If the narrative structure leaves something to be desired, at least the individual characters of “The War of the Rohirrim” fare significantly better. Hèra is our eyes and ears into this comparatively thin slice of Middle-earth, providing a hero obviously patterned after Éowyn yet still her own person. This is someone who’s more suited for a saddle than trapped in royal attire at court; a gentle spirit, but headstrong; independent and unwilling to marry, but fiercely devoted to her family and friends (like her wizened handmaiden Olwyn, voiced by Lorraine Ashbourne, or Bilal Hasna’s bumbling, scene-stealing squire Lief). Wise voices Hèra with a charming lilt and a mischievous air, rarely projecting to the back of the room when a soft-spoken word will do. That’s much more apt for Pasqualino as the arrogant and dishonorable Wulf, the sullen man-child whose affection for Hèra has since curdled into hate.
Whatever else might be said about the overall production, the blistering dynamic between the two makes their every heated conversation and every battle of wits into appointment viewing — and, yes, a match made in heaven for all the shippers among us, too. But where “The War of the Rohirrim” truly sings is in its interpretation of what’s actually at the heart of the war between the Dunlendings and the Rohirrim. Freca and Wulf are as obviously evil as evil gets, but the most interesting addition comes from the creative team’s perspective of Helm. A mountain of a man and basically a figure straight out of myth, the King of Rohan is unlike any other we’ve met before. Obstinate and overbearing to a fault, it’s his own pride and ego that sets off the war in the first place and eventually causes their retreat to the wintry fortress of the Hornburg — more so than even the scorned Wulf and the wounded masculinity he spends the rest of the film nursing. Heroes, villains, and those somewhere in between all but jump off the screen from the moment they arrive.
Still, as much as “The War of the Rohirrim” tries its best to live up to the lofty standards set by the original movies, it only really shines when it manages to forget that it’s a franchise movie at all. Fans will no doubt devour the buffet of Easter eggs, cameos, and references (some more ham-fisted than others) on display. For a story as chock-full of tragedy, betrayal, and glorious battle scenes as this one is, however, far too much of the material comes across like diet “The Lord of the Rings.” Is that enough for casual viewers? There’s an argument to be made that this template should be the way forward for this franchise. After all, brand-new characters and fresh stories should be infinitely preferable over a “Gollum” movie or whatever else WB has up their sleeves.
If this is just the first of many spin-offs to come, we can only hope future efforts learn all the right lessons from “The War of the Rohirrim.” So where does the franchise go from here? All I know is that it’d be a shame to let the riskiest “The Lord of the Rings” movie in years scare us right back to safer shores.
/Film Rating: 6 out of 10
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” opens in theaters December 13, 2024.
