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I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU Starring: Nick Kroll, Andrew Rannells, Nunzia Schiano, Morgan Spector, and Amanda Seyfried Directors: Brian William Crano and David Joseph Craig NICK What do you get if you take the loose concept of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil , add in a language barrier, and wrap it all up in a queer love story? I Don’t Understand You , a film whose title couldn’t encapsulate it any better. Still, I enjoyed this, and a lot of the credit goes to Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells. The pair’s chemistry brings an authenticity to their relationship that makes their genuine interactions with those around them just as appealing as the more zany content. Even the language barrier gag never feels overused because of them. This was a pleasant surprise. ADRIANO When I'm promised a horror comedy, I expect to see a horror comedy. We get the comedy part, thanks to the lead performances from Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells, who do a great job of performing quick-witted, fish-out-of-water comedy that could've been plain. As for the horror, I did find the plot escalation entertaining, but the complete lack of tension made the experience less memorable. All that said, I Don't Understand You is a nice time-waster that'll make you chuckle, which I guess I can't dunk on.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE Starring: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack Director: Sophie Hyde JOSEPH Good Luck to You, Leo Grande has everything going for it and it delivers on every level. It is an intimate character piece that focuses solely on its two leads, yet it never feels lacking. Some may find the film too dialogue heavy, but I loved it. Not enough films are done this way. It’s a uniquely bold film with the sole intent of challenging taboos and de-stigmatizing sexuality. It’s one of the better films I’ve seen this year despite its simplicity. JACOB Good Luck to You, Leo Grande doesn’t really stand out on a technical level, though truthfully, that’s likely more due to it being a Covid-conscious production than anything else. What it does do is illuminate those unfamiliar with the realities of sex work to some of its more positive benefits rather than focusing solely on its dangers. The thoroughly nuanced conversations between co-stars Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack make up nearly the entire runtime, and the two have a palpable bond from the moment they meet. Luckily, that bond is enough to see the film through to the finish line.

MARIA Starring: Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, and Haluk Bilginer Director: Pablo Larraín AMARÚ Have you ever been around someone who only needs to utter a sound and everything is pulled towards them? Well, that’s how mesmerizing Maria is, and triply so, through a bombastically operatic score, eye-popping color & kinetic camera work, and Angelina Jolie’s every statement, stance, and smile as Maria Callas. Director Pablo Larraín takes a deliberate approach with the film, spending a half-a-second longer on every decision, and while that may feel a tad bit burdensome, it also keeps hold of your full attention, especially on Jolie’s gravitational pull. ADRIANO As someone who loves director Pablo Larrain's previous biopics, Jackie and Spencer , I found Maria pretty underwhelming. It's not bad by any means, featuring breathtaking cinematography, effective use of Maria Callas' (Angelina Jolie) music, and an outstanding performance from Jolie. However, this film is much less challenging than the other two because it spoon-feeds its main thesis early on (they don't love her , they love her voice) before spinning its wheels for the rest of the runtime until reaching an inevitable conclusion. Add in the stagey dialogue, and Maria is one of my biggest disappointments this year.

NEW LIFE Starring: Sonya Walger, Hayley Erin, Tony Amendola, Ayanna Berkshire, Nick George, Blaine Palmer, and Betty Moyer Director: John Rosman QUENTIN Knowing nothing more about New Life than it’s a “horror thriller,” the first 45 minutes of this 83-minute indie left me wondering, “how is this horror?” In the early goings, it’s a fairly standard manhunt movie with few thrills and no attempts at scares. Frankly, I was starting to mentally check out, which is when the horror elements finally kicked in. They are, admittedly, visceral and well done, but it was hard for me to re-engage after my interest had already waned. I’m somewhat curious if it would be better on the rewatch, knowing what I know now, but not curious enough to find out. KATIE After being initially intrigued by the premise, I was ultimately disappointed by New Life . It is not so much a “slow burn” as it is boring with odd pacing, and although the sudden switch to horror in the second half has good practical effects and re-engaged my attention, it is quite jarring. I didn’t find the performances convincing, nor did I understand or emotionally resonate with the point it is trying to make, which I assume is something about facing adversity or accepting the inevitable. Overall, the film had a lot of potential that it didn’t deliver on. PAIGE Although the first half of New Life plays out like a mysterious manhunt, the movie has an unexpected and surprisingly intriguing twist that switches the tone of the movie from thriller to something entirely different. Even though those modifications make the story slightly more entertaining, they don’t elevate the underwhelming narrative. I had already checked out by the time the twist occurred, and the story just never accumulated enough momentum to satisfy my interest. However, I will admit that its practical effects are pretty terrifying for an indie movie on a shoestring budget.

