The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

[Zathras5]

 

Quote

 

A new age begins September 2, 2022. Journey to Middle-earth with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

 

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.

 

Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.

 

Hope this is good...

[sava700]

Didn't care for the hobbit trilogy much..never was one to go back in time, I'd rather keep going forward.

They will stretch these out sadly vs full length films also which seems just disappointing.

 

[Zathras5]

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings Series Rises: Inside The Rings of Power

[Gurn Blandsten]

I really hope they don't botch this. The new images look pretty good though.

[+Warwagon MVC]

Meh, looks cheap. LOTR shot on Film, Hobbit Shot on digital which is why it didn't look as good as LOTR either.

 

 

[margrave]

I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic

[Good Bot, Bad Bot]

 

It looks like it is going to be geared toward teens. Sigh...

[Zathras5]

Meh, that trailer didn't do much for me.

[Zathras5]

Better trailer...

 

[+Warwagon MVC]

On 22/07/2022 at 15:09, Zathras5 said:

Better trailer...

 

That trailer made it look, slightly less terrible.

[hellowalkman Reporter]

On 23/07/2022 at 01:39, Zathras5 said:

Better trailer...

 

Still not very impressed. 😵

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

Wait, I am by far the most ok person to not judje people on the color of skin .. we are all same under that less then 1mm pigment 

 

But to show us multiple races in this universe.... And then at the time of Lord of the Rings everyone is white and it seems they never seen colored people....

 

Did a genocide happened in between?

 

 

Also, those trailers suck. So disappointed.

 

What were they thinking. That they create the Game of Thrones hype?

 

Without actual background material to cover it fully? Serious question 

 

This will flop. Waste of money.

 

I will believe the Gollum game will be more fun to LOTR fan.

 

 

 

[FloatingFatMan]

On 22/07/2022 at 21:09, Zathras5 said:

Better trailer...

 

Polishing a turd doesn't alter the underlying facts...  It's still a turd.

 

[Zathras5]

Personally, It doesn't look that bad... but I'll reserve judgment until it's actually out.

[hagjohn]

Watched the first 2 episodes this evening. It is pretty good. Graphics good. A bit slow but that is to be expected since it is not a movie.

[+mram Subscriber²]

Watched the first two eps.

 

I've not been more excited about a new series in a while.  It's really good.  I was really bothered by the effects in the Hobbit -- they seemed way too forced; by way of comparison, I know there's a lot of effects in this series, but they are so well done as to look a lot more natural.  Granted, time has passed since the Hobbit, but I also felt that the LOTR movies were really well done but even then the effects were a lot more practical then.  It's just nice to see a show with a lot of effects that feels and looks really natural and not too much like a stage.

 

It's hard to get a new series going with little or no knowledge of plot of people, but both seem engaging right from the get-go.  I'm intrigued by multiple plot threads that are keeping me interested.  The acting is very good.  The pacing is very good.  I'm actively looking forward to the next ep. 

 

The only gripe I have is external to the show:  People are review-bombing the show for having non-white actors playing various races.  I consider myself a Tolkien nut, and an open minded person, and this is dumb.  All the races are represented awesomely!

 

Watch this show!

 

Ok so ...

Spoiler

who's the tall stranger???

 

[hagjohn]

On 05/09/2022 at 04:31, mram said:

Watched the first two eps.

 

I've not been more excited about a new series in a while.  It's really good.  I was really bothered by the effects in the Hobbit -- they seemed way too forced; by way of comparison, I know there's a lot of effects in this series, but they are so well done as to look a lot more natural.  Granted, time has passed since the Hobbit, but I also felt that the LOTR movies were really well done but even then the effects were a lot more practical then.  It's just nice to see a show with a lot of effects that feels and looks really natural and not too much like a stage.

 

It's hard to get a new series going with little or no knowledge of plot of people, but both seem engaging right from the get-go.  I'm intrigued by multiple plot threads that are keeping me interested.  The acting is very good.  The pacing is very good.  I'm actively looking forward to the next ep. 

 

The only gripe I have is external to the show:  People are review-bombing the show for having non-white actors playing various races.  I consider myself a Tolkien nut, and an open minded person, and this is dumb.  All the races are represented awesomely!

 

Watch this show!

 

Ok so ...

  Reveal hidden contents

who's the tall stranger???

 

Spoiler

A wizard of some sort is my guess.

