In 2024, do I even need to explain what The Lord of the Rings (henceforth LotR) is? J.R.R. Tolkien‘s deeply iconic and highly influential masterpiece is widely considered among the all-time greatest works of fantasy. And even if you haven’t read the books, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen Peter Jackson‘s beloved film adaptations from 2001–2003, or at the very least seen any number of the almost cartoonishly long list of memes it’s spawned. Indeed, the world of these books has been retold and added to with varying levels of success time and time again in the seventy years since The Fellowship of the Ring was first published. And the latest such addition to this club is the franchise‘s first anime (but not first animated) movie, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (henceforth WotR).

Admittedly, there’s not a lot tying WotR to the rest of LotR. One could go into this movie with little or no LotR knowledge at all and be just fine—you’d miss a few winks and nods to LotR, but nothing so huge that you couldn’t understand and appreciate what was going on. They both take place in the same universe, and LotR fans will hear a few familiar names throughout the movie (and get a special cameo at the end), but WotR takes place roughly ~200 years before Frodo ever set his bare feet outside The Shire. Furthermore, WotR is centered on humans first and foremost—in fact, there are barely any non-human characters in the movie at all. Its primary connection and contribution to the world Tolkien built is a specific history on why Helm’s Deep is called, well, Helm’s Deep; a question that, admittedly, I don’t think many (if any at all) LotR fans were actively curious to learn more about, but at the same time, thorough worldbuilding has always been a hallmark of Tolkien, so I don’t necessarily mind that.

If there is anything I mind in this movie, it would probably (and surprisingly) be the animation, which is so gorgeous at times. But then, at others, the mouth flap movements are just off enough that they become noticeable, and when you notice it even once, you can’t really unnotice it. At other moments, too, it’s really apparent that the backgrounds and the people or horses aren’t exactly on the same plane, if that makes sense—the people and horses look very obviously overlaid on the backgrounds, which, stylistically and visually, don’t quite match. Finally, the animation gets a bit rough when something particularly dynamic or high-movement is going on (which, to be clear, is often—there’s a lot of fighting, horse riding, and so on). Director Kenji Kamiyama is no stranger to anime or fast-paced action, so I was shocked that this animation often fell as short of the mark as it does.

Meanwhile, this movie’s greatest strength is one of its main characters: none other than the force of nature that is Helm Hammerhand, who’s brought to life by the legendary Brian Cox—whom ANN recently got to interview, alongside Gaia Wise. He’s exactly the kind of bombastic powerhouse that you love to run into in anime, and Cox—still relatively fresh off the heels of playing screamy-old-man Logan Roy in Succession—can (predictably) match that energy perfectly. As for everyone else, it’s hard to shine your brightest when you have to share a stage with a character who exudes as much hot-bloodedness and charisma as Helm Hammerhand. Not even the other central protagonist of the film, Héra (voiced by Gaia Wise), can quite measure up. Still, both she and Wulf are compelling enough characters—neither commanding the spotlight in the same way that Helm so often does, but also never fully allowing themselves to be swallowed up by Helm’s gravitational pull.

And falling somewhere in the middle is this movie’s story, which feels like a pretty standard-issue revenge affair. Fundamentally, it’s nothing you haven’t already seen played out a million times before—you just haven’t seen it with Helm Hammerhand. But even so, WotR doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. It’s a story that opts to do what it’s doing well rather than to do it in a unique way, which is fine; it just makes it err on the side of forgettability.

WotR probably won’t become a must-watch addition to your LotR marathon any time soon, but it’s still an enjoyable—if a bit underwhelming—adventure movie. Comparing it to other pieces of LotR media feels somewhat like a pitfall, because few franchises simultaneously have as monumental highs and astronomical lows as LotR does. Falling somewhere in the middle of this feels almost inevitable, but “somewhere in the middle” could mean anything when the distance between LotR‘s peaks and valleys is so vast. But at the same time, the fact remains that it is a piece of LotR media—one that pales in comparison to the best entries but is still far from the worst we’ve seen from Tolkien’s world. And even as a standalone piece, it’s a solid adventure movie, but lacks a certain wow-factor—a wow-factor, one can’t help but feel reminded, that’s often present in LotR‘s better entries.

Fear is the latest Telugu movie directed by Haritha Gogineni. It stars Vedhika in the lead role and hits the screens today. Read on to find out how it fares.

