THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM

Western 2D animated films are not something in 2024 that are, by any means, common. To my knowledge, the last to be given a major release by a mainstream American studio would have been Disney with 'The Princess and the Frog' in 2009 and outside of direct-to-DVD releases like the DC animated films, 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim' is an incredible feat just for overcoming that hurdle. However, this is a film truly just for diehard Middle Earth fans, and that is okay, but this wasn't something I found easy to jump into as someone who is more casually aware of the world. The fans are going to love the lore, but as a mainstream animated film it does lack universal appeal. Again, not a negative, but I think that's important to note when going into this film.

The animation is very well done, however for a film of this scale it does come across as cheap and shortcuts were taken. The backgrounds and character design are stunning; they really do evoke the Jackson films and make you feel like you have returned to this world. Due to the anime style and grandness of this world, it doesn't feel like they are using this medium to its fullest potential. I know typically in the anime artform when characters are in a wide shot it might not be fully animated when they're speaking but this isn't a small-budget film, this is a major studio release with a festive period release and more care should have been put into these smaller details. Even basic lip movements should match dialogue; again I understand some of this comes from the art form, but this isn't coming from some small studio, this is a major film with Hollywood money. It's a whole different expectation.

The action sequences are a standout, with the final section really quite epic, transporting you back to those original films. The voice acting is also some of the best from the animation world, with Brian Cox giving a performance of a lifetime in the recording booth.

'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' is a good return to Middle Earth for the diehard fans. I am nowhere near that level of a fanatic of this world, but enjoyed my time with this film - I just wish it came across as more polished. This is a very dense story and has to set up a lot of characters, making it feel bloated at times. I hope fans really cling to it, because this should be the way we expand franchises instead of empty cash-grab sequels (ahem, 'The Hobbit' trilogy). As an animation fan, it was exciting to see 2D animation back on the big screen and hope this isn't the last we see of it.