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

It’s not gripping me. Galadriel just seems wrong. The dwarf Elrond dwarf/Elrond thread is the most compelling and the Harfoots as badly as they’re portrayed have an interesting plot with the star man. Looks good too, just needs some more inspired writing.

edit: corrected a typo
 
Last edited:
After 4 episodes in, things on the main story front are finally getting traction and pace, but even then it's still going far too slow. And that's not directly a fault of those main threads of the story (Galadriel and Elrond are the main parts and they're going well enough so far, or at least, Elronds thread is at least. Galadriel now has become a meme after all...), but the fault of creators of the show. They don't appear to know how to tell a story that is built up well, and just threw everything into the pot and hoped it worked; far too many scenes were obviously being used to add ever more side characters into the story (basically any scenes that focused far too long on particular characters have a side story driving point, and are clearly not characters created to service the story for these side characters) to the point I don't even remember who some of them are, just that they exist. It would have been better if they took time to build the main stories up first before bringing in the side characters individually instead of all at the same time and then showed how they connected to the main threads so that the viewers can get to know the new characters. Again, right now, I have no idea who half of the new ones are and that's entirely the fault of the story telling technique in use.

Thankfully visually, the issues I noticed aren't cropping up in episodes 3 and 4, although... Some of their forced perspective based camera work needs a bit of work, as it's quite clear in some scenes that the different size characters are not really looking at each other. This again is a vfx or director issue. This was done a lot better in episode 4 with Elrond and Durin, when after they had a heart to heart and Elrond walks away, the "transition" was hidden by Disa (Durins Wife) form as they walked away, so that was done better. But the fact that these little visual niggles keep cropping up for a 60mil per episode cost is not encouraging, especially for a pilot series.

Overall, something I'll keep an eye on for now but if Amazon keeps pace at how these first few episodes have worked out for the rest of the series and beyond, it's going to have a rough time compared to other stuff.
 
PlacidCasual said:
The dwarf Elrond
Click to expand...
giphy.gif
 
Galadrial is over a thousand years old and Halbrand had to explain sneaky/diplomacy to her like she's a child.

This was probably the most random and pointless scene though, Elves taking our jobs? LOL :)

agzhs.jpg
 
Last edited:
PlacidCasual said:
It’s not gripping me. Galadriel just seems wrong. The dwarf Elrond dwarf/Elrond thread is the most compelling and the Harfoots as badly as they’re portrayed have an interesting plot with the star man. Looks good too, just needs some more inspired writing.

edit: corrected a typo
Click to expand...

I like the Elrond/Durin story the best so far as well. Both are good actors and it is quite interesting/witty at times.
 
Just rewatching the uhd release of the LOTR trilogy, still amazing. Am watching with a bit more of a critical hat and it’s definitely got issues of it’s own. Currently Legolas is annoying me a bit, seems every so often he just stares into the sky and says something prophetic.
 
Craterloads said:
Just rewatching the uhd release of the LOTR trilogy, still amazing. Am watching with a bit more of a critical hat and it’s definitely got issues of it’s own. Currently Legolas is annoying me a bit, seems every so often he just stares into the sky and says something prophetic.
Click to expand...
Legolas was always annoying :P
 
Craterloads said:
Just rewatching the uhd release of the LOTR trilogy, still amazing. Am watching with a bit more of a critical hat and it’s definitely got issues of it’s own. Currently Legolas is annoying me a bit, seems every so often he just stares into the sky and says something prophetic.
Click to expand...

Watching Orlando Bloom in LoTR/PoTC he's always sat in the background pulling strange faces or looking puzzled. The original trilogy definitely has it's issues, from canonical issues to simply changing characters completely (Looking at my boy Faramir) but god damn they were good. I'm still not fully caught up on this, part way through episode 3 which I think is telling me more about how much I am enjoying this compared to the binge watches of shows I have seriously enjoyed the moment they're out. I'm hoping this is a ST:TNG First Season and the rest are better though.
 
Shocky-FM said:
Galadrial is over a thousand years old and Halbrand had to explain sneaky/diplomacy to her like she's a child.
Click to expand...
I think that was a lazy way of getting in a loose metaphor for the rings early in the story with the "find out what they fear, give them a means of mastering it, so you can master them" speech.

It wouldn't surprise me if the intention was to create an obvious "oooh maybe Halbrand is Sauron" moment.
 
Well, it just doesn't get any better does it?

Obvious plus point over the 3 previous episodes was no Harfoots. I think everyone accepts their inclusion has been an unmitigated disaster. As ever the shows most glaring problem is that is so boring, and I think this is what is going to have the "normies" switching off in droves if they haven't already, next to nothing has happened and in less time we'd have watched the whole of FOTR Ext Edition...pleae donlt tell me that"well this is a TV show and that's film so it's fine" no, this shows to me they have very little story to tell every scene seems like it is stretched out for as long as possible and scenes are in there for "reasons".

Obviously, Mary Sue Karen Galadriel stomps about being a totally obnoxious, insufferable, condescending, narcissistic bitch and just gets everything she wants well because she's the bestest evaaaahhh!!! - That "fight scene" - amatuer hour, it looked like the guards basically just filed into the cell *, tiny 'lil Galadriel just girl-bossed 4-5 soldiers in full armour in about 5 seconds flat. The action in this show is very poor indeed.

We did get another outing for "There is a tempest in me" which was very funny, and yes Morfydd Clark still has zero presence and menace and can't deliver a line to save her life. Best part as usual was the Dwarves, Disa is as good as anyone in this show, but again even though I like spending time down there, it's the same problem again everything moves at such a glacial pace. Anyone know why Bronwen is de facto leader of the Southlanders for some reason? No me neither...

Adar releases Arondir because reasons...then the Orcs try and kill him later again obviously though Arondir can teleport to save the day in the village, Adar can't pass a message to his sub-ordinates... it's also very convenient having the Orcs now for some reason being vampires, which means you can switch them on or off as threat as you see fit, and no need to make belieavable fight scenes or escapes from danger, not that for 1 second there is ever any threat, tension or any jeopardy in this show at all...

And then of course apropos of absolutely nothing "They took our jerbs" - But of course this show isn't political at all, it is all in my head...

:D

*Actually having watched this again a few times, three of the guards actually just run straight into the cell!!!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom