The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is kind of a big deal, despite the film world not making that much of a song and dance about it. Not only is it the first cinematic release of the Middle-Earth franchise since the last entry in The Hobbit series (not including the cinematic screenings of The Rings Of Power premiere), but it's also a rare release of a 2D animated film across all cinemas. With the likes of Pixar and Dreamworks dominating the market with their 3D animated pictures, it's a refreshing sight to see this prequel to the beloved film franchise be presented in this format.
Unfortunately, the fable of Hèra (Gaia Wise), the Rohan Royal family of King Helm and how they defended their kingdom against the scourged rogue Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), is not the exciting adventure that will convince wider audiences of the wonders that hand-drawn two-dimensional animation can bring over its more technologically advanced competitor. The issue is that The War Of The Rohirrim doesn't look much better than the likes of Invincible, which would frankly be more at home on the big screen. This is the trouble with the film being an anime as it comes with all the shortcomings of that medium. Those who are used to it will be more entertained — but will certainly be shocked by the characters that look like they're from Final Fantasy speaking in regional British accents — but those who are watching solely as fans of the franchise may be disappointed.
Adding to the film's woes is its story. Tolkien's world is rich with lore, which this film doesn't take advantage of. Aside from a few name drops, a cameo or two, and some recognisable musical stings, there's not much to tell you that this is a Lord Of The Rings film. Anime isn't a medium that's a stranger to the fantasy genre so this isn't very dissimilar to other similar franchises, though this is a shortcoming of the genre as a whole — even this film accidentally quotes Game Of Thrones. The story itself, while not completely boring and without some entertaining battle and fight scenes, is forgettable and bland, and almost seems like Chatbot was asked to write a fantasy script with the big franchises as a reference.
The film is not without its quality moments though. These are almost always provided by Brian Cox in the role of King Helm Hammerhand. Not satisfied with being a generic father figure and mentor to his daughter Hèra, Cox brings a Shakespearean gravitas to every line he delivers, making every scene with Helm an epic to behold. As the only truly big name in the cast, you wouldn't expect him to be a continuing presence in the story, but fans of the character — who will most likely be everyone watching — will be satisfied with the screen time he's given and his importance to the overall lore of Middle-Earth.
While 2D animation is always welcome on the big screen, The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim, doesn't make an argument for its full return. The story is formulaic and predictable, with not much for Tolkien-heads to get out of it, and has flat characters with almost no form of satisfying development. Aside from Brian Cox and mediocre action, there isn't too much of note.
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim releases in cinemas in UK cinemas on December 13.
