DIY VIRAL
The author Chris Snelgrove
| Published
Lord of the Rings fans often seem hungry for new content about The Hobbit, but they don't always know what to do with it once they've got it. For example, War of the Rohirr was in and out of most theaters faster than Swiftwind, and the film has been a box office bomb big enough to breach Helm's Deep. Admittedly, I was one of those Lord of the Rings fans who didn't want to see it in theaters, but not because I had seen it digitally. I am here to tell you. War of the Rohirr is the best new franchise film in decades.
War of the Rohirrim
Takes place almost 183 years earlier The Fellowship of the Ring, War of the Rohirr focuses on the drama involving Helm Hammerhand and his family. A bitter rivalry with the ambitious Lord of Dunland forces this King of Rohan to take refuge in Hornburg. His daughter Hera helps Rohirr fight against impossible odds, and by the time it's over, you'll have a new respect for why the Hornburg is later referred to as Helm's Deep.
I didn't watch this movie at first because I planned to watch it with a few friends after Christmas and that's when I made the shocking discovery that it was no longer available in my local cinemas and had gone digital after just two weeks. During this time, the film only made $15 million against its $30 million budget. The message to me was clear: for a reason The Lord of the Rings fans had largely decided to skip it War of the Rohirr.
Plans are plans, though, and I dutifully rented the movie as soon as possible so I could watch it with my friends after Christmas. My expectations were severely lowered thanks to the film being a box office bomb, which meant I was surprised to discover just how much it really was. The movie was better on every level than those redundant Hobbit movies, and with that in mind Return of the King came out in 2003, that means War of the Rohirrim the best LOTR movie in decades.
Lord of the Rings fans rejoice
Lord of the Rings fans may be equally impressed with the film's aesthetics as well as its quality: the Japanese animation is absolutely breathtaking, and director Kenji Kamiyama (who worked on such landmark films as Akira before directing fan favorite productions like Ghost in the Shell: A secluded complex TV series), the film combines jaw-dropping characters and pulse-pounding fights. Plus the voice work War of the Rohirr is of the highest level. Everyone did an excellent job, but I was particularly impressed Brian Cox as he brought the legendary Helm Hammerhand to life.
The film also features many familiar locations that Lord of the Rings fans will appreciate, from Rohan to Isengard to Helm's Deep. Sure, some of it was too much fanservice for my taste, but it was hard to complain with the high quality of the art and animation. At the risk of sounding like a marketing factory, this was truly Middle-earth as I had never seen it before, and the novelty of the animation and aesthetic helped me War of the Rohirrim's most overt fan service.
While the productions are like apples and oranges, I'd be remiss if I didn't compare this new film to Rings of Power. This live show Amazon the show has improved since its first season and certainly has impressive production values. But for this Lord of the Rings fan, the show is rarely exciting or compelling, and I loved that. War of the Rohirrim kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
It's not too late to catch this movie in select theaters, and you can also rent a digital copy and watch it at home. Your mileage may vary, but I found it to be the best Lord of the Rings movie in decades…the kind of high quality that fans have often wondered if we'd ever see again. In short, for anyone who often likes to quote Théoden and ask “where is the horse and the rider” War of the Rohirr is the beautiful, blood-soaked answer you've been looking for.
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DIY VIRAL
