The Lord of the Rings Anime Reviews: “Overlong” and “Not as Epic” as Peter Jackson’s Trilogy

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As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the enchanting world of J.R.R. Tolkien, I must say that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim piqued my interest from the very beginning. Having grown up with the original trilogy and revisiting Middle-earth through Peter Jackson’s adaptations, this new animated feature felt like a welcome return to familiar lands.

The animated prequel movie “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” produced by Warner Bros., is receiving mixed reactions as critics have started to release their reviews. It appears that this adaptation, which takes place 183 years before the events in Peter Jackson’s live-action trilogy, might not be the ultimate anime interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books.

Produced by Jackson and adapted from Tolkien’s appendices to “The Lord of the Rings,” “War of the Rohirrim” premiered with a rating of 62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and 59% on Metacritic, suggesting it received a blend of average reviews. For comparison, the highest-rated film in the franchise is “The Two Towers” from 2002, which earned a 95% approval from critics, followed closely by “Return of the King” (2003) at 94% and “Fellowship of the Ring” (2001) at 92%. “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” series is currently at a fresh 84%, while “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” from 2013 trails slightly at 74%.

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As a die-hard fan, I’d say that “The War of the Rohirrim,” released in 2012 as a prequel spinoff to Jackson’s epic saga, clocks in at an impressive 64%. On the other hand, unfortunately, the only rotten tomato in our beloved franchise is 2014’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” which garnered a somewhat lower 54%.

According to Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter, the unique anime-influenced design is likely to captivate not only dedicated fans but also new viewers. For those less familiar with Tolkien’s intricate details, they can still appreciate “The War of the Rohirrim” for its visually stunning, epic narrative style, despite the film’s lengthy 134-minute run time eventually appearing prolonged to some viewers.

As a fervent admirer, I must acknowledge that unlike the mammoth trilogy of “Lord of the Rings,” the films such as “Fellowship” and “Two Towers,” despite their lengthy 178 and 179 minutes respectively, pale in comparison to the epic runtime of “Return of the King” at 201 minutes. This point of contention is echoed by Josh-Slater Williams from Total Film, who deemed the story’s leisurely pace as an “uninspired expansion” of the “Lord of the Rings” lore. For a more comprehensive understanding, I encourage you to peruse additional excerpts from various critics’ reviews below:

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While some loyal fans might appreciate it, the new ‘War of the Rohirrim’ may not be as epic to captivate viewers who were initially thrilled by the live-action films. Alone, this adaptation won’t resurrect the franchise, but it does serve as a stepping stone between ‘The Hobbit’ and Jackson’s upcoming ‘The Hunt for Gollum’. Occasionally, fans will notice a few connections that most viewers can comfortably overlook. It appears the allure of the ring no longer holds the same power as before.

Kenji Kamiyama appears to be managing with limited resources compared to most theatrical productions, and he reserves his best scenes for crucial points in the film, such as a pivotal duel between the protagonist and antagonist. At times, the movie looks decent, but for extended periods, it doesn’t. To put it simply, The War of the Rohirrim can become tiresome over time. Watching it is somewhat like attending a community theater production of a Shakespearean play. Once you get past the lower-quality production and acting, you might find yourself drawn into it. By the climax, you’re genuinely engaged. Unfortunately, by the end credits, your interest has waned once more.

IndieWire: “It’s unfortunate that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which stretches a single page from Tolkien’s appendices into a 134-minute story about how Helm’s Deep got its name (Helm was the guy it was named after), is a thin prequel. However, perhaps we should be thankful that this lackluster and poorly produced epic fails in several unique ways compared to our usual expectations? After all, at least it attempts to offer a fresh take on the familiar boredom of watching Hollywood milk a franchise dry, even if it doesn’t quite manage to achieve that.

“The animated movie offers a unique, standalone journey that presents a fresh viewpoint on one of the crucial tales found in the Appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. It merges state-of-the-art Japanese animation with the visual and auditory style set by Peter Jackson’s initial trilogy of films, and there are clear similarities to Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa in its visual narrative.

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Kamiyama carves out his unique direction in this project, avoiding mimicking Jackson’s aesthetic in anime adaptation. The movie stands independently, and certain scenes echo elements reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces. Labeling The War of the Rohirrim as a fusion of Miyazaki-inspired style with Middle-earth lore might be somewhat misleading, but it does provide a rough idea about the movie’s grandeur. Similar to a typical Miyazaki production, The War of the Rohirrim exudes a sense of vastness, despite being content with concise storytelling.

The animated series, “Lord of the Rings,” noticeably carries the scars of its hurried production – Warner Bros accelerated its release to retain the rights to Tolkien’s books and likely counter Amazon’s competing “Rings of Power” series. Although it maintains a significant hand-drawn element, computer-generated animation is used more extensively in shot planning and background creation, leading to a final product that appears less harmonious than inspiring. Director Kamiyama shares some visual sensibilities with Peter Jackson when it comes to finding beauty in ugliness, so it’s not difficult to envision how breathtaking an anime adaptation of “Lord of the Rings” could be if it weren’t so focused on mimicking reality.

What is The Lord of the Rings: The War of The Rohirrim About?

The War of the Rohirrim: The Saga of Helm Hammerhand’s Household

This new anime adaptation is narrated by Éowyn, the Shieldmaiden of Rohan, portrayed again by Miranda Otto from the Jackson movies. It showcases Gaia Wise from “A Walk in the Woods” as Héra, Brian Cox known for his role in “Succession” as Helm Hammerhand, the powerful King of Rohan, and Luke Pasqualino from “Snowpiercer” as Wulf. This star-studded cast also includes Lorraine Ashbourne from “Bridgerton”, Yazdan Qafouri from “I Came By”, Benjamin Wainwright from “The Sandman”, Laurence Ubong Williams from “Gateway”, Shaun Dooley from “The Witcher”, Michael Wildman from “Baby Reindeer”, Jude Akuwudike from “The Little Mermaid”, Bilal Hasna from “3 Body Problem”, and Janine Duvitski from “Doctor Who: The Seventh Doctor”.

As a passionate film buff, I’m thrilled to share that the acclaimed director Kamiyama, known for masterpieces like ‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus’ and ‘Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex’, is at the helm of this upcoming project. The script, a collaborative effort, comes from Jeffrey Addiss (‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’), Will Matthews (‘Life in a Year’), Phoebe Gittins (‘The Sorrows’), and Arty Papageorgiou. Jackson plays a crucial role as executive producer, joined by Fran Walsh (‘Mortal Engines’), Sam Register (DC’s ‘Creature Commandos’), Carolyn Blackwood (‘His Dark Materials’), and Toby Emmerich (‘The Hobbit’ trilogy). This promises to be an unforgettable cinematic journey!

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is playing only in theaters Dec. 13.

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2024-12-10 01:11