The Mosley Review: The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim
Expansion can be the sweetess addition and the most bitter tasting word to ever be uttered. It means more than just what is written in the dictionary. For you and I, it gives us the fans a chance to go back to a world or universe that we loved the moment our eyes gazed upon its majesty. Its a chance to explore the lesser known borders of the pages and go deeper into the history of an already rich world. Some franchises have upheld the quality of storytelling that we expect each time and some have massively squandered it to the point of unrecognizability. Here we are with another attempt to expand those borders and lore of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkiens' world and I have to say it was a mixed bag. From the beginning, the welcoming horns and clearingness of the trumpets pull you back into the lands of Rohan and in a new adventure that some might say was a risky move. I for one was open to this prequel expansion of the lore in anime form and it didn't disappoint. The art form of anime and Tolkien's world mix together like peanut butter and jelly, even if at times there's too much jelly and not enough butter to get keep it solid.
The vocal performances from the cast alone were outstanding across the board. Gaia Wise was great as Héra and enjoyed her will to defend her family. She wasn't afraid to be vulnerable in the most sensitive moments of the story and she really handled herself well in the majority of the battles. Her story starts and ends sort of the same where there really wasn't much of growth beyond skilled abilities as a defender and rider. There are characters that end up being too perfect as a story goes along and never really get "dirt on them" so to speak. Hera was that for me and I wish I could articulate what was missing from her character that didn't really click for me. Lorraine Ashbourne was amazing as her aunt and former shieldmaiden of Rohan, Olwyn. Her chemistry with Hera was great and I was all about her strength and dedication to her people. Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand was undoubtedly the standout of the film and bases of the lore of Rohan. Even in his voice and animation, he commands the room with his strong and steadfast beliefs. Helm was the vary definition of a King, but he falls into the same old traps of pride and stubborness. It wasn't until he finally knew deep loss that he became more humble and that was a quick journey and satisfying arc for him. Luke Pasqualino was great as the leader of the Dunlendings, Wulf. I loved his dark and brooding nature in the moments of planning his assault on Rohan. The classic unrequited love tale as old as time is explored here between him and Hera and I liked it. It served as one of the main pillars, along side revenge, for his campaign against Rohan. He was a formidable foe and absolute fool by the end. He illustrated the sad nature of men that have nothing left but hatred and rage in their blackended souls.
The score by composer Stephen Gallagher was fantastic and fit right at home in the world of Middle Earth. The many original themes of The Lord of the Rings and Rohan, created by the great Howard Shore, return and welcome you back with open arms. Like I said before, not all of this sticks together for me and drops this film from being great to good. The animation was fantastic with the use of many techniques that were hit and miss. There are many tracking shots that linger too long and the animation suffers from it. I loved seeing the brush strokes of the paint, but the animation of the characters were very jerky at times and lacked the smoothness I desired. I get that they were trying to capture actual physical movement, but it was inconsistent throughout. There is a sequence with an oliphaunt that kept a plot line going that ultimate had no end and bloated the runtime with its unnecessary and questionable end. The climactic battle although exceptionally personal, was lackluster in its final blow. Overall, while the score and artful take on a tale of Middle Earth was a welcomed return, I felt the story of Hera was the weakest element of the film. Director Kenji Kamiyama has made an entertaining animated adventure, but it lacked the same polish that we all expect from the on screen world of Peter Jackson's Middle Earth. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
