A single appendix from the J.R.R. Tolkien novels is the primary foundation for a 2 1/4-hour animated prequel set more than 100 years before the events of “The Hobbit.” “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” presents new characters and new battles but almost everything about it feels stale.

Warner Bros. Animation’s new Lord of the Rings anime film is everything that’s disappointing about IP cash grabs.

Keeping all of that in mind, it seemed pretty inevitable that the franchise would return to the big screen – even through the The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's pi