be why the filmmakers chose to include it.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a flawed but enjoyable return to Middle-earth

Despite my enthusiasm for it, there were aspects of “The War of the Rohirrim” that prevented me from fully embracing the film as much as I had hoped. One such issue is the script; while many scenes are well-crafted, the movie often seems to borrow heavily from “The Lord of the Rings.” For instance, Héra, a key character, resembles a precursor to Éowyn, undergoing an identical trial of being the skilled female heir of Rohan’s ruling family, who is discouraged from fighting by the men in her life – in this case, her father rather than her uncle.

In the animated film, “The War of the Rohirrim,” while I appreciate the stunning visuals and well-designed characters, the animation itself sometimes appears rough and incomplete. Certain scenes seem hastily done, with a lack of detail or dynamic imagery that could have benefited from more time in production. This is particularly crucial for an animated film, as its visual appeal may even surpass that of live-action films. Considering recent reports suggesting the movie was expedited through production to secure film rights for “The Lord of the Rings,” it seems reasonable to believe that a bit more time could have enhanced the film’s visual impact.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a flawed but enjoyable return to Middle-earth

The War of the Rohirrim did a beautiful job with Héra

Let me steer our conversation back towards Héra. In my opinion, among all the aspects that The War of the Rohirrim got right, her story stands out the most. You may recall that the background for Helm Hammerhand is rather sparse in J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works. However, in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, we find that the conflict between Helm and a man named Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) was ignited when Wulf’s father attempted to arrange a marriage between him and Helm’s daughter. Unfortunately, the union did not materialize, leading to an argument in which Helm ended up killing Wulf’s father. This unfortunate event set the stage for Wulf to become Helm’s sworn enemy.

From what I understand, as far as Tolkien’s works go, Helm Hammerhand’s daughter is only mentioned once and interestingly, the author didn’t bestow a name upon her, unlike his sons Haleth and Hama. This unnamed character serves as one of the key inspirations for the creation of Héra’s story in Kenji Kamiyama’s interpretation. So, who was this woman and what became of her remains an intriguing mystery in Tolkien’s mythos?

In simpler terms, the movie “The War of the Rohirrim” provides an explanation as to why characters in “The Lord of the Rings” are unaware of Héra. Unlike other characters who seek power or alliances through marriage, Héra yearns for adventure. This character development is significantly fulfilling in the end. Additionally, when you learn that Kamiyama initially created Héra because she wasn’t named in Tolkien’s mythology, hearing the movie’s closing narration saying “Her name was Héra” carries a stronger impact.

It’s quite impressive that “The War of the Rohirrim” was able to maintain the existing tales and didn’t contradict any previously established lore. It faithfully preserved all the details related to Helm Hammerhand’s narrative from J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, even adhering closely to his descriptions of this war in many instances, while still crafting a compelling story of its own.

Despite its shortcomings, I’m grateful I watched “The War of the Rohirrim“. Overall, the positives exceed the negatives in my opinion. It’s a pity that the film didn’t receive more backing to help it reach the potential greatness it could have achieved.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a flawed but enjoyable return to Middle-earth

Verdict

This holiday season, “The War of the Rohirrim” offers a thrilling journey back to the realm of Middle-earth. Filled with intrigue, treachery, and ominous shadows, the story is illuminated by the warmth of friendship and resilience in a way that distinctly echoes Tolkien’s style. While the film has certain imperfections that keep it from reaching its full potential, for those longing to revisit the plains of Rohan and the fortress of Helm’s Deep, it serves as an enticing invitation to get lost once more in the world of “The Lord of the Rings”.

Movie grade: C+

2024-12-17 00:42