The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power first two episodes welcome viewers into the incredible world of Tolkien with stunning visuals. It should be noted this review is based solely on the first two episodes.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes place approximately 5,000 years before we met Bilbo. Those who know LOTR like the back of their hand will be excited to explore characters they have never seen come to life before, and even causal fans will notice certain characters, name drops, and locations — but be open to a whole new world. While the story is dense, and a bit spread out over the first two episodes, there is hope it will all come together into something special.
The budget for this series was over $1 Billion and it shows. It is absolutely stunning. Each of the lands explored are elaborate and detailed. Prime Video held nothing back, that is for sure. The scale here is massive, and at the very least this series is a cinematic masterpiece thanks to the gorgeous visuals.
Just in the first two episodes, many locations have been visited. This world that Tolkien has created is vast and massive, and it is wonderful to get to see even just a little bit of it. Clearly over the course of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power we will see more of the map, and we can’t wait.
With so many locations and characters, however, there is a lot to unpack. Each character grouping gets a fair amount of time, with little overlap, but it is expected by the end of the season the story will really come together. The first two episodes have set up for a large-scale plot that will focus around the return of Sauron and the forming of the rings. We all know that this is where it is going, which is a blessing and a curse.
What we mean by that is there are certain characters we know will not die, therefore anytime they are in battle we can breath easy knowing they will make it through. This world may not be perfectly copied from Tolkien’s works, it is very faithful. One of the biggest questions that remains is will we see Celebrían, Galadriel’s daughter, in the series.
After the first two episodes this remains unclear, even though the timing would mean she is already born. Considering that Elrond, her future husband, has already appeared, fingers are crossed she will eventually join the story. However with a short season of just eight episodes, this will likely happen down the line, and not in season one.
With a series as visually stunning as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it is imperative that the score match the beauty. Lucky for fans, Composer Bear McCreary was brought on — and he delivers. The man is brilliant when it comes to music. Each and every moment is elevated thanks to the score that goes along with it, from the emotional ones to the action packed ones.
And speaking of action — this show has some of the best fight scenes in all of The Lord of the Rings. They don’t hold back and are filled with fantastic stunt work, blood and gore, and even some terrifying jump scares. Even just in the first two episodes, there has been a fair amount of action mixed in with quiet moments for character building. The writing here is smart, allowing the world to be built up for those who are new to it, but not in a way that feels repetitive or slow to long time fans.
The Orcs are some of the most incredibly detailed characters in the series. Looking the least like humans of all the races, they are truly horrifying. There is one scene in particular that showcases just how brutal they are.
The costume designers and makeup / hair artists have absolutely put their hearts and souls into their work on this one. Each race has a unique look that is exquisitely detailed. It is apparent exactly what race a character belongs to just by looking at them.
While the story is dense and detailed, and a lot to take in for two hours, it also includes some great comic relief — specifically with Prince Durin IV and Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot. They are the standout characters for this critic, and were right from the moment they were introduced.
There is one scene between Durin and Elrond that is subtlety hilarious, but also quite adorable and emotional. It really shows viewers who these characters are and allows them to be relatable and vulnerable. It lets us in to their world to get to know their personalities — more of the two of them together, please!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is off to a great start with an intriguing story that sets up for what is to come throughout the season. There are humorous and fun moments, as well as intense and suspenseful battles, and of course, a world that just screams eye candy.
This series is stunning and deserves to play out as the creators have intended, with as many seasons as it takes to tell the full story. It is sad there is a whole group of people out there who are wishing for it to fail, even before they have even seen it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
NEXT: House Of The Dragon Review: It’s Good To Be Back
About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.
This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.
From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power first two episodes come to Prime Video on September 2nd.