Story:

Sindhu (Vedhika) is a cheerful and composed young woman in love with her boyfriend, Sampath (Arvind Krishna). When he relocates for work, Sindhu encounters strange and eerie incidents. She feels like someone stalks her but struggles to identify who or what it might be. Is Sindhu indeed being followed, or is it all in her mind? What’s really happening to her? Does she experience any childhood trauma? These questions form the crux of the story.

Highlights:

Director Haritha Gogineni delves into a nice and underexplored subject in Telugu cinema, making a commendable effort to shed light on it.

Vedhika delivers an okay performance in key moments, particularly in the film’s pre-climax and climax. Her choice to take on such a challenging role is praiseworthy.

Shortcomings:

While the film attempts to tell an important story, the confusing screenplay makes it challenging to follow. The narrative begins on a promising note but loses its grip as it progresses, with repetitive sequences overshadowing the storyline.

Including three timelines adds intrigue, but their abrupt transitions make the narrative hard to follow. Casting, especially for the child actors, could have been more effective.

The film’s psychological thriller elements could have been more compelling with tighter editing and a quicker pace. However, the intensity in certain scenes falls short, leaving less impact than intended.

Technical Aspects:

Haritha Gogineni’s script shows potential but struggles to translate effectively on screen. The first half’s slow pacing and lack of clarity diminish the film’s engagement. A more refined screenplay could have significantly improved the film.

The cinematography, editing, background score, and production values are average, lacking the finesse needed to elevate the film.

Verdict:

On the whole, Fear attempts to tackle a meaningful subject but falls short due to inconsistent storytelling and technical flaws. Though Vedhika and Haritha Gogineni put in effort, the film lacks the necessary depth and coherence, which weakens its overall impact. A tighter script and better pacing could have made it a more effective psychological thriller.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

Click Here For Telugu Review

Paula Abdul‘s legal battle against television producer Nigel Lythgoe has come to an end, nearly a year after after she sued him for alleged sexual assault.

Court documents reviewed by The Times confirm that the “Straight Up” pop star and the “So You Think You Can Dance” executive producer settled the suit Monday. Abdul filed notice of unconditional settlement Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, indicating that a request for dismissal would be filed within 45 days. The terms of the TV stars’ settlement was not revealed.

In a statement shared with The Times, Abdul said, “I am grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me.”

“This has been a long and hard-fought personal battle,” she added. “I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women, facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect, so that they too can turn the page and begin a new chapter of their lives.”

Abdul filed her four-count complaint on Dec. 29, 2023, alleging that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her twice during her time on “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Abdul was a judge on “Idol” from 2002 to 2009 and also judged on “SYTYCD” in 2015 and 2016.

In addition to the sexual assault claims, Abdul alleged that she was subject to bullying and harassment and suffered gender pay discrimination during her tenure on the hit competition shows. The lawsuit detailed two alleged accounts of sexual assault by Lythgoe, one in the early aughts in a hotel elevator and another in 2015 at the “SYTYCD” co-creator’s home. Abdul filed her complaint under the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which allows limited windows for filing certain civil sexual abuse claims beyond the usual statute of limitations.

In January, Lythgoe denied Abdul’s allegations. In a statement at the time, he said he was “shocked and saddened” by her claims. “I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for,” he added. Later that month, Lythgoe faced additional sexual assault accusations as two unidentified women sued the producer in a separate lawsuit.

Amid the allegations, Fox announced that Lythgoe would not return to “So You Think You Can Dance” for Season 18. In late January, Fox revealed that “Dance Moms” alum JoJo Siwa would replace Lythgoe.

By the end of March, Lythgoe, 75, had been accused by five women — including Abdul — of sexual assault. In a March response to Abdul’s lawsuit, Lythgoe’s attorney doubled down on their client’s initial denial.

“Abdul’s accusations against Lythgoe are false, despicable, intolerable, and life-changing,” attorney Marina Z. Beck wrote. “These allegations are the worst form of character assassination on Lythgoe.”

In a statement to The Times on Friday, Lythgoe said, “[W]e live in a troubling time where a person is now automatically assumed to be guilty until proven innocent, a process that can take years.” He also expressed relief with the settlement.

“That is why, like Paula, I am glad to be able to put this behind me,” he added. “I know the truth and that gives me great comfort.”