Read Mixed User Reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)

6

FrankStounnSep 3, 2022

Picture is really good, main actress is playing bad, the script is slow, weak

174 of 222 users found this helpful17448

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6

kirkenderSep 6, 2022

I've only watched one episode so far, and I'm conflicted. On one hand, the show is gorgeous and I appreciate the use of practical effects alongside CG. On the other hand, the story is nonexistent and the characters are flat. The music isI've only watched one episode so far, and I'm conflicted. On one hand, the show is gorgeous and I appreciate the use of practical effects alongside CG. On the other hand, the story is nonexistent and the characters are flat. The music is forgettable, the editing is okay. For a story to be compelling you need to have things happen and characters need to make choices; so far only one character made a choice, which was to jump out of a boat. Epic /s.… Expand

145 of 188 users found this helpful14543

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6

pollinoSep 4, 2022

better than i expected- still somethings are messed up, like black elf, black dwarf, and some characters really look like superificial. hair of the elves too perfect, with gel

134 of 177 users found this helpful13443

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6

MartinAlpertSep 6, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 6/10 jest niezły. Nie ma aż takiej tragedii no chyba że się jest gorliwym wyznawcą Tolkiena. Na szczęście to fanfic. Ja tam wole Silmarillion.… Expand

117 of 155 users found this helpful11738

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6

ViolettSep 4, 2022

Я понимаю, откуда такие низкие оценки - в сериале от Толкина только название. Всё остальное - грубое нарушение канонов. И дело тут даже не в эльфах-афроамериканцах - так то это меньшее из зол. Весь сюжет пока что выглядит высосанным изЯ понимаю, откуда такие низкие оценки - в сериале от Толкина только название. Всё остальное - грубое нарушение канонов. И дело тут даже не в эльфах-афроамериканцах - так то это меньшее из зол. Весь сюжет пока что выглядит высосанным из пальца, хотя оно было сразу понятно - у Толкина по Второй эпохе довольно мало информации - в основном по Первой в Сильмариллионе и по Третьей во Властелине Колец. Я не буду перечислять отдельные моменты - не хватит для этого места, главная проблема, как мне показалось в том, что крайне плохо изображены эльфы - совершенно не по Толкину. Опять же, дело не в черном эльфе - эльфы уж черезчур похожи на людей, как и по внешнему виду, так и по эмоциям - разница лишь в том, что эльфы почище, люди же намеренно изображены грязнулями - видимо для контраста - другой идеи не нашлось. Я понимаю, что адаптировать для кино такую серьезную книгу сложно, но посмотрите на Питера Джексона - ему это вполне удалось - его Галадриэль как будто не от мира сего - так, как и должна выглядеть эльфийка, а не как сумасбродная девочка-истеричка, какой мы её видим в сериале. Да, локации, бесспорно, сделаны очень красиво - и Лориэн и гномьи пещеры - тут без претензий. Но сюжет настолько блёклый и так сильно отходит от ориганала, что высокий балл тут не поставить. Как отдельное произведение - неплохо, лично я просмотром первых двух серий доволен и буду смотреть и дальше, но как адаптация Толкина - это фейл.… Expand

124 of 170 users found this helpful12446

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6

sidermartanosdsSep 2, 2022

The only thing that can be salvaged are the landscapes, music and the settings, the rest is bad, for the moment.

205 of 291 users found this helpful20586

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6

RobobobSep 4, 2022

This show comes and goes in waves for me. Some episodes I thought were great and some were dull. Some plotlines I love like the Adar, the Stranger and Elrond/Dwarves and some are kind of slow, mostly involving the humans. BeautifulThis show comes and goes in waves for me. Some episodes I thought were great and some were dull. Some plotlines I love like the Adar, the Stranger and Elrond/Dwarves and some are kind of slow, mostly involving the humans. Beautiful cinematography though.… Expand

177 of 267 users found this helpful17790

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5

kaldave74Sep 3, 2022

Visually beautiful but lousy in narrative and script. Caricatured characters and with 3 episodes the kind of dialogues it has is still sad.

136 of 330 users found this helpful136194

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4

ardashistorySep 3, 2022

My first thought: what the f*&$ did I just watch? Amazon has just broadcast to the world just how much they don't understand about Tolkien. Before I begin, I have nothing against the actors cast for the roles. They did what they could withMy first thought: what the f*&$ did I just watch? Amazon has just broadcast to the world just how much they don't understand about Tolkien. Before I begin, I have nothing against the actors cast for the roles. They did what they could with maybe not getting cast in the right roles and the horrible mish-mash plot they were given. Most of my problems stem from the fact that Amazon has consistently declared that they are following the source material and it is clear that they blatantly have not. First, the show struggles with any sort of consistent pacing. To top that off, the show never stays with any one scene subplot to develop it. Further complicating the matter is despite the fact that the show is "canon" and that they "tried to stick to the source material", the show couldn't be further from Tolkien's actual works. The show runners made the prologue far too confusing for noobies/casual fans and changed it far too much for avid fans.(I will give them the fact that they are trying to compress over 2,000 years of prologue, so that can't be easy, and, yes, I am aware that they only have rights to certain things). Secondly, it felt generic at best and a woke/politically correct rip-off of LOTR at worst. The GC is fine, if a little bit too shiny. The map transition are cool, but the common person doesn't know where in Middle Earth it is. The elves look too human and the costumes either look too distressed, not distressed enough or just plane weird. Thirdly, the character changes that have happened and all for the worst. Galadriel and Elrond have the biggest, most glaring personality changes (thanks to the show, Galadriel has been transformed into a whiny, punch-first-ask-question-later Karen while Elrond has been stripped of his respect and all the weight of his heritage). In addition, Celebrimbor (who is in canon, most likely near Galadriel's age) is waaaay older than he should be and Finrod has suffered a complete dis-service because he is turned into some sort of Sauron monster hunter when the opposite is true. They have also decided to leave out important characters like Celeborn, Celebrian and Anarion in favor of adding in their own characters and subplots. My fourth complaint is the dialogue. Some scenes felt flat while others felt far too forced. This bad writing was compounded with some questionable actors casted. My fifth complaint is anything and everything to do with the knock-off "hobbits". They are not necessary in the slightest nor were they even there. Stop trying to make this the LOTR where hobbits save the day. A further complaint, I have no problem with including "character of color" (thought I find that inclusion shaky at best; Tolkien wrote his works as a mythology for England/Norther Europe, not the world. I would have the same reaction if suddenly we suddenly had to include Native American characters in Mulan or European characters in an African folktale). My problem is the consistent use of only one. We have ONE black elf (not a very smart one at that), ONE black dwarf and ONE black human. Come on Amazon, you're not even trying to do anything beyond tick the boxes so that the politicians won't hate you. My last complaint is the music. Don't get me wrong, thus far the music is the only consistently positive thing to come out of the show. My problem is the fact that the music feels generic and does not at all capture the majesty and gravitas that Howard Shore was able to capture with his score.

