Kenji Kamiyama he probably has something of a masochist in him, because he clearly likes to take on difficult, not to say impossible, tasks. He gained experience, among others: in the worlds of “Ghost in the Shell” or, more recently, “Star Wars”. And although the latter has recently been going through a major crisis, refreshing it in the form of an animated film was still quite a challenge.
But for me it’s still less than “War of the Rohirrim”. Perhaps because much more time has passed since the premiere of George Lucas’s classic trilogy than since Jackson’s, which is still fresh in the minds of many. There were probably some doubts at the decision-making level, but since the competition is not sleeping (I mean the popular Amazon series), it was necessary to react somehow. It probably helped that Peter Jackson himself was a big enthusiast of Tolkien’s association with anime.
After more than two hours of screening, unfortunately I cannot share the enthusiasm of the Australian director. And this is both at the level of the story, which is quite flat and painfully predictable, as well as the execution itself, which, in my opinion, stands out from flagship anime productions. Kamiyama, thanks to the well-known Éowyn from the classic trilogy as the narrator, throws us into a world from almost two centuries before the action of “The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001). This is quite clever, because at the very beginning of the animation we hear the hypnotic voice of Miranda Otto, and in the background there is a classic theme from Howard Shore’s soundtrack. However, the pleasant déjà vu passes quickly and we, the viewers, land in the kingdom of Rohan under the harsh rule of Helm Ironhand (Brian Cox’s voice).
And although he has two sons, and one of them is to become the heir to the throne, almost all the attention is focused on the female characters. First of all, on the ruler’s daughter Hèra (Gaia Wise), and in the background on her guardian and confidante Olwyna (Lorraine Ashbourne). Reversing the male-centric perspective on Jackson’s films is interesting in itself, but it would require much more interesting, deep and ambiguous characters. The driving force of the entire plot is the conflict (male, of course), the source of which is Hèra. All because Helm did not agree to the arranged marriage of his daughter with Wulf, the son of one of the most powerful vassals of Rohan. And since the male ego, also in Tolkien’s world, is fragile, the situation quickly escalates and leads to a full-blown conflict in which a young, fearless girl will play the main role.
The plot of “The War of the Rohhirim”, also due to where it takes place, is closest to Jackson’s “The Two Towers” (2002). At times maybe even too close. And I’m thinking here primarily about the staging solution of the scenes that take place in Helmowy Jar, here initially called Horned Town. In other words, we get a modest prelude to the most impressive and fantastically executed battle scene of the classic trilogy.
Kamiyama in general is largely based on resentment. The character of Saruman appears, although only episodically (the voice recordings of the late Christopher Lee from the time of the trilogy were used for this purpose). Gandalf’s name is mentioned, and rings are also mentioned in passing. I dare say that since “The War of the Rohirrim” and “The Fellowship of the Ring” are almost two hundred years apart, we will probably be able to squeeze in something more here. Let’s hope it’s a little more original, because resentment alone is not enough.
5/10
“The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim” (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”), director: Kenji Kamiyama, USA 2024, distributor: Warner Bros., cinema premiere: December 13, 2024.