Not really my precious.
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is the first theatrical animated LOTR movie since Ralph Bakshi’s take in 1978. Only it’s made by Japanese animator Kenji Kamiyama, who turns this latest entry into an anime film with Peter Jackson still producing it. I was thinking that maybe this could be an entertaining movie based on my appreciation for the genre, but I am mixed about it.
In comparison to Hayao Miyazaki’s work, this movie’s animation is more of a hit and miss. The best involve demon elephants, who look more menacing than they probably would have been if they were live action today. And even a giant eagle looks epic. And the weakest regards the pacing of the characters and their environments. Sometimes, they look attractive (and real at night), but other times, they seem flimsy and move too fast. What could be a dazzling feature ends up feeling cheap and that’s not really something I would have expected out of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work.
As the film begins, Hera (voiced by Gaia Wise), the adventurous daughter of King Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), denies to marry Wulf (voiced by Luke Pasqualino), the son of Freca (voiced by Shaun Dooley), the leader of the Dunlendings. There’s small dual between both fathers, and Helm kills Freca with just one punch, which sets off a bad chain of reactions.
Wulf is now more ruthless enough to wage a war against Helm’s land and even having his sons murdered. All the more reason his good people must struggle for survival in a castle with barely enough supplies to last all winter. And why his daughter must find a way to fight back.
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” has a few attractive characters like an animated Eowyn (voiced by Miranda Otto reprising her role as both a supporting character and narrator) and the voice acting from Wise, Cox, Otto, and Pasqualino is entertaining and fan worthy. But the story seems to be going through the motions and ends up being too boring for us to enjoy. It may not be as long as the other movies (including their extended cuts), but it still felt too long for my entertainment vibes.
I can easily imagine how an animated LOTR movie in recent years might have worked, because of our enjoyment for the live action franchise. But only if there was really something for fans to be tested on. Maybe some might appreciate its direction, but in my opinion, I suggest they stick to the classics.
I came across a quick review suggesting that the screenplay was A.I. writing. But I’m also against A.I. trying to replace our favorite actors-dead or alive. It’s one thing for “Futurama” to use Leonard Nimoy and Lucy Liu’s heads because it’s an animated series, but in real life, it’s not real. The reason I’ve mentioned this is because this film brings back Sarumon the White with an archival line from the late Christopher Lee. At least, it’s better and more respectful than AI voices.
The best animated films of the holiday season are “Flow” and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (expect a review from me soon), but “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” isn’t one of them.
