The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

:

Season 1
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
3.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2938 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 711 out of 2938
  2. Mixed: 141 out of 2938
  3. Negative: 2,086 out of 2938

Review this tv show

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

User Reviews

view
per page
  1. Hallblithe
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    I set out to give this show a fair shake of the stick because I love LotR, Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Tolkien's other works. His Beowulf is even my favourite prose translation, and although I'm not a big fan of self-proclaimed 'Tolkien Scholars' I have read the two works about Middle-earth by Tom Shippey - the only Tolkien 'scholar' who is actually worthy of the name. I'm currentlyI set out to give this show a fair shake of the stick because I love LotR, Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Tolkien's other works. His Beowulf is even my favourite prose translation, and although I'm not a big fan of self-proclaimed 'Tolkien Scholars' I have read the two works about Middle-earth by Tom Shippey - the only Tolkien 'scholar' who is actually worthy of the name. I'm currently working my way through th History of Middle-earth (the Cottage of Lost Play!) and it is fascinating - especially with Christopher's commentary.

    This is why this show was such a slap in the face. The casting, actors and writing were awful. If you're going to race-swap characters for the sake of your diversity-at-any-cost agenda then at least get some that are competent and likeable. I turned the show off halfway through Lenny Henry gurning his way through his lines - yes, the same Lenny Henry who is always complaining that television is too white - and I doubt I'll bother with the rest of the series at all.

    As for Galadriel, you'd have thought they could get a natural blonde to play her instead of someone with distractingly dark caterpillar eyebrows and swarthy skin. I love female protagonists and prefer them to men, but this Welsh actor is completely unsuited to the role.

    I'm sure this show will make Bezos billions. A glance at the rabid 10/10 scores makes that crystal clear. I guess many Bezos supporters just want more generic D&D style fantasy. And it's a shame his didn't just spend his money making something else fantasy related - like an Elder Scrolls show - instead of ruining forever something that was beautiful and bright.    … Expand
  2. xSniper
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    Nem sou tão fã de senhor dos anéis mas assistindo aos episódios, claramente da pra ver que essa série não foi feita para os fãs. Mais uma decepção
  3. LordNerevar
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    I was looking forward to this show so much and it's heartbereaking to see it ruined by its diversity hires. Woke identity politics befouls everything it touches.
  4. Sword4Durin
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    Couldn't even get past the first 20 minutes. Everything was lackluster and mediocre.
  5. dangyosabyss
    Sep 3, 2022
    1
    It is exactly the cancer we expected. I don't blame the people trying to get a paycheque like the actors but this is Tolkien in name(/s) only. Cynical political propaganda with the Tolkien label slapped on to buy some credibility. And yes it can't create. It can only destroy. Giving it a 1 for the efforts of the staff who had no say in this dumpster fire. Respect your audience Amazon.It is exactly the cancer we expected. I don't blame the people trying to get a paycheque like the actors but this is Tolkien in name(/s) only. Cynical political propaganda with the Tolkien label slapped on to buy some credibility. And yes it can't create. It can only destroy. Giving it a 1 for the efforts of the staff who had no say in this dumpster fire. Respect your audience Amazon. Don't think to preach at them with something they know FAR better than you ever will.… Expand
  6. wboy8807
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Almost fell asleep. Typical Mary Sue story done with repeated and played out concepts. Stay far away. Over rated.
  7. Rbar
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Could only stomach the first 30 minutes then had to quit. Will not go back and watch this bastardization of classic works.
  8. pumpshaft
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    Visually, great. Characters are poorly written, plot is poorly written, casting choices seem out of place.

    To be honest it seems like it was written by a 14 year old, the dialogue between characters remind me of two NPCs in oblivion talking to each other. Such a shame because if they spent 1/10th of their CGI budget on competent writers this show could have been great. You have elves    Visually, great. Characters are poorly written, plot is poorly written, casting choices seem out of place.

    To be honest it seems like it was written by a 14 year old, the dialogue between characters remind me of two NPCs in oblivion talking to each other. Such a shame because if they spent 1/10th of their CGI budget on competent writers this show could have been great.

    You have elves behaving very uncharacteristically, like elf kids bullying other elf’s, elf soldiers disrespecting and disobeying their commanders. The main character Galadriel has an air of contempt towards everyone and is dismissive of Elrond (her own son in law, and somehow she looks much younger than him). Pacing is poor, in two hours of screen time we barely see any development in the plot and they fail see reel me in with any interesting characters.    … Expand
  9. Uriels
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Dear Amazon,

    Drop the names from JRRT's works and this dumpster fire will be a solid 2/10, suffering only from crappy story, terrible dialogue ("do you know why ships float and stones don't?") and shallow characters (Guy-Lad-Riel only failed to become the new Rey Palpatine of Mary Sues because the creators didn't notice they're making her a major Karen). Sadly, you insisted that your    Dear Amazon,

    Drop the names from JRRT's works and this dumpster fire will be a solid 2/10, suffering only from crappy story, terrible dialogue ("do you know why ships float and stones don't?") and shallow characters (Guy-Lad-Riel only failed to become the new Rey Palpatine of Mary Sues because the creators didn't notice they're making her a major Karen).

    Sadly, you insisted that your Xena Bezos needs to be named "Galadriel", your Dragonstone from Wish needs to be named Numenor and your Maester Tywin needs to be named Celebrimbor. These names are dear to me and if your show has to mock them, it cannot deserve more than a hard-worked-for 0.    … Expand
  10. Naterix
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    The story is boring and pacing is terrible I literally had to take a break and get a coffee so I would not fall asleep during the first episode and then just turned off the second episode 10min in and finished the rest this morning
  11. rumax
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    Peter Jackson is on the side of good, and Amazon is a fascist villain from the underworld, deleting objectionable comments and manipulating the ratings of the **** that they have created.
  12. Kyslar
    Sep 5, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The scenery is amazing, with epic panoramic views and landscapes. Which is great....if I were at the Louvre. Pretty pictures, however, do not make a great tv show. Corny lines that try to be 'epic' but are just straight up foolish when you think about them; repeating story points or character behaviour patterns right after you literally showed them is poor writing skills; and making your main character utterly unlikeable in the first 2 episodes is a cardinal sin. Some acting is good, some is wooden as heck, so that is a wash. However, the biggest sin of the show is making your main character suicidal. Jumping out of a boat to swim across the sea is quite literally suicidal. This is not Marvel, we do not have super heroes in Middle Earth. Tolkien's statement that elves are immortal does not mean they can't be killed. They can be stabbed, they can be poisoned, they can drown, they can be run over by a cart and bleed out. So jumping into the ocean with no actual hope of survival is indeed suicidal, regardless if it was a 'spur of the moment' decision or not. Fans of Tolkien know Galadriel lives, characters who can break the 4th wall know they will live (but this isn't Deadpool, She-hulk, or Gwenpool); Galadriel the character does not know she lives. So then the writer has to use one of the weakest of writing forms, the '1 in a Million coincidence' of finding a raft in the middle of 100's of miles to save her. The actor herself should have refused to act out this part, it is completely insulting to the character she is playing.… Expand
  13. Jaimeaza
    Sep 5, 2022
    3
    Photograph and bso are fantastic but the narrativo is boring , i hope Up tbe Level in next episodes
  14. FatzJim
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    I really wanted this to be good: its not. Its awful. The good: some of the cinematography is visually good and some great, but others are cheap CGI. The bad: the writing is terrible. The character dialogue is weird and clunky. Lots of lines are written by Captain Obvious. Lots of scenes don't make sense as to why they are even there, I am so sad and disappointed, why Amazon?
  15. anthoni1234
    Sep 3, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No puedo dar más estrella a una serie que me la venden como el mundo de Tolkien, y lamentablemente ésto no es el Señor de Los Anillos. Buena imagen y una gran banda sonora; tristemente pésima trama y tristes diálogos entre los personajes, Galadriel se hace odiar y se supone que es la protagonista. Horrible lo que han hecho, nada de ésto tiene que ver con ese mundo de fantasía de Tolkien… Expand
  16. imnml
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    It was really bad on all levels. Visually pleasing, but that's not enough to like it.
    1. To anyone calling those who didnt like it "racist", you are WRONG. I have no problem with any of that. I wish the didn't make those changes, but really not an issue
    2. Galadriel is a total Karen who wants to speak to Sauron. Awful acting by the actress 3. BronwynArondir romance is the most force    It was really bad on all levels. Visually pleasing, but that's not enough to like it.
    1. To anyone calling those who didnt like it "racist", you are WRONG. I have no problem with any of that. I wish the didn't make those changes, but really not an issue
    2. Galadriel is a total Karen who wants to speak to Sauron. Awful acting by the actress
    3. BronwynArondir romance is the most force thing I've ever seen on the screen. He is obviously gay and doesn’t like women. Looks so forced. Just awful
    4. Acting, script, story line, everything just feels forced, lame, and pathetic. I will give one more episode a chance. If they don't turn this franchise around big time, I am done    … Expand
  17. pepsipwns
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    Massive lord of the rings fan here, so sad to be majorly disappointed by this show. I tried my best to give it a shot despite everyones warning before the show came out. Every character that is cannon has been bastardized by amazon, and every new character is a characature. Bad irish accents being imitated by non-irish actors, the same for scottish, non-scottish actors trying to doMassive lord of the rings fan here, so sad to be majorly disappointed by this show. I tried my best to give it a shot despite everyones warning before the show came out. Every character that is cannon has been bastardized by amazon, and every new character is a characature. Bad irish accents being imitated by non-irish actors, the same for scottish, non-scottish actors trying to do scottish accent. Its incredibly cringe. Then you have galadriel my favourite character from the lore/books, now my least favourite character from the show. So annoying, horrible and angry towards her friends / soldiers 'one track minded', everything galadriel isn't. Then we come to the action scenes, a troll attacks the entire group one shotting multiple men on the way over, then galadriel has a 1v1 'dance sequence' spinning her sword about in front of a green screen until the troll dies instantly to just her attacking. Some of the worst combat choreography i've ever seen. The only positive is the visuals/sets and I feel sorry for the talented few who were in charge of these decisions while amongst the children writing the scripts. Feels like a fan fiction that has had 1b$ thrown at it.

    People who believe this is what fantasy is I feel sorry for you. Imitating poetic lines, costumes that dont make sense, characters never speaking normally to each other, only in riddles. When in reality the writing sound like children came up with the lines in their English imaginative writing essay for their highschool exam.    … Expand
  18. Cromsblood
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Well, I gave it a go just to see how bad it could get, but I was surprised at how trashy this show is. Especially the casting. I skipped the scenes with Lenny Henry and the black elf in them. I didn't like the sneering activist who played Galadriel either. This wasn't, as some Twitter leftists like to say, because I'm against female leads - I'd love to see more - but because the actorWell, I gave it a go just to see how bad it could get, but I was surprised at how trashy this show is. Especially the casting. I skipped the scenes with Lenny Henry and the black elf in them. I didn't like the sneering activist who played Galadriel either. This wasn't, as some Twitter leftists like to say, because I'm against female leads - I'd love to see more - but because the actor herself attacked fans and I loathe her. Disliking an actor =/= disliking female leads.… Expand
  19. vonan
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    It is horrible everything except graphics.
    I never wrote something bad about serials but this "art" pushed me up to leave a comment.
    I had never expected something extraordinary form this genre, but this piece left me really surprised of low quality of storytelling considering that the universe of setting was well developed before.
  20. samichsupernova
    Sep 5, 2022
    1
    Hey Amazon, in case you haven't gotten the message, it as absolutely heartbreaking to diehard Tolkien fans how much they altered the characters into being borderline unrecognizable (Galadriel), butchered the story, changed the timeline by transposing characters and events thousands of years apart, and messed up on the script (and a lot of the acting), to top it all off. Call this season aHey Amazon, in case you haven't gotten the message, it as absolutely heartbreaking to diehard Tolkien fans how much they altered the characters into being borderline unrecognizable (Galadriel), butchered the story, changed the timeline by transposing characters and events thousands of years apart, and messed up on the script (and a lot of the acting), to top it all off. Call this season a wash and hit the reset button. Get a new showrunner and adapt the timeline properly ala the treatment Tolkien Untangled gives on YouTube. You threw a ton of money at the problem, but neglected the most important part of a story like this: staying true to the heart and intentions of the author. I know Bezos et al are arrogant. I don't expect them to right this ship, but I'm saying, it's not too late to try... you failed Professor Tolkien and his entire fanbase. Take the L and concede that you done messed up what should have been a home run. What a complete and total waste of money, talent, and the time and effort involved in moving the production around the world... I'm sorry to everyone involved in this mess. But don't let the door hit you on the way out. Beg Tom Shippey and Peter Jackson to return to help if it's not too late. Sincerely, a Tolkien fan.… Expand
  21. Adventurer69
    Sep 6, 2022
    3
    Even creators told us „its not tv show, its something new”. And so they did - boring, souless production with couple of nice shots (that saves this from 0).

    I forced my self to finnish 1st episode and will not make the same mistake with 2nd. Just watch new GoT its x100 better.
  22. The_Seaman_
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    When you are not true to the original lore, you can’t expect people to like it. It’s a disrespect to the original writer.
  23. CanalDoMimo
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    Uma das piores series que eu já tive a infelicidade de assistir em toda a minha vida. O roteiro é vergonhoso a atuação beira a loucura, vários problemas de direção e cortes mal feitos e até o figurino da serie é mal feito. É a obra medieval mais medíocre que eu já assisti nos últimos anos, e olhe que eu acompanhei algumas series medievais da Netflix.
  24. ValorantIsTrash
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    Why do modern studios and production companies insist on buying the rights to a story they have no intention of keeping true to? Then act surprised when the fan base is appalled by the butchering of said story? Everything about this abomination is wrong.

    Race switching that makes ZERO sense and ret-cons LOTR only to appease an extreme minority of SJW's. The abysmal writing and    Why do modern studios and production companies insist on buying the rights to a story they have no intention of keeping true to? Then act surprised when the fan base is appalled by the butchering of said story? Everything about this abomination is wrong.

