By Janie Walenda
This review contains spoilers for “The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim”
Confession time: fantasy isn’t really my thing. While I enjoy it, it’s not something that I get invested in or seek out. It’s entirely possible that my apathy towards fantasy is an attempt to balance my brother’s obsession with it, especially when it comes to J. R. R. Tolkien’s work.
He’s read every book, brought the Silmarillion on our five-day vacation and, as I write, is grocery shopping for his annual thirteen-hour watch party of the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy.
Because of my brother, “War of the Rohirrim” has been on my film radar since it was first announced. When the stars aligned for us to attend the film together opening weekend, there was a real possibility that one of us would walk out of the theater disappointed. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
“War of the Rohirrim” is an anime film adapting the niche but beloved story of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) from Tolkien’s appendices. The film takes two big controversial swings: the anime style and the centering of the story around Helm’s daughter, Héra (Gaia Wise).
The anime style of the film manages to be both a hit and a miss. The style of the film pulls off the impressive feat of evoking Peter Jackson’s world from the film trilogy while establishing its own creative identity. The animation is impressively fluid in action scenes but stilted in the character-driven moments. Luckily, the film is called “War of the Rohirrim” and not “The Brunch of the Rohirrim,” but the stiff movement does take away from the quieter scenes of the film.
As for Héra, the choice to make her the main character ultimately elevates the story while protecting Helm’s legacy as one of Tolkien’s coolest characters. The mystery around Helm in the second half and his iconic last stand are both aided by having an outside perspective, and Helm doesn’t lose a single ounce of battle prowess or mythical status as a result of being a supporting character.
Héra largely manages to avoid the pitfalls many associate with the trope of the tomboy princess. While the advertising made her come across as another iteration of the hollow “strong female character” that’s become all too common in modern stories, she’s a balanced heroine within the film. Her strength as a horse rider doesn’t automatically make her an expert warrior, and her moments of hand-to-hand combat rely more on her bravery and desire to protect her people than on her fighting abilities.
In a story that revolves around the consequences of selfish and stubborn actions, she’s consistently selfless in a way that justifies her role as a main character. While her character is a change from Tolkien’s original story, the film handles this change in a way that doesn’t completely change the story’s original plot, making it an impressive adaptation.
“War of the Rohirrim” exists in a tricky spot. It can’t quite live up to the lofty standards of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy but also can’t break out of our expectations of what Middle-Earth is. In other words, it’s not the best of what we’re familiar with or something new to explore. That being said, it is still a good film that encapsulates the themes of Tolkien’s writing and the mythology of his world and includes one of my favorite film scenes of 2024.
Even as someone who’s not the biggest fantasy fan, I thoroughly enjoyed “War of the Rohirrim” and was invested to the point of gasps and teary eyes. My brother got to see a story he loves come to life in a medium he enjoys. The film is a worthwhile adventure for anyone who enjoys the tales of Middle-Earth, whether your enjoyment spans the thousands of pages of Tolkien’s work or just a casual viewing of the films.
“Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim” is currently playing in theaters.
Janie Walenda is a senior Global Business major and the A&E editor for Cedars. She is overly passionate about musicals, caffeine and weirdly enough Dracula.
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
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