With just about a few hours left until Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hit television, fans and casual viewers seem to be divided on the possible outcome of the latest adaptation to the famous novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. With its official TV release already on its way, let us weigh in if the much-anticipated Rings of Power would exceed expectations. Is it good? Will it be canon? Will it even reach the heights of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy?
Comic books, manga, and novels have been getting a lot of adaptations lately. In shows like The Boys, Reacher, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, MCU TV series, and many more, it feels just right that we are finally getting a TV adaptation of Tolkien’s beloved stories about Middle Earth.
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power storyline
As a prequel, The Rings of Power goes way back to the time before “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”. The story would revolve around the powerful and magical rings in Tolkien’s Middle Earth universe, hence the title.
It also wouldn’t be complete without the cast of elves, dwarves, humans, and of course, the big bad, Sauron. With the return, or shall we say, the origins of the vile and wicked Sauron, the history of these rings and what they are capable of will be uncovered in an epic journey.
Related: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King – All Unforgettable Moments
What do the critics say; Is “The Rings of Power” good? Or is it a disaster?
Before it is released, some insiders were given early access or a preview to the first two episodes of the show. Most of them have already handed out their reviews but they too seem to have opposing opinions about the awaited series. That being said, let’s dive into what the critics are saying, both the positive and the negative ones.
The Guardian
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review – so astounding it makes House of the Dragon look amateur”
IGN
“Both episodes never cease to be an absolute technical feast in the camerawork, sets, costumes, and music.”
Related: Amazon’s Lord of the Rings Could Be a PG13 Game of Thrones With Much More Fantasy
BBC
“A visually staggering, flawed epic”
“The sets feel huge and lived-in, the costumes are beautiful and intricate, and the digital effects are sharper than most movies.”
Entertainment Weekly
“Amazon’s prequel is kind of a catastrophe”
Collider
“A Stunning Adventure in Perilous Middle-earth”
Rotten Tomatoes
‘BOLD,’ ‘AMBITIOUS,’ ‘GORGEOUS,’ ‘FULL OF GRANDEUR,’
Average rotten tomato score: 83%
Overall, most critics’ reviews would suggest that The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power is an above-average show.
If you read every single review, almost every one of them would praise how amazing the cinematography and graphics are, as they should be. Plus, the cast is well-rounded and talented, which is justifiable considering Amazon put billions of dollars into production. However, not everyone feels the same. Some are even thinking Rings of Power does not follow Tolkien’s universe and say it’s a disrespect to the premiered author.
Related: Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: Production, Release, and Characters
Despite all that, the positive reviews will still supersede the negative ones. Further, TV and movie adaptations tend to be a little different from the books most of the time. This all means that the show probably won’t win over some hardcore Tolkien fans. That being said, maybe we shouldn’t expect too much and we might just be surprised at how good Rings of Power could be.
How and where to watch The Rings of Power
As a Prime Video original series, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power will be exclusively available for Amazon Prime Video and its subscribers. Moreover, Peter Jackson’s LOTR and The Hobbit trilogies are also streaming on the same platform.
The first two episodes of the first season (S1:E1 – Shadow of the Past and S1:E2 – TBA) will be streaming on September 2, 2022. It will be followed by the second episode on
What do you feel would the first two episodes be like? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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