Posted in: Amazon Studios, Lord of The Rings, Review, streaming, TV | Tagged: amazon, lord of the rings, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, prime video, rings of power

Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Shines, Tolkien Bros Be Damned

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has its first two episodes up on Prime Video as we speak, and for a series that many scoffed at the second it was announced, it has arrived with much fanfare. Having many masters to serve before the first trailer even debuted, the first two episodes do exactly what they need to do, and it does it well. This is far and away one of the most beautiful to look at shows that we have ever seen, and though that masks some of the other problems, nothing here is a dealbreaker.

The Lord Of The Rings In All Its Epic Glory

And let's be clear about something: none of the problems with the show are the ones that most people are complaining about. No adaptation of any piece of literature should be a slave to the source material. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings are sacred texts to some, but for the majority of people, they will be casual viewers. Will this show go a long way to getting even more people into his books and the lore? Sure, just like Peter Jackson's films did in the 2000s, and that is great. But this is an adaptation. Not everything is going to be word for word what is on the page. Don't like that Galadriel is a warrior through and through? That's fine, but that also may say something more about you and your prejudices. After viewing these episodes, I made the mistake of going on social media to see what others thought of the show, and that was a big mistake. I think Tolkien fans rival Star Wars bros for toxicity.

With that out of the way, I approached this series as a huge fan of the films who made it about 13 pages into The Lord of the Rings, and that's about it. I went into these first two episodes wanting to be entertained, and boy was I. Right from hitting play, I felt transported to another world, just like I was in the theater in 2001. It is hard to make someone understand how insanely gorgeous this show really looks. Amazon has spent a fortune on this show, and every dollar is on the screen. For a streaming show, this is as good as it gets, and the stunning 4K is going to be a joy to watch every week, no matter the setting.

The story is first introduced through Galadriel, who we see first as a small child and next leading a group of elves through snowy conditions to try and track down Sauron and his forces. I gotta say, she really got me. Morfydd Clark has such a ferocious command of the screen when she is on it, from battling trolls to trading barbs with a young Elrond (Robert Aramayo). The second episode sidelined her a bit too much for my liking to focus on a couple of other storylines, but that's okay. There is a lot to get to. For instance, Elves are everywhere, and another, Arondir, played by Ismael Cruz Córdova, also got me right away. Something about forbidden love in high fantasy turns me into a puddle, and the strongest moments of chemistry are between Arondir and his love, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), a human healer who needs to keep a better eye on son, Theo, who is playing around with things he shouldn't.

We also meet the Hobbits of this Lord of the Rings series, called Harfoots here. Nori, played by Markella Kavenagh, feels like the Frodo of this adventure, and she spends the first episode yearning for more. She gets it as a mystery fall falls from the sky in a fireball. He doesn't talk to her, but he does freak out a lot and kills a bunch of fireflies at one point, which was much sadder than it sounds. Some are saying they think that it might be Gandolf, but I am not so sure. Will be interesting to find out. Finally, we also get some brief glimpses into the dwarves, who seem to be using Elrond and the elves for purposes not quite clear yet. They open a chest near the end of episode two and don't show us the contents, Pulp Fiction style.

As these threads spread out across these first two hours, it does drag a bit in some spots. The first episode really does a great job placing us in certain spots in Middle-Earth and flies by much quicker than the second. While some of the characters have me intrigued, many of them lack a certain charisma that gets you rooting for them already, besides Galadriel. It is never boring, but like most shows with so much going on, there are already stories that viewers are going to gravitate to less.

In the end, though, Amazon should be proud of this show. It looks spectacular, it is very engaging, and has a ton of room to grow from both a story and character standpoint. They were never going to win over the Tolkien people anyway, so they shouldn't pay them any mind. My wife, who could care less about both "The Lord of the Rings" or fantasy in general, loved it. And that means it does its job and does it well.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!