Fëanor, his sons, Galadriel's motives in leaving Aman, Sindar vs dwarves, Dunlendings and Rohirrim, Bór's people (as in not all Easterlings were evil), Sam's musings about the dead Haradrim, Boromir vs the Ring, Isildur and the Army of the Dead, Aldarion and Erendis. I would say that all of those show fairly complex morality and more examples could be found, no doubt. I have some criticisms on Tolkien's worldbuilding but enough shades of grey is not one.
All the early reviews I glanced at, "The movie is really long and slow", Nerd of the rings (a scholar and a gentleman): "I wish we got some more pre war scenes of the main characters, and also we get into the action very quickly." Love the dichotamy :D
I found that the "slow" comment had some body to it, because of editing choices. There are unnecessary moments of silence between voiceover lines and interesting animation choices which do not add anything to the storytelling. I'd have preferred the movie to be better edited for faster flow, while including more character building, ultimately filling the same time slot at the end with more content.
I saw it and it was horrible. By the end I just wanted everyone to die. Tolkien did not appoint Any movie screenwriters to continue his legacy. He opposed all of this exploitation. He did not want the gaps in lore filled. He wanted the gaps to remain, so that they lent the works he Did publish a sense of timeless mythic depth. Boyens Jackson etc are all opportunists seeking to advance their own careers and line their own pockets. If they truly cared about Tolkien and his legacy they would respect his wishes and leave his works alone. Chris Tolkien said that Jackson Boyens etc eviscerated his and his father's works. These people Know Tolkien opposed all this and they do it anyway. They know no shame.
I wouldn't say simplistic. I would say "not realistic" Kings are always good and always the best. If they become bad it's because of something exterior that corrupts them. Not because they were inherently evil. If somebody is fair, just and whatnot, it's because they have some "king's blood". Or from divine influence. Yeah sure. Understandable from JRR's pov + it's not supposed to be realistic i know. But I think it's a valid criticism. Some characters are too stretched by their function.
@chantssovietiquesetrussest2335 You said it yourself. If it's not supposed to be realistic then the criticism that it's not realistic isn't valid. You don't criticize a bike for having two wheels, or a horror story for being scary. And so you also don't criticize fantasy for being fantastical. You can do that with something like GoT because one of its goals is to be precisely that. But you can't do the same with LotR because cynical, materialist, nihilistic or relativist are the last things it's trying to be. At that point you're trying to change it into something it's not, or in other words you're subverting the IP.
It's always worth considering the perspective of the reviewer. Critics are likely more well versed with films as a whole, but if you're a superfan a fan review will probably give you a better idea of whether you'll like it.
I’m kind of disappointed in people who think Tolkien is too simplistic in his morality. Tolkien made clear through his works that there is good and evil in everybody. But in good actions there should exist no evil, and in evil actions there exist no good. If more people thought the same way as him, “this world would be a merrier place”
To be fair, what it comes across as is a very simple good vs evil. Typical light vs dark. But I guess if you read more in depth you get the sense it’s more complicated than that. The one ring alone suggests that there’s more to it, as it can corrupt ‘good’ people. I like the idea that anyone can be good or bad, you do have to admit though that it’s not very salient in the main story (at least that of the movies).
Just return home after watching it with my friend. We enjoyed it. We stayed to see the credits rolled out, and there was a line in memory of Bernard Hill. Thoughtful of them to add that.
I saw this tonight with my wife, Ma and Pops. I’m 30 now but my parents took me to see all 3 LOTR movies when I was a 2nd, 3rd, 4th grader and it lit a love for middle earth stories and Tolkiens work ever since. The moment I heard the opening music I felt myself starting to well up. I loved the movie and the new memory of middle earth on the big screen with my loved one’s
Am planing on taking my dad to see it. same here he took me every christmas to watch the first trilogy, Am 30 too. Am a bit worried because it is animated dont know how he will like that. Did your parents enjoy it?
@ I hope you enjoy it! My mom and wife loved the animation, my dad said he was skeptical because of the animation but as we were walking out of the theater his instant review was “I enjoyed that far more than I thought I would, 10 minutes in and I felt immersed In the world setting and didn’t even think about the animation”. My pops who is tough to please with movies said that he gives it a 7/10. I’m glad you are taking him to see it! I would love for you to reply back to this comment after you see and get your thoughts 😊
and have her get some maiden training so it doesnt feel like her skill jumps out of nowhere. enjoyed when it felt like she was using her brain more than getting saved by X person at the right time
Wulf didn't exist in the original lord of the ring main books, it was a peter Jackson creation that took from the appendices, an unfinished business due to push by the publisher by the time making Tolkien to rush into it and that is why is going to be an empty character. Tolkien was pretty careful to develop each character in his main story and the famous appendices people talk about it I don't think was Tolkien full creation due to the rush from publisher. I get it, Tolkien tried to answer many questions from the readers so he promised this but even the characteristics of wulf ( maybe from Beowulf) doesn't seem a full Tolkien creation. Every character Tolkien has on the main book it seems to represent someone real in his life, we won't know all, he did deflect the idea, but I think it was that way, his wife, his children, the war, Hitler, Stanlin ( unconscious or conscious). But, in the appendices, some of the characters were just trying to fill in the blank without filling some of them; and it may represent someone else idea o fiction. Most people said Tolkien created a mythical world but from what I see, read, and from what my father live through the war you could label each Tolkien character from the book ( without the appendices) to a real person by the time he wrote the book, even when he didn't want to admit to it. Anyway, maybe is bullocks, just an opinion and the movie is bad, sorry
Yes. That would require 50,000 more papers to animate, an extra 10 months of rendering and then all the compositing, more coloring, more editing. You know, simple stuff. It should've been longer. How hard is it.... it's just people DRAWING on paper and digitally 😂 LAZY WB production.
In my town, the War of the Rohirrim was so unpopular that the theatre manager even said so, when I asked about the lack of posters. I watched it twice, back to back, the second screening "on-the-house" after the first paid-for screening was disrupted when a teen seated behind me who suddenly had a seizure about 15 minutes in. Besides the teen and his parents, there were only 2 other adults including me and 4 other children in the hall. We went into first-aid and "let's help" mode, so I was glad the theatre manager offered us a free screening after that. Anyways, I liked that the setting of the *War of the Rohirrim* movie was immediately recognisable to those who have watched the Lord of the Rings movies (2001-2003). 1. The vast grasslands of Rohan, its capital Edoras, the great hall of Meduseld and the fort of Hornburg (which was later known as Helm's Deep). 👍 2. The cultural identifiers like flags, emblems, shields, armour, weaponry, and of course, the horses. 👍 3. Giving time and space to the Shield-Maidens of Rohan, a title and banner that was supposed to have passed with time, was another nice touch. 👍 I'm glad I watched it twice back-to-back. If I had waited, its local unpopularity as a movie might have caused it to be taken off so fast that I would have missed the nerdy enjoyment that it brought me. ☺
Her father dies because she was too stupid to stay away from the orcs. The hero of the books dies because of that stupid brat. And the country goes into hell because of her decisions .... again. She is not the hero, she is the antagonist, and a stupid one at that. Plus it break the immersion to see a 100 pounds female with no combat experience threaten 250 pounds male that have participated in multiple wars. Tolkien would never do that, female elf fighters half decent in Tolk hade thousands of years of fighting experience and barely arrived at the knees of human fighters.
Totally enjoyed the film. Anime took a bit of getting used to as that’s not my thing really but overall grateful for the added context to middle earth!
I just saw the movie. While it is in no way close to the live action, it was not awful. I had moments where I felt a surge of energy. I’d give it an 80 out of 100 for enjoyment. Just cause it’s anime, doesn’t mean it’s bad. You could tell there was heart and soul put into it, which is rare in this corporate dominated media (cough cough ROP cough cough), and I enjoyed the movie overall
Watched it today. I agree with your review. Things escalate a little too fast perhaps and character development would have been nice but understandable when having to make this a single movie. I like the tie-ins to LOTR.
I think it's important to remember that the story is being told by Eowyn, and that oral traditions of history (As well as our own written history) are not always accurate. Eowyn is herself a shield maiden and she is telling a mythologized tale of her people as it was experienced by a shield maiden she admires. It is one of the stories that inspires Eowyn's courage to be the warrior that can defeat the Nazgul Witch King
For me I gave a 7.7/10, I felt like some scenes dragged on for a little bit much, but everything else is very cool and more than makes up for it, I'm especially impressed by how well the LotR feel was translated into the anime form
I’m very happy I ran across your review. The complaints of “girl bossness” elsewhere neatly kept me from this. I’m now very likely to watch It . Thanks!
I watched it today so I won't spoil it, but it's a great film that I'd definitely recommend! As a lore nerd myself, I found it really enhances the little we get on the story of Helm. Not an anime watcher so can't speak to animation stuff, but I enjoyed the look and feel of it. And the music slaps!
Honestly i am not into anime but anything we get related to lord of the rings i'll watch. Its funny how an anime style adaptation felt more lotr rather than rings of power ever did.
My mother is not a fan of anime, either, mainly because of the art style (especially with how they draw the eyes). But she liked this movie. Personally, I hope they make more anime LOTR movies. It would be kind of neat to see The Silmarillion done in this style.
Finally saw the film and I think this preliminary review is spot on. Looking forward to a full discussion. Overall I really liked it and I think it’s an exciting way forward for the LoTR franchise.