While I am aware that we have only seen the first two episodes of this epic length series, I am not terribly optimistic about where it is going. My final thoughts: loose the "hobbits", loose the speechless Gandalf look-a-like, stop putting characters in the wrong locations and actually READ the source material. If you are a die-hard Tolkien fan, this show will let you down again and again. If you are looking for a generic fantasy show because you finished GOT and you need to play something while you are folding laundry, go for it.… Expand

21 of 92 users found this helpful2171

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5

sistemasolarSep 2, 2022

I love LotR. This is my world. I really wanted to love this but its really unenjoyable. If you force yourself to watch it like studying a class in college you can get into it just by being around it a lot but take away the LotR branding, it'sI love LotR. This is my world. I really wanted to love this but its really unenjoyable. If you force yourself to watch it like studying a class in college you can get into it just by being around it a lot but take away the LotR branding, it's tedious, cringey, and mildly entertaining.… Expand

45 of 216 users found this helpful45171

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4

SeaniekinsSep 3, 2022

I tried to watch it as a show that just exists outside of Tolkien's world. BUT I LITERALLY can't. There's lot of disconnects from Tolkien, I see this as copyright issues(tbh this doesn't even bother me), but I can't justify watching the rest.I tried to watch it as a show that just exists outside of Tolkien's world. BUT I LITERALLY can't. There's lot of disconnects from Tolkien, I see this as copyright issues(tbh this doesn't even bother me), but I can't justify watching the rest. It was forgetful and the characters boring. Yes it was a gorgeous show, the amount of CGI was enough to make any show absolutely stunning. But thats all this was. I can't justify rating this anything higher that what I did.… Expand

19 of 121 users found this helpful19102

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5

Timur_TrofmovSep 3, 2022

I did not like. Everything is pretty bad, except for the visual component, but there are questions to it. The editing and the rhythm of the narration chosen at first also makes me cry. The music turned out good. It seems to me that theI did not like. Everything is pretty bad, except for the visual component, but there are questions to it. The editing and the rhythm of the narration chosen at first also makes me cry. The music turned out good. It seems to me that the creators of the series underestimated the scale of love for the work of Professor Tolkien. Sorry for the money spent on the show. I would like to wish the creators patience. Many have appreciated your work, but unfortunately there will always be those who will wish for something else. Good luck with future seasons of the series. It seems to me that the feedback is quite clear and in which direction to move is also clear for the success of this show.… Expand

21 of 169 users found this helpful21148

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4

hammbone18Sep 4, 2022

I don’t remember/care about what happened in the show. The only character whose name I remember is Galadriel. This show is pretty blah and mediocre at best. Feels like it was written in a Tuesday afternoon meeting, in a stuffy conferenceI don’t remember/care about what happened in the show. The only character whose name I remember is Galadriel. This show is pretty blah and mediocre at best. Feels like it was written in a Tuesday afternoon meeting, in a stuffy conference room. That is probably the most honest review I can give so far.… Expand

17 of 155 users found this helpful17138

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5

bjmetacriticSep 2, 2022

Halfway through season 1, I think we have a fair picture of this show.
The Good
-CGI and practical effects are mostly good. -The portrayal of the dwarves is mostly good. The Bad -The pseudo-Tolkien dialogue comes off as amateurish and breaksHalfway through season 1, I think we have a fair picture of this show.
The Good
-CGI and practical effects are mostly good.
-The portrayal of the dwarves is mostly good.
The Bad
-The pseudo-Tolkien dialogue comes off as amateurish and breaks immersion. -The portrayal of Galadriel as a rude, impulsive super-soldier is annoying.
-The elves do not look or act like the elves in the books, which makes it feel like generic fantasy. -The hobbits are insufferable. -The plot moves at a snail's pace.
-There are obvious plot holes and inexplicable decisions.
The fact that I'm still watching means the show has some appeal, but there is a lot of room for improvement. I hope (but do not expect) that they will learn from the season 1 feedback and course-correct in coming seasons.… Expand