THE MATRIX RESSURECTIONS Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Jada Pinkett Smith Director: Lana Wachowski QUENTIN I’m not exactly sure how a movie can feel like a retread, be heavy with exposition, and still be confusing, but Resurrections does it. Outside of a nostalgia-driven money grab, nothing about this way-too-late sequel feels necessary. The story isn’t particularly interesting despite some admittedly intriguing meta elements, and the special effects are surprisingly shoddy at times considering 1999’s The Matrix was such a game changer in that department. Worst of all, it’s mostly boring and feels somewhat soulless for a looong 2.5 hours. It’s only for the most ardent fanboys of the franchise, if they even exist anymore. ADRIANO The Matrix Resurrections is a massive slog. It’s visually stunning and the performances are really good, but the story is quite the convoluted, muddled, and confusing mess. There were several times when I thought the movie was about to end only for it to run for another half hour, which means you really feel that 2.5-hour runtime. On top of that, the movie has a weird meta commentary going on. It was a little clever initially, but it quickly got to a point where I thought “Ok, we get it.” This movie was very disappointing. AMARÚ It’s not often that a Creative writes a love letter to their previous work. Revisiting our childhood classics is usually left to others so that what we remember is given a fresh look. But with The Matrix Resurrections , director Lana Wachowski waxes (read: criticizes) nostalgic to initially have us question everything we know about her original trilogy. That uncertainty hooked me until the movie began to explain things and my eyes glazed over. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the film’s main conflict or the characters’ motivations. Maybe a second viewing will help, but that’s seldom a good sign. JACOB The Matrix Resurrections is as good as it needed to be to avoid being a total disaster, but the shame of it is that it’s still not quite good enough to be more than “fine.” There are certainly plenty of things to enjoy, and the anti-meta-sequel swing that director Lana Wachowski takes with it is big; however, I’m not sure it entirely lands in the way it was intended to. Despite solid performances, some neat (if overcut) action sequences, and decent visuals, Resurrections feels as if it’s only half-committed to existing - whether that’s entirely fair is up to the viewer.

VIOLENT NIGHT Starring: David Harbour, Beverly D’Angelo, John Leguizamo, Cam Gigandet, Edi Patterson, Brendan Fletcher, Alex Hassell, Mike Dopud, Mitra Suri, Alexis Louder, Alexander Elliot, and Leah Brady Director: Tommy Wirkola AMARÚ Violent Night is an instant Christmas f***in’ classic. Director Tommy Wirkola put together a romping Family-Action-Christmas movie, intersecting violent brutality, heartwarming joy, hilariously campy comedy, and a pitch-perfect cast. While young Leah Brady (Trudy) holds the heart of the film, the battle between David Harbour (Santa) and John Leguizamo (Mr. Scrooge) is every bit as entertaining as you’d hope. The entire cast is having a blast, the script pays homage to multiple Christmas staples, and Dominic Lewis’ score perfectly sets the mood for the most fun you’ll have in theaters this year. JTE Violent Night delivers exactly what it promises, even if it takes a while to get there. This Christmas comedy is part Die Hard , part Home Alone , and part one of those films where a dysfunctional family gathers for the holidays, but David Harbour elevates it all as a grumpy Santa who rediscovers the meaning of Christmas through bloody mayhem. Also joining Harbour is a great comedic supporting cast that includes John Leguizamo, Edi Patterson, and Beverly D'Angelo. Violent Night may take its time getting to the promised violence, but when it does, it's wholly satisfying. QUENTIN Pure and simple, Violent Night and its mid-90s action sensibilities are a ton of fun. The story isn’t perfect, leaving some of the more interesting bits unexplored, and it’s not particularly original either, borrowing heavily from Christmas classics like Home Alone and Die Hard . Still though, David Harbour is clearly having a blast, and the jolts of energy he provides with each Christmas pun and bloody action scene are infectious. I can easily see this becoming a holiday tradition for me, pairing extremely well as the action complement to Bad Santa . JACOB It has its moments of mayhem and fun, but overall, Violent Night simply can’t compete with John Wick -style action films like Nobody or Atomic Blonde . It’s nowhere near disaster territory, but apart from David Harbour and John Leguizamo, no one in the film seems to be having all that much fun. The film’s script is weak enough for the action scenes to shine, but not strong enough for the viewer to ever care why they’re happening. One-dimensional characters and often terrible dialogue pepper the film throughout, so any time the Santa-action stops, the film slows down to a sludge-like crawl. ADRIANO Ho-ho-holy crap! Violent Night is a film that takes two of my wildly contradicting loves and puts them together: Christmas and hard-R action. The result is a yuletide blast full of gore and fun. While some of the deeper goals aren’t always accomplished in its writing, it does succeed in accomplishing its core objective of creating a hyper-violent action film filled with the holiday spirit. Couple that with David Harbour having the time of his life playing a grizzled Santa Clause and plenty of laughter, and you got yourself an unhinged Christmas blast.