The anime was a great return to middle earth. Visuals and audio are top notch, and the story was interesting and fun to boot Edit: It’s just like my opinion people. Try to contain your hate. I watch plenty of anime and I hold firm to my opinion. I understand some of you think it’s “choppy and unfinished”. I don’t care, i thought it was done well in a style I enjoyed quite thouroughly
The animation was too jumpy, 3 years for this? Nah its not good movie, I love LOTR, all books and I love nerd of the rings, but this Movie is simply just BAD.
@@atreyos9449 right. I have no idea how can anyone find this movie good. Maybe if you don't watch anime at all so you don't know how anime should lookand behave.. This animation is unfinished and as someone who watches anime regularly it hurts to watch
I wholeheartedly agree! I'm not into anime and I wasn't that excited by my first look at the trailers, but like you said, five minutes into the movie and I was over it. The storytelling was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt very much in keeping with Tolkien lore. A pleasant surprise! P.S. Stay through the credits so you can shed a few tears (iykyk)
Just got back from the theater. It was way better than I was expecting! I was a little worried at first because I thought the first act was kinda hit and miss. But once Edoras fell, the movie really kicked into high gear and I became completely invested.
I saw the movie yesterday and I enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of anime so I was a bit sceptical but it took about 5 minutes to get used to it and then I forgot about it. The music especially in the beginning made me tear up. Also Helm's familiar battle speech gave me chills. 8/10 for me as well.
@ it’s not much to be honest 🤔 I don’t count the artistic choices of the animation as I enjoyed them. One flaw that irked me a little bit is with a small spoiler: When Edoras is being attacked. One of the gates on the outer walls is burning and a Mumakil doesn’t want to breach it, as it is afraid of the fire. So…why not move a little back, about 50 metres to the side where the palisade is not burning? 😅
@@michaelotoole1807 I have another issue, though this is a pretty major spoiler so if you are excited to watch the film I'd recommend not reading this In the very end it is Hera who kills Wulf, this honestly does create a better story for the film, but goes against the book (where fraelof kills him) though Frealof is still a very important character in the final act, as well as several other moments throughout the film (hes also very hot)
I saw the film myself. I'm more of a casual lord of the rings fan. I am a big fan of anime, films, and medieval fantasy in general though. I'm familiar with the director Kenji Kamiyama as I have seen just about all his works. I was very impressed by the film. Especially the combat sequences as I love action films/anime a lot. The fight sequences felt smooth and the characters each had a unique style which is often overlooked. It seemed like the film covered the original story well but I only saw summarizations so I'm looking forward to an analysis video later. It was especially nice to see Helm's and many of the characters cool moments.
I liked the movie, though I mostly found it "cute". You know, good but not great. I think my only problem with it, really, was just that I wanted... more. It isn't rushed, it is a good film... but I wanted more details and less narration. Thinking about it I realize... I wanted a series? Maybe? It makes sense - the story is short and it jumps in time - this is how you would adapt it. But like you said, more time with the characters, more of the inner politics (that I usually hate), would have really made it great. Still my 4th favorite ME movie. And I applaud Hera. They made her believable, real, bad-ass without turning into a caricature, emotional without being whiny, and not a Marie-Sue without detracting from other characters or - as appears to be a sorry trend of the past few years - forcing things that don't belong in the original to put in a check mark on progressiveness (often while completely missing the point and so showing you are anything but). Looking forward to that spoiler one!
As a woman, LOTR/Tolkien fan, and anime fan, this film was...alright. I don't regret watching it, and I think it opens many opportunities for more great collaborative animated features. However, I left the theaters wanting so much more 🫤
Same for me. It felt like, for all the touting of Hera as this shield maiden, her actual martial ability would change moment to moment and scene to scene to serve the plot and story, rather than staying true to who they claim she is.
@@TorzGirlSweelaHeart I 100% agree there. Hera was a plot puppet. Which really sucks, because her character design and her voice actress made her seem really interesting, and I wanted her to be so much more than she ended up being. That being said, DAMN her wardrobe was fire.
I read and watched a lot of reviews on this movie. It was very 50/50. People seemed to either love or hate it. For me, I very much enjoyed it! I actually thought the anime medium worked very well for the franchise. I could see a few more stand alone stories like this being made. I enjoyed the story, which borrowed on the lore but didn’t rely on it. I think this franchise has been a victim of the fan service *cough Legolas* treatment. There were some nods at the end, but they make sense. Especially as there is a passage in the fellowship of the ring on how Sarumon was gifted Isengard. Though I do agree that, this is a girl boss movie and the troupe is tired…I don’t think the movie over relies on that. Much like eowyn, she becomes strong because of her growth. For me it was FAAAR better than the entire hobbit series. That said it seems to be hit or miss with the audience. As I like anime, and loved LOTR since I was a kid it was a big win!
I watched the movie with my girlfriend yesterday. She doesn't know anything about Lotr, but she enjoyed it as much as I did, and I am a big Middle Earth fan. I spent all the time with a smile on my face and got goosebumps at the end. It was definitely a great film for me!
I think people who feel let down are just way to in love with the books. Which I completely understand. I have a deep love for the lore as well. I own so many books of Tolkiens! I think the creative liberties taken by the writers are fair. The main upset I’m hearing is the lack of runtime because some of the characters don’t have a detailed back story to resonate with
I have been driving across Australia and have not had a chance to settle in one place to watch it. Today, I finally got the chance. I'd seen a few reviews prior, including this one. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to say I wouldn't have noticed the anime/cartoon issues; however, I did, but it didnt make any detriment to my viewing and enjoyment. I even swelled in the eyes a few times. I can't wait for my family to see it when it comes out on streaming services.
i took my girlfriend and her daughter to see it back on Sunday. We all enjoyed it. We didn't get a hammer popcorn bucket but they did have a tin bucket that looked like armor and the lid is a shield. looking forward to your in depth review.
I just got around to watching this today, and am looking forward to your full review. As for the spoiler-free review, you nailed it. If I could add anything, it would be an appreciation of the filmmakers making a movie that can be appreciated by LoTR fans and non-fans alike.
He deletes anyone who says anything "too" negative, even when it's completely justified. Also, never bring up what he'll do to keep special access and such - that gets you extra-banned around here.
It’s a really good film. I had some reservations about hera and it being anime, but overall those were unfounded. Hera is great, Helm is amazing, Frealaf is cool, and Wulf is so antagonizing in a good way. My main question is about what the oliphaunts are doing up in Rohan and why one of them becomes rabid and decides to chase Hera for miles into a jungle…
Absolutely loved the movie!!!! It was fantastic! I've seen it twice now, once on my own and once with my son. We both loved it. Of course it wasn't perfect, but nothing is. It was a truly great film, a fun watch, and I want more Lord of the Rings Anime stories that expand on little moments or lore from the books that would work so well like this!
I watched it when it first came out and I was like a 10 year old kid with a big grin on my face. It was the best lord of the rings movie/show since the hobbit
Matt thks for video. Bless you laddie. When you hoping made video with spoilers or full review.? Hoping to see soon. Few days ago finish with movie. Satisfation. Its more precious then RoP😂😂❤
As someone who does watch a decent amount of animation, I’d say it was a solid 7/10 from the standpoint of an animated film. Everything seemed to stay on-model pretty well. It wasn’t super sharp or mind-blowing awesome though, but overall non-offensive. While there weren’t any super crazy “anime moments” in the action scenes that would knock your socks off, if you’re even a casual fan of the Middle Earth series, you probably wouldn’t expect there to be any. Especially in a story about Men vs. Men where the more fantastical elements of the ‘verse are pushed more to the background.
Wouldn't go as high as 8, but a solid 6.5 for sure. Not bad, not amazing. Would have loved to see Helm and the sons fleshed out more. Hera was perfect from the beginning and I don't really see how she developed at all in this film. But Helm's moments were incredible. And I agree they're the most memorable thing from this movie. Which makes me think they would have probably had a hit on their hands had they made him the lead character. It was kind of set up to be that way the way Tolkien wrote it. The end was the weakest part. Would have preferred Hera die heroically, losing to Wulf (which is realistic) and then her cousin killing Wulf (which is true to lore). Makes more sense and still gives her a pivotal hero moment.
This is the best take I’ve heard so far. Very much agree. Lots of things to enjoy/appreciate but felt it could’ve used more fleshing out and richer character development.
I agree here, but as I was watching this I kept getting this nagging feeling this should have been a show to make it feel more set in the LOTR universe. Rohirrim has always felt like the most generic fantasy portion of the LOTR story, until Helm's Deep, and it could honestly fit in any universe, not just LOTR. The reason this film was made was because NLC wanted to hold on to it's LOTR rights, and I'm mixed on were it's potential lies. It's definitely missing something important.
@@ultraexcalibur1728 Agreed, she doesn't change as a character over the course of this all, but really that didn't underplay any of the story or dramatic moments. In the end it still wasn't really about her although she still has a role to play. There are some minor parts I didn't like too much, but in the end I think it all came together beautifully.
Just watched it today, and i enjoyed it quite a bit. It took me a while to get into it, because I'm not a fan in his it's animated (sometimes it looks like as top-motion film), and a few scenes which i found boring/where i rolled my eyes a bit, but then it got better and better. So don't listen to the professional haters out there.
