CNN: Rings of Power delivers spectacle, lacks dramatic power

[LagunaD2]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/31/enter...iew/index.html

The series format – episodes will drop weekly after the two-part premiere – also tends to invite some bad habits versus even Jackson’s notoriously long movies, with plodding interludes and a second episode that unfolds on multiple fronts without feeling as if a whole lot is happening, relatively speaking.

[...]

Thus far, Amazon’s formidable loot – enough of an investment to become an inextricable part of the coverage – has been brought to bear in the service of relatively uninspired storytelling, deficient in narrative urgency. The expectations raised by the title thus become something of a double-edged sword, particularly when so much has been made of promoting what a gargantuan effort this promised to be.

As for the epic battle that awaits, “The Rings of Power” might still rise to the occasion. Yet despite those beautiful, sweeping vistas of Middle-earth as the music swells and the camera pans across them, after the initial introduction it’s hard to resist the temptation to say, “Wake me when you get there.”

The review may only be based on the first two episodes. There *is* a lot of backstory to set up for those not already familiar with Middle-earth and its history.

[Radhruin_EU]

The review may only be based on the first two episodes. There *is* a lot of backstory to set up for those not already familiar with Middle-earth and its history.

While that's true, pacing of your first episode in particular is pretty damn important. As is having compelling characters from the get-go.

[TesalionLortus]

Thus far, Amazon's formidable loot -- enough of an investment to become an inextricable part of the coverage -- has been brought to bear in the service of relatively uninspired storytelling, deficient in narrative urgency.

As for the epic battle that awaits, "The Rings of Power" might still rise to the occasion. Yet despite those beautiful, sweeping vistas of Middle-earth as the music swells and the camera pans across them, after the initial introduction it's hard to resist the temptation to say, "Wake me when you get there."

UH OH.

That's on mainstream media... how did that happen? Just two days, can't wait. Some of the sneak peak scenes that got shown were already so cringe you could barely breath. Although I guess the Disa/Durin/Elrond scene showcased they can act at least and the dynamic between the three of them may turn out nicely, but the again... Elrond's delivery at the end of it came of "a bit" ironic... so I dunno.

[TesalionLortus]

Found some more decent reviews if someone is interested 1, 2, 3 (though the third one in particular sounds like it's written by someone who only knows of Tolkien's world though the lenses of LOTR but... even this one makes some interesting observations about the weak points).

Overall, some spoilers of cringe stuff and how undecisive the show is on all sides. Style, cinematics, and target audience. Though this is my personal favorite for now:

Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) cartwheels and whirls her enchanted sword before dispatching the giant fiend with a bloodless blow. It's highly stylised, like a Japanese manga cartoon.

An episode later, the healer Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and her son fight an orc, and this time the violence is as brutal as anything in Game Of Thrones. They stab it, spear it, run it through, hang it and finally saw through its neck with a knife – before Bronwyn, soaked in blood, displays the head as a trophy. Small children and persons of a nervous disposition should not watch.

LOL.

Episode 1 no blood PJ's Hobbit style except it's manga or some Bolywood acrobatic nonsense.

Episode 2 brutal struggle with orcs like that one time in LOTR with Aragorn vs Lurtz except here it's the whole family stabbing it multiple times and sawing through it's neck in GoTish display of violence and blood.

Wow, indecisive much are they

Also, one of those interviews mentioned characters were so bland they were cheering on the orcs XD Yeah, I expected that might happen...

[Radhruin_EU]

Episode 1 no blood PJ's Hobbit style except it's manga or some Bolywood acrobatic nonsense.

It's like Legolas in the Hobbit movies (other people have remarked on that). Floaty, weightless 'physics, lol' action scenes. A deliberate contrast between Elves and Men, at a guess. (And a terrible idea, since we already know it looks completely unconvincing).

Episode 2 brutal struggle with orcs like that one time in LOTR with Aragorn vs Lurtz except here it's the whole family stabbing it multiple times and sawing through it's neck in GoTish display of violence and blood.

