The Lord of the Rings - The Rings of Power Review: Critics Call Amazon's Fantasy Series An 'Epic' Return to Middle Earth

The first reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are out, and it looks like the show is nothing short of being spectacular. With reviews saying that the spectacle of the show rivals those of blockbuster films, it looks like Amazon has a hit on their hands. So before you return to Tolkien's magical world starting this Friday, let's take a look at what some of the reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are saying. The Lord of the Rings – The Rings of Power Series Review: Tolkien’s Fantasy World Wrapped Up in a Dull Plot (LatestLY Exclusive).

Watch the Trailer:

IGN: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is telling its own story using the lore of Tolkien as a foundation, and the first two episodes make a solid case for why that story deserves to be told in such extravagance. While the first episode gets a little too caught up in exposition, the second is able to build on the characters and their relationships much more naturally, setting in motion a few intriguing subplots and a respectable amount of action. Through it all, it’s always well-acted by its ensemble cast and gorgeously shot and produced, with cinematography, effects, costumes, and original music that rival the biggest of big-budget movies.

CNET: Twenty years later, audiences are used to spectacular fantasy worlds and big-screen battles not only in movies like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, but also in television shows like Game of Thrones, and now GOT's prequel series, House of the Dragon. With so many other universes to get immersed in, it's an open question whether throwing a billion or so dollars at an adaptation of a book's appendices over a minimum of five seasons is enough to delve into the heart of LOTR fandom. But for now The Rings of Power is a cinematic trip back to Middle-earth that'll make you want to volunteer your axe with a hearty "why not?"

The Wrap: “Ring of Power” is dense with lore and characters. Multiple viewings may be required, but it won’t be wasted time. It’s rare to feel that one is stepping into another world; the seams of our reality are frequently present. Get lost in the beauty of this series. While it may feel heavy, there is an attempt to bring in comedy and heart with the dwarves, and the writers and directors (J.A. Bayona directs the first two installments) have tapped beautifully into fantasy-romance and horror to bring layers of texture to the script. Overall, “Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” makes for an engaging and awe-inspiring watch.

The Guardian: I have a couple of small reservations. On occasion, there is a whiff of “smell-the-fart” acting, which is perhaps hard to avoid when every other line is a poker-faced aphorism such as: “A dog may bark at the moon, but he cannot bring it down.” The pace, too, is a little all-or-nothing. It either races through astonishing action scenes, or lingers on a single conversation or meaningful look. But these are quibbles and, in the end, the spectacle wins. This is enormously enjoyable TV, a cinematic feast. Now, I just need to find someone with a huge telly to let me watch with them. The Lord of the Rings - The Rings of Power: Review, Release Date, Time, Where to Watch – All You Need to Know About Amazon's Upcoming Fantasy Series Based on JRR Tolkien's Works!

The Verge: Regardless of whether it’s streaming or airing on traditional networks, it’s rare that a series lives up to its studio’s dreams of it simultaneously feeling like a bingeable TV show and like a big, expensive cinematic event. Between a slate of strong performances, an eye for impactful minutiae, and a solid sense of its own ability to grow beyond the canon that it’s not technically a part of, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power definitely seems like it could be just that.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 01, 2022 11:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).