The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is struggling on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a 52% score from critics and a 35% score from top critics. Despite its low critical score, the movie has secured an 85% on the audience-led Popcornmeter. This is not the first time a Lord of the Rings movie has received a low critical score, as The Lord of the Rings (1978) and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) also received low scores.
The movie’s box office results are also expected to be poor, with estimates suggesting it will earn under $10 million in its opening weekend and end its run with the lowest box office results of any movie in the franchise’s history. The movie has received a B rating on CinemaScore, the lowest rating of any modern Lord of the Rings adaptation.
Many critics have argued that the story is generic, the animation does not fit the narrative, and the entire production feels like a desperate grab for money. However, Screen Rant’s Alex Harrison gave the movie a 7 out of 10 stars, saying that it is a film that he would happily go back to.
The animation style of the movie is a traditional Japanese anime style, which may not appeal to fans of the original Peter Jackson movies. The movie was also released just two months after The Rings of Power season 2 ended, which may have limited its appeal.
Overall, the poor critical reception and box office expectations for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim suggest that it may not be the successful addition to the franchise that Warner Bros. was hoping for.