Miranda Otto, familiar to audiences as Éowyn from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, lends her voice to the new animated prequel, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim". This narrative takes place 183 years before the events of the original series and focuses on the historical stories of the rulers of Rohan, found in J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices.
This anime-style feature, scripted by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, tells the tale of Hera, the daughter of King Helm Hammerhand of Rohan, whose voice is done by Brian Cox. Hera becomes entangled in a bitter conflict with Wulf, the son of Freka, the leader of enemy group the Dundelings, which ultimately leads her to take on the role of heroic leader in a resistance against her enemies. The climax of this tale is a grand battle in the fortress that will later be known as Helm’s Deep.
The film's visuals mark an appreciable upgrade from Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings. Kenji Kamiyama, known for his work on the Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series, fuses 2D and 3D animations of diverse styles to create a visually stunning world that resembles the one built in Jackson’s movies. The battle scenes, in particular, are remarkable, making for an optimal viewing experience on premium and large-format screens.
While diehard Lord of the Rings fans will find enjoyment in the many call-backs and references to the original movies, even those unfamiliar with Tolkien trivia can appreciate The War of the Rohirrim for its visual journey and mythical narrative arc. Despite its slightly lengthy run time of 134 minutes, the film is a labor of love from the creators who have brought in a fresh perspective while respecting the lore of the world they have animated.
