If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, we have some exciting news for you! One of the big film releases this holiday season is The War of the Rohirrim. The format is presented in a fresh, new look for Tolkien fans, since the movie is directed by anime creator Kenji Kamiyama, while Peter Jackson is still listed as a producer. The rest of the cast includes Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luke Pasqualino, while Miranda Otto returns as the narrator.
What’s the Plot?
The storyline takes place 183 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Reflecting Miranda Otto’s character in The Return of the King, this episode features a strong young woman named Héra, who stands up against a mighty patriarchy — her father, Helm Hammerhand, leader of Rohan. Tensions arise, Héra at the center of the drama, when the antagonist Wulf attempts to avenge his father’s death at the hands of Helm. While at the same time, Wulf is furious for being denied Héra as his wife.
The Current Reception
With reviews rolling in, so far, this movie looks like one of those incidents where professional movie critics are not impressed, but the fans seem pleased by the latest Tolkien installment. Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score sits at a solid 83%. However, an article released by Forbes argues that Kamiyama’s film doesn’t make an impression among this year’s animated features.
The Independent also presents a negative opinion, blaming the rushed quality on Warner Brothers attempting to release the film as soon as possible in order to retain rights to Tolkien’s work. Among the negative feedback, there has been mention of the reuse of old audio from the 2000s movies, with an example of an archival recording of Christopher Lee as Saruman. In contrast, these throwbacks to previous installments, while not pleasing to the critics, can be delightful for the fans.
The War of the Rohirrim released in theaters on December 13th. Make sure you catch it on the big screen while you can for a chance to see this franchise in a different medium from what we’ve seen before.
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