Review: The Rings of Power
Amazon Prime’s new series “The Rings of Power” brings new understanding to J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” with a cinematic explanation into the making of the rings. Roughly based on the events in “The Silmarillion” and with many added original ideas, TROP just doesn’t feel like Tolkien at all.
TROP follows many Tolkien original characters including Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and Isildur (Maxim Baldry), and introduces many Amazon original characters including Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), Nori (Makella Kavenagh) and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova).
The beginning of the show splits into five storylines, four of which merge throughout the show’s progression. Galadriel’s search for Sauron in the main storyline combines with stories of Elendil in Númenor, Arondir in the Southlands, and Elrond with Mithril (a powerful ore found in Moria by Durin IV (Owain Arthur)), ending with the creation of the three Elven rings. The fifth storyline follows Nori and her blooming friendship with The Stranger (Daniel Weyman). Never combining with the other storylines, it feels as annoying as it is time consuming and ends with many questions — but some ideas — about who The Stranger is.
The eight episode series drags on forever, and nothing really happens until the sixth episode. The show runners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay take too long developing moments that have little importance, while the scenes that actually have meaning, like the creation of the rings, speed by.
Payne and McKay do a great job of keeping the audience continuously guessing about who Sauron is by introducing new characters at every turn that seem to have aspects similar to how Sauron is depicted in the books. There were three major characters that were in the running to be the Dark Lord: Halbrand, The Stranger and Adar (Joseph Mawle).
Prime’s budget of a little under $500 million for season one allows for scenes with great CGI and computer effects, including the vision of Númenor flooding and the explosion of Mount Doom. Sadly this budget was not spent on more realistic wigs for the Elves and the demon chihuahua looking CGI Warg.
A main priority of Amazon with TROP was to introduce a wider variety of characters into “The Lord of the Rings” universe. They did an amazing job with this. The performances and personalities that came along with the characters of Arondir, Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and Disa (Sophie Novete) were some of the best in the whole show.
The ending of TROP still leaves unanswered questions that may be answered in the confirmed second season. Although many things do not comply with Tolkien’s outline of Middle Earth in the first and second age and the creation of the rings, the show is still entertaining and leaves the audience wanting more.
3/5
