In previous posts, I’ve discussed how much I love Science Fiction, whether it’s in books, movies, TV shows, or video games. But I don’t think I’ve talked much about my love for the Fantasy genre. I’ve always loved Fantasy ever since I was a kid. There’s a sense of wonder when you open a book or press play on a movie and you’re immediately taken to a world filled with imagination. That’s how I felt when I first read The Lord of the Rings trilogy back in high school. At the time (2001), the first movie in the trilogy released in theaters. When I saw that movie, it cemented my love not only for the genre, but also for the obsession I had for The Lord of the Rings franchise that followed.
Imagine my surprise last year when they released a trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an anime-style film telling the tale of Hera Hammerhand, daughter of the king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. It’s set roughly 200 years before the tale of Frodo and the ring. From what I remember, the movie didn’t perform well at the box office, even though it’s part of one of the best-selling Fantasy franchises of all time. I’ll admit, I’m partially to blame since I didn’t see the movie in theaters either. I had intended to but never got around to it. Well, I finally watched it on HBO Max last week. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Likely no spoilers in this post, but I’m writing this anyway just in case. Sooooo, possible spoilers ahead.
When the trailer for this movie dropped, I saw a lot of online chatter about the animation style. Not because it’s anime, but because it didn’t seem to flow as well as modern anime these days. For me, the style felt like anime from the 90’s, which gave it somewhat of a nostalgic feel. I thought it worked well in the realm of Middle-Earth. Plus, the wide shots of Rohan and the surrounding landscape looked straight out of the original films. I thought the animators did an amazing job of transporting us back to not only Middle-Earth, but the version of it we saw in the movies released all those years ago. Another shot of nostalgia.
The music was another nostalgic hit as the movie featured a fair number of the original pieces composed by Howard Shore from the original trilogy. The film’s score is one of my favorite things about The Lord of the Rings trilogy as I bought all 3 soundtracks when the movies originally released. I think their use of the original music in this new movie was a smart choice in connecting it with the original trilogy. There’s also plenty of new arrangements featured in the movie and it blends seamlessly with the old.
Personally, I thought the writing in this movie was solid. The basic story is that Rohan is in the middle of a civil war and its people must retreat to the Hornburg to have any hope of protecting their home. Hera, the main character and daughter of the king, is part of a long line of women known as shieldmaidens, including her future ancestor, Eowyn. Throughout the film, Hera is steadfast in her defense of her home and people, choosing a life to defend rather than living a life as someone’s wife.
A lot of the voice actors are people who aren’t famous except for Brian Cox, who voiced the king of Roham, Helm Hammerhand. Despite not having a ton of star power, the acting in the film was good. It’s sad to think that had this movie been more successful, then maybe these voice actors who are trying to get their big break would finally achieve that goal. I’m sure they’ll continue to get work over the years, but I’m a huge supporter of voice actors and the talent they bring to animated projects, so I want to see them successful.
I loved the movie, but I’m also biased because I love The Lord of the Rings. Hell, I’m probably one of the few fans who really enjoys Amazon’s TV show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Sure it doesn’t have the best writing and sometimes the acting is a bit shaky, but it’s set in Middle-Earth, and any chance I get to visit that world again, I’m gonna take it. But I highly recommend this movie if you’re both a fan of animation and The Lord of the Rings. It’s streaming on HBO Max.
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