LAST BREATH Starring: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, Cliff Curtis, Mark Bonnar, MyAnna Buring, Bobby Rainsbury, and Josef Altin Director: Alex Parkinson NICK Director Alex Parkinson's decision to recreate the subject matter of his 2019 documentary as a dramatic feature is a bit of a mixed bag. The highlights are the stranger-than-fiction story that the narrative follows and the authentic performances of the cast. When the film creates tension, it's at a peak. Unfortunately, in staying true to the real life story, there are some lulls that stall any momentum being built, and the nature of the film doesn't allow for engaging performances to fill up those spaces. All in all, this is a fine film that does nothing to add to the doc. QUENTIN While the true story of Last Breath is an incredible one, it’s too thin to sustain a feature length movie considering the real-life incident only lasted about 30 minutes. At no point was I invested in any of the characters, outside of the general sympathy I’d feel for any random person trapped on the ocean floor without oxygen, and there isn’t much to the efforts to save the stranded diver, resulting in absolutely zero tension. As such, the cast isn’t given much to do, including a completely wasted Woody Harrelson and another step towards irrelevance for Simu Liu. This one should be left in the abyss. AMARÚ For a 93-minute movie, much of Last Breath tends to drag. I can appreciate the attention to detail director Alex Parkinson pays to the mechanics of diving, especially because this is a true story, but the careful time spent setting up the dive makes the film plod at a snail’s pace. What helps are the emotional performances from much of the cast, with Mark Bonnar being a standout and Woody Harrelson trying to “Woody” the hell out of any scene he can, but the short runtime mixed with its real-life pacing has every exciting moment slip away just as fleetingly as it came. KATIE The concept of Last Breath terrifies me to my core, so I was primed and ready for a tense and engaging film. It's at its best during the nail-biting underwater scenes, but when above water, the pacing drags, especially considering its short runtime. I know Simu Liu’s character is meant to be standoffish, but he comes across as stiff; Woody Harrelson is charming as always, but his performance is nothing special. Most disappointingly, the miraculous fate of one of the divers is so understated that they somehow make it seem unremarkable, and the tedious latter half of the film truly lost me. ADRIANO To my surprise, Last Breath is solid enough. I fell for its crowd-pleaser aspects as the situation, while not perfect, is easy enough to root for, although my favourite parts are when the characters are bouncing off each other before the incident. As I've said before, for all the complaints about movies being too long, there is such a thing as a movie being too short. As is, I didn't have enough time to be fully scared for this guy before they got to the inevitable rescue. But, hey. I was entertained, so I can't fully complain. PAIGE Last Breath may be a claustrophobic watch, but it oddly lacks tension as the stakes never feel as prevalent as the film intends them to be. The underwater scenes are fascinating to witness, but everything above the surface is hardly serviceable to this true story. Not to mention the dialogue sucks the air out of the room with how thin it is. All in all, this movie is as generic as they come, though perhaps I would have appreciated the story more if I had seen the documentary on which the film is based. ROBERT Nothing scares me more than feeling claustrophobic underwater, so Last Breath upped my anxiety levels to near-maximum. With no concept of the documentary, I felt the closing weight of the ocean and the uncertainty of being swept away by an unrelenting force. It did feel short, but simultaneously felt as if the filmmakers meant to end it sooner than it actually did, as I was expecting an addendum to the rescue that never came. However, that didn’t detract from the roll-out of the story overall. The lived-in character bonds made me care for the emotional relationships; but mostly, this film showed that the ocean should remain mostly unexplored. BRYAN Even for someone who’s terrified of films primarily set underwater, Last Breath doesn’t fully live up to its tense potential. While there are quite a few flaws, there is also quite a bit to praise. For one, the underwater sequences are nail-biting, and the performances from the cast are serviceable. Yet, the screenplay doesn’t do the film any favors, being a mostly surface-level (pun intended) plot. It was 90 minutes that I don’t entirely regret spending on a jarring attempt to transition a documentary into a narrative, and while it isn’t a disaster, it could have been so much more.

