33 votes

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim | Official trailer

9 comments

  1. [3]
    updawg
    Link
    Still not sure how I feel about any original Middle Earth works that weren't written by Tolkien...I enjoy video games but beyond that, they kind of feel like corruptions of what he made. It wasn't...

    Still not sure how I feel about any original Middle Earth works that weren't written by Tolkien...I enjoy video games but beyond that, they kind of feel like corruptions of what he made. It wasn't just a world that he created; it was his world, something that was intrinsically part of him.

    With Star Wars, for example, yes, it's obviously linked closely with George Lucas, but it wasn't his life's work. He knows less about the movies than millions of fans. Adding on is a fun exploration of concepts that he wrote down, but it was a world that was essentially a summary of human storytelling.

    Middle Earth was so personal for Tolkien. Video games bring his world to life. They let you experience the world...just walking through the Shire in the Lord of the Rings Online is one of the best video game experiences. Visual adaptations make his stories more accessible.

    I get that this is technically just expanding content from the Appendices, but...it's essentially just creating a new story from whole cloth and I'm just not sure how interested I am, even though part of me is super interested in this.

    Also, I'm not sure I like the animation style. It seems to be in between the good and bad computer anime. I guess we'll see (or maybe not depending on how I feel when it comes out).

    16 votes
    1. daywalker
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      As a lifelong Legendarium fan, I'm not really looking forward to this? I don't think more is always better, so I don't always demand or expect it. However, this doesn't stop me from checking out...

      As a lifelong Legendarium fan, I'm not really looking forward to this? I don't think more is always better, so I don't always demand or expect it. However, this doesn't stop me from checking out some things if they're available. For example, I watched RoP for six episodes, but then didn't watch the last two. It wasn't a conscious decision, I just wasn't invested in the story enough and I kind of just forgot about it.

      I think your explanation kind of touches on my reasoning as well. For me, Tolkien has a special place because it was the fantasy universe for me in my formative years. I grew up watching the movies when they were released, then read Hobbit and the trilogy, and then everything Tolkien I could get my hands on. For that reason, it held a special place in my heart for a very long time. Despite me not being into the Legendarium much nowadays due to a change in my approach to fiction, it still does.

      However, I don't feel like calling extended universe stories "corruption". They're just some stories that were written based on Tolkien's work. It doesn't affect the original stories and the universe themselves. They don't affect my perception of that at all. And there are a million stories out there, why shouldn't some of them be in universes based on the Legendarium? It's not like Legendarium is a "holy book". I think it's alright for people to make their own additions and add their own spins.

      There is also another, political, aspect to this. Too many right-wingers and alt-righters have been using the so-called "corruption of Tolkien's work" to spread their hatred of minorities and women. You know the drill. So I'm doubly cautious of using a moralizing word and concept like corruption in this context. It's an extension of a very long tradition of right-wingers utilizing the concept of "decadance" to spread their influence.

      5 votes
    2. EsteeBestee
      Link Parent
      Eh, if it looks interesting, just have fun and watch it. If it gets more people to watch LotR, it, in my opinion, doesn't really matter how much it adheres to specific writings from Tolkien....

      Eh, if it looks interesting, just have fun and watch it. If it gets more people to watch LotR, it, in my opinion, doesn't really matter how much it adheres to specific writings from Tolkien. Personally I'd rather see more LotR visual media and video games than be stuck adhering to every word in the books anyways. It looks to get some of the vibes right and that's plenty fine by me!

      1 vote
  2. [3]
    Britimmer
    Link
    I hate that I agree with a lot of the comments on that video. We were told we were getting a Helm Hammerhand movie iirc, not a movie about a daughter who didn't have a bloody name canonically....

    I hate that I agree with a lot of the comments on that video. We were told we were getting a Helm Hammerhand movie iirc, not a movie about a daughter who didn't have a bloody name canonically. (And this is Tolkien, dude gave names to great great great great great great great grandfathers of side characters)

    Tolkien's legendarium has a number of badass women set in their own stories. Why gender swap Helm's son Freeleaf who did save the Rohhirim or go off and write something completely different? THE SOURCE MATERIAL IS RIGHT THERE! And it's animated, so you can do it properly! Yosemite Sam yelling

    11 votes
    1. Minori
      Link Parent
      My only knowledge of Lord of the Rings is The Hobbit, pop culture, and Shadow of Mordor. I'm not sure if branching off the source material will make it worse?

      My only knowledge of Lord of the Rings is The Hobbit, pop culture, and Shadow of Mordor. I'm not sure if branching off the source material will make it worse?

      3 votes
    2. Caelum
      Link Parent
      This just feels like partial retreading of the movie, hell they even show the back of Eowyn in the trailer. (Which is odd to not even show her face, plus not even her famous triumphant moment)

      This just feels like partial retreading of the movie, hell they even show the back of Eowyn in the trailer. (Which is odd to not even show her face, plus not even her famous triumphant moment)

      1 vote
  3. [2]
    Minori
    Link
    This looks way more promising than I expected. Anime films can have awkward pacing, but I'm quite hopeful about this one. (Also our protagonist reminds me of Celica from Fire Emblem).

    This looks way more promising than I expected. Anime films can have awkward pacing, but I'm quite hopeful about this one. (Also our protagonist reminds me of Celica from Fire Emblem).

    5 votes
    1. Artren
      Link Parent
      When they opened the trailer with scenes from the trilogy I was very concerned. Then Kenji's name appeared.. and the style seems fitting enough for Lord of the Rings. Here's hoping it doesn't turn...

      When they opened the trailer with scenes from the trilogy I was very concerned.

      Then Kenji's name appeared.. and the style seems fitting enough for Lord of the Rings. Here's hoping it doesn't turn into Star Wars...

      5 votes
  4. winther
    Link
    Didn't even know this was coming but it looks promising. Clearly they are leaning hard into trying to recreate a similar atmosphere as the original trilogy, and just by this trailer alone, they...

    Didn't even know this was coming but it looks promising. Clearly they are leaning hard into trying to recreate a similar atmosphere as the original trilogy, and just by this trailer alone, they come closer than in The Hobbit or Rings of Power. Definitely not against going the animation route for more stories in Middle Earth.

    2 votes