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Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – Non spoiler Review

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Does The War of the Rohirrim live up to Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? The answer is Yes and No. This film was made from a different point of view than its predecessors, one big indication is that is an anime. But also, it still connects to Peter Jacksons version of Middle Earth. How does this film connect to the original films though?


This story takes place 183 years before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. We follow the main character that was specifically made for this story Hera, whom is not part of Tolkien’s writings, is the daughter of Helm Hammerhand, who is the Ninth king of Rohan. There is struggle of authority when Frecca shows up to Edoras and challenges Helm for the right to rule. The conflict that follows, moves the plot forward in a direction that fans may or may not agree with.


The first half of the story lives up to hype of the original films. We dive deeper into the lore and history of Rohan, the continuous anger towards the Kingdom of Gondor, and of the course battle that creates mayhem for Hera and her family. Hearing classic themes from Howard Shores score from the original films, takes us back to that first time we saw Edoras on screen!


The films pacing is questionable. After the end of the first half of film the pacing slows down. The second half of the film feels like a tv show, where each small story that occurs, ends like a tv show would. There are also certain scenes that contradict different parts of the original LOTR Trilogy. However Helm Hammerhand lives up to his name in the end. Brian Cox brought this Character to life in such a spectacular way, he is one of the best parts of the film!


Even though Hera’s character was made for this film, and not from any Tolkien lore, she still makes an impact on the future kingdom of Rohan. To the relationship with her father, and her involvement in the events in this story, rhyme with the character Éowyn which we first meet in The Two Towers. She’s headstrong and helps set the course of history of where we see Rohan in the future.


With all that being said it is a great addition to Peter Jacksons Middle Earth franchise. It shows the depth of loyalty and honor in King Theodens bloodline, and what sacrifices and consequences might happen as a leader. From exploring more of the lore of Rohan, seeing familiar locations, and familiar faces, this story is great on its own, but also adds an amazing backstory to one of the greatest kingdoms and bloodlines to Middle Earth. If you are fan of Lord of the Rings and want to feel nostalgic, this is the film for you. Go see The Lord of the rings: The War of the Rohirrim, in theaters now.


Colin's love of cinema and pop culture began as you might expect... a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... But in all seriousness, from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, Marvel, DC, Karate Kid, Harry Potter, Disney, and more, Colin loves it! Colin is also one of the founders of the Star Wars Stuff Podcast! Being part of that podcast led him down the path of prop/costume building as well.

Movie Reviews

Yadang – The Snitch: A Surprisingly Riveting Crime Action Movie (Review)

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When a swift street smart Lee Kang-soo (Kang Ha-neul) finds himself in jail for being unjustly accused as a meth dealer, he encounters an eager prosecutor, Goo Gwan-hee (Yoo Hai-jin), who offers to reduce Lee’s sentence by having him work as a snitch, “Ya-Dang”. However, when it comes to sting operations and using Ya-Dangs, narcotics officer Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon ) becomes suspicious of Goo’s techniques, and it appears he might be involved in a convoluted criminal network.

This South Korean film, Yadang – The Snitch, has a well written storyline with many exiting and unsuspected plot twists, from betrayal, corruption, to settling the score revenge. Director Hwang Byeng-Gug exercised good judgement not implementing exaggerated CGI’s and kept the action scenes interesting and grounded.

The trio of main characters had great development, with outstanding cast members giving flawless performances.

Promising actor Kang Ha-neul, best known for Squid Game 2, knows how to deliver a combination of dynamic action with humor. Kang was well-suited to portray the sharp dressed, charismatic Lee Kang-soo.

Yoo Hai-jin was impressive transforming his role and building the underlying forces, while Park Hae-joon maintained a well balanced role that rises to the occasion.

Besides the entertaining action, the traditional South Korean food culture was incorporated throughout many of the scenes giving it a delicious element – It left me craving those noodles! Also, the post credits were a nice dessert of laughter.

With absolute certainty this movie is fantastic, and I am hopeful for a sequel.

Yadang – The Snitch will be in theaters April 25, 2025, in the US and Canada.

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Movie Reviews

‘Good Boy’: An exceptional haunting film from a dog’s perception. – Review

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Have you ever wondered why your furry companion stares at the wall or barks when there is nothing around? In this independent horror film, it presents a possible explanation to why your dog behaves in a peculiar manner. Good Boy is a unique take on creating a horror film where the main character is Indy, an adorable loyal dog that will do what it takes to protect his human friend and not leave his side.

Indy made his grand entrance at the 2025 SXSW in Austin, Texas and captivated the audience with his handsome furry coat and charming face. Indy was trained by his owners Kari Fischer and Ben Leonberg, along with the help of a professional trainer. It took more than 400 days (over the course of a couple of years) to complete filming due to the specific commands and desired behaviors that Indy had to learn, but most importantly ensuring his comfort and safety.

You can watch the video here of Indy showing off his impressive skills during the Q&A with Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer (aka dog parents).

The screenplay was written by Alex Cannon and Ben Leonberg, who also directed the film. They created a unique perspective of a horror film by developing the storyline from a dog’s point of view.

The film begins with Todd in his apartment looking catatonic with indications that he might be suffering from an illness. Indy is by his side and appears to be uncomfortable and restless witnessing Todd being lethargic. Todd decides to move out of the city to the family’s countryside home and takes his loyal dog, Indy, with him. It is here where the supernatural forces lurk in the shadows and Indy feels its strange presence.

The scenes have all those spooky elements a horror, suspense film should have – the dark rooms, chilling sounds, creepy shadows, and thunderous storms. There is even a mysterious cemetery that is part of the property. It is said that dogs have a sixth sense, and this film depicts the fear and concern from Indy that death may be lurking around.

If you are a dog owner or an avid dog lover, Good Boy will touch your emotions as you observe Indy’s faithfulness and courage to save his owner, Todd, from whatever entity haunting them.

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Movie Reviews

Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story – Review

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This documentary film shines light on the sport of pickleball and the competition against leagues to cash in on the now popular sport. Two wealthy Texas entrepreneurs form rivals in professional pickleball leagues and feud over obtaining contracts on the world’s top players.

Austin billionaire Steve Kuhn, a hedge fund manager turned philanthropist, and sports mogul built Dreamland, an outdoor entertainment and arts venue in Dripping Springs, Texas located in the Hill Country. The site features 16 dedicated pickleball courses, miniature golf courses, and one state of the art music stage.

In 2021, Kuhn co-founded Major League Pickleball (MLP) and held tournaments in Dreamland. I was surprised to learn how this sport evolved into a franchise and attracted investors like Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, and elite athletes like LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and even Drew Brees.

Like in all investments and in sports there is always a competitor – here is where Connor Pardoe steps onto the court. Pardoe formed the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) back in 2018, which required the players to sign a one year exclusive contract and transformed the industry from a recreational activity to a burgeoning sports powerhouse. The PPA then gets a new player, investor Thomas Dundon a chairman and managing partner of Dundon Capital Partners in Dallas, Texas. Dundon extended the exclusivity contracts to 3 years.

This sporty film has the tournament founders going head to head, evolving the sport into social media influencers, and chasing the gold. It also stars John McEnroe, no stranger to sport action drama.

Pickleball fanatics and those curious about the sport will find this documentary interesting, maybe even have more people interested in participating in playing pickleball or as a spectator.

The documentary is produced and directed by Ashley Underwood and written and produced by Craig Coyne is set to premiere Friday, April 11 on truTV and also will be streaming afterwards on the Max platform.

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