The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim lead Hera – terrific voice-acting by Gaia Wise [Warner Bros]

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama
Certificate: 12a
☆☆☆

Middle Earth has gone full circle. After Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit follow-up, and various TV series, this latest trip to Tolkien’s fantasy land returns to the genre that first brought the book alive – animation.

In 1978 Ralph Bakshi’s animated tale, which only got as far as the first book, was a hit. Filmed using something called a rotoscope, it involved a mix of live action and drawing. It was a bit weird to watch, but wonderful anyway.
This Kenji Kamiyama tale draws inspiration from both Bakshi and animé.

For those who have a take-it-or-leave-it approach to Tolkien’s folktales, the lure of interesting animation draws you in – but for a feature this length, it is patchy in places.

Landscapes and vistas have atmosphere, and a snow storm sequence is terrific: a telescopic view across the waste as an army advances has a touch of the Ray Harryheusen about it.

But grander moments show up the weaker elements of the visuals.

For a film that stakes its claim to make a Middle Earth statement of equality, the way the lead Hera looks is questionable, even if her character is terrific and the voice acting by Gaia Wise spot-on. Brian Cox and Wise elevate the story, which is taken from a Tolkien-afterthought to his magnus opus.

Kamiyama’s animé take on a LOTR’s back yarn has some of the striking elements of the genre, but is far tougher and more violent than anything you’d see from Studio Ghibli, and without the magical leaps of imagination that make animé unexpected.

The action takes place a few generations before Bilbo has stumbled across the ring in The Hobbit. Helm Hammerhand (Cox) is the Viking-esque ruler of Rohan, perched up on a hilltop in his Great Hall, chucking back mead and pontificating to his court.

We meet the Hammerhead family – two sons with Sean Bean accents, which is a nice touch, and daughter Hera (Wise is superb and brings life to the visuals), and various other hangers on, including a nephew.

Hammerhead is challenged by a rebel baron Freca (Shaun Dooley) after Hera refuses to marry his son, Wulf (Luke Pasqualino). Freca comes off second best and Wulf vows vengeance.

It admirably strives to be a Tolkien epic, and has all the elements you’d expect from a trip to Middle Earth.