The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Série 1

I resisted watching this series for a long time, had many discussions about it, and pondered the best time to dive in. Finally, I chose a period of absolute calm, and I must admit it wasn't as bad as I expected. The first few episodes are mostly introductory, with stunning visuals, a solid musical score, and a cast that doesn't immediately impress. Around the halfway point, I found myself getting pretty bored and reading about the tough time the writers had, working with a limited portion of Tolkien's work. Some viewers are very critical of this, but luckily, I'm not deeply entrenched in Middle-earth lore, so I mostly just got lost. Then came episode six — the battle and the climax of some storylines. From that point on, I couldn't tear myself away, and by the end of episode eight, I concluded it wasn't a waste of time at all. We'll see what season two brings. It's at a tipping point now; it could either go in the right direction or fall back into the gray mediocrity that this series has also shown it can deliver. (12/29/2022)

Giving it one star because it's currently trendy, that would be reminiscent of the Titanic days, which would certainly not be wise. However, I can understand the extreme indignation of die-hard fans of the saga, because the Lord of the Rings series is aesthetically quite impressive, and thanks to some nice cinematography and decent work with the music, it's a bit epic, but script-wise it's a mess, and when it comes down to it, The Rings of Power looks like a mix of Indy, Harry Potter and the Twilight saga. The acting and the casting are a failure. Technically, there is something to build on and work with in a second season, but in order for that not to be a fiasco, it will have to undergo a drastic overhaul and its creators will have to thoroughly redo a lot of things. (04/18/2023)

After finishing the first season, I'm not exactly bursting with enthusiasm, but I was bracing myself for something far worse. I've come to expect that every successful venture (like the Lord of the Rings trilogy) will eventually be milked for sequels and prequels until we're left with a weak imitation, akin to tea steeped in hot water five times over. So far, it seems the creators haven't strayed too far from the source material, though they did miss the mark on several occasions. What bothered me most were the dull and uninspired dialogues, the excessive use of CGI, and an overwhelming amount of slow-motion shots (most of which seemed unnecessary; such as the frequent studies in equestrian riding). It wasn't the disaster I had anticipated, but I can't say I was entirely satisfied either, although there were a few bright moments that caught my attention. / Lesson learned: "It will be our duty to forge for him a tomb, granting him the immortality in stone." Either the people of Númenor had a very unconventional burial practice, or I simply don't get it. (08/29/2023)