Certainly makes you wonder who this is meant to be for. See-sawing between being anodyne and ultraviolent will be weird if they make a habit of that.

Also, one of those interviews mentioned characters were so bland they were cheering on the orcs XD Yeah, I expected that might happen...

Called it, lol (well, I said I'd be cheering on Sauron but until he reveals himself the Orcs will have to do).

That first review has got some serious snark going on. I liked this bit: "...a heavenly light ray pouring out of parting clouds. The latter is almost a Monty Python special effect": I'd already taken to imagining Eru Iluvatar as God from Terry Gilliam's animated interludes in Monty Python so I approve of this message

I'm not going to dwell much on anything from the Daily Mail (ack! retch! yuck!) but anyone who's surprised to see "quasi-religious imagery" and tries to blame it on pop culture doesn't know their Tolkien. And that third review, yeah, reckon they've only seen the LOTR movies and just plain haven't watched much fantasy at all, GoT excepted.

[TesalionLortus]

That first review has got some serious snark going on. I liked this bit: "...a heavenly light ray pouring out of parting clouds. The latter is almost a Monty Python special effect": I'd already taken to imagining Eru Iluvatar as God from Terry Gilliam's animated interludes in Monty Python so I approve of this message

Haha, yeah. Not sure if you heard about who that person is but... I can't wait for that 'iconic' 'take a swim' scene... who is supposedly no one else than our Mighty Warrior Galadriel (so smart, so athletic - swim across the ocean it is!). I wasn't really thinking it was going to be THAT nonsensical (just expected it to be very pompous and Hollywood shallow/nothing to do with Tolkien but not UTTER NONSENSE) but the way some of these reviews describe it... maybe they intentionally turned it into a Tolkien parody of sorts, I don't know... sounds more and more like it :P

[Radhruin_EU]

Haha, yeah. Not sure if you heard about who that person is but... I can't wait for that 'iconic' 'take a swim' scene... who is supposedly no one else than our Mighty Warrior Galadriel (so smart, so athletic - swim across the ocean it is!). I wasn't really thinking it was going to be THAT nonsensical (just expected it to be very pompous and Hollywood shallow/nothing to do with Tolkien but not UTTER NONSENSE) but the way some of these reviews describe it... maybe they intentionally turned it into a Tolkien parody of sorts, I don't know... sounds more and more like it :P

Yeah, swimming across the ocean would be nearly Beowulf levels of malarkey. (Except he'd supposedly swum for days in mail and fought a sea-monster with his sword, lol).

Word from elsewhere is that their Galadriel is insufferable, equal parts Mary Sue and Karen. (Presumably when she gets to Numenor she'll want to see the manager...)

[DavidmeetHal]

. (Presumably when she gets to Numenor she'll want to see the manager...)

OMG that's funny. ROFL!!!!!

[Secantur]

The cat is out of the bag.

Not even Beruthiel can put it back in again. ;-)

---

[LagunaD2]

Let's hope it gets better.

[Devolved]

I've only seen one of the trailers so far - but that trailer seemed like this series is just going to be yet another vehicle carrying a Message for the masses - canon of the core material be ... darned.


Or to put it another way... "One video to pull them together and on YouTube join them."

[LagunaD2]

I think it's pretty silly to suggest that the series is being produced for any reason other than to make money.

[DavidmeetHal]

I was watching some interviews of the cast, they act like a group of activists instead of actors.

[alwaysbroke]

When CNN has something to say it's typically democrat leaning. It's no surprise then that CNN came up with an excuse to ream Amazon and the new LOTR series. As this review is coming out both parties are at war over Amazon. Democrats are upset about some stuff so naturally CNN has something to say.

/inb4lock

[LagunaD2]

I was watching some interviews of the cast, they act like a group of activists instead of actors.

The cast doesn't write the script.

[DavidmeetHal]

The cast doesn't write the script.

But what they say or do can have a big impact on making or breaking interest in a show or movie.

