The War of the Rohirrim was the first attempt by Warner Bros to extend the use of their Middle-Earth license to include stories beyond the written works of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Set 180 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, it tells the story of how Helm’s Deep got its name and showcases the daughter of Helm, Hera. Conceived as an anime, the script was written in English and animated by a Japanese studio with a Japanese director. In this episode we review the movie. We discuss it as an adaptation of very scant material from Tolkien’s written work. We talk about how well it fits into the narrative of Middle-Earth and Tolkien’s style. We opine on the characters, the plot, and the performances. We also debate the merits of the animation and the music. Along the way we’ll get into the fashions, tactics in personal combat and warfare, and the touchstones to other parts of the franchise.
Due to time constraints there is no five-minute controversy this week.
This week Beth; Keith; and newcomer, Annie, join the cast.
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In this second part of our two-part extravaganza on The Rings of Power the cast jumps back into talking about Middle Earth. In this episode they ask “What’s in a name?” as they wonder why anyone included a Hobbit. The Stranger’s gray identity is mooted. The cast discusses the geometry of rings and why 15 minutes may not be enough time to devote to their creation. They also get into the trauma that creates the orcs and the idea of an “evil race”. Along the way they discuss tropish women who need fathers for their sons, vampire orcs, and the politics of Númenor.