Epic Animation Shines in "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim"

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 named Glen Keane is working on a scene in The Fox and the Hound involving the multiplane camera—a technique where the camera moves and swings, giving audiences a more three-dimensional look for the sequence. It is a laborious process, but Keane loved the possibilities of animating 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 and the Beast and The Lion King, but with computer animation, it seems like thoughts about multiplane cameras and what they can do for traditional animation have largely been left in the past. Keane has since gone on to win an Oscar and direct movies for Netflix, but I would be curious to know what he would think of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the 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 the Rohirrim create the most immersive 2D animated world since Hayao Miyazaki released Princess Mononoke, but it also 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 the Rohirrim 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: while it means the story stands on its own, it also could be considered glorified fanfiction by some long-time fans of the lore. Though (if I may be so bold as to say so) there is some really good fanfiction out there, and if this is what qualifies as fanfiction these days, it is far more worthwhile than whatever Fifty Shades of Grey was (also, the story is based on the 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 itself 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 with the king's daughter, Héra, who rejected his marriage proposal because she does not want to be married off (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 story where the people of Rohan struggle to survive and prepare for a death that seems inevitable.

Unlike most animated films that are primarily concerned with bright colors and rapid speed, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the 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 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 of a live-action film (and look just as great, if not better). The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is not only a unique addition to The Lord of the Rings legacy, but it is also 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.

P.S. This review was originally published on The Fandom Post.