The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Review

 

 

Recently I saw The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and here are my thoughts…

 

I enjoyed the film. I liked how low-key it was for a Lord of the Rings movie. No high fantasy concepts like elves, dwarfs, or wizards running around for the most part, just focused on regular humans and their interpersonal shenanigans. 

 

The movie is gritty and straightforward but has a good focus on characters and retains the folksy hopefulness this series is popular for.

 

The animation was fine; some shots of people were a bit plain and stiff at times, but a lot of the background work was really astonishing at points.

 

Brian Cox was my favorite character; dude played a strong king who knew how to kick ass, so he’s definitely up there with some of my other favorite characters from the franchise.

 

The main character, this tomboy princess, could’ve very easily fallen into a lot of “I’m not like the other girls” clichés but manages to avoid a lot of those character trappings and comes across more down to earth and like this world’s version of Joan of Arc in a sort of way.

 

The main villain's motivations were, for the most part, understandable; nothing really new, but fit the themes of previous movies, like with the characters of Gollum & Thorin, but in a fresh way, so it felt on brand. 

 

The rest of the supporting cast are all good, a bit one-note at times, but all likable.

 

The battles were exciting and well choreographed for animation, a little choppy in regard to where things were taking place in relation to one another at times, but the fighting itself was clear and kinetic.

 

Most of the focus is on the battles and characters trying to survive being under siege, which, like the characters weapons, can be a double-edged sword, lol. There’s a relatability and simplicity to the story that people will enjoy, but it’s so straightforward at times it can feel too much like other similar stories you’ve seen and have trouble standing out from that crowd. However, that is a mileage may vary situation. 

 

Personally, I think the series is so enjoyed by so many people for its escapism and likable characters persevering belief in hope, which War of the Rohirrim has. So if you’re into this sort of thing, I think this will be right up your alley, but just be aware that the story isn’t going to reinvent the wheel or anything.

 

The pacing was a little bit off; I was never bored and was engaged throughout, but you can definitely tell where some places are tighter than others, and some are a bit looser in the story flow.

 

There are a few spots here and there where they have to crowbar in references to the other films. Like, “Remember this,” or, “Oh, they’re talking about somebody; could it be who we think it is?” Like, yeah, obviously that’s what it’s gonna be. It isn’t too much, but some of the references can be as heavy-handed as lead in a catcher mitt lol.

 

The soundtrack is solid; it definitely sounds like something that would fit Middle-earth.

 

So to sum up, this is a fun, straightforward action fantasy movie with enjoyable characters in a world of people you are fond of. If any of that sounds appealing to you, you’ll definitely get fun out of this motion picture… I give it a low four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, definitely a good effort at an original story in the Lord of the Rings universe.