The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Premiere Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, premiering tomorrow on Prime Video.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film franchises have offered audiences some of the greatest fantasy films ever but as far as the world of J.R.R. Tolkien is concerned, as many readers of his countless books already know, they are only the tip of the iceberg. There are so much more potential stories to be told but the constraints of a feature films put a cap on how far they can go. However, the prospects of a television series set in the world of Tolkien is reason for plenty of excitement for Tolkien fans and fans of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film franchises even 8 years following The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Though anything set in this world comes with plenty of expectations. Suffice it to say that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power meets those lofty expectations and then some as it delivers a production with a level of scale and scope unlike anything ever seen on television. It may not be completely seamless but it was still clear that a lot of money has been spent on the series.

Set thousands of years before events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power does plenty of world-building as it jumps around between characters and locales as it sets up a Middle Earth in a time of peace. However, the needle seemed to be moving in the other direction as an old enemy lurked on the horizon. The first two episodes do a lot of jumping across Middle Earth, setting up what was to come through the lens of a various cast of characters spanning various races who each saw some adversity as they looked towards their futures going forward, building towards the world of the future. Presenting just a taste, these lands and characters offer a little bit of something for everyone be it elves, harfoots, dwarves, or humans and their different ways of life. Each compelling sets of characters in their own right, viewers are sure to find themselves investing in any or all of them as the series taps into the mythology and lore of the time. Admittedly, there’s a lot going on and with a lot going on, there are a lot of pieces at play to build what looks to be an epic story. While those pieces don’t all quite come together just yet, nor should they after just two episodes, they are definitely off to a promising start and there will surely be more as the series goes on.

Nevertheless, the sense of wonder that the series creates is a powerful thing. Boasting an experience worthy of the big screen, featuring some breathtaking visuals and a booming score including a opening theme from Howard Shore, it will pull viewers into the world of Tolkien and not let go. The sense of scale and scope is something to behold, rivaling some of the grandest series on television. That being said, it was not necessarily seamless but in terms of the series as a whole, it is a minor complaint as it does contain a few moments of subpar yet barely noticeable poor CGI. Meanwhile, the writing and direction are also up to the task in managing all those pieces both in front of and behind the camera and creating a strong and engaging narrative. The level of immersion of the series goes beyond its breathtaking cinematography and epic score and continues through its impeccable production design and costume design as it all works together to bring this world to life. A lot of care and effort overall was clearly put towards the making of the series. However, a large budget also doesn’t hurt.

For everything the series has to offer, what ultimately ties The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power together is its performances who bring the writing to life. Despite a large cast, they were great across the board from too many to name but the real standout so far and in most of the series’ promotional material so far was Morfydd Clark as a younger version of the elf Galadriel, made famous by Cate Blanchett in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film franchises. Clark brings an energy and star quality that it is hard to not look away. Deep and moving, one could see and connect to her pain and relate to her relative youth and inexperience knowing the arc of the character.

At the end of the day, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a feast for the eyes and a delight for Tolkien and fantasy fans looking for their next fix. Opening with so much promise and hype, the only question will be whether or not it will hit the landing.

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.