The new animated Lord of The Rings movie The War of The Rohirrim has landed mixed first reactions after its premiere.
The upcoming film from director Kenji Kamiyama takes fans back around 200 years before the events of the original trilogy and follows the story of legendary Rohan king Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox).
Following the world premiere this week, those who have seen the movie have given their initial verdicts on social media.
While particular praise has gone towards the "gorgeous" animation, others suggested the story isn't as strong and the runtime is too long.
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Nerds of Color called The War of the Rohirrim "the best LOTR project we have seen since the original trilogy" in a post on X/Twitter.
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"It surpasses any live-action LOTR project made in the past decade, telling a beautiful, rich story of family, revenge, and legacy," they added. "A compelling Miyazaki-inspired fantasy."
Similarly effusive was IGN's Rafael Motamayor, who said The War of the Rohirrim "kicks all sorts of ass", adding: "This should be the future of the franchise, using animation to tell different stories in the world of Middle-earth. Helm Hammerhand is the baddest motherf**ker who ever lived."
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Muses of Media's Britany Murphy called the film "a fantastic journey back to Middle-earth", praising "an outstanding voice cast, dazzling animation, and superb directing from Kenji Kamiyama", while also suggesting it is "an absolute must-watch on the big screen, with its epic action and battle sequences".
"#LOTR: The War of the Rohirrim is a ROARING return to Middle-earth with gorgeous animation that wonderfully weaves Peter Jackson's cinematic vision through the artistry of anime. This is The Lord of the Rings like we've never seen before," added The Movie Podcast's Daniel Baptista, who suggested that while it is "overly long," it "feels so good to be back".
Others were more mixed, with GamesRadar's Emily Murray writing: "Whilst #LOTR The War Of The Rohirrim isn't anything special (it's often very by the numbers) I was still enchanted – just so gorgeous to look at with stunning animation. Found our lead Hera to be very endearing (superb voice cast) and I'm curious where we might go next."
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Jeff Nelson also praised the animation, but suggested that "the story doesn't justify the runtime", adding: "The action is well choreographed in an otherwise weightless battle with a lead character that deserves far more depth."
"THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM has glimpses of that Middle-earth magic, but proves that it can only be as powerful as the characters we follow which here are sadly unengaging," wrote Ezra Cubero. "The intrigue in its story lacks surprise and it's got a lethargic pace. I was let down."
InSession Film was similarly disappointed, sharing: "I wish I liked THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM more, but mostly found it to be trite and mundane. Its spectacle is certainly compelling at times.
"Some great individual moments, with wonderful animation and stirring music. On the whole it left a lot to be desired."
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is released in cinemas on December 13. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be released in 2026.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