30 of 363 users found this helpful30333

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4

o0thePope0oSep 9, 2022

3 episodes in I'm not Interested in any character. Not really invested in the story and in fact it's not very clear what's happening (no rings either). People teleport around the world in no time, there are strange little fellas always dirty3 episodes in I'm not Interested in any character. Not really invested in the story and in fact it's not very clear what's happening (no rings either). People teleport around the world in no time, there are strange little fellas always dirty and with stuff stuck in their head.
it does not seem very well thought out. Even the protagonist seems a bit childish, for a being that's been around for millennia.
Better stick to the books, I'm afraid. Great visuals, though!… Expand

23 of 324 users found this helpful23301

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5

IchxySep 27, 2022

To much slowmotion. Its a mediocre series with no really up and downs. Namedropping just to say hey you know? But it is enjoyable if you don't know much of middle earth.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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6

ChaothicOct 29, 2022

Nothing spectacular, but at least better than the house of weddings and drama.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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4

QgeezySep 27, 2022

With a budget like this, expectations should be much higher. The characters are bland, lifeless vessels that cary out a boring story. The bizarre part is how they have beloved source material and maybe even more beloved Peter Jackson TrilogyWith a budget like this, expectations should be much higher. The characters are bland, lifeless vessels that cary out a boring story. The bizarre part is how they have beloved source material and maybe even more beloved Peter Jackson Trilogy to lean on. The men just hate the elves. No reason. Galadriel is a one dimensional soldier. Elrond, the brilliant leader, is banal and tactless.
The actors themselves I feel are doing a serviceable job. The dialogue the are forced to bring to life is a brutal march of exposition in which the actors do what they can to bring the miserably dead script to life.

It looks great most of the time. The first revealing of the resplendent halls of Khazad-Dum gave me hope that the show would hit its stride. But the story is ruined by an empty army of characters you can’t bring yourself to care about.
The result is a bland, water-color story hung in a beautiful frame.… Expand

6 of 7 users found this helpful61

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6

ThomasJanosekSep 24, 2022

Looks and sounds great, but I've no idea where the story is going. Really hurts the story to make Sauron the main villain at the start since we already know they won't defeat him here.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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4

winzentweenMay 25, 2023

So look ....they tried. Many many talented well meaning people tried their best but it kind of looks and feels like LOTR cosplay? But really good cosplay but... cosplay. So amateurish. And part of that is a confusion about who this is for.So look ....they tried. Many many talented well meaning people tried their best but it kind of looks and feels like LOTR cosplay? But really good cosplay but... cosplay. So amateurish. And part of that is a confusion about who this is for. As averge LOTR fans are adults and always have been . And hobbit is hated by fans. So this kiddy friendly blood free pc watered down show for all ...isn't really the books or the films. So I don't really understand why it exists. Lore matters but not to me. I care about quality writing and story and a feel for adventure but sadly that is lacking along with weak performances. Also the casting is... well not great and the cgi is like a video game. Overall it's fine but not what we expected or wanted or needed. This is another missed opportunity and the sheer cost alone makes the entire endeavour kind of disgusting. Also...fudge Amazon and tax dodging Jeff bezos lol… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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5

demediciOct 9, 2022

La serie è scritta male, la trama è approssimativa e banale, con buchi di sceneggiatura, e mancanza filologica tra molte scene, sembra manchi del tutto la revisione del trattamento e del montaggio, e questo significa solo una cosa, fretta,La serie è scritta male, la trama è approssimativa e banale, con buchi di sceneggiatura, e mancanza filologica tra molte scene, sembra manchi del tutto la revisione del trattamento e del montaggio, e questo significa solo una cosa, fretta, fretta di portare in onda la serie.
Si salva il comparto tecnico, fotografia, concept, vfx, scenografie sono di altissimo livello, e credo che proprio la bellezza delle immagini abbia offuscato il giudizio di buona parte dei critici e della gente a cui piace la serie.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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4

Zotax02Sep 30, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've never written a "review" before. This show is beautiful, has it's good moments sometimes but I'm sorry, mainly a disappointment for a lot of reasons. First, it's unlogical a lot of times. For example: Elrond swore to durin not to tell anyone about mithril. Then he proceeds to tell Celebrimbor and when Celebrimbor say he needs to tell gil-galad about mithril, Elrond say he can't broke his oath... Right after he broke his oath. These moments are annoying but let's go to another reason. In my opinion a lot of times Galadriel acts like a children. She is idk how many hundreds if not thousands years old, I expect a little maturity sometimes if your that old. In the latest episode (6) how she threats Adar at the end was cringy af. (I'll let you live bcause... then proceeds to almost kill him afeter 5 seconds of that) and I could go on... I'm sure these ppl are good actors but the writing was poorly executed... It's trying to be woke at times, but sadly it doesn't got the inpact... At least for now. This ofc is only my opinion. Sorry for the grammar, still learning. Take care… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

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4

YcoSep 29, 2022

This American Galadriel can't hold a candle to Tolkien's version. This one represents resentment and entitlement; while the other personified sympathy, conservation and the type of perspective that only a loving demi-god (animist, perhaps)This American Galadriel can't hold a candle to Tolkien's version. This one represents resentment and entitlement; while the other personified sympathy, conservation and the type of perspective that only a loving demi-god (animist, perhaps) might have. The amazon show is SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT, and so was the Wheel of Time series they made because materialism is akin to nihilism; and the production staff are lost in the throes of self-interest. They're wading through the mire of modern industry, using software tools as their crutch: not one of them capable of creating art.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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4

MrFlybyOct 3, 2022

4 is a fair score.

It’s an insult to Tolkien, makes you want to turn it off anytime the main character weird-flexes, and displays the quality of writing you’d expect from a hallmark movie—but sure… there ARE worse series. Like you know,4 is a fair score.