    Race switching that makes ZERO sense and ret-cons LOTR only to appease an extreme minority of SJW's.
    The abysmal writing and dialogue… that sounds like it was written by a pubescent teenager.
    The tired Mary sue trope that plagues modern media, it's getting so tiresome.    … Expand
  25. LVVrunner
    Sep 6, 2022
    0
    Jeff... Or the person who is in charge of Amazon for real work - you can't invest so much money and do such mediocre things. For the second time I suggest (the first was about the New World game), if no one really knows how to do the right things, then you can hire me - at least you won’t look so miserable and you could avoid major mistakes. And the quality of the series is still very low.
  26. spacecold
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    The "weird" cast choice disappointed me. The actors act like it's a school performance.
    In addition to the beautiful computer graphics of the show, there is nothing to surprise the viewer.
    Conclusion: a weak remake made from good books.
  27. DickDastardly
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    This is, the most expensive acclaimed series in history? It looks like just another generic fantasy series, because there's not much Tolkien in it. The only thing that can be saved is the technical performance and the music, the rest is terrible. A disaster and a nonsense. Go back to the books and be faithful to Tolkien's work. If you are looking for quality go back to the Lord of theThis is, the most expensive acclaimed series in history? It looks like just another generic fantasy series, because there's not much Tolkien in it. The only thing that can be saved is the technical performance and the music, the rest is terrible. A disaster and a nonsense. Go back to the books and be faithful to Tolkien's work. If you are looking for quality go back to the Lord of the Rings triology.… Expand
  28. Powllowl
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Awful

    This show should have never been made. Thankfully we have the books and the original films to fall back on.

    Evil cannot create it can only corrupt and destroy.
  29. cezarexi12
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    0% book. **** this disaster. I can recommend House of the Dragon, it's absolutely different, better tv serial. Showrunners should follow the example from H&D if they want to continue their work
  30. Taxidermista
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Mediocre generic fantasy with awful writing that use Tolkien's name to lure the unwary. A billion dollars? I can't imagine where all that money went.
  31. yassir5505
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    This show is a disaster, the worst part is they tried deleting people's reviews on other sites n hide the bad ones. I can't believe they ruined lotr. Don't waste ur time with this. Go watch Game of Thrones and/or House of the Dragon. This show is a disaster, the worst part is they tried deleting people's reviews on other sites n hide the bad ones. I can't believe they ruined lotr. Don'tThis show is a disaster, the worst part is they tried deleting people's reviews on other sites n hide the bad ones. I can't believe they ruined lotr. Don't waste ur time with this. Go watch Game of Thrones and/or House of the Dragon. This show is a disaster, the worst part is they tried deleting people's reviews on other sites n hide the bad ones. I can't believe they ruined lotr. Don't waste ur time with this. Go watch Game of Thrones and/or House of the Dragon.… Expand
  32. Orlando_Borges
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Infelizmente a série é uma decepção. Roteiro fraco. Forçando a barra sobre os personagens. Péssimas atuações. Elfos descaracterizados. Enfim, uma pena ver a tentativa de destruir a obra do Tolkien.
  33. CemenOne
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    Terrible cast, dialogue and storytelling. A typical strong and independent woman, stupid men and coals in Tolkien's adaptation. On imdb, they generally removed any negative ratings, somehow it's not nice. People are unhappy and very fair!
  34. JoSmir
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    Темнокожий голубоглазый эльф со стрижкой из барбершопа почему-то не собирает хлопок. Мне не понравилось. А, ну и визуал цыганский. Декорации как будто сделаны из денег, но выглядят крайне безвкусно. Диалоги писали душевнобольные, но это нормально, ибо сейчас душевнобольные управляют странами, а тут всего лишь сценарий написали. Зена-Галадриэль постоянно ходит с таким лицом как будто наТемнокожий голубоглазый эльф со стрижкой из барбершопа почему-то не собирает хлопок. Мне не понравилось. А, ну и визуал цыганский. Декорации как будто сделаны из денег, но выглядят крайне безвкусно. Диалоги писали душевнобольные, но это нормально, ибо сейчас душевнобольные управляют странами, а тут всего лишь сценарий написали. Зена-Галадриэль постоянно ходит с таким лицом как будто на съемочной площадке кто-то напердел и она усиленно пытается понять кто именно. Про расовое многообразие писать ничего не буду, ибо судя по нему, действие происходит не в Средиземье, а в Нью-Йорке.
    - Знаешь, почему камень тонет, а корабль нет?
    - Почему?
    - Камень смотрит вниз, а корабль вверх!
    - ...    … Expand
  35. sixlink
    Sep 6, 2022
    2
    I love stuff like this, fantasy, heroes and magic..
    Unfortunately this is dull, devisive, copies almost every piece of cinema it has, formulated lacks any pace or intrigue..
    It's just loads of money and fancy cgi that's like candyfloss there's nothing left after the sugar melts... I really wanted this to be good, didn't even get to the bit where it was culturally diverse (which is probably    I love stuff like this, fantasy, heroes and magic..
    Unfortunately this is dull, devisive, copies almost every piece of cinema it has, formulated lacks any pace or intrigue..
    It's just loads of money and fancy cgi that's like candyfloss there's nothing left after the sugar melts...
    I really wanted this to be good, didn't even get to the bit where it was culturally diverse (which is probably the best thing it has going for it)
    . Managed 7 minutes 49 first sitting tried again and got another 3/4 minutes in.
    It's Dreadful..
    Besides it's a prequel prequel of blockbuster movie that was really good and actually engaged, this just feels like the boring bit at the back of a book no bodyreads appendix are dull, full, dull.
    This like Tolkiens list of who's related to who... No story at all    … Expand
  36. LogicalTomato
    Sep 6, 2022
    1
    Visually Rings Of Power is very appealing, but that's about it for me. Overall it's a BIG mess.. I wouldn't recommend this
  37. LeeAlon
    Sep 6, 2022
    0
    Makes me wonder why I still pay for Prime Video. Neo-Maoist propaganda that's no better than the stuff produced by the CCP and their attempts to rewrite history. This is on the same level. Will not watch a minute more and will consider my Prime membership.
  38. stevemal
    Sep 6, 2022
    2
    This is not a show for the Tolkien fan who is read the Silmarillion or Unfinished tales. The changes to the characters and lore is unforgivable. The story they give us is poorly written. The characters are unlikable and the dialog is terrible. Most people will not want to waste their time with this series. It's a shame as I really wanted to like this show.
  39. dbrooks4200
    Sep 6, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bad writing
    Bad casting Things seem rushed
    No characters that are even remotely interesting.
    Tolkien would be rolling over in his grave if he saw this.

