TeaHe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power There’s professionalism in all its glory—and gore. It’s a billion dollar visual feast created by JRR Tolkien from discarded breadcrumbs. Amazon Prime Video’s new offering — described as Jeff Bezos’s vanity project — promises to quench our thirst for high fantasy. But it takes creative liberties that vex purists.
In 2017, Amazon bought the television rights to The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Trilogy, hobbit and addendum for $250 million, and then inserted another $465 million in the first season of power rings alone. But it does not possess the rich lore of The Silmarillion Or other books in this complex world.
We don’t see elves driven by greed and power-lust killing each other in search of the Silmarils, jewels crafted by Elf Lord Fanor that contain flashes of light. Instead, we get a white-washed introduction at the beginning of the series.
If Tolkien’s work is the Bible, then the ‘Rings of Power’ is the lamp of sins.
First Sin: Lies
There’s creative freedom and then there’s just plain dishonesty. the story of power rings So far that’s all.
While her memories of Valinor unfold on screen, Galadriel’s voice reconciles thousands of years of bloodshed in minutes. it is allowed. But she doesn’t readily mention that her kin was involved in the first skirmish between the elves. Or that he defied the gods (Valar) and released Valinor despite the threat of a ban.
Morgoth, one of those creators who makes the evil Sauron look like a baby cockroach, is reduced to a bogeyman, his name dropped for nothing more than context at regular intervals.
And then there’s Galadriel, whose complicated history has been revised several times by Tolkien. His quest to avenge his brother is the driving force of the story. power rings, But in Tolkien’s mythology, he is alive and reunited with his true love in the immortal land of Valinor. Yes, he died while killing one of Sauron’s werewolves, but he was reborn by the Valar and given a return ticket to the Immortal Land of Valinor because of his noble behavior. It is highly unlikely that Galadriel was kept in the dark about the fate of her own brother.
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Second sin: Teaerased tropes
Lies can be condoned or passed on as petty offenses. After all, creative license is all about playing with imaginary truths. what is unforgivable power ringDependence on tired tropes.
The first two episodes see Galadriel turning into a caricature seeking reckless vengeance.
She jumps off ships and swims across the floating oceans to return to Middle Earth. Blinded by her need to confront and put an end to Sauron, she puts the lives of the elves under her command at risk. Galadriel, who is of aristocratic descent, is ambitious, not foolish.
Every epic needs star-crossed lovers. Tolkien’s Beren and Luthien had a love that shone through in the darkest of times. In power rings, we have a new character, Arondir, and a village healer who was rather boring. But we are still in the second episode. This subplot has the potential to redeem itself, but it will still pale in comparison to the original lovers.
For some relief, there is a new species ‘Harfoot’. What Neanderthals are to Homo sapiens, maybe they are to Hobbits. But they appear to be the counterparts of the Hobbits in their mannerisms. Their sole purpose is to remind us of the power of innocence in the confrontation of good and evil.
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Third sin: flat script
Tropes, even tired ones, can be forgiven if they are funny or interesting. But in the voice of everyone except the dwarfs power rings fall flat.
Harfoot seeks the safety of his known world. But Nori Brandyfoot, like Bilbo Baggins, yearns to explore the unknown. She is the rebellious daughter, the downtrodden, an important subplot in an epic fantasy. But unlike Bilbo and later Frodo and Co., she is constantly reminding viewers of her wanderlust.
This is especially troubling when the elves get some screen time. Tolkien’s elves are creatures of art, poetry, and music. But series showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay have either forgotten or haven’t been able to find talented screenwriters. There’s more to an elf than pointy ears, a watery nose and exquisite hair.
His speech has an old-world cadence, a lyricism that sets him apart from gruff dwarves, massive orcs, straight-talking humans, and crunchy heartfoots.
this mistake in power rings Disturbing, especially against the astonishing backdrop of their cities which speaks to their skills as craftsmen. It sees a younger generation of elves such as Galadriel, Arondir and Elrond play dress-up like high school students, while the older high-born lords seem like petulant children.
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Fourth Sin: Hook
In an interview with Tolkien’s son, Christopher, 2012 le monde Was unhappy with the original films. “Tolkien has become a monster, consumed by his popularity and absorbed in the absurdity of our times … Commercialization has diminished the aesthetic and philosophical impact of creation. There is only one remedy for me: own turn your head,” she had Told,
Christopher died in 2020, but his harsh criticism holds true for Amazon power rings, It glorifies fan fiction.
The problem with well-produced, commercialized fanfiction is that it can be entertaining. I’ve got hooks inside of it, and I’ll see power rings again next week. It’s like digging a bowl of death by chocolate for breakfast. You can’t wash away the lingering taste of guilt.
Thoughts are personal.
This article is part of a series called off the reel, You can read all the articles here.