Jakarta. “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is now playing in Indonesia. And the anime prequel to the massively popular fantasy franchise takes time before the fun starts.

Kenji Kamiyama’s “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is set 183 years before the events in the original trilogy. The movie mainly centers on Héra (Gaia Wise), the tomboyish daughter of the king of Rohan Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox). The anime fantasy film begins with some failed wedding proposal drama, which eventually leads to war between the Rohan king and the Dunlendings leader Wulf (Luke Pasqualino). 

The script feels incredibly stiff, and does not give much personality to the characters. Oftentimes it sounds like hearing the dialogue of a cheap RPG or role-playing game. So the first half feels tedious, and does not give the buildup that the audience needs to feel connected with the characters. So when some characters get killed, it is hard for the audience to feel sorry. But the story finally brings some excitement when Wulf’s army tries to seek vengeance for his father’s death. This forces Helm and his people to make their last stand in the Hornburg fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. 

The fighting scenes are possibly the only saving grace to “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”. But the movie does a good job at delivering the final battle. The scene of Héra, donned in an old wedding dress, challenging Wulf is probably the best moment in the movie. 

Despite its flaws, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is still quite enjoyable. It is also watchable for someone who does not follow “The Lord of the Rings” saga.