    Pure trash, watch Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon if you want a Good medieval fantasy show    … Expand
  40. dntkrk
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    Except for the main character, all male characters are stupid. In this drama, PC and feminism are presented in a too simple form, preventing immersion.
  41. Jacob25
    Sep 6, 2022
    2
    A series based on Tolkien in which there is no Tolkien. The only good things about this series are the music and the special effects. The plot, acting and dialogues are a joke.
  42. chmonigahuesos
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Totally non-canon story, where even according to the lore most of the characters are blond white people, but in reality you see for yourself. Why shoot for trends and ruin such a great movie?
  43. adryanmihai
    Sep 5, 2022
    1
    A disgrace to Tolkien life work. Steer aways from this garbage woke nonsense. Cinematography is nice but aside that the first 2 episodes are shallow, boring and filled with bad dialogues and a cheesy script and a garbage plot. 2/10
  44. StazDBlood
    Sep 4, 2022
    2
    They've ripped Tolkien legacy apart. Furthermore, they haven't even done a good fan fiction out of it. What a shame.
  45. LokiElis
    Sep 5, 2022
    2
    It doesn't feel much like Tolkien's Middle Earth much like a CW vampire show!! The Elves are more like humans than Elves and nothing happens in the first episode. Might have to watch one more episode just to make sure but I really can't see this getting any better! Galadriel has turned into the an obnoxious woman that just wants to argue with everyone and not listen to advice. Not theIt doesn't feel much like Tolkien's Middle Earth much like a CW vampire show!! The Elves are more like humans than Elves and nothing happens in the first episode. Might have to watch one more episode just to make sure but I really can't see this getting any better! Galadriel has turned into the an obnoxious woman that just wants to argue with everyone and not listen to advice. Not the Galadriel Tolkien created. There numerous pointless scenes and the dialogue/writing seems CW bad!! Elrond seems to just be a very gay version of Tolkien's Elrond.. There is too much messing with characters to appeal to the very few but loudest rather than just making a really good show!!… Expand
  46. Prometheus_ts
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    A total woke race swapping disaster . Boring , uninspired , lore breaking and has nothing to do with Tolkien.
  47. MongoLloyd
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    I thought it couldn't get any worse than The Wheel of Time. I was wrong. Amazon Prime's the Rings of Power is poorly written, decently edited, cheap effects and the performances are... well; I shouldn't use that kind of language in public. Save yourself the irritation and watch literally anything else. Except for TWOT. That's exceedingly awful too.
  48. Rash3solis
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Cuando se le pone el nombre de una saga conocida y amada a una serie se espera y es un deber de la productora respetar dicha obra pues se quieren alimentar de sus base de fans. No se puede irrepetse la obra y esperar q los fans la aplaudan.
  49. taczki88
    Sep 4, 2022
    2
    It has nothing to do with Tolkien. This series covers events that contradict what Tolkien described. The characters invented by the creators exist only to put a progressive message down your throat.
  50. Prime16
    Sep 4, 2022
    2
    This is honestly just so sad. I really had high hopes for this…the lore is all over the show, the characters act nothing like how they were written…the visual’s are good, i guess thats why it costed so much…but that can’t save it…Hollywood producers/show runner’s need too be stopped.
  51. Cipher-Jet
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    An abomination and a travesty. The positive reviews are from the woke corporate media who revel in entertainment media being a vehicle for their political agendas. A shallow and uninteresting take on a timeless classic. The user reviews currently sit at a 2 at the time or writing, let’s hope the number of seasons doesn’t reach such a lofty number.
  52. True-Gaming1
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Just another poorly written, woke garbage show. Amazon are even trying to hide its failures by deleting reviews.
  53. Uttershi
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    After an extremely unpromising promo phase and utter disgusting trailers lowering expectations to an absolute minimum I am deeply disappointed by the way the elves as well as the dwarves are represented. The story itself is boring and pointless and almost makes me vomit. This series already is a clusterfck after one and a quarter episodes and should never have been made! I will go and cry now :)
  54. Heze
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Such a dull disappointment. Maybe they should have put in the work to develop their own new world with their own new stories instead of throwing a bunch of money around to leach off of another's work.
  55. MiGrain
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Charters are far away from what Tolkien Imagined. Unnecessary added characters to add diversity. The dialogue looks like it is written by 10 years old. Too much CGI work and the music is not that good. I almost fell asleep watching the first two episodes. The lore is confusing and it seems like people are teleporting from timeline to timeline. Disappointing, imagine the potential of thisCharters are far away from what Tolkien Imagined. Unnecessary added characters to add diversity. The dialogue looks like it is written by 10 years old. Too much CGI work and the music is not that good. I almost fell asleep watching the first two episodes. The lore is confusing and it seems like people are teleporting from timeline to timeline. Disappointing, imagine the potential of this tv show with someone who cared about what Tolkien imagined and wanted it to be...… Expand
  56. EriksNewAngel
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Terrible. Do NOT watch. The only thing that was worth while in this trash filled abomination was: The music, and the scenery. Everything else, especially the audacity to call itself LORD OF THE RINGS needs to go. From the story, lack luster, with a completely forgettable cast and characters and the only thing that Amazon is trying to leech from a fan base of Tolkien, while attempting toTerrible. Do NOT watch. The only thing that was worth while in this trash filled abomination was: The music, and the scenery. Everything else, especially the audacity to call itself LORD OF THE RINGS needs to go. From the story, lack luster, with a completely forgettable cast and characters and the only thing that Amazon is trying to leech from a fan base of Tolkien, while attempting to bring woke, diversity into the realm of Fantasy.

    If I could give this a 0 star I would. I have never in all my years felt the need to leave a review but I am now. The joke that this show is, cannot seem to get worse but I guarantee it will. However once Amazon closed it's reviews to their paying customers to review the show, and also IMBD removing reviews, even here on Rotten Tomatoes deleting reviews and comments. Taking away the bad reviews but leaving the bot made 5 star reviews I will HOLD THE LINE of Middle Earth with old fans, new fans, and even non-Tolkien fans who were wise enough to see what $1 billion dollars of garbage looks like.

    FIXED critic scores that were higher than the Trilogy, when the show had not even been released, and news outlets crying and complaining that the show is being REVIEW BOMBED. Yet they do not review on the suspiciously high rated critic scorings. THESE COMPANIES MUST REMEMBER WE: THE PEOPLE. WE: CONSUMER. Are who they must cater to, who they must appease, who they must listen for feed back from, because WE ARE THE ONES OPENING OUR WALLETS AND PURSES to make these shows, movies, and projects profitable.

    To tell your viewership that we are all racist, bigots, homophobes, to their woke agendas and telling us to STFU will NOT be tolerated. Giving interviews and stating that they stayed TRUE to the books when none of them obviously picked up a single copy of the works.

