For all “Lord of the Rings” fans disappointed by the “Game of Thrones”-ification of their favorite franchise with Prime Video’s middling “Rings of Power” series, the announcement of a new feature-length film based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” produced a faint glimmer of hope. Part of why Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is so beloved — at least on a narrative storytelling level — is because none of the films apologize for their protracted runtimes. Theatrical cuts stretched beyond three hours, while some extended video versions raced past four. Jackson’s films mimicked the feeling of reading Tolkien's novels, more focused on spinning a yarn than structuring a story for the necessary constraints of television. And all the better for fans, this film would be a franchise first: anime.
"Rohirrim" feels rich with distinct mythos, and it’s not at all difficult to follow, even for a "Lord of the Rings" novice.
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is set 183 years before the events of Jackson’s films, but takes place in a location that will no doubt be familiar to fans. “Rohirrim” documents the history of Helm’s Deep, a gorge in Middle-earth where a pivotal stretch of Jackson’s “The Two Towers” was set. The film explores the history of Helm’s Deep and its massive stone fortress Hornburg, protected by the king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), and his people. The mythology of the story itself is extracted from the appendices of Tolkien's original tomes, where he wrote detailed chronicles of Middle-earth and its beings to flesh out the story for ravenous fans.
While the story at the core of “War of the Rohirrim” is frequently engaging, it lacks the undeniable grandeur of Jackson’s movies. The film’s screenwriters try their hardest to broaden what was essentially a single page in Tolkien's mound of text, plopping in enough action sequences to keep the viewer from noticing a behind-the-scenes scramble. To their credit, “Rohirrim” feels rich with distinct mythos, and it’s not at all difficult to follow, even for a “Lord of the Rings” novice. But there is never a moment where “Rohirrim” fully comes into its own. And though it’s finely animated, the film is plagued by the nagging feeling that it exists merely to extend Warner Bros.’ copyright — a practical business decision gussied up with a brand new look to distract viewers from the fact that “Rohirrim” is ultimately a heaping dose of prequel slop.
Héra voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure “Lord Of The Rings: War of Rohirrim” (Warner Bros. Pictures)The primary giveaway on that front is the film’s flat character writing. Helm Hammerhand’s daughter Hèra (Gaia Wise) has all of the expected characteristics of a fantasy heroine. She’s headstrong, often against the will of her family and the kingdom’s people, with a penchant for battle that is balanced by her innate benevolence. While these traits make her interesting enough to carry the film, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about her to help her stand out from any other “Lord of the Rings” character, let alone any other animated, bow-and-arrow-wielding redhead. At the very least, she is more compelling than any other member of the Rohan, making her a believable enough springboard for the movie’s central conflict.
Freca (Shaun Dooley), a lord from Dunland — whose people, the Dunlendings, are sworn enemies of the Rohan and its esteemed horsemen, the Rohirrim — requests that Hèra be married to his son, Wulf (Luca Pasqualino). When Helm Hammerhand denies his bid, the two engage in a lethal brawl, killing Freca and radicalizing Wulf. This all happens within the film’s first 10 minutes, and “War of the Rohirrim” stays planted in the rather comical ensuing clash for the next two hours.
Helm Hammerhand voiced by Brian Cox in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure “Lord Of The Rings: War of Rohirrim” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
"Rohirrim" is ultimately a heaping dose of prequel slop.
While Hèra is complex enough to hold the story on her back, Wulf fails to be much more insidious or menacing than your average cartoon villain. Wulf consults his war advisor General Targg (Michael Wildman) as he plans attacks on Helm’s Deep before immediately turning around and bypassing Targg’s advice entirely to do the exact opposite. While this disregard keenly illustrates Wulf’s inexperience and burgeoning madness, it dulls the intensity of the movie’s action sequences. Luckily, Cox’s strong voice performance does a good chunk of the heavy lifting in that department, conveying the perils of war with all of the theatrical dramatics of a Middle-earth Macbeth.
If you’ve seen Jackson’s original trilogy of films, you won’t have to guess how “War of the Rohirrim ends,” and there are some direct connections to that story shoehorned into this film’s screenplay. Most fans will enjoy “Rohirrim” merely as an extension of the brand, and director Kenji Kamiyama does manage to put an exciting, memorable stamp on the franchise. Kamiyama merges a more contemporary three-dimensional art style with traditional two-dimensional animation to evoke classic anime of the ’70s and ’80s, updated for modern audiences. 
Wulf voiced by Luke Pasqualino and General Targg voiced by Michael Wildman in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure “Lord Of The Rings: War of Rohirrim" (Warner Bros. Pictures)Anime was certainly the right choice for “Rohirrim,” as the style allows for hyper-intricate imagery appropriate for Tolkien's massively detailed world. The medium lends itself nicely to “Lord of the Rings,” given how many anime fans are loyal to brand extensions within the style’s subgenre, curious to follow an anime franchise wherever it may go. Kamiyama’s filmography has proven that already, with the director helming several recent iterations of the “Ghost in the Shell” series, itself a 35-year-old property, adapted from the original manga into films and television series. When it all boils down, it’s admirable that New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. opted to make “Rohirrim” an innovative new visual take that “Lord of the Rings” hasn’t seen before, tapping someone skilled enough to take on such a well-known franchise.
That does not, however, cloud the knowledge that the film is keeping “Lord of the Rings” in both the cultural conversation and the hands of its copyright holders. Early press releases vowed to “fast track” the film, presumably so New Line and Warner Bros. could retain their copyright. (Rights to further live-action “Lord of the Rings” have been under dispute.) Instead of making a movie that can stand on its own, with enough narrative thrust worthy of Tolkien's adored work, “War of the Rohirrim” is content to simply please shareholders and appease fans. And though it could be the spark of further anime entries, it’s a tepid continuation of this “Lord of the Rings” era whose big, glaring message is to leave a good thing alone.
"The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim" is in theaters Friday, Dec. 13.
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