An anime adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's lore, based on an unnamed character and executive produced by Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim sounds like movie-themed Mad Libs, and the results are underwhelming, but charming.
In The War of the Rohirrim, director Kenji Kamiyama and writers from Jackson's original films Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh tell the tale of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) and his daughter Héra (Gaia Wise) fighting against the vindictive Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a cruel and ruthless lord who sets out to destroy their village as revenge for Héra's denial of his marriage proposal and the subsequent death of his father.
The plot of The War of the Rohirrim is nothing new. Héra must defend her home against evil, she will learn to be strong and cunning to protect her people, an epic battle and a long-enduring siege ensues, everything she loves will be taken from her, and she will be forced to overcome seemingly impossible odds. Middle-earth history repeats itself as a comically evil man is brought to justice not only by his own hubris, but also by someone unconventionally heroic (on a bloody battlefield, of course).
In recent years, The Lord of the Rings adaptations have delved into the history of Tolkien's world without ever finding the spark that enraptured fans of the original series. Tediously long films and awkwardly paced shows have been the best attempts to recreate the magic, but these all fumbled, merely serving to test fans' patience.
For this most recent addition to the cannon, Kamiyama works with a main character who goes unnamed in the source material, providing a well-utilized opportunity for the filmmaker to leave his own mark, filling in the blanks with a conventional but richly fleshed out protagonist. Héra's tomboy attitude and smarts, and the way her softness contrasts the evil Wulf brings upon her people as he seeks vengeance, give audiences a hero to root for. She fits neatly with Bilbo, Frodo and other beloved characters from Jackson's earlier films in the franchise.
The animation is simplistic but beautiful, reminiscent of movies that came out on VHS 30 years ago and got watched multiple times on rainy days. There's a certain nostalgic charm to the character design, which will surely make Héra one of the more recognizable characters in The Lord of the Rings universe.
Given the film's unique style, it's a shame that so few creatures of Middle-earth make an appearance. In a story meant to be epic, it would make the most sense to have a world teeming with recognizable beasts. Frankly, just getting to see elves or dwarves would have been fun.
The lack of token (no pun intended) creatures and races leaves The War of the Rohirrim feeling less like a Lord of the Rings story and more like every other generic fantasy that tried to follow in the series' footsteps. Not even references to the other films shoehorned into the last couple minutes of the film can redeem it.
These missed opportunities weigh down what could have been an incredible addition to Jackson's franchise. Though The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is ultimately a thrilling tale of good conquering evil, it never quite finds its footing in Middle-earth, and ends up slipping into the archives of near misses and forgotten adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved books.