“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is a well-crafted anime. Telling the story of the people of Rohan before the time period of LOTR, it has some beautiful animation and a solid hero’s journey. It nevertheless failed to fully engage me as there were long passages of repetitive self-reflection.

Full disclosure: I read LOTR and the Hobbit back in high school many years ago. I have seen all 3 LOTR and all 3 Hobbit movies. I also viewed Ralph Bakshi’s “LOTR” in the theater back in the day. I was not familiar with the tale of the Rohirrim, however. From what I have deduced, the source material is based on an appendix to LOTR. So, while I have a good understanding of the background, I am not an expert on Tolkien’s works.

The film begins with a narration by Eowyn (all acting citations voice: Miranda Otto), 183 years before the current LOTR. (Her narration continues sporadically throughout the production.) She describes a king’s daughter Hera (Gaia Wise) who is not well-known in the present day. She is portrayed as bold as she provides food to a giant eagle. Her horsemanship is unparalleled.

Hera arrives back at the castle to find out that Freca (Shaun Dooley) has summoned a meeting of the King’s council. Freca is the leader of the Dunlendings. He demands that King Helm (Brian Cox) marry his daughter Hera to his son Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) to unify Rohan’s peoples. In a related back-story, it is revealed that Hera and Wulf were childhood playmates.

Helm is having none of this, but his aides remind him not to fight inside the castle. So he and Freca go outside for an old-fashioned fist-fight. In the ensuing sparring, Helm delivers an unintentional death-blow to Freca. Wulf is incensed at the death of his father, but retreats with Freca’s allies to fight another day.

Helm has two sons, Haleth (Benjamin Wainwright) and Hama (Yazdan Qafouri). Haleth is the archetypal successor to his father Helm. Hama has a sensitive side and sings songs on an instrument.

On an outing with her cousin Frealaf (Laurence Ubong Williams), Hera and company are attacked by a giant elephant-like creature, a Mumakil. Frealaf is unhorsed and Hera leads the creature into a nearby wood, which is purported to be filled with deadly creatures. Hera tests the waters of a pond and senses life below the surface. The Mumakil is lured over to the edge where a giant fish-like creature eats him.

Suddenly General Targg (Michael Wildman) is there. He kidnaps Hera. When she awakens in a keep, she discovers that Wulf has taken her captive. He plans a military campaign against Helm and Rohan. He has enlisted the aid of the Hill People.

Frealaf and the rest of the traveling crew rescue Hera and retreat to confer with Helm. Frealaf suggests some good strategies but he is overruled by the advice of one of Helm’s oldest confidants. Frealaf is accused of weakness by Helm and goes back to his own territory.

Hera also is told that she cannot aid in the defense of Rohan. Helm strictly forbids it. Since the Hill People are accustomed to attacking by night, they have the advantage when it is revealed that this is when the assault will begin. Nonetheless, Helm will not back down from the challenge this poses. Who will prevail?

My overall feeling after seeing this picture was one of satisfaction at a story well told. But I was not particularly inspired and the movie was not rave-worthy.

One of the faults of the picture is that the characters seem to be archetypes and not real people. Everyone is a human doing, not a human being. There is zero romance as Hera announces that she has no intention of ever marrying. Most of the character development is self-involved reflection (what should I do, I am a failure, who am I, etc.) and characters preaching at crucial moments to bolster fragile egos.

Wulf in particular descends into a form of lunacy that seemed over-the-top to me. As a complete madman out for revenge, there were no subtleties in him as a villain.

I felt that the producers and screenwriters relied too heavily on the LOTR name to coast along in writing the screenplay. While the decision to use animation probably reduced certain production costs and difficulties, it makes this installment pale by comparison to the scope and grandeur of the previous LOTR films directed by Peter Jackson.

Making Hera the center of the story when she was not the focus in the appendix material was a bold choice, for which I applaud the filmmakers. This is her hero’s journey, but, once again, like so many others.

The animation varies in quality. Night scenes are very clear and will transfer well to the small screen. The landscapes are breathtakingly photo-realistic, a highlight of this picture. The machinery of warfare such as the siegeworks are nicely detailed. The animals, such as the Mumakil and the eagles, are good. On the down side, the villages and interiors seemed dull and lifeless.

Stephen Gallagher composed the score. From what I read, he incorporated Howard Shore’s Rohan theme into his creation. This music is a welcome addition to the action on the screen.

I did not feel like any of the voice actors stood out, with the exception of Miranda Otto’s Eowyn. Her narration flowed so mellifluously that it captivated me instantly.

The theme of family loyalty and love is a major one, even when your family members are as dense as can be. Other themes such as perseverance, the futility and horror of war’s effect on the land and its peoples, the need for resourcefulness, and the destructive power of vengeance also are incorporated into this fantasy.

Because the film is animated, and so somewhat like video games, the violence may be more palatable to parents than current live-action CGI gore. That said, I am not sure if very young children would care for this picture, especially the slow scenes.

Sadly, I think that the only audience for this film is Tolkien fans. How far the LOTR name will carry this film remains to be seen. It is a solid story, well worth watching, but lacks the intensity and grandeur of the live-action LOTR films.

Three out of five stars

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.