The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim (12A)
Cast: Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Christopher Lee, Luke PasqualinoGenre: none
Author(s): Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, Jeffrey Addiss, Arty Papageorgiou
Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Release Date: 13/12/2024
Running Time: 134mins
Country: Jpn/US/NZ
Year: 2024
Wulf seeks vengeance for the death of his father by launching a devastating attack against Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. The monarch makes his last stand in the mighty fortress of Hornburg, which will come to be known as Helm's Deep. The king's spirited daughter Hera leads this bold resistance, determined to fend off an enemy intent on her people's total destruction.
LondonNet Film Review
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim (12A) Film Review from LondonNet
It took director Peter Jackson a little over nine hours to navigate the treachery of Middle-earth in his Oscar-winning Lord Of The Rings trilogy, or 15 and a half hours if you waded through extended versions of the films. The New Zealand-born filmmaker and his team were rewarded with a clean sweep of 11 golden statuettes for The Return Of The King at the 2004 Academy Awards. You could playfully argue that a decent chunk of that running time was devoted to Jackson struggling to say farewell to his beloved characters in the third film…
He passes the baton to celebrated Japanese filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama for an impeccably crafted adventure set 183 years before Bilbo Baggins’ ill-fated dalliance with the One Ring, rendered in painstaking hand-drawn animation. Narrated by feisty shield-maiden Eowyn (Miranda Otto), The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim expands the tangled history of the House of Eorl, briefly documented in an appendix of JRR Tolkien’s third book.
Four screenwriters lean in heavily to the operatic sweep of anime to craft an involving story of self-sacrifice, resilience and righteous fury, anchored to a strong female protagonist who baulks at the suggestion that she should marry for anything but love. The comparatively nimble 134-minute running time is justified by thrilling set pieces and courtly intrigue, building to a frostbitten showdown at a fortress in the White Mountains that fans will recognise as Helm’s Deep. A magical figure from Jackson’s tenure materialises on cue and a somewhat predictable tease at the end of Kamiyama’s muscular odyssey whets appetites for future reunions.
Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) sits on the throne of Rohan flanked by sons Hama (Yazdan Qafouri) and Haleth (Benjamin Wainwright) and rebellious daughter Hera (Gaia Wise). Dunlending lord Freca (Shaun Dooley) proposes a marital union between Hera and his son Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), which Helm loudly rejects. In a subsequent brawl between patriarchs, Helm unintentionally lands a fatal blow.
Wulf vows revenge and amasses an army led by General Targg (Michael Wildman). A tactically astute assault on Rohan forces Helm into retreat and survivors of the onslaught including Hera’s dutiful maid Olwyn (Lorraine Ashbourne) make their last stand in the mighty fortress of Hornburg.
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim sits comfortably within the existing Middle-earth screen canon and adds emotional depth by changing the filmmaking medium. Director Kamiyama and a small army of animators conjure exhilarating sequences including breathlessly staged battles with hulking, elephant-like Mumakil that stampede enemies or gore the opposition with large tusks. A linear plot conceals few surprises – key locations must withstand the test of time or unravel Tolkien’s sprawling mythology. Vocal performances, dominated by the bombast of Cox’s fiery-tempered monarch, rise to meet the grandeur of the visual palette.
– Jo Planter
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London Cinemas Showing The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim
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UK and Irish Cinemas Showing The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim
From: Friday 17th January
To: Thursday 23rd January
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From: Friday 24th January
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