The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reviews: “a total joy” and “pure Tolkien”
Early reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are in, and it looks as if the wait has been worth it for fantasy fans with critics describing the first two episodes of the big-budget Amazon Prime Video productions as “a total joy” and “pure Tolkien.”
The ten-part show, of which the first two parts will be released on September 2nd at 2am for British viewers (and on the evening of the 1st of September in the US), is reported to be one of the most expensive ever made and tells the story of the second age of Middle-earth, set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings which were brought alive in the cinema by Peter Jackson.
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After the release of the final trailer for the series, early press screenings have now begun and so fans across the globe are starting to get a flavour of what to expect from this much-anticipated TV show.
Entertainment journalist Rodrigo Salem said on Twitter; “Rings of Power is a cinematic experience. In a perfect world, we would watch it on a big screen. It’s pure Tolkien and yet feels very connected to Peter Jackson’s movies. The FX are brilliant, the acting is superb and the PROLOGUE itself will destroy any awful feeling you had.”
Brandon Katz, who writes for The Wrap described the first two episodes of the series “a spectacular sight to behold.
“The scale, scope, ambition and grandiosity is unrivaled on TV. It also has the laborious task of introducing SO much necessary world building that it takes a bit to set flight.”
Kat Moon of TV Guide said the series is “grand, bold, and ambitious, and I absolutely loved it. The shots of Middle-earth were stunning and I wish everyone could see it on the big screen”
Entertainment Weekly’s Devan Coggan called the series a “total joy” adding “Watching it feels like stepping back into Middle-earth. I cannot wait to see where this story goes.”
Entertainment Tonight’s journalist Stacey Lamb said: “I have to admit I was surprised how much I liked it. The lush and expansive series very much breathes new life into the franchise.
“And it’s a show that I think people will enjoy once they allow themselves to be sucked into it.”
The overwhelmingly positive reviews for the first two episodes of the show will be great news for fantasy fans who have been waiting for this project to come to fruition for some years.
The show is not the only big-budget and highly anticipated fantasy series released this autumn, with HBO’s House of the Dragon premiering to record audiences juts a few days ago, it looks like its going to be a good run in to Christmas for fans of the genre.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will, according to a recent Amazon press statement: “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 one of the greatest villains 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 reemergence 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 farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”
Produced by Amazon Studios, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episodes one and two will premier on September 2nd at 2am in the UK with new episodes weekly after that.
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