Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confro... Read allEpic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.
- Nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys
- 18 wins & 58 nominations total
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Summary
Reviewers say 'The Rings of Power' receives mixed reactions for its stunning visuals, intricate world-building, and ambitious storytelling. Critics point to deviations from Tolkien's lore, weak writing, and inconsistent pacing. Fans express disappointment in character portrayals and plot changes. Some viewers appreciate the fresh take and potential to expand Middle-earth. The show's production quality, special effects, and cinematography are often praised, while the script and character development draw less favorable remarks. Overall, it is seen as visually impressive but narratively uneven.
Featured reviews
As a Lord of the Rings fan, I was eagerly awaiting the origin stories of Middle-earth. Of course, I have high expectations after Lord of the Rings, which is close to perfection in terms of time and fiction. Because they have a considerable budget and opportunities, that's why I gave my points by watching the first episode right away. Although it is the beginning part, I can say that I liked the first part very much. The character of Galadriel could have been more strong, but she is still successful. We will warm up to the characters better over time.
Characters: 8 Story: 10 Decor and venue: 10 Costume: 10 Music: 10.
Characters: 8 Story: 10 Decor and venue: 10 Costume: 10 Music: 10.
A pleasant surprise, the cinematography is impeccable, the characters quite well done, the plot looks like a link between the stories of the First Age, the Silmarillion and the stories of the Lord of the Rings of the Third Age, the rhythm of narration is pleasant albeit a bit slow. If the outcome of the series will be to narrate how Sauron forged the Rings of Power, it will definitely be something to watch. Until this moment, I think that in general terms, at least the first chapter delivers. I think enough to be cautiously optimistic about what the next 7 episodes might turn out to be. I must add, again that I am pleasantly surprised.
We all know liberties were taken with this series so my review is not based on faithfulness to the source material.
A lot of the marketing for this show led people to fear it would be woke. I didn't see anything like that. I wasn't rolling my eyes or cringing at any virtue signalling.
The pace is a little rough in parts but since it's the beginning of the series I almost expect a little dawdling. There's a lot going on, things to be set up and introduced etc...
The characters and the story is engaging though, the cinematography was well done, and the score seemed to fit... so I'm honestly excited to see where this series goes.
Definitely give this a shot and decide for yourself.
A lot of the marketing for this show led people to fear it would be woke. I didn't see anything like that. I wasn't rolling my eyes or cringing at any virtue signalling.
The pace is a little rough in parts but since it's the beginning of the series I almost expect a little dawdling. There's a lot going on, things to be set up and introduced etc...
The characters and the story is engaging though, the cinematography was well done, and the score seemed to fit... so I'm honestly excited to see where this series goes.
Definitely give this a shot and decide for yourself.
The characters all feel completely one-dimensional and deliver some shamefully cheesy/corny dialogue. There are some really great moments here and there but it's a slog to sit through the other 50 minutes per episode to get to them. There is practically zero character development so far (I'm up to episode 7), and the characters very rarely have any memorable moments or interactions where their personality shines. The show completely lacks any discernible main forward momentum, the presence of which was the very foundation of the movies. It could all be forgiven if the action scenes were satisfying and the show had some good pacing, but they aren't and it doesn't. It feels simultaneously too slow and too fast. It's pretty remarkable how much they got wrong.
Also annoying is how every set feels so SMALL and strangely immaculate. Like all of their cosplay armor was just taken out of its box. Everything looks plastic and shiny and un-lived-in. I can't believe this cost $90 million dollars per episode... just insane.
I really hope they change writers for the second season, otherwise I don't think this will survive to see a season 3.
Also annoying is how every set feels so SMALL and strangely immaculate. Like all of their cosplay armor was just taken out of its box. Everything looks plastic and shiny and un-lived-in. I can't believe this cost $90 million dollars per episode... just insane.
I really hope they change writers for the second season, otherwise I don't think this will survive to see a season 3.
So Amazon Studios spent about a billion dollars buying material from the Tolkien estate. What did they get?:
* Names of characters * Names of places * A tiny bit of backstory
What DIDN'T they get?:
* Any actual character-driven stories * Any actual dialog * Any in-depth material describing character motivations * ANY access to ANYTHING from "The Lord of the Rings" (the books) or "The Hobbit"
No, everything they didn't get, they had to make up, along with a bunch of brand-new characters -- and clearly the writers are not actual fans of Tolkien or his work.
So you have characters doing things they shouldn't and saying things they shouldn't and interacting with other characters who weren't even alive at the same time, all within a just decent-looking setup that doesn't even look as nice as the original movies, 20 years ago.
This was a dumb mistake, Amazon. I hope you come to realize that.
* Names of characters * Names of places * A tiny bit of backstory
What DIDN'T they get?:
* Any actual character-driven stories * Any actual dialog * Any in-depth material describing character motivations * ANY access to ANYTHING from "The Lord of the Rings" (the books) or "The Hobbit"
No, everything they didn't get, they had to make up, along with a bunch of brand-new characters -- and clearly the writers are not actual fans of Tolkien or his work.
So you have characters doing things they shouldn't and saying things they shouldn't and interacting with other characters who weren't even alive at the same time, all within a just decent-looking setup that doesn't even look as nice as the original movies, 20 years ago.
This was a dumb mistake, Amazon. I hope you come to realize that.
Renewed, Canceled, or Ending?
Renewed, Canceled, or Ending?
Check out our list of renewals and cancellations to see if your favorite show made the cut.
Did you know
- TriviaAmazon's original pitch for the television rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' novels was to make the series a new adaptation of the latter (effectively a retelling of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)), but the Tolkien estate rejected this proposal. Amazon finally obtained the rights under the conditions that the series be distinct from Peter Jackson's earlier adaptations, and that they couldn't contradict anything that Tolkien had previously written. Early ideas that were proposed included prequel stories featuring characters such as Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf, but the showrunners preferred to focus on important untold events from the novels' lore rather than simple side stories, so they settled with the studio that the series would take place during the books' Second Age. Since they didn't have the rights to Tolkien's 'The Silmarillion', 'Unfinished Tales' and 'The History of Middle-earth' (which explore the First and Second Ages), they checked the Lord of the Rings novels and appendices for passages about and references to the Second Age that they could set their story in. They consulted with the estate and several Tolkien lore experts (including grandson and novelist Simon Tolkien) about the inclusion of new characters and plot elements.
- GoofsThe dubbing credits for several languages mistakenly list King Durin III as "Durin II".
- Crazy creditsThe opening titles is a musical sequence of matter forming various shapes, based on the "Music of the Ainur" creation myth from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion".
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Critical Drinker: The Rings of Power - War For A Fandom (2022)
"The Rings of Power" Cast Through the Years
"The Rings of Power" Cast Through the Years
See the cast of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" in all their most iconic roles from Morfydd Clark in Saint Maud to Benjamin Walker in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and more.
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- El señor de los anillos: Los anillos de poder
- Filming locations
- Auckland, New Zealand(series 1)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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