[LagunaD2]

But what they say or do can have a big impact on making or breaking interest in a show or movie.

Perhaps during production, when it's the only information available to the public.

I don't recall cast statements being an important factor in the initial rise, or subsequent fall, of Game of Thrones. It lived and died by virtue of what was on the screen.

[Radhruin_EU]

Perhaps during production, when it's the only information available to the public.

I don't recall cast statements being an important factor in the initial rise, or subsequent fall, of Game of Thrones. It lived and died by virtue of what was on the screen.

That'd be because the GoT cast didn't come out with any activist nonsense or attack the fans, and HBO weren't hell-bent on making it forcibly diverse and intersectional (much less having quotas for that) so they wouldn't have wanted them to.

Besides which GoT was rock-solid to begin with and a fairly close adaptation of the books so it appealed on its own merits whereas Amazon Studios plainly felt they needed something else with which to sell RoP. It also took a few series before the rot set into GoT, most particularly once they ran out of books and had to start trying to write it all themselves, whereas RoP is starting at the point of them writing it all themselves and it's not off to a promising start.

[LagunaD2]

That'd be because the GoT cast didn't come out with any activist nonsense or attack the fans, and HBO weren't hell-bent on making it forcibly diverse and intersectional (much less having quotas for that) so they wouldn't have wanted them to.

The anachronism/novelty of dark-skinned hobbits and elves might get people to tune in once out of curiosity, but it's not going keep them tuning in for a whole season, let alone five. The problem with box-checking is that once a box is checked, it's done.

In the first two episodes, nothing the characters played by minorities did suggested they were viewed (by themselves or others) as different. If the script is color-blind, it shouldn't bother anyone. The minority roles are the equivalent of Lt. Uhura on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise: if nobody in-world cares what color her skin is, then why should we?

It's the opposite of intersectionality, which holds that racial and sexual categories are the basis of social advantage and disadvantage.

[Radhruin_EU]

The anachronism/novelty of dark-skinned hobbits and elves might get people to tune in once out of curiosity, but it's not going keep them tuning in for a whole season, let alone five. The problem with box-checking is that once a box is checked, it's done.

The point was that the GoT cast didn't deliberately say controversial things just to draw attention, so far as I recall. So naturally there wasn't anything early on to draw the concerted ire of fans like RoP has (they shot themselves in the foot there, in a way that'll be lasting).

In the first two episodes, nothing the characters played by minorities did suggested they were viewed (by themselves or others) as different. If the script is color-blind, it shouldn't bother anyone.

If you seriously think that applies here I think it's you that's turning a blind eye, not the script.

- unsubtle references to real-world racism, directed at Arondir (a racial epithet, 'you people', etc.) from white male characters
- unsubtle reference to interracial relationship, involving Arondir specifically (remarks made by a white male character)

And from the trailer, unsubtle references to something real obvious when Arondir gets chained up by the Orcs and there's lots of leaping around while chained, leaping over chains, etc. (and I'm sure that'll extend to breaking chains at some point). My, whatever could they be getting at? It could hardly be any more on the nose.

The minority roles are the equivalent of Lt. Uhura on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Nope. That was an imagined hopeful future, not a legendary past made artificially diverse just to make a clumsy point. And the TOS scripts deliberately drew attention to Uhura's race on at least two occasions I can think of because they wanted to make a point beyond her simply being there. And when it comes to making a point, let's not forget the episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" either.

It's the opposite of intersectionality, which holds that racial and sexual categories are the basis of social advantage and disadvantage.

Oh really.