Honestly, Helm Hammerhand as a character is kinda extra. Very beowulf esq. Action in anime is also pretty extra, so it works. Anime Helm bashing in the head of a snow troll, the middle earth kaiju battle, and other stuff like that just work better for me than a lot of the "Battle of Five Armies" and "Desolation of Smaug" action.
Changed the lore ..made frealof a joke ..made a parody of two towers storyline with helm being theoden and hera being aragorn and eowyn and frealof a loser eomer 😂 bad animation and cgi ,made helm a side character ...girlboss movie when they said again and again its not a girlboss movie (bcz that trope is overdone they said ) hera is never wrong and a lesbian and runs off with her lesbian lover 😂 thats ur summary but i know ur already sold @@NerdoftheRings
I’m glad that people like it and I enjoyed some moments but man…that was a rough watch. Hera was an extremely boring character. She was perfect from the jump and had arguably no change throughout the story, she was just waiting for everyone to recognize how awesome she always was. She also had horrible or nonexistent motivations. She’s nobly fighting for the people of Rohan, but that’s like the bare minimum for someone in the royal family! So beyond that, what is she fighting for? So that she can just abandon them all once Fréaláf is King? No wonder she never made it into the songs
I agree with your review far more than Matt's. Unfortunately I think he's going to lose me on this one. 8/10 is bootlicker territory. I think a 5-6/10 would be generous. Don't think I can trust these reviews for any future media
@ yeah anyone who says this is anything beyond mid is out to lunch. I can sympathize because I was the same way about Star Wars until Ahsoka, just too desperate to love it that I couldn’t admit it was sub par. I think basically all lotr fans will come around to the obvious conclusion that this film is bad in a few years though.
Great review Matt! I think I have to agree with pretty much all you have said, we gave this a 7.5/10 so we are close there. I am curious with general audiences opinions as I don't know whether this story that we already love is enough to capture the minds of the everyday cinema-goer. The animation is, as you say, a barrier for most. I think it's fun to experiment with other mediums but I have also seen a large portion of Tolkien fans even saying that they aren't "wasting their time with anime" which is sad. Looking forward to your full spoilery discussion!
Thanks for being a positive Light in the Darkness of Hatred, Fear, paranoia! Positive channels that don't deal in absolute's That a Movie might have faults but it's not all bad just cause it's new or different. I really feel like hate is more prevalent then ever in different fandom.
I watched it without specific expectations. All I can say is: With Rings of Power I had to stop watching after 2 episodes because it wasn‘t hitting any spots for me, quite the contrary. Rohirrim was a thoroughly good time, hearing some of the music in an actual movie theatre made me cry and the fact that we had MULTIPLE badass female characters heals some of the grievances I had with Tolkien-adaptations. Think I can agree with 8/10, would totally recommend
First I will say I have not watched any reviews of this movie prior to watching the movie itself and kept away from much of the discourse as I could. I have not included any spoilers in this comment. and I'm keeping things vague My verdict of the movie: If you like Lord of the Rings and want to see more of it, then I would recommend this movie. Pros: *The visuals are stunning they have managed to capture middle-earth greatly and just like the movies it draws you in. *The music is well known by most as they use the music made by Howard Shore for the original movies. *The acting in the movie is great and brought me to tears once or twice, we also hear some well known voices from the movies; Miranda Otto returns as Eowyn for the narration, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan can also be heard. and last Sir Christopher Lee returns as Saruman. The okay: *The story is alright there are plenty good to say about it, more good then bad. There are scenes that I very much question as to why it was included and which does not make any sense to have at all in my opinion, but there is certainly more good then bad here 100%. There is also a single moment where the continuity does not make sense which I think they did mostly for the visual of it as its very deliberate in my opinion. *Héra as the main character is something I questioned a lot, but she grew on me and much I saw her do was something I found befitting a shield maiden of Rohan and parallels can be drawn to Eowyn. She is certainly not a Marry Sue which I feared she would be. The bad: *Sadly the animation fails for me in this movie, there are certainly times where it hits perfect especially in the important scenes, but there are to many time where you can see a big drop in quality that ends up taking you out of an otherwise gorgeous looking movie. Overall I would give it a 7.5/10
Thanks so much for giving your thoughts! I totally agree on Hera as well. My worst case scenario was she would feel forced in and they’d sacrifice other characters for her, but they totally didn’t. They actually got me to care for a semi-original character, which is saying something.
@@NerdoftheRings 100%, im really happy that I liked the movie. There has not really been much good movie or tv series lotr content for a long time (I sadly don't like rings of power as they changed to much about the characters and the lore in my opinion). Keep up the good work. I always love to watch your videos when I research lotr for my One Ring game.
I absolutely loved this movie! I've been a tolkien fan since I was old enough to have the Hobbit read to me, and I started throwing in high school. Seeing such beautifully animated throws for the weight throw, the javelin, and the discus really made me nerd out so hard, and it was beautiful to see the weight/hammer turns in the beginning so dutifully animated. I think people were going in expecting another land spanning epic, but this is a provincial story. I felt it was dutifully executed, with the adjustments made feeling not out of place, and overall, it was just a beautiful opportunity to return to Middle Earth and love every moment spent there.
I mean this in the most respectful way possible but did we watch the same movie? The animation was incredibly poor and you can tell how low the budget was. The story and dialogue was also poorly written. The Helm scene in front of the gate was so corny that the entire theatre was laughing
I watched it this weekend, and then I watched your review. I really enjoyed it, though the animation left me wanting a little more. I wish studio Ghibli could have been hired to do the animation in it. I really enjoyed the story, and appreciated that it didn't go too far in trying to undo previous stories. It was maybe a couple callbacks, but I thought they were a reasonable fan service versus over the top
I think my favorite part of the film is that the eagles were utilized correctly. They didn't swoop in and fix everything, they only did one thing to guide an outcome that ensured balance.
Anime and Lord of the Rings have been two of my favorite things since childhood, never ever thought I'd see a combination of the two, can't wait for this film.
Akira, Fist of the North Star and Dominion: Tank Police are the childhood films. Yes, you can say it's been compromised for the mass public but if it brings new fans to both words. I'm happy. Anime is like chocolate. So many styles, choices, variations. There is an Anime for everyone.
Hopefully without spoiling (apologies to you if I am!)... I thought it odd when Helm makes his last stand, he does so empty handed (as he should, according to the lore), but then in the follow-on shot where he is found, he is shown holding a hammer! (though a moment prior, in the arial shot, he is still empty handed!).... other then that, I loved the film. I'm a Tolkien fan and a Pixar fan - i love animated movies, but have rarely dipped my toes into Animi, so was 'on the fence' about this film. But I watched it today... Excellent.
I’ll be seeing it this weekend with my brother in law and sister! Honestly so excited for it. Unlike my other favorite franchises, I think LOTR is headed in a good direction. The Hunt for Gollum is also promising.
I love the point you make about competence. Have seen it last night and compared to RoP it looks like the makers are actually competent doing this compared to the guys at amazon.
Watched it early in mexico and really enjoyed it, felt a little uncertain about the animation in the early dialogue heavy scenes but got my money's worth the rest of the movie. Hope it does well enough to greenlight more projects like this. I think animation works better for the smaller (and sometime weirder stories in the legendarium).
Hi, When deciding on wether I should go see that film i went to two soucres. ROtten Tomatoes and Nerd of The Ring. WHen you said, "don't sleep on it" I knew I had to watch it. Youre THE reference of the Tolkien world, and I know I can make my own decision, but with Gladiator and some other film at the theater right now, your review made the difference. I did not regret it. Thanks
I've always thought animation would be perfect for Tolkien's work and I wasn't wrong. I loved the movie and i hope to see more animated stories from Tolkien's legendarium
Hi Matt! We met at Dragonsteel and sat together for the release party. Thanks for the TH-cam tips and for recommending this movie! My wife and I went and saw this last night and really enjoyed it. I wish it had a love story element to it is my biggest critique, but other than that a solid movie!
I enjoyed the movie (would give it 7.5/10 myself). The animation style took a little getting used to as it doesnt seem as "smooth" to me as regular animation, but after 10-15 mins its not an issue. I agree that maybe a little 15-20 mins of story amongst the family before everything kicks off would be nice. One of the best aspects of the LOTR movies is the music, & I love how they included some (not too much) of that. Also Christopher Lee getting a credit is a nice touch. Overall if your a Tolkien fan, definitely give this a chance.
Just went to go see this today and loved it! Way better than I expected to be honest. I think they did an amazing job adapting the story. Hera was a great character to put us into the action. Very emotional. I got chills several times. My wife joined me. She doesn't know the lore but really likes the films. She also really enjoyed it but mentioned it probably requires knowing LOTR at least casually to fully appreciate.
I'm really looking forward to this! 🙌😍 I'm not a super fan of Anime, but Avatar and the sequel Legend of Korra are both complex and amazing stories, not just for kids 🫶
I went to see it with my brother today and I loved it. The length of the movie didn't even bother me, now hearing about your take wishing it had pre-war scenes makes me with it was longer too. Seen a lot of hate and negative reviews unfortunately, like Jeremy Jahns saying the movie was made "not for the love of the IP but because they didn't want to lose the license".
Here’s the thing - perhaps it’s true WB greenlit it to keep the license. (I honestly don’t know.) But that doesn’t mean the people who actually MADE the film didn’t do it with love of Tolkien. I can’t help but think a lot of critics engage in hyperbole because it gets an emotional response from people, which gets more clicks.
