As if it wasn’t already a landmark year for Lord of the Rings fans, between the announcement that Peter Jackson is making another LOTR movie and the second season of Rings Of Power having us hooked, audiences can also venture back to Middle Earth on the big screen in a couple of weeks. Ahead of The Lord of the Rings: The War Of Rohirrim joining the 2024 movies this December, the anime has screened and first reactions are here.
The social media embargo for War Of Rohirrim has just lifted, and it looks like critics have mixed to positive thoughts on the movie overall. Let’s start with CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes, who had this to say on X:
#LordOfTheRings War of the Rohirrim is a breathtaking jump into anime for the Middle-earth Saga. There is so much to love for the animated return of Tolkien's #LOTR mythology; and it feels every bit as epic and stirring as you'd want. I cannot wait to see this again.
What a glowing review! The new Lord of the Rings movie is actually the first time we’ve seen Middle Earth on the big screen in a decade following the final The Hobbit movie. Reyes was dazzled to return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s world through its first anime, and is looking forward to second viewing. The Movie Podcast’s Shahbaz agreed with our CinemaBlend critic in many ways, but had some gripes with the movie as well. As he wrote:
The War of the Rohirrim captures the beauty of Middle-earth with stunning animation, perfect for an anime. But despite my love for this series, its lengthy runtime and unengaging story kept me from fully connecting with it.
Now, The War Of Rohirrim is two hours and 14 minutes long, which is actually the shortest a Lord of the Rings movie has ever been. That being said, some first reactions shared some similar complaints about its pacing. As Ezra Cubero expressed:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM has glimpses of that Middle-Earth magic, but proves that it can only be as powerful as the characters we follow which are sadly unengaging. The intrigue in its story lacks surprise and it's got a lethargic pace. I was let down.
The new movie is set nearly 200 years prior to the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by telling the story of one legendary king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, and his daughter. Ever since the first trailer came out, we’ve been excited for the Hayao Miyazaki vibes. While it certainly sounds like the animation delivers, not everyone was sold on the story. According to Jonathan Sim:
LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM is a gorgeously animated return to Middle-Earth. It features well-defined characters and masterful battle sequences, but occasional predictability and unearned moments can hold it back.
FandomWire’s Sean Boelman also pointed out how the movie focuses on men when perhaps a Lord of the Rings movie based on other more intriguing Middle Earth races like elves or Hobbits could have been better suited. In his words:
My biggest question about THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM is why they used a medium as wide open as anime to tell a story in the world of Man. It's not bad, but it's less engaging and unique than I would have hoped. Probably a fans-only affair.
While there’s definitely some criticism for The War Of Rohirrim, tons of first reactions are purely positive. Mama’s Geeky owner Tessa Smith commended the movie for being a solid family feature for fans of the franchise.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a great addition to the iconic franchise. Perfect for families with teens & Tolkien fans, it has deeper exploration of lore, delivers an empowering story, offers up insane action & features exciting cameos.
Lastly, Rama’s Screen was all in on the movie, calling it one of the best of the year. Check out what he said:
I really enjoyed LOTR: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM. Epic, grand, mesmerizing! The anime-style animation was exquisite. Felt so good returning to middle-earth. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it. One of my favorite films this year.
Perhaps these reactions helped make up your mind on the Lord of the Rings: The War Of Rohirrim movie? It hits theaters exclusively (with an awesome popcorn bucket tie-in) on December 13. While we wait for the release, you can check out how to watch all the Lord of the Rings movies in order here on CinemaBlend.