In an age long gone, a nine-year-old boy watched the Fellowship of The Ring at a friend’s house. That person was myself (of course), and since then, I have loved the lore-rich world of J.R.R Tolkien’s creation. I adore the movies, and I’ve read the main series and The Hobbit too. Though I haven’t yet read The Silmarillion or the other short stories from Tolkien, I have a good understanding of the history and characters not explored by the main series. I have long wished for the earlier years of Middle Earth to be explored, either through future films or even games. So I was quite excited by the upcoming series from Amazon Studios.

I won’t be discussing all the controversy surrounding the casting or the ethics behind Amazon’s attempt to cash in on a beloved franchise. This review will focus on the quality of the story, characters, and world. Though there has been a lot of money thrown into LOTR: The Rings of Power and I’d like to see if it gives something worthwhile for fans.

With that said I will do my best to provide some background information regarding the setting here. LOTR: The Rings of Power is already not adhering strictly to The Middle Earth lore set down by Tolkien. The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age, after the great war between Morgoth and the gods of Middle Earth. In the aftermath of Morgoth’s defeat, his lead general Sauron takes over and faces the elves in centuries of combat across Middle Earth.

This episode mainly focuses on the elf Galadriel and her relentless quest to seek out the remnants of Sauron’s forces. While the Second Age is a time period in which magic is prevalent: This is in contrast to the Third Age of the original trilogy, which focuses on the theme of magic leaving Middle Earth. I like how the show reflects this idea of pervasive magic through the cleanness of the sets and the characters themselves. Granted we do spend a large amount of time with the elves in the first episode, and that helps to sell it.

The nature scenery is beautiful and LOTR: The Rings of Power looks great from a costuming perspective, while the brief glimpse we get of the undying lands of Valinor is breathtaking. The beautiful imagery only serves to further emphasize the lurking evil that is hiding amidst the wonder of Middle Earth. I love how evil is presented here. Just like in Peter Jackson’s films, you get a sense of the foreboding danger conveyed through the visual corruption of the landscape by the use of harsh colors. Sauron’s armor glistens with a cold onyx and the personification of his wrath is burned across the landscape.

Now, while there certainly are things to love about LOTR: The Rings of Power, there are equally as many flaws. I’m not very attached to many of our main characters so far. Part of this has to do with the unbridled stoicism of the elves, which can lead to some wooden acting at times. Neither Galadriel nor Elrond are quite as strongly portrayed here, but each has distinct character motivations and a clear character arc that will no doubt lead to further development in future episodes.

Unfortunately, the human and halfling characters don’t do much to improve the acting either. We get a somewhat awkward love story and a forced parallel between Frodo and the newest halfling character. Part of the reason I think the original films are so good is that the main cast is filled with outstanding actors. They manage to deliver the admittedly flowery and grandiose dialogue typical of Tolkien’s writing in a way that doesn’t come off as silly. LOTR: The Rings of Power tries to capture this same idea, but unfortunately falls short in the first episode.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews critiquing the slow pacing of the show, and while I do feel that is important to note, I personally think this critique is misplaced. Tolkien’s books never progressed with speed and he always felt the need to set the scene, providing background detail. For a grand tale such as this, I would prefer the show take its time to establish things. Even despite this slower pace, I still feel this episode provides enough to get you interested and the final shot is quite powerful.

While not as flawless as I would have hoped, LOTR: The Rings of Power offers a decent enough start to a series based in this legendary world. I’m hoping the later episodes will improve in quality, as thus far, I’m not sure if I can recommend the show to just about anyone as of yet. Though, I certainly won’t say that I didn’t enjoy my time diving back into this world again.

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LOTR: The Rings of Power Episode 1

5

Score

5.0/10

Pros

• Stunning Visuals
• Great set design

Cons

• Wooden acting
• Slow pace