The Movie Guru: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ visually stunning, while ‘Out of My Mind’ a great story
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (in theaters)
It’s a beautifully animated story, but is it the right story to tell?
That question may be on your mind as you watch “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.” The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, from the 2D anime-style characters to the 3D backgrounds, and the battle scenes are both detailed and brutal. Unfortunately, both the characterization and story seem to get short shift in the face of everything else, leaving it feeling thin rather than epic. “The Lord of the Rings” movies have already given us a huge battle at this exact location, and that one was full of characters we already cared so much about. With an entire world and centuries of history to explore, this feels like a missed opportunity.
The movie is set 200 years before the “The Lord of the Rings,” focusing on one of the legendary kings of Rohan. His daughter is old friends with the high-ranking son of one of the wildmen living on the borders of the kingdom, but when a marriage proposal goes horribly wrong the king’s choices lead to an all-out war. Can the people of Rohan survive a siege on the heart of their kingdom?
Though the characterization and story pacing leave a lot to be desired, the visuals are as gorgeous as anyone could hope for. Director Kenji Kamayama makes the Miyazaki-style characters fit in beautifully with the more realistic backgrounds, giving every scene a magical quality. None of that takes away from the drama of the battle scenes, however, which can be terrifying in the way war is supposed to be.
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No matter how gripping the visuals are, though, it’s never quite enough to make the whole thing feel like the epic it could have been.
Grade: Two stars
Out of My Mind (Disney+)
It’s rare for movies about disabled people to actually focus on the disabled person.
Thankfully, “Out of My Mind” does just that. A warm, clear-eyed, coming-of-age story, the movie brings us inside the thoughts of a voiceless preteen girl with CP. Though there is a certain amount of Disney-style gloss on the story, there’s also plenty of sass, stubbornness, and struggle. It’s not easy for anyone when people demand a voice, especially for the one doing the demanding.
Melody Brooks (Phoebe-Rae Taylor) has spent the last several years trapped in an isolated special education class far below her actual academic ability. A visiting professional recognizes this and comes up with a plan to integrate her into the general ed class, an opportunity she jumps at. Unfortunately, everyone from her well-meaning parents to less well-meaning school officials end up focusing more on the difficulties rather than Melody’s potential. Can Melody still make sure her voice is heard?
Rosemarie DeWitt and Luke Kirby do an excellent job as Melody’s parents, but the movie’s real secret weapon is Taylor herself. The actress also has CP, and she brings an incredible level of understanding that enriches her performance. Though narration gives the audience her character’s thoughts, Taylor’s wonderful expressiveness does an even better job of letting us know what Melody is thinking and feeling.
It’s a story well worth telling.
Grade: Three stars
Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or drop her a line at themovieguruslc@gmail.com.
