The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Review

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim attempts to tell a new Middle-earth story but cannot fully separate itself from what came before.

Despite being set nearly 200 years before the events of the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, War of the Rohirrim is unwilling to separate itself from those films. This is clear from the beginning shot, the familiar map of Middle-earth complete with the voiceover narration from Èowyn. Éowyn is one of several characters from The Lord of the Rings referenced or hinted at throughout the film, even though the main plot revolves around an old king of Rohan (Helm Hammerhand, voiced by Brian Cox) defending his kingdom.

While there are certainly tiny connections between the characters here and the characters that inhabit Peter Jackson’s trilogy, the movie too often uses those films as a crutch, fearing its audience may lose interest in this adventure without the occasional bone throwing of a familiar character or line delivery. Yes, this film even pulls lines out from the other movies, and even uses some of the same music cues. Doing these things makes this film feel afraid, despite its bold conceptual departure from the other films: the fact that it’s an anime feature. Leaning into its differences from those works is this movie’s strength; it simply does not lean very often into new territory.

Because the movie holds on to Jackson’s original trilogy like it’s a lifeline, War of the Rohirrim’s plot flails in the water. The story quickly devolves into standard fantasy clichés. A king’s daughter does not want to marry. A man who feels betrayed by his king vows revenge. The film, attempting to adapt a rather short section of the book’s appendices, runs for over two hours, and therefore has to rely on tired plot beats audiences have come to expect. The story itself also feels small-scale, a problem for what is supposed to be a grand fantasy epic.

These storytelling woes means Rohirrim is ultimately unable to capitalize on its themes about nobility and stories. The most interesting idea, the one mentioned in the opening narration about how this story is ultimately lost in the vast history of Middle-earth, gets lost in the shuffle of the film’s big battles and spectacle. There are moments, such as when Helm’s instrument is given to another character, hoping there may be “a song or two left in it,” but they don’t feel like enough to carry the themes through to the end. The movie’s focal point seems to be on simply entertaining and reminding fans of better stories, rather than simply telling its own.

For some of those fans, this return to Middle-earth combined with the anime style will be enough to dub War of the Rohirrim a good time. There are admittedly some interestingly composed shots and others that are quite beautiful. Seeing new characters and familiar creatures like orcs and eagles from Tolkien’s lore is fun. But it feels quite clear that this new expedition into this world, despite a change in style, is lacking in the substance that makes other stories in this universe so impactful.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is now available to watch globally in theaters.