Growing up in New Zealand, summer times were occupied with family Christmas celebrations, daily beach swims, and heading to our local cinema to watch the latest instalment of The Lord of the Rings. This was my generation's Star Wars - the first appointment cinema experience with The Lord of the Rings becoming inexplicably linked with our Kiwi culture. 

 

So it was a bit of a surprise when the first trailer dropped for War of the Rohirrim not only because there was going to be a new film from the world of The Lord of the Rings released in cinemas, but also because of the anime form that it was going to take. Although I’ve watched parts of Studio Ghibli’s work in the past, anime is an animation style that I don’t readily head to. I was a little apprehensive about whether I’d be immersed back into the world of Tolkien or whether I’d be distracted by the animation style. I couldn’t have been more wrong. With a narrative that relies on great storytelling and character development instead of legacy nostalgia, The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is a sweeping epic, with stunning visuals to boot. One of the best cinematic surprises of 2024.  

 

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.

 

Within a few minutes of the film beginning, I was drawn back into the world of The Lord of the Rings. The War of Rohirrim is packed with a rich sense of Viking-esque history that feels as though you’re only just scraping the surface of it all. It’s packed filled with swashbuckling action too with horrific monstrous creatures ready to strike our heroes at the earliest opportunity. 

 

At times the backdrops appear as if they are photorealistic capturing, in a completely new film, the beauty of the New Zealand landscapes. The score contains hints of Howard Shore's Oscar winning score from the original trilogy, pulling you back into the mythos of The Lord of the Rings. Gaia Wise perfectly encapsulates the soul of Héra, the hero of the piece, with Brian Cox capturing the thunderous humanity of Helm Hammerhand. Through these superb performances, you become emotionally invested into not only the world of the Rohirrim but the people that inhabit it. 

 

With a narrative that relies on great storytelling and character development instead of legacy nostalgia, Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is a sweeping epic, with stunning visuals to boot. One of the best cinematic surprises of 2024.