Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 14 minutes, Director – Kenji Kamiyama
When the throne of Rohan is challenged by the vengeful leader (Luke Pasqualino) of a rival people, the king’s (Brian Cox) daughter, Héra (Gaia Wise), leads the defence while their people hide away in a surrounded mountain fortress.
It’s been widely reported that The War Of The Rohirrim was rushed into production so that New Line Cinema could keep the film rights to adapt the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Yet, this anime fantasy set in the same world as Peter Jackson’s live-action trilogy features credits for a number of returning names, with the archives from those films having been opened up to the filmmakers here. The dramatic fantasy is enhanced by the detail of the animation and creates a film which feels the opposite of a cash-grab.
Based on appendices from Tolkien’s books, The War Of The Rohirrim follows Héra (Gaia Wise), the daughter of the king of Rohan; the brilliantly named Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox). After killing a rival leader (Shaun Dooley) who seeks to usurp the throne, his son, Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a childhood friend of Héra, seeks vengeance, and doesn’t hold back on his near-instant attacks. Whether fights involve fists, swords or entire armies the framing of each sequence is undeniably cinematic. There’s a thrilling sense of scale which makes the most of the big screen and the animation style in general.
At times the visual nature of certain scenes and creatures calls back to animated fantasies of the 70s and 80s, Ralph Bakshi – who had his own take on The Lord Of The Rings – comes to mind. Much of the run-time is made up of action, or building up to a major battle. As the people of Rohan suffer fiery attacks from Wulf and the ‘wildmen’ of the Dunlendings they escape to the mountain fortress of the Hornberg. Tension escalates as we see the progression of Wulf and his men’s attempt to stage a siege, especially as all suffer a harsh winter. As these events unfold director Kenji Kamiyama brings in a strong sense of atmosphere to the film as a whole. Adding to the overall suspense that the film’s events hold, moving from one event to the next with ease.
At almost two-and-a-quarter hours the run-time does begin to feel long as the third act unfolds and while there’s still enjoyment to be found in the increasingly upfront and angered clashes and the ideas which crop up within them. What helps things move along is the fact that they rarely feel as if they’re trying to build up to or reference Jackson’s trilogy, taking place almost 200 years after the events of this film. One or two moments crop up here and there, some more clanging than others, but as a whole this works as an effective appendix adaptation following a traditional rival-armies outline.
One which is effectively led by Héra at the centre of the action. With Gaia Wise providing a voice performance which captures a determined and headstrong character, particularly the more the film goes on. As a whole the voice cast appears to improve as things develop, moving on from the feeling that most are simply audio acting rather than acting for animation or film, aside from Brian Cox who gives an enjoyable, increasingly bellowing performance throughout. The elements quickly come together and make for a frequently fantastic return to this iteration of Middle Earth, if in a different form; one which brings a lot to the overall tone of the fantasy and tension at hand.
While it might begin to feel overlong there’s still plenty to enjoy about the suspenseful action and spectacle of The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim’s traditional fantasy clash.
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