Overview
183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy, a sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. 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.
183 years prior to the events chronicled in The Lord of the Rings, this animated tale draws upon notes penned by Tolkien about the reign of Helm Hammerhand, the ninth king of Rohan, and expands out a new tale set around the time of the war against the Dunlendings – a conflict that first arose during the reign of Helm’s grandfather King Deor. When a Dunlending landowner with Rohirric blood, Freca, challenges Helm’s reign and suggests the only way to unite the people of Rohan would be to arrange a marriage between his son Wulf and Helm’s daughter (un-named in the notes, but here known as Hera), it results in the two rulers clashing, and the death of Freca. 4 years later, Wulf returns with an army drawn from the bordering tribes to get his revenge, forcing Helm and his people to make a desperate last stand at the Hornburg.
The film begins with some familiar musical cues and a narration by Miranda Otto as Eowyn, explaining that you will not find tales of Hera within the songs of Middle Earth, which is a perfectly Tolkien way of saying, “We made up a lot of this,” and you know what, I’m fine with that. The film primarily centers on Hera, whose strong minded determination and fighting spirit draws from the legends of the Shield Maidens of Rohan, and set about the events that lead to the conflict escalating. However, even though much within the film is new, the core meat of the events that transpire are drawn from established Tolkien lore, so the purists should be happy as elements of Tolkien’s notes and letters are given form visually.
With a look and style that ties it into Peter Jackson’s beloved adaptations, the animation initially takes some getting used to, with a meld of beautifully rendered locations and backgrounds starkly contrasting with the anime stylings of the characters, and it isn’t always successful, with some moments where movement of characters doesn’t seem to mesh with the scenery completely. However, the characters are all imbued with personality and detail enough to allow you to swiftly overlook any failings, and when the war itself breaks out the visual spectacle on display is stunning. At times the meld of detailed backdrops to almost simplified animated characters reminded me of Ralph Bakshi’s animated film, but given I have a fondness for that film it is easy to see how I don’t see that as a bad thing.
The voice cast are strong enough in their parts, but it is with Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand where the true strength of the film arises. He delivers a fantastic performance as a strong willed leader who is seeing the potential end of not only his reign, but his people, whilst also allowing for some softer moments of reflection towards his sons and daughter as the events play out. The late Christopher Lee has a couple of lines, utilising some alternate take recordings from Jackson’s films, in a brief cameo that isn’t actually needed, but feels like a touching tribute to the great man, whilst Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan pop up voicing a pair of Orcs.
If you are a fan of Tolkien, then this is certainly a film for you. Seeing how the notes from the author can be expanded upon, whilst still remaining faithful to the themes and lore, will certainly get fans pondering what other old tales they would like to see adapted. For those who only know the works via the films, and TV show, there should be enough to enjoy thanks to the self-contained nature of the story, the sometimes epic visuals, and the familiar moments of the score that will draw you back into the world of Middle Earth.