Looks like you failed to notice how much they've pushed Galadriel, Nori, Arondir, Miriel, Sadoc Burrows and Disa as characters and conversely how the show's showing almost all the white male characters to be notably flawed in one way or another (with the exceptions being Galadriel's brother who's excused by being dead, and the Stranger because he's not all there right now). Elrond is a poor friend, overly political and gets put down for mansplaining. Gil-galad just wants to get rid of the Strong Female Lead because she challenges his authority. Durin's a bit of a man-child who gets put straight by Disa. Nori's dad contrives to break his ankle because he was insisting on doing something himself. The male villagers in Tirharad are unpleasant. Galadriel's men are shown as weak and ineffectual (they run out of steam, they get stomped by the troll, and Galadriel casually solos it). Halbrand is an anti-hero at best and will probably turn out to be evil. And Celebrimbor's pride will be his undoing (not that that's original but it's more about how the role is written here). Oh, and the other Elves in Arondir's company are racist. Beginning to see a pattern here?

[DavidmeetHal]

Perhaps during production, when it's the only information available to the public.

I don't recall cast statements being an important factor in the initial rise, or subsequent fall, of Game of Thrones. It lived and died by virtue of what was on the screen.

Oh no, that's apples and oranges. GoT never had any sort of agenda. Rings of Power had an agenda driven reputation from the very start, and Amazon was very blatant about it, and the cast interviews only reinforced that. Rings of Power has been open about it's being agenda driven from the very start.

Game of Thrones was never like that.

[LagunaD2]

If you seriously think that applies here I think it's you that's turning a blind eye, not the script.

- unsubtle references to real-world racism, directed at Arondir (a racial epithet, 'you people', etc.) from white male characters
- unsubtle reference to interracial relationship, involving Arondir specifically (remarks made by a white male character)

Galadriel faced the same animus from the people on the raft, and Elrond from the Dorfs. Nothing to do with skin color.

Looks like you failed to notice how much they've pushed Galadriel, Nori, Arondir, Miriel, Sadoc Burrows and Disa as characters and conversely how the show's showing almost all the white male characters to be notably flawed in one way or another (with the exceptions being Galadriel's brother who's excused by being dead, and the Stranger because he's not all there right now).

Galadriel is hardly without flaws, for starters. They've made her a bitter, war-mongering, Ahab-like shrew who places no value on the lives of those under her command.

Elrond is a poor friend, overly political and gets put down for mansplaining. Gil-galad just wants to get rid of the Strong Female Lead because she challenges his authority. Durin's a bit of a man-child who gets put straight by Disa. Nori's dad contrives to break his ankle because he was insisting on doing something himself. The male villagers in Tirharad are unpleasant. Galadriel's men are shown as weak and ineffectual (they run out of steam, they get stomped by the troll, and Galadriel casually solos it). Halbrand is an anti-hero at best and will probably turn out to be evil. And Celebrimbor's pride will be his undoing (not that that's original but it's more about how the role is written here). Oh, and the other Elves in Arondir's company are racist.

So are the Elves in Tolkien's writings. And the Men. And the Dorfs. It's a world where people over-generalize and distrust each other, and carry grudges for millenia.

Beginning to see a pattern here?

Yes; you've somehow talked yourself into seeing even the most trivial story elements as elements of some vast, sinister conspiracy.

[Mund]

Radhruin, you're the one bringing your own gross politics to this show. The show itself is just depicting characters in a way appropriate to the story, some of whom happen to be not white. At the end of the day you're complaining that some characters in a fantasy show are black. Grow up.

[LagunaD2]

I'm also not sure how you believe Elrond was portrayed as a poor friend. His happiness upon hearing that Galadriel was back was obviously genuine, and his words to her were warm and honest, although not what she wanted to hear.

I'd say he was the most sympathetic character of the first two episodes; sincere, dutiful, humble, clever. Unlike G, he was relatable and felt like a real person.

[Tralfazz]

The minority roles are the equivalent of Lt. Uhura on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise: if nobody in-world cares what color her skin is, then why should we?

There was one episode where it mattered: The Naked Time.

A deranged Lt. Sulu steps out of the turbolift onto the bridge, shirtless and oiled, brandishing a fencing épée. He grabs Uhura and proclaims, "I'll protect you, fair maiden!" To which the lady responds, "Sorry, neither!"

The best part of that line is that it wasn't in the script, it was ad-libbed by Nichelle Nichols! Edgy as heck for 1966.