ROOFMAN Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Dee Wainscott, and Peter Dinklage Director: Derek Cianfrance NICK There’s no doubt that Roofman is the strongest performance of Channing Tatum’s career. In fact, this is likely the mold for his ideal leading-man role. There’s comedy, romance, goofiness, a hint of toughness, and tons of heart. Think Tom Hanks in the 90s but more of a badass. A lesser performance would’ve made Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum) hard to root for, but with the heart Tatum infuses into this real life story, you can’t help but want to see him succeed in some way. Add in solid supporting performances (Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage), and this film ends up better than it has any right to be. ADRIANO Based on the trailer for Roofman , I was afraid director/co-writer Derek Cianfrance was gonna ditch his knack for emotionally driven character stories for a more studio-driven comedy. While the film doesn't shy away from the absurdity of this true story, mainly due in part to Channing Tatum's charming goofiness, what grabbed me the hardest about Roofman was Cianfrance's writing that mixes weirdness with true humanity. Even when it leans into the "criminal with a heart of gold" idea, the empathy it decides to focus on in regards to Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum) leads to effective emotional beats. AMARÚ Roofman epitomizes what it means to be solid. It harkens back to the ‘90s classics of my childhood that were no flash, fully grounded, endearing stories with substantial performances. I can’t say I’ve ever been more attuned to a non-sci-fi Kirsten Dunst role, but I can say that this is arguably Channing Tatum’s best work. Whether you agree will come down to your comedy or drama preference, but either way, he succeeds in making me root for a character who deserved no such appraisal. He humanizes the good, bad, and ugly of his real-life counterpart, and both actors are a huge reason Roofman is undeniably rewatchable. QUENTIN Roofman is a charming love story featuring charming performances that surely will charm a non-discerning couple on date night. No, it’s not particularly memorable, but it’s a highly rewatchable blend of comedy, heart, and 90s nostalgia. Yet, I was left wondering why I was rooting for this dirtbag. Because he’s polite? All of Jeffrey Manchester’s (Channing Tatum) rough edges have been sanded down to create an almost algorithm-generated leading man that ladies may fawn over. That’s fine, I suppose, but it makes for an overly sugarcoated, crowd-pleasing movie seemingly afraid to explore the more complicated themes present in fear of losing general audiences (and box office revenue). PAIGE Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman is a surprisingly endearing ride that takes a bizarre true story and turns it into a funny, heartwarming, yet somewhat sad tale. Channing Tatum delivers some of his best work too, demonstrating a great chemistry with Kirsten Dunst. Overall, there really is a lot to truly enjoy, whether it’s the crime elements, the outlandish comedy, or the lighthearted family affair. However, with everything crammed into its plot, the movie does spread itself a bit too thin. As the film goes on, you can feel it lose momentum during the periods when not much happens. BODE I’ve long found Derek Cianfrance to be an underrated filmmaker, as he has an innate ability to infuse the most tragic stories with open-hearted empathy without ever being manipulative. Roofman keeps to that very standard, even while changing gears creatively, as this is, refreshingly, much lighter than his previous projects. Cianfrance tackles the numerous contradictions of its real-life subject with a mostly successful balance of humour and melancholy, one that plays to Channing Tatum’s strengths as a performer, both internally and physically. Add in some solid chemistry with Kirsten Dunst (always great), and you’ve got a low-key charmer. This film was reviewed by Nick, Adriano, and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2025 Zurich Film Festival, respectively.

