For those saying it isn't that bad of a show, as a Tolkien dork myself I just can't stomach anything that doesn't feel like it adheres to the canon of the original story. The show just takes too many creative liberties for my liking. Galadriel's character is the worst example of that, I just don't see that as her at allllll.
this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2024
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Galadriel’s character is the worst example of that, I just don’t see that as her at allllll.
That's probably the main critic among fans. It's okay to have this kind of characters, just don't call her Galadriel
I think there is a hollywood trap right now, investors want safe returns, so big franchise names have been thought to be the safest return you can invest in.
A creative wants to make a story they can call their own.
Rock meets Hard Place, so the creatives - in order to get funding to create - co-opt existing franchises in their pitch, and if it gets accepted, they want to tear down the previous lore so they can make it their own.
So we end up in a loop where franchisees often get abused in the new creative works.
Like the Joker movie gamespot
When he pitched the idea for Joker to Warner Bros., the studio went back and forth. "And I go, 'We're gonna sneak a real movie in under the guise of [a comic book movie],'" the director continued. That apparently did the trick.
Of course, that's a controversial statement, as it implies that comic book and superhero movies aren't what Phillips considers "real movies." The director took a moment during his story to clarify: "I don't mean that like disparagingly to comic book movies--those are real movies," he said. But he went on to double down a moment later.
"All of a sudden kids who wouldn't care or go to this movie if it was called 'Arthur' are going to go sit in this movie and be exposed to something entirely different than Avengers: Endgame," he continued. "I love those movies. [Robert Downey Jr.] is my boy. But they just watched a real movie, in a way."
Damn, talk about lazily arrogant writers. They must know they're going to piss off the fanbase, "I've got a new take on Tolkien that's BETTER than Tolkien!" and this is what happens when the corporate suits who greenlight this sort of misguided "hot politically correct take" don't care ANYTHING about Middle Earth, all they see are mirages of $$$ and the fidgety anxiety of budgets and deadlines.
For a hot minute there, I thought this current generation of writers and directors who were given this new format of high-budget 8-12 episode series, were going to make the best use of this golden opportunity.
Instead we get crap like Goyer inserting his brain farts and artificialities all over "Foundation" until the spirit of Isaac Asimov is no longer felt on the screen, at all.
I'm okay with it shitting on the lore if it's good, but it's not so much.
I just treat it as drunk written fanfic and its fine
After the hobbit can you blame him?
It's the shmell.
He didn't say it! He said all the other things, then he nearly said it, then he didn't say it!
I also don't want to go back there after seeing season 1.
Why? Honestly?
I didn't find it amazing, but not horrible either. I'm not the deepest of lore nerds, but I have somewhat read the Silmarillion a few decades ago, and enjoyed seeing all the "mythical" places like Númenor.
It's no LOTR, but it sure beats a lot of other shows I watch
I also don’t want to go back there after seeing season 1
Why? Honestly?
The writing for Rings of Power is just bad. It comes off as someone's self-insert fan fiction. Let's start off with Mary "Galadriel" Sue. Solving all of Middle Earth's problems single-handedly while making googly eyes at Sauron. There's also the entirely forgettable plotline around the people in the town being overrun by orcs being guarded by an elf with the emotional range of a fence post. It seems an entirely contrived plot to get a magic sword in the right place and nothing else. The characters involved are flat, and predictable. We also get to see Numenor, yay! Except it's filled with another bland plot which is like someone really loved the Grima Wormtounge plot from LotR and wanted to spend a couple hours doing the same thing while also giving Galadriel another chance to Mary Sue her way through the city's problems. And all of those issues are shot through with dialog which sounds like a 16-year old LARPing around a girl he has a crush on. Completely stiff and unnatural.
Really, the only things the show has going for it are incredible CG artwork in the backgrounds and the Lord of the Rings association. Forget that this is based on the LotR connection for a moment, and the show looks like really well funded fantasy shlock from the height of the SyFy channel. Sure, if you're dead drunk on the couch and the TV remote is across the room, it's good enough to not put in the effort to go change the channel. But, as a tent-pole show on a streaming site? Ya, they need to can the entire writing staff and try again.
Oh no, a romantic plotline in a billion dollar production!
Sauron has always been portrayed as beautiful and as "the deceiver." Why would being charmed by him be a bad thing?
Yes, Galadriel is "solving all of Middle-Earth's problems single-handedly" in that she's doing with the help of everyone.
Reminder that Elrond's dad literally plead to the gods to help them fight Morgoth and was made a literal star afterwards. This is literally a fantasy epic? You don't expect there to be... epic things in it? Galadriel is just one of the main characters.