As a huge fan of Rohan, I did enjoy this movie a lot. I thought the anime might make it challenging for me, but I did not notice it as the film went on. This movie in live action of course would have been amazing. I love getting my awesome hammer popcorn bucket as well.
Loved it. I find the more "die-hard" a fan is in any fandom the harder it is for them to enjoy new media. Cursed to compare it to the books and robbing themselves of joy in the process.
that's the benefits of being casual you don't get blind by the past glory and dare to enjoy new things sure WoTR isn't perfect either, but it's enjoyable as a movie and that's what is important for the audience
@@squaeman_2644Yeah, if it didn't insult the lore, no one would have a problem with it. The best you could say about this movie is that it's someone's fanfiction.
Did anyone else catch the banner sigil at Wulf's castle near the start of the film? I swear it was a near 1 to 1 of the House Stark sigil. And then the "winter is coming" line halfway through? Definitely more than just LotR fanservice in this movie haha
I enjoyed it.. I'm not someone who typically watches animated movies and was a little skeptical at the beginning but overall it was a good show and I'd happily watch more in future.
I also gave it a 8/10. I really enjoyed it. I just don't see it being a movie that i would rewatch and buy to rewatch. (unlike the hobbit and LOTR extended haha) I loved to see Helm and also a 'shield maiden' in action. I mean, Eowyn was a shield maiden, so it was nice to see the previous lineage ya know :) Great film
You give me confidence again In the movie. I'm hyped again hahahah. Most German critics said the movie is pointless but they are more speaking as a film critic and not a Tolkien fan. Your opinion as a fan is more likely how I will feel about it🙏
Her father dies because she was too stupid to stay away from the orcs. The hero dies because of that stupid brat. And the country goes into hell because of her decisions .... again. She is not the hero, she is the antagonist, and a stupid one at that. Plus it break the immersion to see a 100 pounds female with no combat experience threaten 250 pounds male that have participated in multiple wars.
Just seen the War of the Rohirrim. Amazing film. The Story of helm is one of Honor, a True Legendary Leader. visually Beautiful, the plot was excellent. Overall a great addition to Lord of the rings, and the Middle Earth we all love! Cheers 😎😄
Great review! Can’t wait to see it! Are you going to do a watch party with it, sort of like your rings of power watch parties? I would love to know. Thank you so much, Nerd of the Rings!
Thank you, Matt! I saw it yesterday. I liked it! And I have never seen a full length anime before. Mostly I loved the feel of Middle-earth and the beautiful and familiar music, which gave me goosebumps all over. Loved to be back in Middle-earth!
Anime is perhaps the route to go down if there is ever an attempt at the Silmarillion. The size of some of the Valar and creatures are much easier to incorporate into animation whilst one of the issues RoP has (amongst many) is in congesting the entire Second Age into about 5 years. This is partly due to the world it is set in - elves and Maiar will basically not age whilst men and dwarves will die and only be relevant for certain parts of the story, making it difficult to make the adaptation "true" as they may not feel like character relationships can be built between elves, men and dwarves. Animation means a show is not reliant on actors being available for long stretches of time, so there is also more breathing room for a production to take its time in adapting something as grand in scale as the Silmarillion. If WotR can be seen as an artistic success, it may give scope for a relatively faithful adaptation of the First Age events.
This movie was made for me!! The only thing I love more than anime is Tolkien. 😊 I also work in animation and can say that the animation was top notch; this studio clearly has some very talented animators and character artists. I wasn’t expecting there to be such a blend of 2D animation in a 3D space, but as other industry professionals have told me before is that this is how we hold onto 2D animation in a digital world. I do think that eastern animation studios still have some refining to do as they develop more techniques and get better technology and tools. I’ll also be watching it again this weekend and look forward to your more in-depth review!
There was a lot to like here, especially with the depiction of Helm, and one of the new characters was a pleasant surprise. There were also A LOT of missed opportunities. There was far too little of Frealaf for his role in the story. The Dunlendings were presented with disappointing simplicity. And the call backs to the LotR movies, by the end, started to feel lazy and heavy handed. The end of the film, in particular, did not work for me. Over all, though, I thought it was a fun and good movie. Just probably not something I'll watch every year.
Thank you so much for the early review. I am so glad that someone who I respect that actually loves and knows Tolkien's work and is invested in Middle Earth, gave their opinion. I can trust that if it was awful and didn't feel like Tolkien you would say so. Everyone else is just being mad because its an anime and because they made Hera the MC. I appreciate you sir, you have made me very hype for the movie. I wish there was a way to know which theatres have the hammer buckets cause I want one haha.
Her father dies because she was too stupid to stay away from the orcs. The hero dies because of that stupid brat. And the country goes into hell because of her decisions .... again. She is not the hero, she is the antagonist, and a stupid one at that. Plus it break the immersion to see a 100 pounds female with no combat experience threaten 250 pounds male that have participated in multiple wars.
I love anime but this movie is neither - a good movie or a good anime. It was made mainly to keep the license. And you notice. The choppy animation also doesn‘t add to a positive impression.
@@kamespinosarojas9225 A cover that is responsible for the death of a REAL hero (her father) and a 100 pounds girl with no war experience winning against 250 pounds veteran of multiple war. Tolkien would have kill himself before being this stupid. BONUS= "I will no marry any men" riding away with her lesbian lover (for real, happens in the movie)
"To one of these councils Freca rode with many men, and he asked the hand of Helm's daughter for his son Wulf." That's every reference in all of Tolkien's works to "Hera" and the creators of the movie thought that it was "very interesting". It sounds like bro avoided everything lore related in order to say he liked the movie, which would be fine if he wasn't presenting it as a review from a Tolkien fan
Man, yes. The sound design was out of this world. Put aside the music, war sounded like war, even in my local rinky dink movie theater.. I might go see it in IMAX, purely for the audio.
Anyone who says "Tolkien is too simplistic in his morality" for his characters......doesn't know Fëanor. lol
True!
Fëanor, his sons, Galadriel's motives in leaving Aman, Sindar vs dwarves, Dunlendings and Rohirrim, Bór's people (as in not all Easterlings were evil), Sam's musings about the dead Haradrim, Boromir vs the Ring, Isildur and the Army of the Dead, Aldarion and Erendis.
I would say that all of those show fairly complex morality and more examples could be found, no doubt. I have some criticisms on Tolkien's worldbuilding but enough shades of grey is not one.
And those who don't know, won't ever know if hollywood keeps destroying everything they touch concerning Tolkien's works, with bs like this
Or his sons 😊
So many people in Silmarillion!! Look at everything Túrin has ever done, ever
All the early reviews I glanced at, "The movie is really long and slow", Nerd of the rings (a scholar and a gentleman): "I wish we got some more pre war scenes of the main characters, and also we get into the action very quickly." Love the dichotamy :D
Yeah, definitely not too long. There were missing at least two important and interesting scenes that I expected to see.
I found that the "slow" comment had some body to it, because of editing choices. There are unnecessary moments of silence between voiceover lines and interesting animation choices which do not add anything to the storytelling. I'd have preferred the movie to be better edited for faster flow, while including more character building, ultimately filling the same time slot at the end with more content.
imo it was kinda long but mostly due to how the pacing just whiplashes back and forth
I saw it and it was horrible. By the end I just wanted everyone to die. Tolkien did not appoint Any movie screenwriters to continue his legacy. He opposed all of this exploitation. He did not want the gaps in lore filled. He wanted the gaps to remain, so that they lent the works he Did publish a sense of timeless mythic depth. Boyens Jackson etc are all opportunists seeking to advance their own careers and line their own pockets. If they truly cared about Tolkien and his legacy they would respect his wishes and leave his works alone. Chris Tolkien said that Jackson Boyens etc eviscerated his and his father's works. These people Know Tolkien opposed all this and they do it anyway. They know no shame.
@@MrRussell2020being gatekeeing snob serves no one. The films, including this one, advance the fandom and gets more people to read the books.
'Tolkien is too simplistic in its morality...' .......... said no one who's actually read his works, ever....
just think about Boromir..
I wouldn't say simplistic. I would say "not realistic"
Kings are always good and always the best. If they become bad it's because of something exterior that corrupts them. Not because they were inherently evil. If somebody is fair, just and whatnot, it's because they have some "king's blood". Or from divine influence. Yeah sure.
Understandable from JRR's pov + it's not supposed to be realistic i know. But I think it's a valid criticism. Some characters are too stretched by their function.
I think Tolkien wasn’t afraid to draw a clear line between good and evil. Not something many writers do now.
Whoever said this should have Children of Hurin as required reading
@chantssovietiquesetrussest2335 You said it yourself. If it's not supposed to be realistic then the criticism that it's not realistic isn't valid. You don't criticize a bike for having two wheels, or a horror story for being scary. And so you also don't criticize fantasy for being fantastical. You can do that with something like GoT because one of its goals is to be precisely that. But you can't do the same with LotR because cynical, materialist, nihilistic or relativist are the last things it's trying to be. At that point you're trying to change it into something it's not, or in other words you're subverting the IP.
Listening, the voice of the great Sir Christopher Lee once again, almost broke me at the cinema.
He is greatly missed.
He says 1 sentence in the film 😂
@@chrivas5174 I agree. That was amazing! 🥰
@@VitoCorleone-tm2qc It was special
was it ai generated or an actual thing he said?
@timcook6178 recorded line from the Hobbit
Fan reviews are worth more than professional reviews in most cases to be honest; thanks for your insight!