 

[Zathras5]

On 05/09/2022 at 04:31, mram said:

  Reveal hidden contents

who's the tall stranger???

 

Spoiler

Gandalf? His nose isn't big enough lol.

 

I was skeptical with the trailers but really enjoyed the first 2 episodes.

 

House of the Dragon has been really good too..

[hagjohn]

The Middle-earth Karens are review bombing the ratings on Amazon and other sites for the series.

[FloatingFatMan]

On 06/09/2022 at 01:50, hagjohn said:

The Middle-earth Karens are review bombing the ratings on Amazon and other sites for the series.

Or, perhaps they feel that using a long established setting but ignoring the official storyline and making up their own because they couldn't get the book rights means it NOT Middle Earth?

 

I've not watched it, and I'm not going to watch it. Nor will I review bomb it... because I've not watched it.  The trailers were enough to tell me I won't enjoy it, and why inflict that on myself?

 

I'm sick and tired of the entertainment industry glomping on to amazing fiction, throwing out the creators vision, and making up their OWN crap so that it fits "better" with modern society and make a fast buck in the process.  Fans want to see faithful recreations and are willing to pay for it.  Peter Jackson (mostly) understood that, but lost his way with The Hobbit.  Amazon NEVER understood it, just like Disney don't understand Star Wars or Marvel, and Apple have NO understanding at all of Asimov's Foundation series.

 

No, they'd rather mainstream established fandoms in an attempt to expand the market appeal and their profits, and in doing so, alienate those loved the fandom so much.  I think folks are entitled to be annoyed at that.

[+mram Subscriber²]

On 06/09/2022 at 11:03, FloatingFatMan said:

Or, perhaps they feel that using a long established setting but ignoring the official storyline and making up their own because they couldn't get the book rights means it NOT Middle Earth?

 

I've not watched it, and I'm not going to watch it. Nor will I review bomb it... because I've not watched it.  The trailers were enough to tell me I won't enjoy it, and why inflict that on myself?

 

I'm sick and tired of the entertainment industry glomping on to amazing fiction, throwing out the creators vision, and making up their OWN crap so that it fits "better" with modern society and make a fast buck in the process.  Fans want to see faithful recreations and are willing to pay for it.  Peter Jackson (mostly) understood that, but lost his way with The Hobbit.  Amazon NEVER understood it, just like Disney don't understand Star Wars or Marvel, and Apple have NO understanding at all of Asimov's Foundation series.

 

No, they'd rather mainstream established fandoms in an attempt to expand the market appeal and their profits, and in doing so, alienate those loved the fandom so much.  I think folks are entitled to be annoyed at that.

The show was based on the Silmarillion which largely has no story, just a framework.   It literally has no basis in story except that certain things happened. 

 

Some things are great for a TV show, some are great for a movie, some are adapted poorly.  I'd agree that the Hobbit was done poorly.  LOTR was pretty good.  But the "macguffin" in the Rings of Power is really all about the build to what we know from LOTR, and very very little from the book.  That's ironically good for a open, developing TV show that doesn't have to play-through a book, it's basically inventing stories that lead to a known conclusion. 

 

I'll say the preview didn't feel like the show itself.  I was surprised.

 

Side note - I've grown to have an open mind over strict adaptations thanks to my love for Hitchhiker's Guide and Douglas Adams -  I grew up with that series.  He said every time that the new versions of his story were different but just worked better.  It's not a religious zealotry thing, it's just how the media works, and HHGTTG went through a lot of media types.  Now I agree some stories don't work well in adaptations which is why we see long-form TV series now instead of super-condensed movies, but still, some license is appreciated to get the story told well and I tend to look at the production through a virginal lens and then compare later.  I feel the spirit of Middle Earth is there, the stories seem engaging, and that's what's important.  To me anyway. 

[hagjohn]

On 06/09/2022 at 14:03, FloatingFatMan said:

Or, perhaps they feel that using a long established setting but ignoring the official storyline and making up their own because they couldn't get the book rights means it NOT Middle Earth?

 

I've not watched it, and I'm not going to watch it. Nor will I review bomb it... because I've not watched it.  The trailers were enough to tell me I won't enjoy it, and why inflict that on myself?

