Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim (Christian Movie Review)
The anime style and lengthy runtime may deter some viewers, but with beautiful animation, memorable characters, and an action-packed story, The War of the Rohirrim is a worthy return to Middle-earth.
About the Film
“Arise, arise, riders of Rohan!” Middle-earth beckons once again. J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy world is full of unexpected journeys. As an anime adaptation of a lesser-known Tolkien narrative, The War of the Rohirrim offers to take audiences on a unique adventure. But fear not, leading travelers down the uncharted path are some familiar guides. Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens return to Middle-earth for the first time since the conclusion of their beloved film trilogy in 2003. The result is a cinematic experience that feels both excitingly fresh and comfortingly familiar. The anime style and lengthy runtime may deter some viewers, but with beautiful animation, memorable characters, and an action-packed story, The War of the Rohirrim is a worthy return to Middle-earth.
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy claimed a staggering 17 Academy Awards and established the template for Middle-earth storytelling for modern audiences. But prior to those landmark films, Tolkien’s stories were only available through animated adaptations of The Hobbit (1977) and The Lord of the Rings (1978). Returning Middle-earth to its animated roots proves to be a wise choice and helps The War of the Rohirrim avoid inevitable (and almost certainly unfavorable) comparisons to Jackson’s excellent film trilogy. The decision to focus on a relatively small human conflict (set 183 years before the events of the trilogy) may feel anticlimactic to audiences accustomed to the world-ending stakes and cosmic battles between good and evil in Tolkien’s most famous tales, but the narrower scope allows the film to forge its own identity.
As a disclaimer, while I recognize the incredible artistry involved, I have never personally been a fan of anime. In The War of the Rohirrim, the character designs are excellent, and the landscape visuals are gorgeous, but there are some quirks of the genre (such as choppy character movements) that may require some adjustment for general audiences. After the initial twenty minutes or so, my brain adapted to the style, and I was fully immersed in the story. Easing that adjustment is the fact that The War of the Rohirrim is set in the same cinematic universe as the Peter Jackson films, allowing for direct visual continuation from the film trilogy. The musical themes from Howard Shore’s iconic score also make a triumphant return. Some viewers may feel these elements are cheap attempts to tug on audience nostalgia, but the familiarity effectively bridges the gap for audiences unaccustomed to the anime style.
The story for The War of the Rohirrim is derived from two scant pages in the appendix of Lord of the Rings. In other words, beyond the basic bones of the narrative events, most of the story is an invention of the filmmakers. Héra—the central protagonist—is not even named in Tolkien’s original writing. Even so, there weren’t any moments that made me groan and think, “Tolkien would never do that” (unlike some aspects of Amazon’s The Rings of Power). The story is not a direct adaptation of Tolkien’s writings, but (at least in the opinion of this Tolkien fanboy) it is faithful to the overall spirit of those writings, and central Tolkienian themes of heroism and courage in the face of death and tragedy are present.
A challenge for modern Tolkien adaptations is that his stories are predominantly (almost exclusively) male centric. Even so, Tolkien’s female characters are often among his best, and Héra feels worthy to be counted among them. She is a well-constructed character that is much more than the “tough, need-no-man warrior woman” some people may have feared based on the movie’s marketing. Her character’s journey feels earned and satisfying, and her elevation does not come at the expense of any of the original story’s prominent male figures. The hyper-masculine Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox) is fantastic and easily the story’s standout character. The rest of the cast—both male and female—are all given moments to shine.
Despite being animated, The War of the Rohirrim is darker and more violent than previous Lord of the Rings adaptations (see content section below). The grim, serious tone is consistent with Tolkien’s wider Legendarium beyond the Hobbit-centric tales but may be unexpected for casual audiences. Parents should be aware that this is a PG-13 film. While not inaccessible to younger viewers, it is not targeted toward them. My 10-year-old sons (who have watched the live-action trilogy) both loved the movie, but the violence and intensity hit the upper limits of their capacity.
Overall, The War of the Rohirrim is an enjoyable—if somewhat inconsequential—entry into the expanding world of Tolkien adaptations. It is consistently compelling, even if the runtime is too long. Despite the fresh anime aesthetic, the plot retreads many of the same story elements as The Two Towers. But for every narrative parallel or nostalgic return to a familiar location or character, there are creative decisions that offer a unique perspective on Tolkien’s world. As a result, The War of the Rohirrim manages to feel bold and daring while still heeding Gandalf’s sage advice to avoid straying too far off the familiar path.
For Consideration
Language: Two uses of “d—.”
Violence: Unlike in The Lord of the Rings, most of the action is human-on-human, which lends the violence a harsher dimension. The animated style softens the impact of the violence, but there is slightly more blood than in the live-action films. Plenty of warriors are killed in battle. The most visceral instances include a man getting his hand severed off, an arrow striking a warrior in the eye, and another arrow that pierces a man’s neck. A character also has his throat violently cut (the deed is audible but happens off screen).
Sexuality: A man aggressively attempts to force a woman to marry him.
Engage The Film
Choice, Conformity, and Christian Virtue
A central theme in The War of the Rohirrim is “choice.” In an immediate sense, the theme can be applied to Héra’s experience as a woman. As noted above, Héra is a nuanced character, not merely a female empowerment icon. Still, she is clearly intended to reflect Éowyn from The Lord of the Rings (this movie’s narrator), a woman who doesn’t fit the expectations of her patriarchal society. She pushes back against her father’s plans for an arranged marriage, expressing her desire to have a say in her own future.
On several occasions, her wise mentor counsels her that she “has a choice.” The statement certainly applies to her personal struggle as a woman. But it also has a more universal meaning. Héra can choose not to get married. She can also choose not to be afraid in the face of overpowering enemies or to show mercy to those who have shown none to her. Likewise, the male characters, such as Helm and Wulf (the antagonist), must decide whether to conform to the violent cultural norms or to set aside their pride and rise above them.
J. R. R. Tolkien once wrote that The Lord of the Rings is a “fundamentally religious and Catholic work.” Christian themes permeate his stories. Due to its smaller narrative scope, the more cosmic themes of good v. evil are not as clear in The War of the Rohirrim. At first glance, the film may even seem morally ambiguous, more in the mold of Game of Thrones. Yet, while characters in The War of the Rohirrim may not conform as easily to simple categories of good and evil (and to be fair, they never have in Tolkien’s writings), the consequences of their actions clearly reflect an absolute standard of good and evil. Not all noble deeds lead to happy endings. But true to Tolkien’s worldview, it is Christian virtue and strength of character that ultimately win in the end. The flawed, imperfect nature of the characters makes the glimpses of heroism and sacrifice even more inspiring.
