Song yet to be Sung
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama
Starring Gaia Wise, Brian Cox, Luke Pasqaulino
Released December 13th, 2024
Rated PG-13
J.R.R. Tolkien’s work has a long history of being adapted into animated fables, starting with Rankin/Bass’ The Hobbit in 1977, continuing with Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings (which covered The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers) in 1978, and Rankin/Bass’ The Return of the King in 1980. Now director Kenji Kamiaya brings a Japanese influenced animation style to his film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. It’s an interesting mix of animation styles, incorporating techniques used in video games, some rotoscoping, and traditional 2D animation. There are sequences in which characters seem superimposed upon painted backgrounds, creating a 3D effect. There are some beautiful landscape shots and a memorable scene after a battle in which snow falls directly into the camera.
This is a gorgeous-looking film, but sometimes it comes across as unpolished, with characters moving in a stilted fashion. Perhaps to better accommodate dubbing in different languages around the world, it is noticeable that the character’s mouths don’t quite match the dialogue they speak. The fact that the film is animated will be an instant dealbreaker for some audiences. There are those who simply will not watch cartoons. One wonders what the film would look like in live action, who would play these parts, how the costumes and sets would look if they were tangible. The look of the film is based upon Peter Jackson’s live action The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and this story is a direct prequel to those films, as well as Jackson’s trilogy covering The Hobbit.
Stephen Gallagher, the music editor on The Hobbit films, returns to score The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and includes some of the iconic themes that the late Howard Shore wrote for The Lord of the Rings. Illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee, who worked on Jackson’s films, return to work on this film, along with the creative director of Wētā Workshop, Richard Taylor. Thanks to their hard work, the details on the clothing, the sets, and the weapons are intricate and remarkable. This is a production crafted with love and care from executive producers Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, as well as creative consultant Philippa Boyens, who worked on the script with Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou (it takes a village!).
Also returning from Jackson’s films is Miranda Otto, who reprises her role as Éowyn for a frame narration that explains that this tale takes place almost 200 years before the adventures of Bilbo Baggins. This story is based on Tolkien’s appendices of The Lord of the Rings, and though he charts the leaders of Rohan, it was the unnamed daughter of a king that caught the fancy of this creative team. They chose to name her Hèra. If you are familiar with the world of Middle Earth, you will recognize some of the creatures featured here, including giant eagles, those giant elephant-like monsters, and a watcher in the water. There is chatter about powerful wizards. Gondor and Isengard are mentioned. We see some orcs speaking of gathering rings for Mordor.
But there are no dwarves or hobbits or elves; this is a tale concerning the men and women of Rohan, and the focus of the story being told is squarely on Hèra. Gaia Wise, daughter of Emma Thomspon, provides the voice for Hèra, and manages to craft a memorable character. Hèra is a capable young woman who knows she must do the right thing, though she is doubted by most everyone around her. Her father, Helm Hammerhand, is voiced by Brian Cox. Cox’s voice work is impeccable, bringing Helm to life as a living legend amongst his people, a king both loved and feared. The voice work throughout the film is very good, with Luke Pasqaulino another standout as the villainous Wulf.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim strikes a good balance between a somewhat dense story and thrilling, violent action sequences. It’s never hard to follow what’s going on, even with a big cast of characters. While the other films in this series feature some comedic scenes, humor is all but absent from this film. Perhaps the filmmakers were concerned that their animated film would not be taken seriously if they included too many laughs. This is a serious film with a serious tone. It’s also long for a cartoon, which I appreciate. These tales should be epic! The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a compelling tale and a deserving entry into the chronicles of Middle Earth. I foresee Hèra becoming a fan-favorite character destined to be cosplayed by excited fans at pop culture conventions for years to come, and really, what higher compliment could there be?