    DO NOT BACK DOWN. Show these corporations what we will allow and what we wont, and what we want as they blatantly ignore it. WE ARE THE ONLY THING THAT CAN MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL.    … Expand
  57. Bobthebutcher
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    The series is not faithfull to Tolkien so instead of making something new the twist and subverted everthing Tolkien created. Even if you forget that it is based on Tolkiens work it is fundamentally still a badly written show. The only positive thing is that it sometimes looks nice. But it's definitely not worth watching and is in fact very boring to watch.
  58. AntonyDwight
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Why is there "Lord of The Rings' in the title? this show got nothing to do with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Extremely cringy. Nonsensical plot. The dialogue was written by a 3 years old. Poor Costume & props.
  59. mattbonner67
    Sep 3, 2022
    2
    Soooo bad. So boring and it doesn't follow the lower I don't like Galadriel actor at all
  60. DrenNiEm
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Disappointing how they focused on changing the narrative more than telling a good story.
  61. XMourisse
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. MUITO RUIM para algo derivado de Tolkien.
    Personagens descaracterizados, adaptação nojenta e terrível de uma obra de Tolkien, cheio de ativismo ideológico lacrador, não tem compromisso com um bom enredo, mas sim em fazer militância política com a famigerada lacração de esquerda. A única coisa que presta é a parte técnica de cenário, efeitos especiais. Mas parte técnica boa com enredo esvaziado é casca vazia, não vale a pena assistir. A personagem Galadriel é toda forçada, uma "Mary Sue" : "A Mary Sue é um nome genérico para qualquer personagem fictícia com habilidades irrealistas e surrealistas. Este tipo de personagens são frequentemente entendidas como o autor a auto inserir-se na obra e/ou a realização de seus desejos/idealizações no enredo."    … Expand
  62. Art_K
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    Terrible terrible terrible! I have been waiting for this show the entire year but after the first 2 episodes, it appears to be a huge disappointment. It has not much to do with Tolkien world and depth of story telling but rather is in line with current political correctness and modern TV writings. Huge Failure! The dialogs are mostly uninteresting and Elves don't feel like elves. Be awareTerrible terrible terrible! I have been waiting for this show the entire year but after the first 2 episodes, it appears to be a huge disappointment. It has not much to do with Tolkien world and depth of story telling but rather is in line with current political correctness and modern TV writings. Huge Failure! The dialogs are mostly uninteresting and Elves don't feel like elves. Be aware also that Amazon is removing all bad reviews from IMDb- this speaks for itself, how bad the show is.… Expand
  63. snes
    Oct 20, 2022
    3
    Bleh, what a travesty. The only reasons to actually like this show is if you have a wildly high tolerance for bad writing. As a Tolkien fan this show is a mockery of his work. As a LotR trilogy fan, this show is incomparable because the movies are TRUE to Tolkien's work, despite making changes. The trilogy did was this series could not with a BILLION dollar budget. Basically the only goodBleh, what a travesty. The only reasons to actually like this show is if you have a wildly high tolerance for bad writing. As a Tolkien fan this show is a mockery of his work. As a LotR trilogy fan, this show is incomparable because the movies are TRUE to Tolkien's work, despite making changes. The trilogy did was this series could not with a BILLION dollar budget. Basically the only good thing this show had going for it was the CGI. Because categorically everything else was terrible. The story is a terrible twisting of established lore. The dialogue is absolutely ATROCIOUS, it's a mangled mockery of Tolkien's poetic prose. The characters are poorly cast, with a billion dollars being thrown around you'd think they could get actors who can act. They made up way too much **** that had zero relevance to the show nor universe, simply because they could. The pacing of the show is horrid, and I LOVE slowburn shows. Oh and the final nail in the coffin? The TERRIBLE costume design.

    This is what happens when you hand a billion dollar project to a writer with not nearly enough experience, and two show runners with quite literally zero experience. People say you can't compare this to another currently running fantasy series, to which I say utter bull pucky. The other show has great casting, strong acting, strong writing, amazing CGI, good pacing, and it has amazing costume design. Went into RoP with no expectations, and discovered it sucks. Went into the other show expecting to hate it, and discovered it's awesome. RoP is an orange gone bad, while hot D is a perfectly ripe apple, two things you can absolutely objectively compare and comfortably conclude one is better than the other.    … Expand
  64. SpiralNexus
    Oct 19, 2022
    1
    Why I am giving it this rating is because of how terrible the writing is. The writers took notes from the Halo TV show using lore as they see fit in one episode and throwing it away the next episode making for inconsistent story telling. The overall plot moved at a snails pace giving tad bits of interest through some characters. This show has the quality if visuals but lack in a storyWhy I am giving it this rating is because of how terrible the writing is. The writers took notes from the Halo TV show using lore as they see fit in one episode and throwing it away the next episode making for inconsistent story telling. The overall plot moved at a snails pace giving tad bits of interest through some characters. This show has the quality if visuals but lack in a story causing quick disinterest and overall make you less likely to look forward to the next episode or the next season. Finally the creators kept on insulting the fans blaming everything on racism and how toxic the fandom is instead of improving themselves to make a show that captures the attention of the audience like HBOMax House of The Dragons.… Expand
  65. ifta
    Jan 26, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Leaving aside question of how it fits into Tolkiens’s world, it’s just a bad show. Badly written, boring, and much of it didn’t make sense. Characters and even fleets of ships seem to travel instantly. The orcs, who supposedly cannot stand sunlight, run around in the sun. The main characters survive a volcanic eruption which incinerates everyone else and transforms a huge area into a wasteland. The clothing doesn’t fit, and much of the armor is printed onto the cloth of the clothing. Crowd scenes digitally multiply people. The supposed diversity is merely tokenism, as there is no explanation for the smattering of different races, no black families. I may have missed asian characters. The sword teaching scene is a fiasco. The elves look like a boy band. Long hair as shown in the films would have been far better, but an article online explains how very expensive long wigs are. And so on and so on. Galadrial is unspeakable. Just a bad show, a bad fantasy, and justly a failure.
    ‘    … Expand
  66. Notasonypony23
    Nov 15, 2022
    0
    Utter dog poop Spits in the face of Tolkien and even the Jackson movies. evil cannot create only corrupt
  67. egoBorder
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    The screenwriting on this show lets everything else down so badly there ought to be a civil lawsuit. General story pacing and dialogue really hold the show back, despite a game cast trying to do their best. The sole exception is Morfydd Clarke, who despite trying her best does not really bring Galadriel to life. Otherwise the sets and music are quite pretty, but the show is a confusedThe screenwriting on this show lets everything else down so badly there ought to be a civil lawsuit. General story pacing and dialogue really hold the show back, despite a game cast trying to do their best. The sole exception is Morfydd Clarke, who despite trying her best does not really bring Galadriel to life. Otherwise the sets and music are quite pretty, but the show is a confused mess that fails to elicit any interest.… Expand
  68. Cjoseph
    Sep 5, 2022
    2
    Very bad casting, and not just the forced diversity. Elrond is boring and weak. Gil Galad is also boring. The Harfoot scenes are a joke - just silly.

    The elf/woman plot line just uninteresting. The dialogue between those two characters is exceptionally bad. Just flat.. no epicness . No character I find interesting or epic. The dialogue is the worst part. Pseudo profound to the point of    Very bad casting, and not just the forced diversity. Elrond is boring and weak. Gil Galad is also boring. The Harfoot scenes are a joke - just silly.

    The elf/woman plot line just uninteresting. The dialogue between those two characters is exceptionally bad.

    Just flat.. no epicness . No character I find interesting or epic.

    The dialogue is the worst part. Pseudo profound to the point of being cringe. No Ian mckellen to save the day.

    Not to mention the slaughtering of Tolkien's world.

    Even for casual non Tolkien funs this is boring.

    The visuals can be pretty but that's not nearly enough.