It’s an insult to Tolkien, makes you want to turn it off anytime the main character weird-flexes, and displays the quality of writing you’d expect from a hallmark movie—but sure… there ARE worse series.

Like you know, wheel of time.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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5

xRed_RayMay 20, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Worse than i hoped, better than i expected. It might be an insult to everyone and everything involved, both in lore and in real life, but its not absolute **** Especially the Plot twist in the last episode was one of the few amazing things in there… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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6

tinypandacookieSep 13, 2022

The show is passable at best and bastardizes the original lore through a plain plot and empty characters without personality or any deep whatsoever beyond being a social media engagement booster or a high-budgeted fan fiction self-incert.The show is passable at best and bastardizes the original lore through a plain plot and empty characters without personality or any deep whatsoever beyond being a social media engagement booster or a high-budgeted fan fiction self-incert.

Don't listen to racist bigots trying to defend it, but also avoid hating it just because it has a bunch of "woke inclusions" before forming your own opinion. This show has some redeeming qualities, the visuals are stunning with lots of throw backs to the movie trilogy (in both,the good sense and bad) and despite most dialogs being cringy and lousy with an overuse of cliche and plain tropes, the actors in general are quite talented and the sound/music quality is pretty decent... almost as if it were trying to compensate the lacks of other departments. I wouldn't recommend it to a fan of Tolken books though.

Most positive reviews come from bigots (aka Karens) who haven't read a single Tolken book and cannot distinguish between Gandalf and Dumbledore and only are trying to boost the user score out of ideological bias rather than an honest review or as a demonstration of how much they liked it, let alone critics with an amazon paycheck. Kinda hilarious how all positive reviews have the same amount of likes and negative ones of dislikes.… Expand

5 of 8 users found this helpful53

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4

SirJimmarasOct 21, 2022

There are some positive qualities about this show, but they don't outweigh the negative. Not the worst show i've ever seen, but definitely below average.

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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4

TruexReviewOct 16, 2022

Visuals, pretty.
Art direction, bland.
Script, lol. Story, sooo boring. Characters, 3 likeable, main terrible. World building, destroyed. Agender, ironically woke makes me sleepy. One of those shows that has the potential to get good inVisuals, pretty.
Art direction, bland.
Script, lol. Story, sooo boring.
Characters, 3 likeable, main terrible.
World building, destroyed.
Agender, ironically woke makes me sleepy. One of those shows that has the potential to get good in season 3 but right now it real hard to get through and the main Hero/villain is just horrible. please please please course correct amazon ya biffed it.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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4

portobellojimOct 22, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was looking forward to this show because I love Tolkien and so I was curious to see how a massive budget would work on his Second Age.
As such I was very forgiving and kept watching even when the quality just wasn't there. The series' narrative is broken into 4 stories; - The High Elves worried their world is fading and resolving to 'fix' it by creating an object of some kind to store and retain their power, which means they interact with Dwarves - a brave young girl who is part of a group of proto Hobbits interacting with a mysterious, bearded, magical stranger. - A soldier elf helping a group of people led by a single woman and her son, - A warrior Galadriel hunting Sauron and convincing the queen of Numenor to invade Middle Earth while getting to know a mysterious, charming (but sinister) stranger

Each of these stories unfurls slowly, ponderously and at times annoyingly. The entire narrative could have been covered in a third of the time and by far the most interesting is the stuff that sticks to Tolkien (note: for the most part the series butchers Tolkien). The quality of the writing is surprisingly bad, which makes few of the characters stand out and many of them seem completely uninteresting or cliched. The visuals are of a high quality however.

This is not the worst thing I've seen - it is far superior to the truly dreadful Wheel of Time series Amazon produced last year - but if it wasn't for the Tolkien link I'd have turned it off after episode 2.

Tolkien has written a great story with great, heroic and mythic characters and events. Amazon will hopefully overhaul its writing for season 2.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

YafoolofaTookFeb 28, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There are some great things about this show, but not many. The dwarves were amazing as usual, Elrond grew on me, and the orcs are great. Overall the production quality is amazing, however the writing is where this show fails. Episodes 1-2, 6, and 8 are pretty good. Episodes 3-5 are filler episodes, and episode 7 is dumb. this 8-episode show could have been three really great seasons with fleshed-out characters and stories. There's room for improvement in future seasons. Gandalf is a great (and safe) character to build a show around.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

meneerpluisOct 15, 2022

The Tolkien inaccuracies are annoying, but easy to get over. The story and dialogue however are so garbage and boring that it is impossible to ignore. No matter how much money they pour into the visuels it won't matter if I can only stayThe Tolkien inaccuracies are annoying, but easy to get over. The story and dialogue however are so garbage and boring that it is impossible to ignore. No matter how much money they pour into the visuels it won't matter if I can only stay awake for the dwarven scenes. (The constant slow motion scenes are also really cringe)… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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5

jyphelOct 17, 2022

5 for the art effort. But the story, the stories are too convoluted, sauron sword in grange abandoned, seriously; an elf swimming miles to be caught in a ship which is attacked by seamonster, a comet falling only see by 2 kids, and all is5 for the art effort. But the story, the stories are too convoluted, sauron sword in grange abandoned, seriously; an elf swimming miles to be caught in a ship which is attacked by seamonster, a comet falling only see by 2 kids, and all is like that; in theBook, there was a good reason why the Ring was with the Hobit and all was well explained.
I dont care about the reinvention of elves, or hobbit or Galadriel (give us back Kate Blanchet), but the story ....and the drama...Authors have clearly not read the books, and dont know how to write one.
In a sense its reassuring, about Tolkien genius and skills.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

Heart_IdealismOct 16, 2022

The first thing to mention is that, the visual of the shows might be the best one i've ever seen!. But clearly the main reason for that is because the show runner are fully realized that their one and only strongest point of this wholeThe first thing to mention is that, the visual of the shows might be the best one i've ever seen!. But clearly the main reason for that is because the show runner are fully realized that their one and only strongest point of this whole presentation, is the world that Tolkien has carefully crafted back in the days. What they've forgot, is that Tolkien builds all the character in his story with the same amount of attention that the world would've gotten. So when your source material is solely a footnotes of the world once has been completed, this shows falls exactly the same scenario as The Hobbits Trilogy did, by making the characters in that story as stereotypical as possible.