 

I'm sick and tired of the entertainment industry glomping on to amazing fiction, throwing out the creators vision, and making up their OWN crap so that it fits "better" with modern society and make a fast buck in the process.  Fans want to see faithful recreations and are willing to pay for it.  Peter Jackson (mostly) understood that, but lost his way with The Hobbit.  Amazon NEVER understood it, just like Disney don't understand Star Wars or Marvel, and Apple have NO understanding at all of Asimov's Foundation series.

 

No, they'd rather mainstream established fandoms in an attempt to expand the market appeal and their profits, and in doing so, alienate those loved the fandom so much.  I think folks are entitled to be annoyed at that.

 The series takes place 4,000 years before Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. As +mram, I do not believe (and I'm no expert) but there isn't much established story.

 

Amazon plans to let the full story unfold in 50 hours over five seasons.

 

 

https://mashable.com/article/lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-book-vs-show

Edited September 6, 2022 by hagjohn

[FloatingFatMan]

On 06/09/2022 at 19:22, mram said:

Side note - I've grown to have an open mind over strict adaptations thanks to my love for Hitchhiker's Guide and Douglas Adams -  I grew up with that series.  He said every time that the new versions of his story were different but just worked better.  It's not a religious zealotry thing, it's just how the media works, and HHGTTG went through a lot of media types.  Now I agree some stories don't work well in adaptations which is why we see long-form TV series now instead of super-condensed movies, but still, some license is appreciated to get the story told well and I tend to look at the production through a virginal lens and then compare later.  I feel the spirit of Middle Earth is there, the stories seem engaging, and that's what's important.  To me anyway. 

It's for such reasons what I refuse to review bomb the show.  I "know" it won't sit well with me, so I don't want my current views of Middle Earth messed up by some TV writer's vision based on what was revealed in the trailers.  Yes, Silmarillion is a framework, but it sets up the entire history of the war with Sauron and Amazon did NOT get the rights to the book, so cannot use any of that material. They MUST do their own vision, and that vision cannot be Tolkien's.

 

So I choose to ignore the show, but I don't have any issue with anyone that chooses to watch and even like it. I just won't be one of them.

 

Strict adaptations aren't my issue; it's breaking fundamental rules of the established world.  With Foundation for example, I didn't care about the gender swapping, and the 3 emperors idea was pretty good.  But killer robots?  Hell no.  Asimov HATED that robots were always portrayed as killers in fiction in his day, and for that reason created the 3 laws.  Even the later "Zeroth" law did not allow Daneel to freely kill and there sure as hell was no robot "war" in his books.  There has only ever been one GOOD adaptation of his works, the Bicentennial Man with Robin Williams, and even that screwed up the 3 laws at the end.

Edited September 6, 2022 by FloatingFatMan

[+Raze Subscriber²]

On 06/09/2022 at 13:03, FloatingFatMan said:

Or, perhaps they feel that using a long established setting but ignoring the official storyline and making up their own because they couldn't get the book rights means it NOT Middle Earth?

 

I've not watched it, and I'm not going to watch it. Nor will I review bomb it... because I've not watched it.  The trailers were enough to tell me I won't enjoy it, and why inflict that on myself?

 

I'm sick and tired of the entertainment industry glomping on to amazing fiction, throwing out the creators vision, and making up their OWN crap so that it fits "better" with modern society and make a fast buck in the process.  Fans want to see faithful recreations and are willing to pay for it.  Peter Jackson (mostly) understood that, but lost his way with The Hobbit.  Amazon NEVER understood it, just like Disney don't understand Star Wars or Marvel, and Apple have NO understanding at all of Asimov's Foundation series.

 

No, they'd rather mainstream established fandoms in an attempt to expand the market appeal and their profits, and in doing so, alienate those loved the fandom so much.  I think folks are entitled to be annoyed at that.

Apple destroyed Asimov's Foundation.  It is unrecognizable.  I waited a long time for it, and I could not believe what they did.  David S Goyer should be ashamed, he has done some outstanding work, but this series is a pile of ######!

[FloatingFatMan]

On 06/09/2022 at 19:51, Raze said:

Apple destroyed Asimov's Foundation.  It is unrecognizable.  I waited a long time for it, and I could not believe what they did.  David S Goyer should be ashamed, he has done some outstanding work, but this series is a pile of ######!

I'm glad I'm not the only one here that can see what they did...  I'm a long time fan of Asimov's... I wrote to him a few times as a kid, got a reply once and even had the chance to meet him in New York many many years ago.  He would have been horrified with what Goyer and Apple did, of that I'm certain.