The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime)

[jammies]

Not at all a fan. The number of changes to Tolkien's history and intent are already far too high, I understand it's an adaptation, but it's like someone did a series about WWII where it starts with Hitler invading the Moon and devolves from there.

I don't care about casting choices, I care that this is - so far - utterly disconnected from Middle-Earth as imagined and set down. Plus I cringe at the imbecility of the ocean scenes, orcs digging tunnels to get at villages (like this is somehow a good idea compared to, you know, just walking there), and all the other scenes that make zero logical and emotional sense.

How hard can it be to just stay within the rules of the fictional world you set the story in? What is interesting about random crap just happening because it looks cool as opposed to postulating certain differences from our reality and then exploring what follows from those differences?

Sheer butchery.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jammies

Not at all a fan. The number of changes to Tolkien's history and intent are already far too high, I understand it's an adaptation, but it's like someone did a series about WWII where it starts with Hitler invading the Moon and devolves from there.

I don't care about casting choices, I care that this is - so far - utterly disconnected from Middle-Earth as imagined and set down. Plus I cringe at the imbecility of the ocean scenes, orcs digging tunnels to get at villages (like this is somehow a good idea compared to, you know, just walking there), and all the other scenes that make zero logical and emotional sense.

How hard can it be to just stay within the rules of the fictional world you set the story in? What is interesting about random crap just happening because it looks cool as opposed to postulating certain differences from our reality and then exploring what follows from those differences?

Sheer butchery.

You mean....'Iron Sky?'

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034314/

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Locke

You mean....'Iron Sky?'

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034314/

Ah, a fellow 'bad movie' fan!

[CroFlames]

I have mixed feelings after watching. I will sleep on it.

[jammies]

I've seen Iron Sky, at least it didn't take itself seriously.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

[Sr. Mints]

I'm no Tolkien purest, and I really don't care if changes are made from the source material (all of which I've read.) In fact, I don't think there is any story from any fictional universe that I'd consider untouchable when adapting it to screen.

It's actually pretty weird to me that people get bent out of shape over a sentence in some appendix of a time that Tolkien himself didn't even explore that deeply or write too much about. I mean as a huge geek I can appreciate the passion, but I guess that's just not how I roll. My own mom initially refused to see Return of the King in theatre because Shelob wasn't at the end of TTT, we had to drag her on Christmas Day.

Anyway..

The story itself in the first two episodes was engaging, but dials up the pace in episode two. The feeling of something truly evil and menacing coming together with basically everybody except Galadriel failing to realizing it makes for an exciting viewing experience. It's really cool to see the dwarf kingdoms in their heyday.

They're steering us to think meteor man is either Sauron or Gandalf (or Saruman or the crazy brown wizard), but maybe those seem a bit too obvious. I'm gonna say it'll be one of the unseen blue wizards who arrived in the second age during the time of the forging of the one ring.

[djsFlames]

Screen adaptations will never be straight from the pages.

The LOTR series took its own liberties, but the creative choices it made worked and complemented the particular iteration/take on the narrative it had established and most people were swept up by it, even knowing th departures it had taken. It was simplified for a more movie-friendly experience.

That said, the Hobbit films did the opposite and bloated its source material, and as a result meandered while not having much for its key characters to do. Technically it had a very different aesthetic that took it away from the grounded/real feel of the LOTR. We weren't able to really connect with any of the characters in the same way.

I still have a bad taste from the Hobbit so I'm hoping for a more grounded take again with a sense real danger/stakes with real consequences to characters that feel real/relatable, more than accuracy around the respective races. As long as the choices serve to help it with what it's trying to accomplish. Hopefully it's not too devoid of logic either. Doesn't need to be the smartest show, but don't do dumb things just for the sake of it. You want it to make sense within the narrative.

Will sit down and give it a watch today.

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by Ashartus

I was agreeing with you, not implying you were one of the people upset about that.

I didn't know people were getting upset about that

[Red Slinger]

I enjoyed it primarily as it took me right back into the LOTR world. I think the tone and general setting was really good. There are certainly some potential minor quibbles over details, characters and plot but there were in the LOTR movies too. Looking forward to the rest of the series and filling in the rest of the mythology.

[PsYcNeT]

I liked it, lore purists can get stuffed.

"But muh appendices!!!!"