Lastly, the visual effects is not even that impressive honestly. I would love if with all that budgets they are pouring, we could get a cinematic experiences of the camera zooming in and out, tracking and overlapping throughout this expensive looking background. The same way Blade Runner 2049 does. But surely, hiring an established cinematographer is not in their capacity. So, the end result of that near 1 billions of a budgets just became nothing more than just an expensive looking backgrounds.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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5

HansChrisenNov 19, 2022

Visually the show is quite impressive, and some of the storylines very quite enjoyable. However, as a Tolkien fan the experience was greatly dampened by the way the show changed timelines and more importantly some the characters in myVisually the show is quite impressive, and some of the storylines very quite enjoyable. However, as a Tolkien fan the experience was greatly dampened by the way the show changed timelines and more importantly some the characters in my opinion, for the worse. In short: As a general fantasy show, it was good. As a Tolkien show, rather meh.… Expand

2 of 19 users found this helpful217

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4

AuthoritySep 3, 2022

First off, the anti-woke 0 & 1 star comments are off their rocker and are a distraction to the real criticisms of the show. The pushback against these reviews is valid.

Now on to the review... It's boring. The visuals and music areFirst off, the anti-woke 0 & 1 star comments are off their rocker and are a distraction to the real criticisms of the show. The pushback against these reviews is valid.

Now on to the review... It's boring.

The visuals and music are epic, especially for a TV show, but what is on screen doesn't match except at the most shallow level. The show does a bad job of setting up an overall context for what happens. There is little to drive the story forward except a general, "Yeah some people think something bad will happen sometime in the future". That's made even worse because most of the people in the show don't share, or act like they share, that view, and make a good case why they shouldn't.

The show would have been better off if it had started by showing the growing threat, and given a reason why the main characters should know about it. That would have given a sense of urgency that was lacking in many scenes.

Another thing the show should have done was to show more of the conflict that shaped the main characters. Many are deeply driven to act the way the do, but the audience has been given little reason to feel what those characters feel. Even when a reason is given for one character, it is undercut by the fact that reason happened so long ago. The result of all this is that the actions of the main characters feel like character flaws instead of a heroic drive.… Expand

11 of 127 users found this helpful11116

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4

Willswheeler26Sep 4, 2022

I went into it not expecting much. Huge LOTR fan but we all knew it would flop. Keeping an open mind it got damn close to a pass mark, 4/10 is fair imo.

9 of 118 users found this helpful9109

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5

dejudicibusSep 5, 2022

I first read «The Lord of the Rings» back in 1974. I believe I was one of the first in my country. At that time Tolkien was not so well known outside the Anglo-Saxon culture. It was an unforgettable experience, a real journey into anotherI first read «The Lord of the Rings» back in 1974. I believe I was one of the first in my country. At that time Tolkien was not so well known outside the Anglo-Saxon culture. It was an unforgettable experience, a real journey into another universe. He was one of the authors who pushed me to become a writer. However, I am not a Tolkien fan, much less a "purist". I understand that a movie or a television series has different needs than a book.

My opinion on the first episodes of the new series "The Rings of Power", however, is negative. This is a fantasy series like many others, done quite well, without honors or glory, however. A pleasant but unpretentious Sword & Sorcery. But it has nothing to do with Tolkien, although it is set in the world he created. Perhaps the only Tolkenian "touch" are the Harfoots, who — I must say — have been represented quite well. Elves are basically Humans with pointy ears. All their power, their magic, their connection with the land, remains in the background, that is, it is only a faint echo of what Tolkien had written.

But the worst part is that today all movies are becoming a bad copy of the worst Marvel movies, namely the latest. The scene of Galadriel jumping into the sea and thinking of swimming halfway across the ocean to return to Middle-earth is simply ridiculous. Clearly it was done because the writers did not find an alternative ploy for her "rebellion". Tolkien might have waited months to come up with an idea, but he wouldn't write a line until he found a likely one. Similarly, the descent of the meteorite is a bit too reminiscent of Superman and the various DC television series.

Then there is a "delicate" question that must be addressed sooner or later. American culture is a culture still steeped in racism and homophobia, fear of the different and discrimination. We have also seen this recently with the sentence on abortion. Thus, to compensate and because of a certain sense of guilt, the world of American cinema and television is trying to put in every film and television series a cast that should represent an example of respect for "diversity" as it is conceived in the modern American culture, especially in relation to people of color and LGBTQ+.

This is a "modern" problem, linked only to the last centuries of our history. This approach, however, although noble in principle, cannot and must not distort the meaning of every plot and story that is imagined, but must be applied where possible. I am not talking about the fact that there is a black elf, because in the end, although it is not consistent with Tolkien's view of the Elves which, I remember, has its roots more in Finnish than Celtic mythology, it is not such a serious problem.

