“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is an anime prequel and spinoff of the Middle-Earth saga. Though not the best adaptation of the celebrated fantasy series, director Kenji Kamiyama does bring a unique spin to the saga.
The story takes place nearly 200 years before the events of “The Fellowship of the Ring.” As two former lovers are charged with leading their respective kingdoms into battle, a clash for the future of Rohan ensues. The result, which is the first animated theatrical adaptation since the 1978 film from Ralph Bakshi (“Wizards,” “American Pop”) is one that treads a fine line between the original novels from J.R.R. Tolkien and the previous live-action film trilogies from Peter Jackson.
Kamiyama is a director who has proven himself more than capable of putting his own spin on all manner of works; his wide range of credits include “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex,” the event series “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and the “Star Wars Visions” segment “The Ninth Jedi.” Though there are times the film uses CGI background elements that appear to have come from one of the series’ tie-in video games, the traditional animation makes strong use of a relatively modest $30 million budget. While the movie is a largely self-contained story, it does contain plenty of recognizable elements and characters, including a posthumous cameo from Saruman achieved via archive footage of the late Christopher Lee.
One particular thing to mention about this film is the reason it was made. While Amazon and MGM currently hold the rights to the original novels (with their television adaptation “Rings of Power” currently on track for its third and final season), this film was made so Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema could retain their stake in the Peter Jackson works done by his company Wingnut Films (including a prequel centered around Gollum set for 2026). The practice is often referred to as an “ashcan copy,” in which a work is made to retain the rights to source material.
Overall, “The Lord Of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is a worthwhile addition to the vast amount of Middle-Earth adaptations even if it doesn’t always soar at the heights it aims for.
At a glance:
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama
Starring the voices of Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto and Luke Pasqualino with Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and Christopher Lee
Rated PG-13
My Rating: ★★★★