"Elf with the emotional range of a fence post"
So because there's no overt expression of emotion, there isn't any emotion? I feel like that's a "you can't read emotion" problem more than a it's lacking emotional range problem. Do you recall Legolas as mightily expressive emotionally, or could it be that a splash of stoicism is actually something associated with the portrayal of wood-elves?
No offense, but your analysis feels rather shallow.
Completely stiff and unnatural.
Idk, like something from the early 20th century? I wonder why there'd be a feeling of something like that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think people are rather just going with the bandwagon on these reviews. It's not great, but its definitely not terrible.
It's mediocre/fine basic entertainment, and just there's so much supply in that area that I can easily choose to spend my time on something better. I'd rather not reward them for doing this.
Also, I am a Tolkien nerd and it's difficult not to take offense from some of the details.
supply in that area that I can easily choose to spend my time on something better
Please do share, I watch a lot of shows and the reason I'm watching ROP s1 rn is I have to recap some of these personal storylines from it, so that I might enjoy s2 — first 3 eps of which came out today — better.
Also, I am a Tolkien nerd and it's difficult not to take offense from some of the details.
Again, I'm not trying to sarcastic or a dick or anything, but asking in honest curiosity, which parts bothered you? I'm sort of in two minds about the Stranger. There's a lot of news about how the Tolkien Estate had very strict limits on Amazon not being able to do anything to do with the Third age, or at least nothing that would alter anything in it. But that would mean the Stranger isn't Gandalf, to which they were dropping major hints at, obviously. If those hints were a red herring though, and it turns out the Stranger is one of the blue wizards, I'd be pleasantly surprised. I still think that should be the case, but... it's hard to ignore people saying "Gandalf confirmed" after the whole "always follow your nose" business.
Well, for the genre of fantasy, and perhaps as some sort of a master class of telling a story -- I recommend checking out Frieren.
which parts bothered you?
The writing, the characters and the actors mostly. Say, Galadriel and Elrond. Gandalf also, yes. If I thought about it more, I'd probably remember more irritating details.
I mean, it would've been a perfectly fine 7/10 series if it hadn't had to happen in the context that it did. But when they chose to do a Tolkien world thing, that carries with it a certain responsibility.
Uh, I'm looking more for non-animated shows, but thanks for the suggestion. (Reminded me that Arcane s2 is coming out in a while I think. Oh yeah: in November.)
I'd probably remember more irritating details.
But... you just named things. Not what annoyed you about them..? What was wrong with the writing? I thought it was rather nice how they sort of phased out bioessentialism a bit, despite it being very inherent to the world. Like do you have any specific qualms about what you found bad?
Again, not trying to disagree or antagonise or anything of the like, but am genuinely curious. Just discussing.
that carries with it a certain responsibility.
I agree. If the Stranger actually turns out to be Gandalf, I'll consider them having broken that responsibility. If not, then I don't think they have.
Uh, I’m looking more for non-animated shows, but thanks for the suggestion. (Reminded me that Arcane s2 is coming out in a while I think. Oh yeah: in November.)
Well, there's the Dungeons & Dragons movie from 2023. That was fun and entertaining. Game of Thrones of course, for the most part -- and I believe House of the Dragon is good even though I haven't gotten there yet.
I think you should still check out Frieren imho if you're into fantasy at all.
Again, not trying to disagree or antagonise or anything of the like, but am genuinely curious. Just discussing.
Sorry man, I don't want to remember why anymore.
Well, there’s the Dungeons & Dragons movie from 2023.
So sad to see it bomb at the box office
It was a whimsical jaunt indeed, I quite enjoyed the D&D movie yeah.
Seen HotD, read all the books. Better than GoT imo, because of the huge fall in quality in GoT. I still believe Winds of Winter will come out some day. I still believe, George!
Sorry man, I don't want to remember why anymore.
Eh, I'm not surprised. It's the sort of answer most people give as to why they didn't like it. Rather vague feelings, but as entertainment is mostly subjective, I can't (and wouldn't) challenge that.
People on reddit are currently jerking off to this steaming pile of shite. My favourite exchange...
Someone asked why the show is getting so much hate and the highest upvoted answer was: "Because people who criticise the show never read any of Tolkien's books". I shit you not.
They are fucking delusional.
how many people who read the books also read the appendix?
What does it have to do with the show?
The studio only had license to use the appendix and not the main books.
"Besides, I watched a Viewmaster of the LOTR movies and figured that that was an equivelent experience to Rings of Power."