The problem is more noticeable when dealing with the true Tolkenian diversity, too advanced to be acceptable to American culture, made above all of image and substance, that is the female Dwarves. Beyond the ten-year diatribe as to whether female Dwarves have beards or not, for Tolkien they resemble males in every way. They should therefore have the same nose, the same faces, the same build. But this would be difficult to accept for the average American, imbued with the principle that women must necessarily be "beautiful" and moreover according to the Western culture's standards. So the females of the Dwarves are short, a little round, but then they stop there, they don't go further. The females of Dwarves are basically beautiful.

Therefore, when they have to face a real diversity, one not linked to modern social conflicts, alien to the way of thinking of 20th century society, they can't do it, showing that all the rules imposed by American cinema on diversity are simple hypocrisy, all image and no substance. On the other hand, even in the LGBTQ+ sphere, the British in television series are far ahead of the Americans. Just think of Torchwood. Even in the field of diversity, Americans will always and in any case remain "puritans".… Expand

12 of 159 users found this helpful12147

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4

jlevSep 6, 2022

Cast a sleep spell on me…

Nine minutes of weak character building and exposition. That’s how they decided to kick this off. And it’s nine minutes focused on Galadriel, a dower and uncharismatic warrior totally unlike how she is portrayedCast a sleep spell on me…

Nine minutes of weak character building and exposition. That’s how they decided to kick this off.

And it’s nine minutes focused on Galadriel, a dower and uncharismatic warrior totally unlike how she is portrayed in other stories. Heck, even her fellow elves can’t stand her, whether as a child or an adult. Then the first instance of action occurs and Galadriel takes out the threat single-handedly, bringing up the question of why even drag the others with her, presumably for centuries of fruitless labor.

The acting is decent all around, but nothing special. Not a single actor or role stands out as special or particularly memorable. It’s like a jumble of background characters, with Galadriel being propped up despite the mediocre performance and character. As for the story, it’s a hodgepodge of shifting perspectives that bounces all over the place at a breakneck pace. Likely an attempt to spice up an otherwise boring narrative.

Sets and props are colorful and thematic, but things are a bit off. Like how the elves and harfoots are basically humans with cosplay ears and the armor Galadriel and her company wear when given honors is spraypainted cardboard. If you look too closely, it all comes off like cheap props more at home in a theater play than a series with a half billion dollar budget.

That’s the real mystery of this series… where did all the money go???… Expand

11 of 147 users found this helpful11136

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4

DesireMercySep 6, 2022

The acting is subpar. The story is piecemeal. It's like watching trailer after trailer after trailer strung together into an episode.

The visual effects are set pieces which stick out like sore thumbs, not vehicles of immersion, and it feelsThe acting is subpar. The story is piecemeal. It's like watching trailer after trailer after trailer strung together into an episode.

The visual effects are set pieces which stick out like sore thumbs, not vehicles of immersion, and it feels like their is little cohesive bond visually from one scene to the next.

The dialog treats the audience like idiots and is the antithesis of "show not say." Repeated attempts are made to offer sage wisdom and deep insight, but it's like Alexa is translating poetry from Mandarin into Russian and then finally into English - if there was any point to the rambling it was lost long before it left the actors' mouths. It's what happens when an upstart writer thinks they can mimic the literary legend which was J. R. R. Tolkien by being flowery. My biggest issue with Tolkien was how wordy he could get, but he understood the meaning, intention, and proper implication of every word he included. I'm still not sure what her brother was carrying on about the sailboat.

I am not a Tolkien "fanboy" but as a writer I deeply value and respect his work. It's clear the Rings of Power didn't understand what they were working with nor care to give any deference to a man who defined the modern fantasy genre. They believe they can do better and at every opportunity departed not just from source material, but from the key elements of Tolkien's inspiration and worldview.

While some may garner enjoyment from the series, and I won't fault them for that, I do dare them to dig deeper into how the series treats the audience, its characters, and what messages are being hamfisted into Middle Earth.… Expand

10 of 134 users found this helpful10124

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4

mondainaiSep 4, 2022

I have cancelled my prime membership to protest. There was not enough Diversity in this. Yes, we have Black Elfs, but why not any Asian or Latino ones? Hmm? I did not see any representation from the Indigenous persons tribe either. Let aloneI have cancelled my prime membership to protest. There was not enough Diversity in this. Yes, we have Black Elfs, but why not any Asian or Latino ones? Hmm? I did not see any representation from the Indigenous persons tribe either. Let alone anyone from the Federated States of Micronesia or even Muslim Elfs, is it that difficult to put a Hijab on an elf? Like seriously, Wtf! If Tolkien’s related stories, if you want to call them that, cannot embrace anti-white multiculturalism like all other Hollywood producers(Top Gun the exception) then it should be cancelled!! Why give these white nerds any entertainment at all? Also, I am seriously disappointed in the lack of teenage LGBTQ+ representation, does Tolkien have us believe that in middle earth there is no isoflavones or soy products available for gender affirmation. Obviously these producers did not follow the proper required Checklist before getting their project greenlighted. I did not see any persons of color as female lesbians recast as characters once played by crusty old while men – disappointed!!! So please redo with Gandalf recast with POC LGBTQ+ representation and all will be forgiven. Morons!… Expand

11 of 150 users found this helpful11139

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4

robert-ombSep 14, 2022

Superficial beauty hiding a soulless void within. It's exactly what you would expect from Amazon: a show that is shiny and bright that feels like it was assembled by automatons in a factory. There is no magic, no warmth, no grace. This isSuperficial beauty hiding a soulless void within. It's exactly what you would expect from Amazon: a show that is shiny and bright that feels like it was assembled by automatons in a factory. There is no magic, no warmth, no grace. This is unworthy of the name "Lord of the Rings."… Expand

13 of 179 users found this helpful13166

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4

Gjoy3Sep 7, 2022

The redeeming elements of this film are the cinematography and world building from the source material. I struggled to pay attention to a whole episode, its a throwback to the continous failed fantasy genre that existed before LOTR.

