Director: Kenji Kamiyama Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Genre(s): Fantasy Rated: PG-13 (For strong violence) |
I've been reading the book "Disney In-Between," which is about the dark period of the Disney years. At one point, a young animator Glen Keane is working on a scene in "The Fox and the Hound" involving multiplane, a technique where the camera moves and swings, giving audiences a more three-dimensional look for the sequence. It is a laborious sequence, but Keane loved the possibility of animated scenes this way and wondered how much more engaging animated films could look if they could make an entire movie in the multiplane format. How much more engaging would the movies look if the camera was afforded more freedom?
Since then the question has been answered with iconic scenes from "Beauty & the Beast" and "The Lion King," but with computer animation, it seems like a thought about multiplane cameras and what it can do for traditional animation has largely been left in the past. Since then Keane has gone on to win an Oscar and directed movies for Netflix, but I would be curious what he would think of "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim," in which his vision of a traditionally animated film with a free moving camera seems to have been fully realized in a way that a young Keane from the 80s would have been proud of.
Not only does "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim" create the most immersive 2D animated world since Hayao Miyazaki released "Princess Mononoke," it holds its own with the action sequences of the live-action movies. Remember, that doesn't mean this is as GOOD a movie as those aforementioned films, only that this is a beautiful film that reminds audiences that animation remains the purest form of filmmaking for its ability to break free from the limitations of the real world. Now, whether or not you like "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohan" itself may entirely depend on how much you are invested in Middle Earth, but the end results are engaging enough that if you aren't it makes a strong case for why you should be.
Taking place almost 200 years before the events of "The Hobbit," there is no prior knowledge needed to understand the story here. This is a double-edged sword as while it means the story stands on its own, it also could be considered glorified fanfiction by some long-time fans of the stories. Though (if I may be so bold to say) there is some really good fanfiction out there, and if this is what qualifies as fanfiction these days, it is more worthwhile than whatever "Fifty Shades of Grey" was (also the story is based on writings of Tolkien himself, so the argument may be a moot point anyway). Those who love Peter Jackson's vision will also be happy to know that he is here as an executive producer, and thus the visual style is very much in line with his original trilogy.
As for the story, it follows the first battle of Helm's Deep, in which the Kingdom of Rohan has to defend themselves against an army of Dunlendings, led by a man who is out for revenge after the king killed his father (accidentally, in my opinion). He is especially upset at the king's daughter Hera, who rejected his marriage proposal because she does not want to be married to a man (let the real-life trolls begin making their rage-bait YouTube videos at this point). This is about as deep as the story gets, yet the movie is captivating as it turns into a movie where the people of Rohan struggle to survive and plan for a death that seems inevitable.
Unlike most animated films that are concerned with colors and speed, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim" is concerned with characters and silence. It uses the freedom of the animation medium to create an atmosphere on par with live-action movies. The action uses modern technology to make the camera movement so smooth that audiences can't help but feel like they are being surrounded by the events. Also (while I hate to bring money up here), with a budget of $30 million it shows that animation can create epic movies for a fraction of the cost that a live-action film can (and look just as great if not better). "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim" is not only a unique addition to 'The Lord of the Rings' legacy, it is a great fantasy epic that fans of great action should love. I just hope I can find out what Glen Keane thinks of the camera movement someday.
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