NONNAS Starring: Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Linda Cardellini, Joe Manganiello, Drea de Matteo, Brenda Vaccaro, Talia Shire, Michael Rispoli, Campbell Scott, and Susan Sarandon Director: Stephen Chbosky KATIE Nonnas is an unexpectedly heart-warming comedy inspired by a true story. I loved the themes of connecting to your heritage and loved ones through food, and the sincere approach to the story makes it overly sweet, but easy to enjoy. The “nonnas” Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, and Brenda Vaccaro are an endlessly charming bunch, and although some of their scenes don’t quite work, their performances are still a pleasure to watch, complemented by Vince Vaughn’s reliable, good-guy charm. Like the best Italian dishes, Nonnas is warm, cheesy, and familiar; a true Sunday afternoon kind of film. ADRIANO As an Italian man, I may have a bias to this personally relatable story, but I was so endeared by Nonnas that it nearly brought me to tears. I don't expect people without that connection to have a similar reaction as the movie can be pretty flat, both dramatically and comedically. But when I watched the nonnas and Joe (Vince Vaughn) discuss their familial migration history in a warm and goofy way, it was hard not to smile. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go hug my nonnas. ROBERT A recipe for a successful Vince Vaughn comedy usually doesn’t rely on heart and emotion, but The Internship proved that is when his films are at their most unique. Nonnas is no exception, as juvenile humor has been replaced with warm messaging about honoring elders and the dead, and keeping family alive in tradition passed down, like food. Those heartfelt moments spoke to me the most, and seeing actresses I haven’t seen on screen in a while, like Lorraine Bracco and Talia Shire, inspired the most joy. I went in expecting something like 80 for Brady , but was fed something much more substantial.

ETERNALS Starring: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee, and Harish Patel Director: Chloé Zhao ADRIANO Eternals isn't a bad movie, but it is a messy one. The script is extremely exposition heavy, and the way it jumps between different time periods can be jarring. There also are numerous moments that could've been cut to make the movie shorter, and director Chloé Zhao's style doesn't really mesh with the MCU. On the plus side, the diverse cast is incredibly strong, especially Gemma Chan and Kumail Nanjiani. Overall, the film makes a clear attempt to escape typical MCU trappings, which is a fantastic step forward, but it's still flawed. It's worth watching to see for yourself. NICK The MCU has become a cinematic juggernaut partly due to the overarching story and distinctive style threading its 25 films (and several shows). The latest entry, Eternals , breaks that mold to the point it barely resembles an MCU entry. This is 100% a Chloé Zhao film, which doesn't work for the most part. The sceneries are vast and the action sequences are fantastic, but they're few and far between. As for the characters, they lack intrigue, while the dialogue contains enough exposition to make Dune blush. Phase 4 has some work to do to reach the heights of its predecessors. AMARÚ Eternals looks beautiful and dreams big. Hopeful themes about humanity run rampant throughout director Chloé Zhao's grand aesthetics and the characters' open-hearted view of Earth (Brian Tyree Henry, Don Lee, and a subtle Angelina Jolie are standouts). Big philosophical swings about life's grand schemes work well, especially when they pit the heroes' beliefs against one another. However, that leads to some cliché one-liners and all-too-convenient plot points, which are saved only by the charming innocence displayed by such powerful beings. Great chemistry helps to elevate the telegraphed exposition, making Eternals a slightly better than average, yet highly rewatchable, MCU addition. JACOB Many things will be said of Marvel's Eternals , but expect none of them to be overtly positive out of the gate. The film is decent... and it looks great in certain scenes... but its emotional tones are often uneven and its pacing is far too outstretched. That said, I did appreciate how different the film felt from typical MCU fare, as it rarely references the other films and stays most concerned with the story it's telling rather than the ones around it. Chloé Zhao’s directorial style fades in and out, but there is enough to enjoy, even on a surface level. QUENTIN Eternals isn't outright terrible, but it's certainly terrible by MCU standards. Aside from a few camera shots that are pure art and two anticipation-generating post-credit scenes, there is very little to rave about. The cast seems mostly uninterested in being involved (Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek genuinely feel like stunt casting), and there is almost zero on-screen chemistry amongst the ensemble. On top of that, the CGI is periodically shoddy, the characters are dull, and it's generally boring - just... So. Much. Exposition. I appreciate Marvel's effort to expand outside their proven formula, but Eternals is a huge swing and miss.

