Prime- Rings of Power (LOTR prequel)

[MD]

I am a massive J.R.R. Tolkien fan and read the books numerous times since my teens, watched the movies again and again. Big thumbs up to Peter Jackson for bringing the near impossible to a screen. So, curiosity got the better of me and I joined Amazon Prime to check out the Rings of Power. I hesitated because they apparently never consulted PJ and I have doubts they consulted with the Tolkien Descendents like PJ did to ensure he remained true to the Author. I waited in vain for PJ to complete the legacy and make the Silmarillion into a movie. I suspected the scope was too difficult for even PJ to try to envisage for screen.

Watched the first 4 episodes ROP yesterday which was a marathon. Have to say a tad boring half the time. Looks like silly side stories have been made up to drag it out for as many episodes as possible to get more money. From what I've watched so far, I would say it's a big failure as far as following the Silmarillion story lines goes. But it is early days. Some of the imagery is quite good, excellent at times, and close to what PJ gave us. Not sure the cheap actors will fill the roles as well as the LOTR cast did. Would have liked to see Morgoth and the likes make an appearance, but they didn't go that far back in time. Probably just too hard to be honest.

Anyone else following it? What do you think. I need to dust off my 30+ year old copy of the Silmarillion and refresh my memory.

EDIT- since posting above I read some Rotten Tomatoes reviews and someone posted that the Producers only had the rights to adapt from the Appendixes to LOTR and The Hobbit, not from the Silmarillion itself. So that does explain why it's not following the Silmarillion and wandering off from Tolkein folklore. Still sucks it's not following the authentic storylines since they all reference from the back story that is the Silmarillion.

[sugilite:Me]

I'm watching the series too. I like it, but agree the pace is pretty bloody slow. I live in hope it ramps up soon. We shall see.

[TheDemonLord]

I refuse to watch it as it's not Tolkein.

It's a bunch of Millenial Fan-Fic with Guy-Ladriel as the self-insert character.

And your edit is correct, it's not the Silmarillion, it's the appendices - hence why it's Dogshit.

[george formby]

I refuse to watch it as it's not Tolkein.

It's a bunch of Millenial Fan-Fic with Guy-Ladriel as the self-insert character.

And your edit is correct, it's not the Silmarillion, it's the appendices - hence why it's Dogshit.

C'mon man, don't mince your words. Tell us what you really think.

[pete376403]

If you refuse to watch it, how do you know it is these things??

[TheDemonLord]

If you refuse to watch it, how do you know it is these things??

I've been following it's development rather closely. I've seen clips from the show and the writing is just awful.

"Why does the stone sink?"

That's the kind of crap a 14 year old writes in their basement trying to sound deep.

Edit: To clarify - I would dearly love for there to be an actual show based on the Silmarillion.

The love story of beren and luthien or the first kinslaying with the Noldor - or basically Feanor being Feanor - Hell Yes! A billion Dollar series with the level of CGI (admittedly the CGI is the one good part of the show) that Amazon can bring to bear to tell these stories - I'm practically creaming in my NerdPants.

That isn't what we got. Instead we got the First Female Dwarf of Colour! (don't you know?)

[nerrrd]

Not a purist, but I'm enjoying it so far. Especially the dwarvish bits, I think they've been really well fleshed out.

It's certainly better than the Game of Thrones prequel, I saw threee episodes of that and they were all deadly dull. I really wish he'd just finish the books already.

[Berries]

That's the kind of crap a 14 year old writes in their basement trying to sound deep.

To be honest I was about that age when I grew out of wizards and dragons so I have not seen LOTR, Harry Potter or Game of Thrones.

[TheDemonLord]

To be honest I was about that age when I grew out of wizards and dragons so I have not seen LOTR, Harry Potter or Game of Thrones.

To be fair, I'm a massive Power Metal fan, so I never grew out of Wizards and Dragons.

I've watched Harry Potter - it never did it for me, which is ironic because I was in the UK when Potter Mania was in full swing, indeed, it was the last pre-internet craze. At that point I had read the Hobbit, The fellowship of the Ring and had read the first 3 books of the Wheel of Time series - I felt Potter was an inferior imitation of better Fantasy.

LoTR - I'd suggest reading the books. The Books are AMAZING. The Peter Jackson films (especially the extended versions) are also AMAZING (even if they miss Tom Bombadil) - They are more than just Wizards and Dragons - but if it's not your cup of tea, then fair enough. There's a reason why it's a literary classic.

GoT - The first 4 seasons had some of the best dialogue of any TV Show, so much foreshadowing, subtextual conversations, peerless use of the English Language. Seasons 5-6 were still good (although not as good as the first 4), Season 7 was okay and Season 8 was... Rushed, sloppy and missing 2-3 episodes, which really soured the whole series. Even though I agree with the character arc of certain characters (some people don't) - namely (without any spoilers) - someone in pursuit of Utopia will always end up tyrannical because there is no sacrifice that is not worth making if it ushers in Utopia - but the way it was done (especially considering the quality of the previous seasons) was a massive let-down.

[Berries]

GoT - The first 4 seasons had some of the best dialogue of any TV Show, so much foreshadowing, subtextual conversations, peerless use of the English Language. Seasons 5-6 were still good (although not as good as the first 4), Season 7 was okay and Season 8 was... Rushed, sloppy and missing 2-3 episodes, which really soured the whole series. Even though I agree with the character arc of certain characters (some people don't) - namely (without any spoilers) - someone in pursuit of Utopia will always end up tyrannical because there is no sacrifice that is not worth making if it ushers in Utopia.

Not quite Coro though is it?

[TheDemonLord]

Not quite Coro though is it?

Oh, Shots fired.

[MD]

I'm watching the series too. I like it, but agree the pace is pretty bloody slow. I live in hope it ramps up soon. We shall see.

Well episode 5 last night and as Gandalf once said to Pippin 'hope is fading' (I made that up, but it sounds familiar enough). An hour of viewing and bugger all happened. As TDL said this is pc gone mad woke shit by millenniums who changed his elven race Tolkien described as tall and fair skinned people into a politically correct mix of whites and coloureds. Next they will make the dwarves taller so as to not height decriminate against them.

Brief moments of interest in the dude who may be Sauron and the stranger who may be Gandalf. Except of course, Gandalf had no part in Tolkien's world before the Hobbit and LOTR period. Did the Producers read any of his books????? The Tolkien fan club must be up in arms. Trouble is I must persevere in hope it improves.

I'm emailing Brian Tamaki to organise protests 'we want our Tolkien back'