10 of 138 users found this helpful10128

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5

Joabe_83Sep 3, 2022

A série é até boa, mas pode melhorar.
Protagonismo muito forçado.
Se até o final da primeira temporada a série ficar melhor, eu altero a nota.

10 of 141 users found this helpful10131

All this user's reviews

4

BullseyeWithAK4Sep 14, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The story is kinda bad. I think that even a 11 years old kid can have a better imagination to invent something better than this. It has 1% action and 99% jokes "dramatic" moments. Nothing happens. It's just so boring. I do not really know for what are these "writers" paid.
The music is decent, the graphics too, but some characters are just unbearable (the face of the black elf seems to ask for punches for real like most of the elves faces). Galadriel seems to have no scope in life, but to revenge her dead joke brother (that battle scene in which he died looks like a bad joke, the soldiers seem to not even fight but to just move their hands randomly).
By the way, guess that an elf doesn't really have the power to smash those heavy rocks, but there are many phases without logic in this series.
Overall, this series should be watched if you don't have a better alternative.… Expand

12 of 179 users found this helpful12167

All this user's reviews

4

ShirojvSep 6, 2022

Буду объективным. Галадриель сосет. Использование раскурсов из оригинального лотро, сосет.
Дфорфы каефные, даже черная дварфиха, остальной сброд не играет. Лицензию купили, IQ не купили. Канон не соблюден.
Но, это не самый ужасный понос,Буду объективным. Галадриель сосет. Использование раскурсов из оригинального лотро, сосет.
Дфорфы каефные, даже черная дварфиха, остальной сброд не играет. Лицензию купили, IQ не купили. Канон не соблюден.
Но, это не самый ужасный понос, просто посредственность в легендарном сеттинге. Ну или попытке создать сеттинг.… Expand

8 of 124 users found this helpful8116

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5

KuriousJorjSep 27, 2022

Mediocre and boring. TBH almost feels like a SyFy or Netflix original. Generic fantasy. Doesn't look, feel, or sound like Tolkien's universe.

Slow pacing, no urgency or drive, scattered unfocused story. Unbelievable that they spentMediocre and boring. TBH almost feels like a SyFy or Netflix original. Generic fantasy. Doesn't look, feel, or sound like Tolkien's universe.

Slow pacing, no urgency or drive, scattered unfocused story.

Unbelievable that they spent hundreds of millions on this mediocrity.… Expand

5 of 87 users found this helpful582

All this user's reviews

4

KaijoshinSep 6, 2022

Die Serie sieht fantastisch aus und ist auch hochwertig Produziert. Schauspieler liefern auch ab. Galadriel, gespielt von Morfydd Clark hätte man nicht besser besetzen können. Von ihr will man mehr sehen. Die Dialoge und die LogikfehlerDie Serie sieht fantastisch aus und ist auch hochwertig Produziert. Schauspieler liefern auch ab. Galadriel, gespielt von Morfydd Clark hätte man nicht besser besetzen können. Von ihr will man mehr sehen. Die Dialoge und die Logikfehler machen mich aber fertig. Ich konnte es manchmal nicht glauben was ich gerade gehört haben. Wer schreibt denn solche Scripte und wer segnet sowas auch noch ab? Eine Milliarde Budget und die Dialoge sind so cringe wie ich es selten erlebt habe. Eine Theater AG in einer Grundschule kriegt das besser hin. Auch wenn man mit der Serie Tolkiens Werke neu interpretieren wollte und auch darf, verlangt so ein großes Universum mit so einer Lore einen gewissen Respekt der ganzen Erzählung gegenüber. 20Jahre Peter Jackson und 3 Epische Filme später soll das das Erbe sei? Hier wird soviel mit Füssen getreten nur damit fundamentale Dinge geändert werden einzig und allein des Ändern willen. Wieso kann man gute Dinge nicht einfach gut sein lassen? Amazon hat die Bewertungen abgestellt? Das sagt alles. Nicht zu den Bewertungen sondern zu Amazon. Wer sich Rechtfertigen muss, der klagt sich auch gleichzeitig an, liebes Amazon.… Expand

8 of 141 users found this helpful8133

All this user's reviews

4

Felipe_wayne10Sep 10, 2022

Aproveitando os tão bem sucedidos filmes anteriores, esses novos "inclusores"surfam em um sucesso que não lhes pertence. Se quiserem agradar a geração nojenta de hoje, inventem algo próprio, não colocando idéias atuais em culturas milenares.Aproveitando os tão bem sucedidos filmes anteriores, esses novos "inclusores"surfam em um sucesso que não lhes pertence. Se quiserem agradar a geração nojenta de hoje, inventem algo próprio, não colocando idéias atuais em culturas milenares.

