Is there a bigger TV show to be released than The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Much has been said about the insane amount of money Amazon has spent bringing the show to its Prime Video service. However, I feel that the more than delivered and the two-episode series premiere has gotten me very excited about this show.
How to Download The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
You can download or stream the film from Amazon Prime. Click on the Download button at the end of this review.. Check out also the other six films based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien:
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012),
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013),
- The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies (2014),
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001),
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002),
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
The Movie Review
Please note, that I am reviewing the season premiere of the show here and not the entire first season, I may come back later and look at the first season as a whole, but for now, we just have the first two episodes to look at. I can tell you that after the first 30 minutes, I was a little unsure of this, but by the time the credits rolled on episode two, I was completely taken in by the show.
While I enjoyed the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies, I am far from a Tolkien scholar so I will be able to look past certain “liberties” easier than some other fans that is for sure. The setting of the show is the third age of Middle Earth, which takes place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Middle Earth is a land that is in relative peace, but some feel evil is returning to the land and that an evil called Sauron will rise. There is a large ensemble cast here and it may be hard to keep track in these first two episodes, but the character I feel is going to be the real star of the show is Galadriel and she is a powerful and brave Elven warrior.
You get a great mixture of all the races that you would expect to find in Middle Earth such as Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and Harfoots. The first episode is really trying hard to tell us about these different parts of Middle Earth, their motives, and their relationships with the other races. It is a great deal to take in and the show seems like it is going to be something that is more interested in telling us than showing us.
However, in episode two, things really do kick into high gear. I feel that the first episode had to be slower-paced to lay the groundwork. Episode two is much more spectacular and really sets the tone for what we can expect as well as give us our first real “what” moment as a mystery is revealed.
We have no doubt all read about how much money Amazon has spent on each episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and it is easy to see where that money went. This is one of the most spectacular looking TV shows I have ever seen. It is the kind of show that 4K TVs were made for.
The different locations of Middle Earth look amazing, everything is so clear and full of details that you may struggle to take it all in on your first viewing. It is not just all flash, there is some real substance to the way the show is shot as well. They get great close ups of the characters’ faces when dramatic stuff is going down which brings me to another good point, the acting in this show is incredible, they do a great job of pulling you into this world.
While the first episode may have been slow, the second episode more than made up for it. I feel that Amazon had to release episodes 1 and 2 together as separately they might not have been as impressive, but together they truly do showcase what we can expect from this show. If you enjoyed The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I am sure you will have a lot of fun with this show.