    The music is also surprisingly nothing to write home about    … Expand
  69. Jouny
    Sep 5, 2022
    2
    The Rings of power has a lovely score and some breathtaking shots. Unfortunately, they don't come together to create a unified world, but leave us unsatisfied and left out, knowing that this could have been lord of the rings. What is left is a cheap feeling world devoid of plot, characters, or internal logic, with every character taking actions because they are doing these things, ratherThe Rings of power has a lovely score and some breathtaking shots. Unfortunately, they don't come together to create a unified world, but leave us unsatisfied and left out, knowing that this could have been lord of the rings. What is left is a cheap feeling world devoid of plot, characters, or internal logic, with every character taking actions because they are doing these things, rather than the plot demands. Nothing is character driven, or even plot driven. The characters happen to make random choices based on what occurs in their world without any cohesiveness or sanity. I wanted to judge this as its own show, but the emphatic and incorrect references to the legendariam make it impossible, and it further rips the world apart by failing to be internally consistent with its lore, and neglecting the practicality and sense of space which defines high fantasy. It fails as a Lord of the Rings show, it fails as a TV show, it fails to have a plot in the episodes, or a narrative arc nascent in the first 2 episodes, and it still fails to have characters, or even an enthralling world. Whoever wrote this doesn't understand what makes any narrative, from Gilgamesh to A Song of Ice and Fire, work. The audience should be offended that the producers thought this was compelling enough to make available as a work of fantasy.… Expand
  70. RuMiK
    Sep 5, 2022
    2
    Some of the effects and cgi looks nice and all but , plot characters really lacking, plots that don't exist, lines that try to sound wise and profound but are totally nonsense, some visuals/costumes don't fit the universe.
    How i wish it was good, sadly it isn't
  71. Andreycko
    Sep 5, 2022
    2
    Why did you ruin my favorite movie? Some elves are not beautiful, it was boring to watch, I put 2 only because of the good graphics.
  72. Inductionist
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Besides extremely high production value, there is almost nothing positive to say about this series. Tolkien fans will feel lost. The average fantasy fan will find nothing new or original. The cast seems misplaced. What a disaster.
  73. kwisi91
    Sep 4, 2022
    2
    Be woke - get broke.
    well, that's one factor lol but to be more serious... much CGI, boring story and has nothing to do with Tolkien. Another franchise which got destroyed by AMAZON like they did with Star Trek and other things.
  74. Evstachip
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    Galadriel’s amazing and all the men are stupid. But atleast it looks good.
  75. c3pu
    Sep 4, 2022
    3
    Seelenlos. Ich werde nach den ersten beiden Folgen nicht weitergucken. Eine klare Handlung ist nicht erkennbar. Alles will groß und episch sein, aber man fragt sich, warum eigentlich?
  76. El_Misterioso
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    boring, it lasts a long time, almost every minute I see this thing I would rather play Human Fall Flat (one of the worst games I've ever played)
  77. foxtyke
    Sep 4, 2022
    2
    When I watched the Rings of Power, I could not find the immersion I found in the literary works of Tolkien nor the Jackson movie adaptations of the property.

    I understand there's a lot of review bombing going on but really, this does not evoke the feelings of Tolkien level of storytelling and work but more or less, it feels like a Netflix treatment of a property. Think of the Netflix    When I watched the Rings of Power, I could not find the immersion I found in the literary works of Tolkien nor the Jackson movie adaptations of the property.

    I understand there's a lot of review bombing going on but really, this does not evoke the feelings of Tolkien level of storytelling and work but more or less, it feels like a Netflix treatment of a property. Think of the Netflix adaptation of Resident Evil and you have a better idea of how Amazon treated Rings of Power in terms of handling the property.

    I encourage you to watch at least the first few episodes to form your own opinion, perhaps your experience will be different and more positive but for me, it was just not very good even with creative license for the age in which the Rings of Power is set. I'd gone into it with higher hopes than most I believe for the series but as time has progressed during production and more information was released through trailers and interviews, I felt the focus was less on the work itself and more on pushing a social message through the production.

    Nonetheless I did give it a fair shot but found it sorely lacking in canonical detail and with droll and contrived writing, even for major moments in the series. Again however, you may see it differently and that is okay but the purpose of this review is to simply share my experience with Rings of Power so, do not hold my opinion as end-all-be-all and watch it yourself.

    What bothers me is that given the reception of this series by the large existing fanbase, whether they've actually watched or not, it will likely result in future adaptations of Lord of the Rings being far more harder to greenlight for production regardless of their quality. I was hoping that it would bring the world and works of Tolkien to new generations but, it is what it is and I really can't say more than my personal thoughts and experience.    … Expand
  78. Kirbyisthebest
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Guys I just went in blind because Tolkien is a bad writer so who cares if this is all made up. Going in blind though, this made no sense and was really boring. Its just some nasty frigid tomboy lady with pointy ears swimming around for an hour. Why did she get on that ship if she was just going to swim around for an hour? What's a morgoth? Why are the pointy eared effeminate teenager and dwarf teenager dudes fighting like schoolkids until that big elderly dwarf lady puts them in their place? They should grow up, they don't look like teenagers, they must be at least 30 years old. Visually it looks like a cheap version of the phantom menace, but at least things happened in the phantom menace and they had laser swords. Here its just people standing around looking at a homeless man fall out of the sky for two hours. WTH none of this makes sense to me. Is there a novelization of this story somewhere to make it make sense, because I don't get any of this at all. What a waste of money, they could have helped so many people with that money, disgusting. They should have just saved that money and remastered Xena Warrior Princess in HD. That show was cheesy but at least a watchable fantasy with a much more likeable leading lady… Expand
  79. Sir_Blyatman
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Gratest fantasy universe. Gratest budget. And gratest FAILURE. thats really sad.
  80. Ronaldcampos
    Sep 3, 2022
    1
    Sin duda alguna esta es una ofensa para los que vimos las pelis de la trilogía original y leímos los libros. Le doy un uno porque tiene excelente fotografía y música. Pero en cuanto historia, guión y ritmo es pésima.
  81. Bozkat
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    Visually stunning but content is weak. The dialogue is embarrassing and the characters unlikeable. The portrayal of Galadriel as an unconvincing warrior elf is so far removed from the angelic, mysterious character in Tolkiens ream. Dreadful.
  82. PassMeTheLembas
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    "Do you Know why a ships floats and a stone cannot? Because a stone sees only downward"..!?

    Do you know why Tolkien could write dialogue but Amazon cannot? My rating sees only downward.
  83. Whimsical_Wolf
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This show has an absolute plethora of problems, from small to very very large. The biggest is that it fails to create a fantasy world that feels like the world Tolkien created. Armor is clearly made of plastic, dialogue is either overly complicated in an attempt to sound high brow (it fails anyway) or ripped out of our current day English (no one ever said "OK" in medieval times). Personalities that we know from Tolkien's writings have been massively changed to the point they are those characters in name only. The Elves act just like humans, indeed with the exception of their Spock-like ears, look just like humans. The bullying scene at the beginning is ridiculous...behaving like human children is just one of many things that remove their other-wordly atmosphere from them. Characters make super illogical decisions (jumping our of a boat in the middle of nowhere with no way to get home wtf), or say super illogical things (when hunting Sauron yes you actually WOULD want to go where sunlight "fears to tread" (more shoddy dialogue there too)). The acting is forced or unconvincing in most characters...only a few actors seem to be comfortable with their role. The initial premise is flawed as well - all the Elves knew Sauron was a Maiar (basically a fallen angel)...so they should have known that he'd be able to come back....Galadriel being the only one to know makes no sense. And Galadriel is either always right, angry, or both, and can do anything, without flaw - not a believable character. Where are the Ripleys from Alien, the Sarah Connors from Terminator 1 and 2? There's a lot more I could say (the pacing.....or lack thereof!) but I think I've provided enough detail to back up this rating. There was zero respect shone to Tolkien's lore, so zero is what I'm giving to this show.… Expand
  84. Xiruhel
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    It is not even close to Tolkien. This abomination is just bad fan fiction poisoned with modern agenda and politic interests.
    Hopefully this garbage will get canceled after the first season.
  85. ricnur23
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    seriously insane how bad is this show in cinematic aspects, its all cgi also for panorama, all set in studio nothing of real. I write a review on imdb an they deleted because the show is going under 6 and they blocked all reviews becuase imdb is of amazon. Nice. In this age when something is trash you can say . Nice
  86. burakcem
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    This show has nothing to do with Tolkien's work. Only some of the characters names are from Tolkien, and the name of geography where the events are happening are from Tolkien's work. Everything else is completely different. Dialogues are very bad, casting is very bad, storyline is very bad, acting is very bad. The only good thing about the show is the scenery. This is not middle earth.
  87. Negreirosff2
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    An abomination . A total direspect to the Tolkiens legacy. Seems the writters never cared reading the work they are suppposed to be based upon.
  88. Jamelitt
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    Literally the worst writing I've ever had to listen to in a show. Maybe it just feels worse because the characters are supposed to be intelligent and thoughtful and what they're given to say is so dumb and shallow. It starts stupid from the first 5 minutes, "why does a boat float?" Who wrote this nonsense metaphor?? Like something a 14 year old writes in their creative writing class thatLiterally the worst writing I've ever had to listen to in a show. Maybe it just feels worse because the characters are supposed to be intelligent and thoughtful and what they're given to say is so dumb and shallow. It starts stupid from the first 5 minutes, "why does a boat float?" Who wrote this nonsense metaphor?? Like something a 14 year old writes in their creative writing class that the teachers laugh about in the lounge. I feel bad for the actors who have to say these lines with a straight face... speaking of which straight faces is all you get from the actors. Maybe that's the inexperienced directors fault but I find myself questioning if all the characters are secretly dead since they can't emote. Remove all the social experiments that once side hates and one side loves and you're left with a bad fan fiction written on a YA forum by a middle school student.… Expand
  89. Iconoclast13
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    It's horrible fan fiction at best. They've completely changed characters such as Galadriel, she doesn't have her husband or child, not a sorcerer but a warrior which she never was, left out several of her brothers to make her a strong independent woman on a revenge quest which never happened, have her leading an army which never happened, made the men around her ignorant to highlight howIt's horrible fan fiction at best. They've completely changed characters such as Galadriel, she doesn't have her husband or child, not a sorcerer but a warrior which she never was, left out several of her brothers to make her a strong independent woman on a revenge quest which never happened, have her leading an army which never happened, made the men around her ignorant to highlight how strong and independent this woman is compared to men. She's unlikable, the horrible writing doesn't help.

    There's more, such as harfoots not being in the second age, dwarven women missing their beards, casting to fit identity politics, Gandalf being in the show when he wasn't alive during this time, etc. They should have just made their own universe instead of tainting lotr.    … Expand
  90. JoelWasRight
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    This made me appreciate th PJ movies a lot more than I used to. I tried giving it a chance but couldn't even finish it. It's just Bolshevik trash. The woke casting was really jarring - like seeing White tribe members in Wakanda would be - and it felt like the non-Whites were cosplaying as fantasy Europeans and doing a poor job at it. Other than that, this show has a very flashy, overlyThis made me appreciate th PJ movies a lot more than I used to. I tried giving it a chance but couldn't even finish it. It's just Bolshevik trash. The woke casting was really jarring - like seeing White tribe members in Wakanda would be - and it felt like the non-Whites were cosplaying as fantasy Europeans and doing a poor job at it. Other than that, this show has a very flashy, overly clean presentation - nothing at all like the 'lived in' feel of the movies. Many of the performances were poor, especially from the sneering SJW activist who plays Galadriel. I don't recommend this. 0/10… Expand
  91. Damson_Rhee
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    I was looking forward to this, despite the questionable acting, but it's just sooo bad. Thanks to Amazon Tolkien's works have been ruined for the sake of 'The Message'. Honestly, if you love Bezos or hate white people then this is likely going to be a 10/10 for you, but otherwise you're best steering clear.
  92. JayKayLetsGo
    Sep 4, 2022
    0
    If you love Tolkien and LotR, you should stay away from Rings of Power. While the series clumsily cannibalizes elements from Tolkien's universe, it cannot hide the fact that large parts of the plot are fictitious and not only non-canon, but also have absolutely nothing to do with Tolkien's original intention. Die-hard fans know: Tolkien had built the universe of Middle-earth as aIf you love Tolkien and LotR, you should stay away from Rings of Power. While the series clumsily cannibalizes elements from Tolkien's universe, it cannot hide the fact that large parts of the plot are fictitious and not only non-canon, but also have absolutely nothing to do with Tolkien's original intention. Die-hard fans know: Tolkien had built the universe of Middle-earth as a consistent, purely Anglo-Saxon mythology (in contrast to the then established Greco-Roman mythology). Accordingly, one finds a large number of cross-references to Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Norse mythology in LotR. The cultures and people of Middle-earth also represent members of a fantasy culture, but they unmistakably originate from the continental European community of legends and culture. That was also the secret of the success of LotR, a community that, analogous to the Germanic-Anglo-Saxon heroic epic (Beowulf, Siegfried), fights a seemingly invincible threat with credible cultures, myths and people. So let's take a quick look at the most prominent characters that were invented in this series and aggressively placed in marketing: Arondir - black Legolas Disa - black dwarf princess (without beard) Elanor Brandyfoot - halfling woman Poppy Proudfellow - halfling woman Marigold Brandyfoot - black halfling woman and matriarch Bronwyn - Iranian woman Sadoc Burrows - black hobbit Theo - Asian man The canon characters continue this trend, which of course leads to even greater conflicts with Tolkien's lore: Míriel, who is the mother of Feanor, who is described in the book as "bright-eyed", is - surprise - black, as well as Tar-Miriel, who is even explicitly described in the book as "fairer than silver" and "with bright eyes". You CAN do something like this. I have absolutely nothing against fair representation of minorities in contemporary or historical films. But only if it can also be reconciled with the plot and the logic of the respective universe - in a Transformers film, Avengers or anywhere else. But if a film based on Anglo-Saxon-Germanic culture suddenly presents a population structure like that of a modern US college, that leads to a break in immersion, to put it mildly. But then please don't pretend that this cast came about by chance and not the product of conscious, ideological-political motivation.… Expand
  93. wozron
    Sep 6, 2022
    1
    Tolkien had bad days. Tom Bombadil could have been less ridiculous, Goldberry more meaningful. However he had an instinctive knowledge of what makes something epic and resonant.
    Rings of Power doesn’t seem to have a handle on what makes people emotionally engage and empathise with characters caught up in events beyond their control, forced to rise to a challenge.
    Instead we have the    Tolkien had bad days. Tom Bombadil could have been less ridiculous, Goldberry more meaningful. However he had an instinctive knowledge of what makes something epic and resonant.
    Rings of Power doesn’t seem to have a handle on what makes people emotionally engage and empathise with characters caught up in events beyond their control, forced to rise to a challenge.
    Instead we have the usual roster of Mary-Sues contemptuously despatching monsters without effort while their adoring peons pick themselves up off the floor.

