Thomas’ Review | The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
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Thomas Storai 
“The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is a triumphant return to Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth. With stunning visuals, great action sequences and Kenji Kamiyama’s masterful direction, this film is a must-see, it’s a compelling tale of bravery and resilience.”
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is an anime fantasy film directed by Kenji Kamiyama from a screenplay by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou, based on characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien. Featuring the voices of Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, and Miranda Otto, the film is set 183 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jackson and his film trilogy co-writer Fran Walsh are credited on the film as Executive Producers. Adding to the film fitting into the world is Miranda Otto as Éowyn, a future shieldmaiden of Rohan who narrates the film, reprising her role from The Two Towers and The Return Of The King.
This film marks the return to Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth. The last film released was The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014, exactly ten years ago. Since then, we have seen another take on the Middle Earth with The Rings of Power series on Prime Video.
STORY
Undoubtedly, the Rohan and the Rohirrim have always been a fascinating part of Middle-earth, so having a story dedicated to them is quite exciting, even more so when it’s about Helm Hammerhand’s lineage and how Helm’s Deep got its name. The film tells the tale of Héra, daughter of Helm, as Rohan faces in-fighting because of Wulf, leader of the Dunlendings. At the same time, it pays tribute to Peter Jackson’s two trilogies especially The Lord of the Rings as it is set in the same continuity while also paving its own path.
In many ways, it feels like a Ghibli film (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke) in terms of story scale and the heroine’s journey. Héra is closer to Nausicaä than she is of Éowyn. The War of the Rohirrim is a compelling tale of bravery and resilience while also being a cautionary tale of responsibility. All in all, this film adds a lot to the mythology of Rohan. From start to finish, it truly feels like you are back to Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth. It has some great action sequences like you would expect from a film set in this universe. But, it’s at its best when it explores Héra’s journey and what she means for her people.
VISUALS & SOUNDTRACK
The Lord Of The Rings and anime are a combo that just makes sense. Honestly, it’s a shame we had to wait that long to get this. The world of Middle-earth is a universe fitting for this type of medium. Kenji Kamiyama and his team of animators have done an incredible work bringing these characters and these places into animation. The scenery is stunning, almost feeling like paintings. It’s a beautiful sight to behold. You truly feel transported back into the Middle-earth of Peter Jackson, it’s exactly the same places but in animation format. Kamiyama sure knows how to direct action sequences too. There are some great moments with the Rohirrim that will have fans cheering.
The film features Howard Shore’s classic themes from the live-action films. It’s an absolute joy to hear the theme of the Rohirrim on the big screen again. Undeniably, it gives me chills every single time. Besides, Stephen Gallagher has a composed the original score. His tracks are in line with Shore’s work. Gallagher’s score fits seamlessly with the existing theme of Middle-earth.
VOICE CAST
Finally, we get to hear Miranda Otto as Éowyn again. She’s the one narrating this tale. Just like the scenery, Otto’s voice brings us back to Peter Jackson’s films. Christopher Lee also returns as Saruman through archival recording. On top of that, Gaia Wise delivers a great performance as the lead character Héra. She understands her character and her different layers. Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand is the right casting, he has the imposing voice needed for this character.
VERDICT
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is a triumphant return to Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth. With stunning visuals, great action sequences and Kenji Kamiyama’s masterful direction, this film is a must-see, it’s a compelling tale of bravery and resilience. Experience it on the biggest screen possible! Anime and Middle-earth are a combo that works and one can only hope that there will be more anime films set in this universe.
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim is in now in cinemas.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
