To put on my nerd cap for a moment, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” does not have much to do with the actual “Lord of the Rings” in any canonical sense (although the basis for it appears in the appendices of the book “Return of the King”). Yes, it takes place in Middle-earth, and there are a few fun additions that tie the film to the trilogy, but it doesn’t involve the rings of power, Sauron, or any core storylines comprising the backbone of the arc of Tolkien’s world.
Instead, “The War of the Rohirrim” is its own contained drama set in Rohan and its legendary leader Helm Hammerhand, and Helm’s kin, at war with their enemies (Dunlendings) and a would be usurper. This point about the canon is purely an observational note rather than a gripe. Similarly, what is strictly canon about Helm and Rohan during this time in Tolkien’s works is limited.
Some combination of copyright and marketing likely forced “LOTR” into the title. One might understand a dollar-signed-eyes studio wanting to signal to even casual fans of LOTR to come see the film. Perhaps more interestingly, in light of the film’s poor box office performance, are rumors that the film was rushed to preserve the rights Warner Bros. has to make Tolkien film adaptations via a “use it or lose it” contract provision, essentially to buy time to let Peter Jackson make the two new live-action films that have been announced.
With such towering cinematic descendants in the form of the original “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Hobbit” trilogy (“The Hobbit” from a grossing perspective rather than critical acclaim), it would probably be odd for a Tolkien based story set only a short time before the events of “LOTR” (by Tolkien standards that is, 183 years) and given the tagline “LOTR” to avoid any tie in to the main series in some way. There are many Tolkien stories unrelated to Sauron and the rings of power which might be the subject of future exploration. Whether these stories could have the weight and audience interest to justify being adapted remains to be seen, but “War of the Rohirrim” shows that no one has the confidence to make Tolkien-based works more explicitly divorced from the “LOTR” yet.
“The War of the Rohirrim” borrows heavily from the “LOTR” film trilogy in terms of themes, writing, score, and even set pieces. Despite being animated, locations like Súthburg (Helm’s Deep) and Edoras look nearly identical to the film trilogy’s depictions and concepts, probably due to “LOTR” artist Alan Lee’s involvement. Bits of dialogue are similar, and some frames are even close to shot-for-shot homages to “LOTR”. Where the relationship is most felt though is the arc and themes of the story told through Hèra, Helm’s daughter, which strongly echoes Eowyn’s story from “LOTR,” especially with Miranda Otto (Eowyn in film trilogy) narrating “War of the Rohirrim.” The story even leans into the help from the ever-present eagles of Middle-earth. This isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, but further demonstrates its dependence and unwillingness to break the mold too aggressively.
The story of Helm Hammerhand and his children is neat, but the inevitable comparison to the Peter Jackson’s films runs it into obvious questions. Does this film illuminate substantive background for Rohan during this period? A little bit. Does it set itself apart from “LOTR” with an exceptionally unique story? Probably not. As a result, “War of the Rohirrim” sits in the familiar awkward spot that jostles all film franchises between frivolity and worthy entertainment. Every new work treading into the vast worlds like Middle-earth, Star Wars, and Marvel runs the risk of oversaturating the market and fan appetite, which can bury even worthy breakouts.
Indeed, despite the uneven effort to both connect and distinguish “War of the Rohirrim” from the “LOTR” films, it is likely the most original television or film since Jackson’s trilogy stemming from the Tolkien universe to date, though that’s mostly because so little has been made. Even this film, much like “The Hobbit” trilogy where it was often painfully pronounced, was destined to be strongly influenced by the shadow of the “LOTR” trilogy. Peter Jackson and Philipa Boyen’s (“LOTR” writer) involvement as producers for “War of the Rohirrim” no doubt lent to this as well.
“War of the Rohirrim” is a worthy dive back into the Tolkien world even if it is not groundbreaking. Helm Hammerhand’s legend, alongside his daughter Héra, is an interesting chapter to explore. Brian Cox’s cantankerous style is perfect for the role. The anime art style is beautiful and a bold choice for big screen adaptation, one that has not been used to explore Middle-earth for almost half a century. While unlikely to warrant much interest or praise from non-Tolkien fans, “War of the Rohirrim” is a tantalizing glimpse at more divergent storytelling that escapes pandering fan service.
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As AJ Thinks 