Because of bias lol.... the movie wasn't that good.
@@littylit444That’s just like your opinion man
It's always worth considering the perspective of the reviewer. Critics are likely more well versed with films as a whole, but if you're a superfan a fan review will probably give you a better idea of whether you'll like it.
Don't forget the reviews shared by the film trilogy's cast, who all thought the movie was an amazing experience
But some fans are still hating and trying to boycott this film
I’m kind of disappointed in people who think Tolkien is too simplistic in his morality. Tolkien made clear through his works that there is good and evil in everybody. But in good actions there should exist no evil, and in evil actions there exist no good. If more people thought the same way as him, “this world would be a merrier place”
To be fair, what it comes across as is a very simple good vs evil. Typical light vs dark. But I guess if you read more in depth you get the sense it’s more complicated than that. The one ring alone suggests that there’s more to it, as it can corrupt ‘good’ people. I like the idea that anyone can be good or bad, you do have to admit though that it’s not very salient in the main story (at least that of the movies).
Just return home after watching it with my friend. We enjoyed it. We stayed to see the credits rolled out, and there was a line in memory of Bernard Hill. Thoughtful of them to add that.
@@caterpillartomoko I loved that!!!
I was expecting the dedication, but it still got to me. Hail the victorious dead!
Didn't notice it but I love that you mention it here and now I know! ❤
Forth Eorlingas!!!!
I didn't see that when I saw it, but that's really sweet that they put that in there
I saw this tonight with my wife, Ma and Pops. I’m 30 now but my parents took me to see all 3 LOTR movies when I was a 2nd, 3rd, 4th grader and it lit a love for middle earth stories and Tolkiens work ever since. The moment I heard the opening music I felt myself starting to well up. I loved the movie and the new memory of middle earth on the big screen with my loved one’s
Am planing on taking my dad to see it. same here he took me every christmas to watch the first trilogy, Am 30 too. Am a bit worried because it is animated dont know how he will like that. Did your parents enjoy it?
@ I hope you enjoy it! My mom and wife loved the animation, my dad said he was skeptical because of the animation but as we were walking out of the theater his instant review was “I enjoyed that far more than I thought I would, 10 minutes in and I felt immersed In the world setting and didn’t even think about the animation”. My pops who is tough to please with movies said that he gives it a 7/10.
I’m glad you are taking him to see it! I would love for you to reply back to this comment after you see and get your thoughts 😊
Fully agree wish the film was longer and had more time to show Hera and her love for her siblings, people and also get a glimpse into Wulf’s life too.
and have her get some maiden training so it doesnt feel like her skill jumps out of nowhere. enjoyed when it felt like she was using her brain more than getting saved by X person at the right time
The film was too long. It just wasted too much time on stupid stuff.
Wulf didn't exist in the original lord of the ring main books, it was a peter Jackson creation that took from the appendices, an unfinished business due to push by the publisher by the time making Tolkien to rush into it and that is why is going to be an empty character. Tolkien was pretty careful to develop each character in his main story and the famous appendices people talk about it I don't think was Tolkien full creation due to the rush from publisher. I get it, Tolkien tried to answer many questions from the readers so he promised this but even the characteristics of wulf ( maybe from Beowulf) doesn't seem a full Tolkien creation. Every character Tolkien has on the main book it seems to represent someone real in his life, we won't know all, he did deflect the idea, but I think it was that way, his wife, his children, the war, Hitler, Stanlin ( unconscious or conscious). But, in the appendices, some of the characters were just trying to fill in the blank without filling some of them; and it may represent someone else idea o fiction. Most people said Tolkien created a mythical world but from what I see, read, and from what my father live through the war you could label each Tolkien character from the book ( without the appendices) to a real person by the time he wrote the book, even when he didn't want to admit to it. Anyway, maybe is bullocks, just an opinion and the movie is bad, sorry
Yes. That would require 50,000 more papers to animate, an extra 10 months of rendering and then all the compositing, more coloring, more editing.
You know, simple stuff. It should've been longer.
How hard is it.... it's just people DRAWING on paper and digitally 😂 LAZY WB production.
@@gnvtwhp1218 I didn’t mean it to be a diss on them.
In my town, the War of the Rohirrim was so unpopular that the theatre manager even said so, when I asked about the lack of posters. I watched it twice, back to back, the second screening "on-the-house" after the first paid-for screening was disrupted when a teen seated behind me who suddenly had a seizure about 15 minutes in. Besides the teen and his parents, there were only 2 other adults including me and 4 other children in the hall. We went into first-aid and "let's help" mode, so I was glad the theatre manager offered us a free screening after that.
Anyways, I liked that the setting of the *War of the Rohirrim* movie was immediately recognisable to those who have watched the Lord of the Rings movies (2001-2003).
1. The vast grasslands of Rohan, its capital Edoras, the great hall of Meduseld and the fort of Hornburg (which was later known as Helm's Deep). 👍
2. The cultural identifiers like flags, emblems, shields, armour, weaponry, and of course, the horses. 👍
3. Giving time and space to the Shield-Maidens of Rohan, a title and banner that was supposed to have passed with time, was another nice touch. 👍
I'm glad I watched it twice back-to-back. If I had waited, its local unpopularity as a movie might have caused it to be taken off so fast that I would have missed the nerdy enjoyment that it brought me. ☺
There‘s a refreshing lack of moments „What were you thinking?“ 😂
(love the Angry Video Game Nerd reference!)
i think there is a tone of sadness and desperation somewhere in the voice.... fully justified in my opinion
Her father dies because she was too stupid to stay away from the orcs. The hero of the books dies because of that stupid brat.
And the country goes into hell because of her decisions .... again. She is not the hero, she is the antagonist, and a stupid one at that. Plus it break the immersion to see a 100 pounds female with no combat experience threaten 250 pounds male that have participated in multiple wars. Tolkien would never do that, female elf fighters half decent in Tolk hade thousands of years of fighting experience and barely arrived at the knees of human fighters.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING
@@legolorian3271 Just destroying and IP, business as usual since 2016.
Totally enjoyed the film. Anime took a bit of getting used to as that’s not my thing really but overall grateful for the added context to middle earth!
Hello Matt :) I'm waiting for your full spoiler-included review :)
I just saw the movie. While it is in no way close to the live action, it was not awful. I had moments where I felt a surge of energy. I’d give it an 80 out of 100 for enjoyment. Just cause it’s anime, doesn’t mean it’s bad. You could tell there was heart and soul put into it, which is rare in this corporate dominated media (cough cough ROP cough cough), and I enjoyed the movie overall
It is still more accurate than the rings of power though and i did enjoy the film not as good as the movies but still enjoyable
Watched it today. I agree with your review. Things escalate a little too fast perhaps and character development would have been nice but understandable when having to make this a single movie. I like the tie-ins to LOTR.
I think it's important to remember that the story is being told by Eowyn, and that oral traditions of history (As well as our own written history) are not always accurate.
Eowyn is herself a shield maiden and she is telling a mythologized tale of her people as it was experienced by a shield maiden she admires.
It is one of the stories that inspires Eowyn's courage to be the warrior that can defeat the Nazgul Witch King
I see what you’re getting at, but oral histories can actually be very, very reliable.
For me I gave a 7.7/10, I felt like some scenes dragged on for a little bit much, but everything else is very cool and more than makes up for it, I'm especially impressed by how well the LotR feel was translated into the anime form
I give it .1 higher. Too much water.
I’m very happy I ran across your review. The complaints of “girl bossness” elsewhere neatly kept me from this. I’m now very likely to watch It . Thanks!
I watched it today so I won't spoil it, but it's a great film that I'd definitely recommend! As a lore nerd myself, I found it really enhances the little we get on the story of Helm. Not an anime watcher so can't speak to animation stuff, but I enjoyed the look and feel of it. And the music slaps!
Thanks for your voice on this.
Regarding animation stuff it lacks a lot, in my opinion. So much that several scenes hurt.
Go watch it peeps
I think the Animation is probably the worst part of the film. It definitely feels pretty sloppy. However, I do agree with what you are saying here.
How do you reconcile this as a nerd, with self insert characters? Surely the focus of the movie should be helm…
@@gg-sr9lq yeah it should be
Thank you for reviewing! I am so excited to see this next Tuesday!!
Honestly i am not into anime but anything we get related to lord of the rings i'll watch. Its funny how an anime style adaptation felt more lotr rather than rings of power ever did.
My mother is not a fan of anime, either, mainly because of the art style (especially with how they draw the eyes). But she liked this movie. Personally, I hope they make more anime LOTR movies. It would be kind of neat to see The Silmarillion done in this style.
Finally saw the film and I think this preliminary review is spot on. Looking forward to a full discussion. Overall I really liked it and I think it’s an exciting way forward for the LoTR franchise.
The anime was a great return to middle earth. Visuals and audio are top notch, and the story was interesting and fun to boot
Edit: It’s just like my opinion people. Try to contain your hate. I watch plenty of anime and I hold firm to my opinion. I understand some of you think it’s “choppy and unfinished”. I don’t care, i thought it was done well in a style I enjoyed quite thouroughly
The animation was too jumpy, 3 years for this? Nah its not good movie, I love LOTR, all books and I love nerd of the rings, but this Movie is simply just BAD.