    If Frodo had Simply Walked Into Mordor after slaughtering everything that tried to stop him then tossed Gollum and the ring into Mount Doom while repeatedly kicking the Mouth of Sauron in the crotch for fun, Jackson’s trilogy would not have been as highly regarded. Rings of Power screenwriters take note. When you write characters that are unstoppable you run into the Superman Effect- there are no threats so there are no stakes. Learn to do better.    … Expand
  94. soundhound
    Sep 5, 2022
    3
    I liked the Dwarves, they were the most interesting characters in the show. Scenes are pretty, CGI is decent.

    Unfortunately, other than that, the show is boring, the acting is CW quality at best, and the characters are so often obnoxious that it's hard to watch. Morfydd Clark, who plays the main character, is the one ring to bore them all, despite apparently being stronger and more    I liked the Dwarves, they were the most interesting characters in the show. Scenes are pretty, CGI is decent.

    Unfortunately, other than that, the show is boring, the acting is CW quality at best, and the characters are so often obnoxious that it's hard to watch. Morfydd Clark, who plays the main character, is the one ring to bore them all, despite apparently being stronger and more skilled than any other elf. She looks angry or annoyed the entire time, which ironically, is the same look on my face while I watch this. This is not Tolkien's Galadriel. Other characters are just as bad, some were not even supposed to be there. If they weren't going to portray the characters correctly, then why even use the LOTR name?

    It's truly heartbreaking that studios today are unable to respect our favorite stories, our fondest memories, our cherished nostalgia. Instead, they always believe they can do better, that they can improve what is already the best of the best.

    Now they are hiding their heads in the sand, manipulating, hiding, and deleting honest reviews, and outright assaulting fans with valid criticisms. This is a complete and total embarrassment, and someone needs to answer for it.    … Expand
  95. CancelPrime
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    This show does not sound like, feel like or look like how you imagine Lord of the Rings. The 'elves' are old-faced and terrible. Why one of the characters has an 18th century style wig like this is some costume drama, I don't know.

    The dialogue is corny, not sounding Tolkien-esque at all, and the acting is wooden for the most part. Characters have such a range of different accents, even    This show does not sound like, feel like or look like how you imagine Lord of the Rings. The 'elves' are old-faced and terrible. Why one of the characters has an 18th century style wig like this is some costume drama, I don't know.

    The dialogue is corny, not sounding Tolkien-esque at all, and the acting is wooden for the most part. Characters have such a range of different accents, even those from the same community, that it really breaks the immersion.

    The show has no respect for Tolkien or his vision, messing up his timeline, cutting out plot points in a way that makes the whole thing make no sense and the people involved look stupid, focusing on characters that aren't in the lore or changing the character of existing ones entirely.

    The musical score is overused, filling every second of silence and trying to make it more epic than it is, not letting people take it in.

    The main character, Galadriel, is nothing like Cate Blanchett's perfect rendition of her, instead she is insufferable and even unlikeable. Her action scenes look like something out of a Marvel movie, which is out of place here (and yes, those Legolas superhero scenes were out of place as well, but not as offensive as he wasn't the main character by a long shot).

    Amazon pays no homage to Tolkien or even Peter Jackson's superb example of how to bring LOTR to the screen, instead says 'we can do it better', forcibly changes things like the aesthetic of the elves, relies far too heavily on CGI, and falls flat on its face.

    There is nothing redeeming here. Cast it into the fire.    … Expand
  96. megid0
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    “Evil cannot create anything new, they can only corrupt and ruin good forces have invented or made"
    J. R. R. Tolkien
  97. Trofeem
    Sep 5, 2022
    2
    Отвратительная поделка, нагло паразитирующая на имени Профессора. Ставлю 2, только за более-менее хорошую графику
  98. Slagathorscave
    Sep 5, 2022
    1
    Truly a waste of time. You'll be more entertained listening to unhinged rants on TikTok for 2 hours
  99. Evilivan
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    Very disappointing.

    Visually some moments are pretty stunning with beautiful scenery aand that's pretty much the only good thing I can say about this show The writing is simply atrocious: the dialog are very poor, un-engaging and unnatural, the characters are extremely bland and hard to attach to, there are many convoluted expositions scenes that just made me sigh. Overall it's slow,    Very disappointing.

    Visually some moments are pretty stunning with beautiful scenery aand that's pretty much the only good thing I can say about this show The writing is simply atrocious: the dialog are very poor, un-engaging and unnatural, the characters are extremely bland and hard to attach to, there are many convoluted expositions scenes that just made me sigh. Overall it's slow, generic and just not very engaging, on top of giving little regards to the source material. I hope it gets better but I'm not holding my breath.    … Expand
  100. lscholles
    Sep 4, 2022
    1
    First, I couldn't stand the scenes with Galadriel. Everyone else must be dumb and weak so she can appear smart and strong, to me this is lazy writing. Also, she has absolutely the same expression on her face the entire time, and the action scenes are the worst I have ever seen.
    Second, why are all the main elves (except Galadriel) so ugly? I'm not interested in any of them because they    First, I couldn't stand the scenes with Galadriel. Everyone else must be dumb and weak so she can appear smart and strong, to me this is lazy writing. Also, she has absolutely the same expression on her face the entire time, and the action scenes are the worst I have ever seen.
    Second, why are all the main elves (except Galadriel) so ugly? I'm not interested in any of them because they all look weak or old or dumb. Celebrimbor is supposed to be a smith, yet in this series he looks like a 60 year old man.
    But, I did like the scenery and costumes. Everything looks very beautiful. The soundtrack, however, was very generic, not even close to the soundtrack in PJ's trilogy, but comparing this with the trilogy is probably too much to ask.    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Jo Livingstone
    Sep 16, 2022
    80
    Adar’s début drips with signifiers. ... When Adar informs Arondir in Episode 4 that he has been told many lies, some that “run so deep even the rocks and roads now believe them,” it is still a thrill. Tolkien succeeded in creating a mythic world, one that has now grown vast enough through acts of typological repetition and imitation to conquer television, too.
    Read full review
  2. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Chris Barsanti
    Sep 16, 2022
    63
    With war brewing and the forging of the rings seemingly still far off, the first half of The Rings of Power’s first season constitutes little more than stage-setting for the struggle to come. Given the lack of quests and central commanding figures, it often makes for less-than-gripping drama. However, given that there are four more seasons already planned, and potentially dozens of new characters to be introduced, the slow and throat-clearing build is possibly a good sign.
    Read full review
  3. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Sep 9, 2022
    90
    The Rings of Power is a reminder of what drew many of us to epic fantasy in the first place: wonder. ... This series set in an ancient realm displays one dazzling and painterly landscape after another. Power also doesn't skimp on action. [12 - 25 Sep 2022, p.10]
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »