The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohrrim First Reactions – 'Lacks Surprise', 'Lethargic' and 'Mundane'

Heading to theaters next week is a brand new film from The Lord of the Rings universe... but with a twist.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohrrim features over 50 voice actors in this anime film, including performances from Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto, Luke Pasqualino, Lorraine Ashbourne, Shaun Dooley, Benjamin Wainwright, Yazdan Qafouri, Laurence Ubong Williams, Michael Wildman, Janine Duvitski, Bilal Hasna, Jude Akuwudike, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and more.

Following the film's premiere in London, the first reactions are rolling in on social media, and people are feeling mixed emotions for the two-hour and 14-minute movie that follows a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father.

HALETH Voiced by BENJAMIN WAINWRIGHT in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure “THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Matt Neglia at Next Best Picture says The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohrrim "features dazzling animation that pays homage to the iconic works of Hayao Miyazaki, Akira Kurosawa, and Peter Jackson's original LOTR trilogy" and says it's "a big-screen worthy experience that looks and sounds spectacular."

Neglia did have some critique of Kamiyama's film, however, saying, "it occasionally falls into predictability, with broad characterizations, lethargic pacing, and an uneven mix of unforgettable, heavy-metal-worthy moments and some cheesy, eye-rolling ones."

Critic Ezra Cubero had a slightly less complimentary reflection, however, saying, "I was let down", and "the intrigue in its story lacks surprise and it's got a lethargic pace."

InSession Film on X (formerly known as Twitter) had similar complaints, and said they "found it to be trite and mundane" and "it left a lot to be desired."

More positive reactions came from Zayyan Farooqi and Tessa Smith, with Farooqi saying it "was a solid film" and "the anime style gave it uniqueness from other LoTR projects, alongside a great score, new and old, and fun parallels to Peter Jackson's films."

Smith says, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a great addition to the iconic franchise" and that the film is "perfect for families with teens & Tolkien fans".

So, while it's not resounding praise for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, early reactions suggest there's enough in this film to quench the thirst of fans looking for their next story from The Lord of the Rings universe.

Full-length reviews remain embargoed for now.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will hit theaters on December 13.