The “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” was released into theaters when it first came out on Dec. 13, showcasing an anime style of the franchise. “Castlevania” and its follow-up, “Castlevania Nocturne,” and “The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf” are likewise comparable to this film.
The film was directed by Kenji Kamiyama, who was well-known for also directing the beloved “Ghost in the Shell” series, and I was interested to see him leading a LOTR story that’s completely different from his original works.
The plot is based on the history of Rohan and based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s history of Rohan, both land of horse lords and shield maidens.
It begins with a rival ruler named Freca proposing that his son Wulf marry Hèra, the daughter of Helm Hammerhand. But after they were by themselves, Hèra declined to get married to Wulf. This resulted in a bloody altercation between the fathers, resulting in Freca’s death, after which Wulf sought retribution.
As the conflict intensifies, it puts the Rohan people and the Helm household in danger, and Helm’s only daughter, a wild, untamed princess destined for little more than a favorable marriage, becomes the warrior who determines the fate of the war. This shifts the central focus onto her, who elevates the legends of Rohan Shield Maidens as the story progresses.
Notably, the soundtrack for the film was good. I felt like I was transported into the world of the story. There are moments when an impactful scene makes my heart ache a little and even if it didn’t have the same emotional beats and spirit as Howard Shore’s renowned approach, I still obviously liked it.
I thought the use of 3D surroundings and 2D characters worked alright while I was viewing. Although the cinematic views were excellent, the absence of character animation was the main problem. Scenes that required expression, intensity and emotion simply did not exist.
I might be biased because the writing was the weakest aspect of the film, even though some people might think it was good. It was overwritten and I cringed at some of the scenes and never had the opportunity to expand the lore of Rohan. A few lines were very odd with very weird deliveries.
My major complaint with the film as a whole is the lead character. Although she truly cared for her father and her people, she displayed no signs of developing as a person. That listed off a lot of potential narrative for her when she is recognized as perfect from the start.
Hèra was neither exceptionally likable nor overbearing in the context of female heroines. The excessive quantity of unmerited praise that was showered upon her by everyone at every opportunity and the disregard for Helm were the main causes. I do acknowledge that they established her as pretty capable early on since they gave her various situations to solve.
Undoubtedly, the film requires work and some reflection time to consider whether they intend to use this adaptation in other LOTR films in the future. Nevertheless, it would have been much better if this had been made available on a streaming service.
All things considered, this is well worth seeing and comes highly recommended for LOTR fans or anyone who appreciates other forms of culture. People who watch with a clear mind would find it quite entertaining to watch.