Elfa com ideias feministas, homens frouxos e idiotas, uma raça toda modificada pra agradar um publico pior que os orcs que nem sonhava em nascer. Simplesmente, ridículo. Não merece nem mencionar o nome "senhor dos anéis".… Expand

10 of 178 users found this helpful10168

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5

Magicfeather205Sep 8, 2022

As an adaptation, it's pretty poor, with massive overhauls of the established lore. But even if you put this aside, it's a pretty boring and lacklustre show. Visually pretty in places, but this doesn't make up for cliched dialogue and aAs an adaptation, it's pretty poor, with massive overhauls of the established lore. But even if you put this aside, it's a pretty boring and lacklustre show. Visually pretty in places, but this doesn't make up for cliched dialogue and a shallow plot. This might change, but I'm not holding out hope.… Expand

8 of 145 users found this helpful8137

All this user's reviews

4

Macintosh1001Sep 8, 2022

Honestly it was pretty average. Visually it look pretty good, and there were a few characters and scenes that are actually good, but there were some unlikable tropes that started to surface. The pacing is pretty slow and boring across theHonestly it was pretty average. Visually it look pretty good, and there were a few characters and scenes that are actually good, but there were some unlikable tropes that started to surface. The pacing is pretty slow and boring across the multiple story lines. It feels like they took an 8 hour movie and chopped it into episodes instead of treating it like a episodic series.… Expand

12 of 222 users found this helpful12210

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4

OkicriticSep 5, 2022

After watching half of season 1, it's clear the show is rich in style and poor in substance. Each episode barely moves the plot along, several characters feel completely unnecessary, the star character is insufferable, and the dialogue isAfter watching half of season 1, it's clear the show is rich in style and poor in substance. Each episode barely moves the plot along, several characters feel completely unnecessary, the star character is insufferable, and the dialogue is borderline cringeworthy. The writers need a major course-correction in season 2 if this series has any hope.… Expand

13 of 301 users found this helpful13288

All this user's reviews

4

agastitariSep 18, 2022

They destroyed the lore completely. What a pathetic **** Story is bad,actors worse save for King Durin and Elendil actors who are decent. Story and acting is more important than CGI, when will these guys get it.

7 of 173 users found this helpful7166

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4

MiseFSep 24, 2022

As ever, the visuals are the best thing about it. What brings it down is terrible writing (fake profundity and dreadful invented similes), poor pacing, and tearing up the lore to replace it with their own inventions. The mithril subplot isAs ever, the visuals are the best thing about it. What brings it down is terrible writing (fake profundity and dreadful invented similes), poor pacing, and tearing up the lore to replace it with their own inventions. The mithril subplot is a prime example. This episode was better because at last something happened. There are hints of intriguing characters but the writing lets it down.… Expand

7 of 174 users found this helpful7167

All this user's reviews

4

HuellerSep 22, 2022

Soooooooooo, I'm still watching, but the show is going nowhere. I feel like a lot of talking is done but nothing actually happens. On top of that knowing a bit of the lore, the show is absolutely butchering it. It's passable to watch, butSoooooooooo, I'm still watching, but the show is going nowhere. I feel like a lot of talking is done but nothing actually happens. On top of that knowing a bit of the lore, the show is absolutely butchering it. It's passable to watch, but don't expect too much.… Expand

5 of 171 users found this helpful5166

All this user's reviews

4

MerysiumJan 24, 2023

The first episode shows what the show is all about, it has a poor writing and character development. But nice visuals.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

4

Iswensen8Feb 21, 2023

Really cringe dialogue and overall lacking the vibe of any Tolkien books, which was depicted well in the Peter Jackson trilogy. The stunning visuals definitely help keep this series afloat, but it was really hard to watch given myReally cringe dialogue and overall lacking the vibe of any Tolkien books, which was depicted well in the Peter Jackson trilogy. The stunning visuals definitely help keep this series afloat, but it was really hard to watch given my expectations and how good this series could have been. I can’t really justify less than a 4 because there were some good aspects for sure and overall I’ve seen worse, but it was just utterly disappointing given the source material and previous film adaptations.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

5

samstrummer90Nov 4, 2022

Un 5 por respeto a la gente que haya hecho bien su trabajo en esa serie. Que imagino alguno habrá. Por lo demás es patética. Tolkien sólo hay un uno. Con mil millones podrían haber creado su propio universo fantástico o haber llevado a laUn 5 por respeto a la gente que haya hecho bien su trabajo en esa serie. Que imagino alguno habrá. Por lo demás es patética. Tolkien sólo hay un uno. Con mil millones podrían haber creado su propio universo fantástico o haber llevado a la pantalla cualquier otra obra como Kvothe, Aprendiz de Asesino, Cienfuegos o León Bocanegra. En lugar de eso le dieron de comer algunas páginas de las obras de Tokien al calvo, el calvo se las comió, después las vomitó y con que se podía leer hicieron el guión.… Expand

0 of 16 users found this helpful016

All this user's reviews

4

Sono_MomoDec 25, 2022

It can be said that watching The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series is a waste of time and a kind of disrespect to the masterpiece trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The performances of the actors were very artificial (except for theIt can be said that watching The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series is a waste of time and a kind of disrespect to the masterpiece trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The performances of the actors were very artificial (except for the spectacular performance of Nazanin Boniadi) and the script was so weak and ridiculous that it was as if you were watching a children's TV show! All the heroes of the series were women and all the cowards and slaves were men! The story line of the series was very dumb and vague so that it was not possible to distinguish what the main purpose of the characters of the series is and what they are looking for. In general, you will not lose anything by not watching this series and you will also save time.… Expand

0 of 16 users found this helpful016

All this user's reviews

4

uncleblazerDec 31, 2022

this is not a good season, but with better writing, improved dialog, and better direction it could maybe one day be a good show. you can see the money spent to make the show look and sound great but there is nothing to the story or charactersthis is not a good season, but with better writing, improved dialog, and better direction it could maybe one day be a good show. you can see the money spent to make the show look and sound great but there is nothing to the story or characters that made me interested in following each episode on release. finished over the holiday and overall just kind of meh to ok. would not re watch.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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