Only if you dont use your brain you are gonna enjoy the movie
@@atreyos9449 right. I have no idea how can anyone find this movie good. Maybe if you don't watch anime at all so you don't know how anime should lookand behave.. This animation is unfinished and as someone who watches anime regularly it hurts to watch
The animation is from a technical point of view just horrible, what are you talking about?
I feel like seeing it too
I wholeheartedly agree! I'm not into anime and I wasn't that excited by my first look at the trailers, but like you said, five minutes into the movie and I was over it. The storytelling was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt very much in keeping with Tolkien lore. A pleasant surprise! P.S. Stay through the credits so you can shed a few tears (iykyk)
Oh I didn't watch the credits... Enjoyed the movie though
Just got back from the theater. It was way better than I was expecting! I was a little worried at first because I thought the first act was kinda hit and miss. But once Edoras fell, the movie really kicked into high gear and I became completely invested.
yeah the first half is really slow
but that's where they're building hera from, all those that happened in the 2nd half start from the 1st half
I saw the movie yesterday and I enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of anime so I was a bit sceptical but it took about 5 minutes to get used to it and then I forgot about it. The music especially in the beginning made me tear up. Also Helm's familiar battle speech gave me chills. 8/10 for me as well.
Just came out of the cinema.
Despite the flaws, it is a really good movie.
Enjoyed it from beginning till the end.
what were the flaws if i may ask?
@ it’s not much to be honest 🤔
I don’t count the artistic choices of the animation as I enjoyed them.
One flaw that irked me a little bit is with a small spoiler:
When Edoras is being attacked.
One of the gates on the outer walls is burning and a Mumakil doesn’t want to breach it, as it is afraid of the fire.
So…why not move a little back, about 50 metres to the side where the palisade is not burning? 😅
its mid
@@michaelotoole1807 I have another issue, though this is a pretty major spoiler so if you are excited to watch the film I'd recommend not reading this
In the very end it is Hera who kills Wulf, this honestly does create a better story for the film, but goes against the book (where fraelof kills him) though Frealof is still a very important character in the final act, as well as several other moments throughout the film (hes also very hot)
@@TheFrogWizard710 thank you. im gonna pass on this one i think.
I saw the film myself. I'm more of a casual lord of the rings fan. I am a big fan of anime, films, and medieval fantasy in general though. I'm familiar with the director Kenji Kamiyama as I have seen just about all his works. I was very impressed by the film. Especially the combat sequences as I love action films/anime a lot. The fight sequences felt smooth and the characters each had a unique style which is often overlooked.
It seemed like the film covered the original story well but I only saw summarizations so I'm looking forward to an analysis video later. It was especially nice to see Helm's and many of the characters cool moments.
I liked the movie, though I mostly found it "cute". You know, good but not great. I think my only problem with it, really, was just that I wanted... more. It isn't rushed, it is a good film... but I wanted more details and less narration. Thinking about it I realize... I wanted a series? Maybe? It makes sense - the story is short and it jumps in time - this is how you would adapt it. But like you said, more time with the characters, more of the inner politics (that I usually hate), would have really made it great. Still my 4th favorite ME movie.
And I applaud Hera. They made her believable, real, bad-ass without turning into a caricature, emotional without being whiny, and not a Marie-Sue without detracting from other characters or - as appears to be a sorry trend of the past few years - forcing things that don't belong in the original to put in a check mark on progressiveness (often while completely missing the point and so showing you are anything but).
Looking forward to that spoiler one!
Loved the movie and I desperately want more animated Tolkien like this. Helm boxed a god damn snow troll!
Spoiler alert!
Isn't the king was one of the ring bearer. They were once king of man
@ttschannel875 no
@@ttschannel875 nope. That was exclusive to Shadow of War, which has a very different lore, despite being Middle-earth-related.
@@Deathwing2788 well i thought the ring he take off before he brawl the fat guy were one of the ring
As a woman, LOTR/Tolkien fan, and anime fan, this film was...alright. I don't regret watching it, and I think it opens many opportunities for more great collaborative animated features. However, I left the theaters wanting so much more 🫤
Completely agreed!
Same case for me. 😔
Same for me. It felt like, for all the touting of Hera as this shield maiden, her actual martial ability would change moment to moment and scene to scene to serve the plot and story, rather than staying true to who they claim she is.
@@TorzGirlSweelaHeart I 100% agree there. Hera was a plot puppet. Which really sucks, because her character design and her voice actress made her seem really interesting, and I wanted her to be so much more than she ended up being. That being said, DAMN her wardrobe was fire.
I thought it was done really well. It could've been longer but for what it was I was pleased. At least ur only complaint is u wanted more
I read and watched a lot of reviews on this movie. It was very 50/50. People seemed to either love or hate it. For me, I very much enjoyed it! I actually thought the anime medium worked very well for the franchise. I could see a few more stand alone stories like this being made. I enjoyed the story, which borrowed on the lore but didn’t rely on it. I think this franchise has been a victim of the fan service *cough Legolas* treatment. There were some nods at the end, but they make sense. Especially as there is a passage in the fellowship of the ring on how Sarumon was gifted Isengard. Though I do agree that, this is a girl boss movie and the troupe is tired…I don’t think the movie over relies on that. Much like eowyn, she becomes strong because of her growth. For me it was FAAAR better than the entire hobbit series. That said it seems to be hit or miss with the audience. As I like anime, and loved LOTR since I was a kid it was a big win!
I watched the movie with my girlfriend yesterday. She doesn't know anything about Lotr, but she enjoyed it as much as I did, and I am a big Middle Earth fan. I spent all the time with a smile on my face and got goosebumps at the end. It was definitely a great film for me!
Awesome to hear! I think a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised by how good the movie is!
I agree, goosebumps!!! Such a good movie.
I think people who feel let down are just way to in love with the books. Which I completely understand. I have a deep love for the lore as well. I own so many books of Tolkiens!
I think the creative liberties taken by the writers are fair.
The main upset I’m hearing is the lack of runtime because some of the characters don’t have a detailed back story to resonate with
I have been driving across Australia and have not had a chance to settle in one place to watch it.
Today, I finally got the chance. I'd seen a few reviews prior, including this one.
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to say I wouldn't have noticed the anime/cartoon issues; however, I did, but it didnt make any detriment to my viewing and enjoyment.
I even swelled in the eyes a few times.
I can't wait for my family to see it when it comes out on streaming services.
i took my girlfriend and her daughter to see it back on Sunday. We all enjoyed it. We didn't get a hammer popcorn bucket but they did have a tin bucket that looked like armor and the lid is a shield. looking forward to your in depth review.
I just got around to watching this today, and am looking forward to your full review. As for the spoiler-free review, you nailed it. If I could add anything, it would be an appreciation of the filmmakers making a movie that can be appreciated by LoTR fans and non-fans alike.
It was a pretty decent movie. I liked it.
8:28 ...😂😂😂 The horn blast got me!!😂😂😂
I love your page - very positive and straight to the point. I appreciate this review.
He deletes anyone who says anything "too" negative, even when it's completely justified. Also, never bring up what he'll do to keep special access and such - that gets you extra-banned around here.
@SockieTheSockPuppet don't you trolls have anything better to do?
It’s a really good film. I had some reservations about hera and it being anime, but overall those were unfounded. Hera is great, Helm is amazing, Frealaf is cool, and Wulf is so antagonizing in a good way. My main question is about what the oliphaunts are doing up in Rohan and why one of them becomes rabid and decides to chase Hera for miles into a jungle…
Absolutely loved the movie!!!! It was fantastic! I've seen it twice now, once on my own and once with my son. We both loved it. Of course it wasn't perfect, but nothing is. It was a truly great film, a fun watch, and I want more Lord of the Rings Anime stories that expand on little moments or lore from the books that would work so well like this!
I watched it when it first came out and I was like a 10 year old kid with a big grin on my face. It was the best lord of the rings movie/show since the hobbit
Just saw it yesterday. Loved it!
Matt thks for video. Bless you laddie.
When you hoping made video with spoilers or full review.?
Hoping to see soon. Few days ago finish with movie.
Satisfation. Its more precious then RoP😂😂❤
Absolutely adored the film. The Rohan score in the intro made me well up immediately. Can't wait to see it again.
As someone who does watch a decent amount of animation, I’d say it was a solid 7/10 from the standpoint of an animated film. Everything seemed to stay on-model pretty well. It wasn’t super sharp or mind-blowing awesome though, but overall non-offensive. While there weren’t any super crazy “anime moments” in the action scenes that would knock your socks off, if you’re even a casual fan of the Middle Earth series, you probably wouldn’t expect there to be any. Especially in a story about Men vs. Men where the more fantastical elements of the ‘verse are pushed more to the background.
Wouldn't go as high as 8, but a solid 6.5 for sure. Not bad, not amazing. Would have loved to see Helm and the sons fleshed out more. Hera was perfect from the beginning and I don't really see how she developed at all in this film. But Helm's moments were incredible. And I agree they're the most memorable thing from this movie. Which makes me think they would have probably had a hit on their hands had they made him the lead character. It was kind of set up to be that way the way Tolkien wrote it. The end was the weakest part. Would have preferred Hera die heroically, losing to Wulf (which is realistic) and then her cousin killing Wulf (which is true to lore). Makes more sense and still gives her a pivotal hero moment.
This is the best take I’ve heard so far. Very much agree. Lots of things to enjoy/appreciate but felt it could’ve used more fleshing out and richer character development.
Bro, your 100% right on everything you said.
I agree here, but as I was watching this I kept getting this nagging feeling this should have been a show to make it feel more set in the LOTR universe. Rohirrim has always felt like the most generic fantasy portion of the LOTR story, until Helm's Deep, and it could honestly fit in any universe, not just LOTR. The reason this film was made was because NLC wanted to hold on to it's LOTR rights, and I'm mixed on were it's potential lies. It's definitely missing something important.
Hera is a Flat Character. Flat Character Arcs can work and while I've seen them been done better, Hera's still works.
@@ultraexcalibur1728 Agreed, she doesn't change as a character over the course of this all, but really that didn't underplay any of the story or dramatic moments. In the end it still wasn't really about her although she still has a role to play. There are some minor parts I didn't like too much, but in the end I think it all came together beautifully.
I prefer to use the word "Beast" or "Super Beast" in place of Bad*** if it helps, you can too.
Just watched it today, and i enjoyed it quite a bit. It took me a while to get into it, because I'm not a fan in his it's animated (sometimes it looks like as top-motion film), and a few scenes which i found boring/where i rolled my eyes a bit, but then it got better and better. So don't listen to the professional haters out there.
Went to watch this yesterday. Loved it ❤Had a tear in my eye when the music started playing at the beginning. Picked up Helms Hammer popcorn bucket 🔨
Honestly, Helm Hammerhand as a character is kinda extra. Very beowulf esq. Action in anime is also pretty extra, so it works. Anime Helm bashing in the head of a snow troll, the middle earth kaiju battle, and other stuff like that just work better for me than a lot of the "Battle of Five Armies" and "Desolation of Smaug" action.
Just came home from watching it. I loved it! The sound design was amazing, and the story was well told.
I'm pretty sure a full spoiler review is safe now that the movie is available to stream.
Working on the script now! Hope to have it out in a couple weeks or so!
Lol pulled from theaters already 😂😂its trash @@NerdoftheRings
Changed the lore ..made frealof a joke ..made a parody of two towers storyline with helm being theoden and hera being aragorn and eowyn and frealof a loser eomer 😂 bad animation and cgi ,made helm a side character ...girlboss movie when they said again and again its not a girlboss movie (bcz that trope is overdone they said ) hera is never wrong and a lesbian and runs off with her lesbian lover 😂 thats ur summary but i know ur already sold @@NerdoftheRings
I’m glad that people like it and I enjoyed some moments but man…that was a rough watch. Hera was an extremely boring character. She was perfect from the jump and had arguably no change throughout the story, she was just waiting for everyone to recognize how awesome she always was.
She also had horrible or nonexistent motivations. She’s nobly fighting for the people of Rohan, but that’s like the bare minimum for someone in the royal family! So beyond that, what is she fighting for? So that she can just abandon them all once Fréaláf is King? No wonder she never made it into the songs
I agree with your review far more than Matt's. Unfortunately I think he's going to lose me on this one. 8/10 is bootlicker territory. I think a 5-6/10 would be generous. Don't think I can trust these reviews for any future media
@ yeah anyone who says this is anything beyond mid is out to lunch. I can sympathize because I was the same way about Star Wars until Ahsoka, just too desperate to love it that I couldn’t admit it was sub par. I think basically all lotr fans will come around to the obvious conclusion that this film is bad in a few years though.
Great review Matt! I think I have to agree with pretty much all you have said, we gave this a 7.5/10 so we are close there. I am curious with general audiences opinions as I don't know whether this story that we already love is enough to capture the minds of the everyday cinema-goer. The animation is, as you say, a barrier for most. I think it's fun to experiment with other mediums but I have also seen a large portion of Tolkien fans even saying that they aren't "wasting their time with anime" which is sad. Looking forward to your full spoilery discussion!
Thanks for being a positive Light in the Darkness of Hatred, Fear, paranoia!
Positive channels that don't deal in absolute's That a Movie might have faults but it's not all bad just cause it's new or different. I really feel like hate is more prevalent then ever in different fandom.
oh i actually loved it!!!! can't wait to see more lotr animes. i rank it higher than the hobbit and rings of power.
I watched it without specific expectations. All I can say is: With Rings of Power I had to stop watching after 2 episodes because it wasn‘t hitting any spots for me, quite the contrary. Rohirrim was a thoroughly good time, hearing some of the music in an actual movie theatre made me cry and the fact that we had MULTIPLE badass female characters heals some of the grievances I had with Tolkien-adaptations. Think I can agree with 8/10, would totally recommend
Simp
I was really pleased with this adaptation. Sure, they focused on the shield maiden, but they didn't do any character dirty.
I think Frealaf’s ending was shortchanged a bit, but I agree he wasnt “done dirty”.
@@NerdoftheRings did he kill wulf?
First I will say I have not watched any reviews of this movie prior to watching the movie itself and kept away from much of the discourse as I could. I have not included any spoilers in this comment. and I'm keeping things vague
My verdict of the movie:
If you like Lord of the Rings and want to see more of it, then I would recommend this movie.
Pros:
*The visuals are stunning they have managed to capture middle-earth greatly and just like the movies it draws you in.
*The music is well known by most as they use the music made by Howard Shore for the original movies.
*The acting in the movie is great and brought me to tears once or twice, we also hear some well known voices from the movies; Miranda Otto returns as Eowyn for the narration, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan can also be heard. and last Sir Christopher Lee returns as Saruman.
The okay:
*The story is alright there are plenty good to say about it, more good then bad. There are scenes that I very much question as to why it was included and which does not make any sense to have at all in my opinion, but there is certainly more good then bad here 100%. There is also a single moment where the continuity does not make sense which I think they did mostly for the visual of it as its very deliberate in my opinion.
*Héra as the main character is something I questioned a lot, but she grew on me and much I saw her do was something I found befitting a shield maiden of Rohan and parallels can be drawn to Eowyn. She is certainly not a Marry Sue which I feared she would be.
The bad:
*Sadly the animation fails for me in this movie, there are certainly times where it hits perfect especially in the important scenes, but there are to many time where you can see a big drop in quality that ends up taking you out of an otherwise gorgeous looking movie.
Overall I would give it a 7.5/10
Thanks so much for giving your thoughts! I totally agree on Hera as well. My worst case scenario was she would feel forced in and they’d sacrifice other characters for her, but they totally didn’t. They actually got me to care for a semi-original character, which is saying something.
@@NerdoftheRings 100%, im really happy that I liked the movie. There has not really been much good movie or tv series lotr content for a long time (I sadly don't like rings of power as they changed to much about the characters and the lore in my opinion). Keep up the good work. I always love to watch your videos when I research lotr for my One Ring game.
I absolutely loved this movie! I've been a tolkien fan since I was old enough to have the Hobbit read to me, and I started throwing in high school. Seeing such beautifully animated throws for the weight throw, the javelin, and the discus really made me nerd out so hard, and it was beautiful to see the weight/hammer turns in the beginning so dutifully animated.
I think people were going in expecting another land spanning epic, but this is a provincial story. I felt it was dutifully executed, with the adjustments made feeling not out of place, and overall, it was just a beautiful opportunity to return to Middle Earth and love every moment spent there.
I mean this in the most respectful way possible but did we watch the same movie? The animation was incredibly poor and you can tell how low the budget was. The story and dialogue was also poorly written. The Helm scene in front of the gate was so corny that the entire theatre was laughing
I watched it this weekend, and then I watched your review. I really enjoyed it, though the animation left me wanting a little more. I wish studio Ghibli could have been hired to do the animation in it. I really enjoyed the story, and appreciated that it didn't go too far in trying to undo previous stories. It was maybe a couple callbacks, but I thought they were a reasonable fan service versus over the top
I think my favorite part of the film is that the eagles were utilized correctly. They didn't swoop in and fix everything, they only did one thing to guide an outcome that ensured balance.
Where’s the spoiler review?
I have just watched it. Yupe absolutely enjoyed the movie. Very nicely done. Thank you for your analysis
So excited, seeing it tomorrow in a middle-earth theme viewing!
Anime and Lord of the Rings have been two of my favorite things since childhood, never ever thought I'd see a combination of the two, can't wait for this film.
Akira, Fist of the North Star and Dominion: Tank Police are the childhood films.
Yes, you can say it's been compromised for the mass public but if it brings new fans to both words. I'm happy.
Anime is like chocolate. So many styles, choices, variations. There is an Anime for everyone.
we are on the same boat here!
Hopefully without spoiling (apologies to you if I am!)... I thought it odd when Helm makes his last stand, he does so empty handed (as he should, according to the lore), but then in the follow-on shot where he is found, he is shown holding a hammer! (though a moment prior, in the arial shot, he is still empty handed!).... other then that, I loved the film. I'm a Tolkien fan and a Pixar fan - i love animated movies, but have rarely dipped my toes into Animi, so was 'on the fence' about this film. But I watched it today... Excellent.
I’ll be seeing it this weekend with my brother in law and sister! Honestly so excited for it. Unlike my other favorite franchises, I think LOTR is headed in a good direction. The Hunt for Gollum is also promising.
I love the point you make about competence. Have seen it last night and compared to RoP it looks like the makers are actually competent doing this compared to the guys at amazon.
Watched it early in mexico and really enjoyed it, felt a little uncertain about the animation in the early dialogue heavy scenes but got my money's worth the rest of the movie. Hope it does well enough to greenlight more projects like this. I think animation works better for the smaller (and sometime weirder stories in the legendarium).
Sadly we didn't get the warhammer bucket here in Mexico :( but at least a cool looking aluminum bucket
Hi, When deciding on wether I should go see that film i went to two soucres. ROtten Tomatoes and Nerd of The Ring. WHen you said, "don't sleep on it" I knew I had to watch it. Youre THE reference of the Tolkien world, and I know I can make my own decision, but with Gladiator and some other film at the theater right now, your review made the difference. I did not regret it.
Thanks
I've always thought animation would be perfect for Tolkien's work and I wasn't wrong. I loved the movie and i hope to see more animated stories from Tolkien's legendarium
Hi Matt! We met at Dragonsteel and sat together for the release party. Thanks for the TH-cam tips and for recommending this movie! My wife and I went and saw this last night and really enjoyed it. I wish it had a love story element to it is my biggest critique, but other than that a solid movie!
I enjoyed the movie (would give it 7.5/10 myself). The animation style took a little getting used to as it doesnt seem as "smooth" to me as regular animation, but after 10-15 mins its not an issue. I agree that maybe a little 15-20 mins of story amongst the family before everything kicks off would be nice. One of the best aspects of the LOTR movies is the music, & I love how they included some (not too much) of that. Also Christopher Lee getting a credit is a nice touch. Overall if your a Tolkien fan, definitely give this a chance.
Just went to go see this today and loved it! Way better than I expected to be honest. I think they did an amazing job adapting the story. Hera was a great character to put us into the action. Very emotional. I got chills several times.
My wife joined me. She doesn't know the lore but really likes the films. She also really enjoyed it but mentioned it probably requires knowing LOTR at least casually to fully appreciate.
I'm really looking forward to this! 🙌😍
I'm not a super fan of Anime, but Avatar and the sequel Legend of Korra are both complex and amazing stories, not just for kids 🫶
I went to see it with my brother today and I loved it. The length of the movie didn't even bother me, now hearing about your take wishing it had pre-war scenes makes me with it was longer too. Seen a lot of hate and negative reviews unfortunately, like Jeremy Jahns saying the movie was made "not for the love of the IP but because they didn't want to lose the license".
Here’s the thing - perhaps it’s true WB greenlit it to keep the license. (I honestly don’t know.) But that doesn’t mean the people who actually MADE the film didn’t do it with love of Tolkien. I can’t help but think a lot of critics engage in hyperbole because it gets an emotional response from people, which gets more clicks.
@@NerdoftheRingsthat's respectable
@@NerdoftheRingsthat’s definitely it. Rage bait pays the bills. It’s sad.
Spoiler review coming still?
Loved the movie. Exceeded all expectations.
As a huge fan of Rohan, I did enjoy this movie a lot. I thought the anime might make it challenging for me, but I did not notice it as the film went on. This movie in live action of course would have been amazing. I love getting my awesome hammer popcorn bucket as well.
Loved it. I find the more "die-hard" a fan is in any fandom the harder it is for them to enjoy new media. Cursed to compare it to the books and robbing themselves of joy in the process.
that's the benefits of being casual
you don't get blind by the past glory and dare to enjoy new things
sure WoTR isn't perfect either, but it's enjoyable as a movie and that's what is important for the audience
Why celebrate mediocrity? When Tolkien gave us a standard...
@@squaeman_2644Yeah, if it didn't insult the lore, no one would have a problem with it. The best you could say about this movie is that it's someone's fanfiction.
Music 100%
Story 90%
Voice 100%
Animation 70% - 80%
Don’t want to spoil the movie with my issues with it
I just watched the movie - it is an entertaining and fun movie and apart from few scenes it looks really beautiful.
Just left the theaters. And looooved it 🤍
Did anyone else catch the banner sigil at Wulf's castle near the start of the film? I swear it was a near 1 to 1 of the House Stark sigil. And then the "winter is coming" line halfway through? Definitely more than just LotR fanservice in this movie haha
I enjoyed it.. I'm not someone who typically watches animated movies and was a little skeptical at the beginning but overall it was a good show and I'd happily watch more in future.
I also gave it a 8/10. I really enjoyed it. I just don't see it being a movie that i would rewatch and buy to rewatch. (unlike the hobbit and LOTR extended haha) I loved to see Helm and also a 'shield maiden' in action. I mean, Eowyn was a shield maiden, so it was nice to see the previous lineage ya know :) Great film
You give me confidence again In the movie. I'm hyped again hahahah. Most German critics said the movie is pointless but they are more speaking as a film critic and not a Tolkien fan. Your opinion as a fan is more likely how I will feel about it🙏
I think there’s def some critics either not big on anime or jaded about franchises.
Aye, same here. I normally like those critics, but they seemed to be very biased
Her father dies because she was too stupid to stay away from the orcs. The hero dies because of that stupid brat.
And the country goes into hell because of her decisions .... again. She is not the hero, she is the antagonist, and a stupid one at that. Plus it break the immersion to see a 100 pounds female with no combat experience threaten 250 pounds male that have participated in multiple wars.
@@jeremiasc.2972Against what? Badly written female protags? They are def right about that.
German movie critics are very often wrong. If they had been right, The Return of the King would have never won a single Oscar.
Just seen the War of the Rohirrim. Amazing film. The Story of helm is one of Honor, a True Legendary Leader. visually Beautiful, the plot was excellent. Overall a great addition to Lord of the rings, and the Middle Earth we all love!
Cheers 😎😄
Love your reviews and this one no different. Looking forward to seeing this
this got me really exited, Im going this weekend with some friends who are also Tolkien nerds and I cant wait!
Great review! Can’t wait to see it! Are you going to do a watch party with it, sort of like your rings of power watch parties? I would love to know. Thank you so much, Nerd of the Rings!
I’m thinking a watch party when it comes out on digital or Blu-ray or streaming. lol. Not sure which. 🤔
Thank you, Matt! I saw it yesterday. I liked it! And I have never seen a full length anime before. Mostly I loved the feel of Middle-earth and the beautiful and familiar music, which gave me goosebumps all over. Loved to be back in Middle-earth!
Look forward to watching it next week!
Anime is perhaps the route to go down if there is ever an attempt at the Silmarillion. The size of some of the Valar and creatures are much easier to incorporate into animation whilst one of the issues RoP has (amongst many) is in congesting the entire Second Age into about 5 years. This is partly due to the world it is set in - elves and Maiar will basically not age whilst men and dwarves will die and only be relevant for certain parts of the story, making it difficult to make the adaptation "true" as they may not feel like character relationships can be built between elves, men and dwarves.
Animation means a show is not reliant on actors being available for long stretches of time, so there is also more breathing room for a production to take its time in adapting something as grand in scale as the Silmarillion.
If WotR can be seen as an artistic success, it may give scope for a relatively faithful adaptation of the First Age events.
I agree the First Age should be animated because it is difficult to make a live-action First Age since that would require a lot of CGI.
This movie was made for me!! The only thing I love more than anime is Tolkien. 😊 I also work in animation and can say that the animation was top notch; this studio clearly has some very talented animators and character artists. I wasn’t expecting there to be such a blend of 2D animation in a 3D space, but as other industry professionals have told me before is that this is how we hold onto 2D animation in a digital world. I do think that eastern animation studios still have some refining to do as they develop more techniques and get better technology and tools.
I’ll also be watching it again this weekend and look forward to your more in-depth review!
There was a lot to like here, especially with the depiction of Helm, and one of the new characters was a pleasant surprise. There were also A LOT of missed opportunities. There was far too little of Frealaf for his role in the story. The Dunlendings were presented with disappointing simplicity. And the call backs to the LotR movies, by the end, started to feel lazy and heavy handed. The end of the film, in particular, did not work for me. Over all, though, I thought it was a fun and good movie. Just probably not something I'll watch every year.
Thank you so much for the early review. I am so glad that someone who I respect that actually loves and knows Tolkien's work and is invested in Middle Earth, gave their opinion. I can trust that if it was awful and didn't feel like Tolkien you would say so. Everyone else is just being mad because its an anime and because they made Hera the MC. I appreciate you sir, you have made me very hype for the movie. I wish there was a way to know which theatres have the hammer buckets cause I want one haha.
Her father dies because she was too stupid to stay away from the orcs. The hero dies because of that stupid brat.
And the country goes into hell because of her decisions .... again. She is not the hero, she is the antagonist, and a stupid one at that. Plus it break the immersion to see a 100 pounds female with no combat experience threaten 250 pounds male that have participated in multiple wars.
I love anime but this movie is neither - a good movie or a good anime. It was made mainly to keep the license. And you notice. The choppy animation also doesn‘t add to a positive impression.
i agree with you...i think this movie may be getting judged by the cover by some.
@@kamespinosarojas9225 A cover that is responsible for the death of a REAL hero (her father) and a 100 pounds girl with no war experience winning against 250 pounds veteran of multiple war. Tolkien would have kill himself before being this stupid. BONUS= "I will no marry any men" riding away with her lesbian lover (for real, happens in the movie)
"To one of these councils Freca rode with many men, and he asked the hand of Helm's daughter for his son Wulf."
That's every reference in all of Tolkien's works to "Hera" and the creators of the movie thought that it was "very interesting".
It sounds like bro avoided everything lore related in order to say he liked the movie, which would be fine if he wasn't presenting it as a review from a Tolkien fan
Man, yes. The sound design was out of this world. Put aside the music, war sounded like war, even in my local rinky dink movie theater.. I might go see it in IMAX, purely for the audio.