HIGHEST 2 LOWEST Starring: Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, Aubrey Joseph, Elijah Wright, Michael Potts, Frederick Weller, Dean Winters, LaChanze, John Douglas Thompson, and A$AP Rocky aka Rakim Mayers Director: Spike Lee NICK It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Spike Lee film as much as Highest 2 Lowest ; that’s not a knock on the director’s filmography, but more of a testament to just how good this is. Lee is firing on all cylinders, infusing the film with music, culture, and a strong commentary on power and persona. The performances match as well, with Denzel Washington giving a dynamic lead performance, Jeffrey Wright being as steady as always, and even A$AP Rocky surprising. Lee even made the unconventional orchestral score somehow work. Apple needs to improve its marketing because this is one of the best films of the year so far. AMARÚ Highest 2 Lowest is an operatic New York City love letter headlined by two of our best living actors, Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright, who do what they do best. Where my uncertainty takes hold all comes down to director Spike Lee’s style. It’s big, powerful, musical, and Black as hell. But it also plays like a play, with outward performances keeping you at arms length, barring the audience from truly living inside the story. I like the film, and I’m there opening weekend for the next Spike Lee Joint, but I also know I often have to learn to like Spike’s swings. ADRIANO It may come as a shock to you, but there is a new Spike Lee Joint out right now… and in its first hour, Highest 2 Lowest worried me. The score was atrocious, the staging was terrible, and the editing was awkward. But once the plot’s set in motion, it’s very entertaining. Denzel Washington's magnetism (a shoutout is owed to A$AP Rocky), an engaging examination of the exploitation of wealth in the music industry, and Lee's direction, which kept me on my toes, all worked. This needed more time in the editing room, but it’s satisfying nevertheless. Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick and Shak join Amarú to take A Bigger Bite out of Highest 2 Lowest HERE .

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Starring: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto, Luke Pasqualino, Lorraine Ashbourne, Shaun Dooley, Benjamin Wainwright, Yazdan Qafouri, Laurence Ubong Williams, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan Director: Kenji Kamiyama PRESTON If you will, imagine two children playing with some generic action figures. They oscillate the figure in their hand between the two stiff, plastic feet in order to pantomime the gesticulations that accompany human speech to emphasize emotion. That’s the best way I can describe the atrocious animation style in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim . There are odd pauses in speech where facial expressions would have really helped with audience connection to the characters. Instead, we get a bland and cliché storyline that drags for far too long, with only moments of interesting relief. AMARÚ My apathy for anime had a hard time reconciling with my love for all things Lord of the Rings , but the latter took over as The War of the Rohirrim delved deeper into its strong story. Director Kenji Kamiyama constructed an epic tale, taking cues from the best of the trilogy, The Two Towers , to build upon the lore of Helm’s Deep, with Brian Cox bringing its namesake, Helm Hammerhand, to life with beastly ferocity. While the rest of the characters are somewhat paint-by-numbers, and the animation vacillates from spectacle to spotty, there’s enough here to make fans happy with this return to Middle Earth. KATIE Despite its shortcomings, I really enjoyed The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The plot is straightforward and some of the dialogue feels perfunctory, but it gripped me emotionally. I cared about the characters, and found it easy to invest in Héra’s (Gaia Wise) fight for her people and her autonomy. The animation is uneven but often beautiful, and the anime style lends itself well to the exciting fight sequences, which are really dynamic and impressive. Plus, Brian Cox is a standout, giving a rousing vocal performance as Helm Hammerhand. ADRIANO A rep for Warner Bros. outright confirmed that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was rushed in order for them to maintain the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's property. I gotta say… You can tell. There is nothing inherently wrong with the story, but it's so basic and unengaging. The movie does have nice visuals in its animation, but the overall vibe I walked away with was that I simply didn't care about the conflict, the characters, or really anything going on. I didn't hate anything about it, but it's just so lifeless.