[CroFlames]

After sleeping on it, I still have some mixed feelings.

I am a purist but I have the ability to set that aside as I know you can make great screen material that diverges from the source material.

So far I like the show. Characters are cool, the acting is a bit meh, but the cinematography is excellent.

There’s so much unknown so far it’s hard to know how much they are diverging from the source story, so we’ll see. So far it’s entertaining.

Some annoyances:

Did Galadriel swim across half an ocean, then make it over the other half on a dingy?

I can’t get over Elves with short hair. Sorry, they need long hair. Side note: super happy the Moria Dwarves have long beards. The beards in the Hobbit movie were atrocious.

Did they cross an entire ocean standing in place with their swords out? Lmao.


I’ll need a bigger nerd than me to clarify things here: is the setting the beginning of the 2nd age and so Celebrimbor hasn’t made the rings yet?

Also, did Elrond actually have friendship with Durin and the Dwarves? I thought it was Celebrimbor who was friends with a Dwarf named Narvi.

[Ashasx]

I think the series looks great (the CGI completely blows Game of Thrones out of the water right now), I was just really bored these first two episodes. Kept checking the time hoping they were close to finished.

I hope the characters become more engaging because right now they don't feel real at all.

[GreenLantern]

It is interesting to me how split the opinions of this show are.. I have read The Hobbit and LOTR probably at least half a dozen times through, and just to link this thread to our other thread about book reading, it is one of the few pieces I can pick up and read without wanting to take a break for another book.

I am a big fan of those works, but I have never explored the deeper Tolkien lore, I have a basic understanding of Gandalf and how all of that works, and I have always enjoyed the 'unseen' struggle of good vs. evil representing morale from WWI. I guess I just didn't want to spoil any of that.

I really enjoyed the first two episodes. I thought the tone was great, it felt just enough like Jackson's LOTR to be comfortable, but also stood out on its own. I have no idea how accurate it is, nor do I care at this point.

After the butchering of Wheel of Time by Amazon, I was very nervous they would ruin this. Perhaps I am better off being naïve to the source material, because whatever that show is they made, its not Wheel of Time. It's something else.

You can tell this is definitely a notch above in terms of production value. I will agree there were some puzzling parts, but overall I think it really does feel like Tolkien, and it being set in a different age is nice because it can separate itself from all of the productions that have come before it.

As for the multi racial pat on the back, why? I am assuming they cast the best actor for every role, regardless of skin colour. So why do we need to pat them on the back for including different skin colours? I will instead pat them on the back for so far nailing their casting choices. Everyone seemed to be great in their role to me. Well done choosing the right actor for the right part.

[Ashartus]

I'm not sure how someone can be a "lore purist" for Tolkien when he kept changing the lore to the day he died and a lot of what has been published is inconsistent with other works.

[Matata]

I was barely paying attention by the end of the first episode. Every scene that didnt have massive CGI was boring or annoying. I might come back to this series later

[1qqaaz]

It looks good, and sounds good.
But it's not well written and not overly engaging. Pretty bad overall.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Ashartus

I'm not sure how someone can be a "lore purist" for Tolkien when he kept changing the lore to the day he died and a lot of what has been published is inconsistent with other works.

Not only that but any Tolkien purist who is mad that this show isn’t properly following established Tolkien ME canon should be blaming the greedy Tolkien estate.

Amazon tried to buy the rights to the silmarillion and other works and were denied. Instead all they got were the scraps from the appendices.

Legally this show is not even allowed to use, reference, or adapt anything from Tolkien’s major works. The way the rights were sold, the show has no choice but to develop something almost entirely independent from the rest of the Tolkien universe and legally has to be non canon.

[Finger Cookin]

That's what $250 million gets it? lol

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

That's what $250 million gets it? lol

Right? Wtf were they thinking?

[djsFlames]

All the big budget monies and they don't give it the writing to match? Feel like I've seen that song and dance before. As well as nailing down the character work/casting to give us the next Frodo/Sam/Aragon who can really drive the story and make us cheer for them.

Smells of a streaming service badly wanting to have the next big title on their platform, without stopping to think whether it was even a story worth telling.

That they're filling stories in the gaps between bits of the appendices is kind of sad to know.

Maybe they can pull a rabbit out of a hat in the weeks to come but it's usually not encouraging to have people this lukewarm 2 episodes in.