The Rings of Powerbased on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings and of the Silmarillion Of Tolkienhad a divisive reception, effectively splitting the audience in half between those who felt deeply affected by the way the series was set up, and those who instead appreciated the product of Prime Video. One thing is certain: Amazon has hit the markfocusing on itself all the media attention that such a brand requires. With detractors who still watch the series, and people happy to see it, the result is that the video gets immense views. With this review we return to Arda and find out what’s happening to our favorites.
Elves, Humans and a Sorcerer against the forces of evil
Sauron revealed his true form from the body of Halbrandbut there was still much that had not been told. And that is why the Season 2 of The Rings of Power aims to tell us the story that led the Deceiver to the borders of the land of the Elves, Valinor, and from there to Numenor, the realm of Men blessed with long life. Although we have seen the Lord of the One Ring learn from Celebrimbor how to forge one, and then go towards Mordor (where Mount Doom has just risen again), the welcome among the ranks of his Orcs is not the best, and in the guise of Halbrand he will have his work cut out for him before centralizing power again.
Elrond, Celebrimbor, Galadriel And Gilgalad (the Elvenking in Lindon) are instead at odds with each other: the Lord of the woods believes that the Rings forged there must be used without delay and that, through their power, they can be the ultimate weapon against the forces of the shadow. Galadriel seems to be of the same opinion, but Elrond does not: The half-elf believes that power must first be understood and then used.if necessary. In the midst of this scenario, political plots and subterfuges are resolved even in the enchanted woods of the elves.
On the hills to the north, one Sorcerer unable to accept his own power, at times frightened by it, he heads unsteadily south, accompanied by a Pelopedi (nomadic ancestors of the Hobbits) who will be quickly joined by her best friend. All our heroes converge towards the evil that has centered in the East, a dark shadow that must be stopped somehow. And let’s not forget the Men of Numenortorn between politics and personal interests, have their own problems including the blindness of the queen, a victim of the lava dust of Mount Doom.
Technically the plot follows a more or less personal imprint, making several characters appear that have remained hidden in the pages of John Tolkien’s books. Probably some additions have been made for fan service (i.e. gaining the fans’ goodwill), but the result remains quite grey: while on the one hand we can all be happy to know Tom Bombadilon the other hand not having a full understanding of who that character is leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
New season, same mistakes
Rings of Power Season 2 starts with a devastating slowness, perhaps slower and much less epic than the first season. Let’s be clear: great job of continuing the eventsin fact it seems like not even a day has passed since the interruption of the first season, but in fact we would have expected something better from the pace. More action, less banal and meaningless dialoguesAnd less “explanations”which can be useful at the beginning, but leave you longing for action once the factions on the field have been outlined.
From a visual point of view, the series is no less than the first season: large spaces, excellent colors and the palettes used for each population have even improved dwarf aesthetics in terms of lighting: scenes involving them now appear more realistic, with natural light coming from torches or similar. The music is greatalthough there may have been a excess of zeal in the use of more epic music in moments where perhaps it would have been better to avoid it.
Superficiality: unfortunately, despite the technical efforts and a closer adherence to the original writings, one feels that the product is customizedafter all the appendices from which it is taken are banal scraps of information, not real books written with coherence and metrics. This leaves a lot of room for the scriptwriters but It greatly reduces the relevance and those who know the product wellhe will definitely feel someone else’s hand while listening.
Not for everyone
Rings of Power Season 2 he confirms as was already understood with the first season and it will probably remain so (if it continues) is a series dedicated to the general publicfar from those who are true fans of the world of Arda and Tolkien’s works. And that’s okay. Amazon has never stated that it wants to replace or reveal what those books contain.
In practice, the series leaves you with a choice: are there people who love fantasy in general and want to enjoy a well-crafted and well-finished product without worrying too much about the originality of the series? Yes, well, the this is the right product. Are there those who prefer a maniacal care of the product that respects the authorial parameters of a book? Yes, that you pass by.
Just as people don’t have to please everyone, this series doesn’t even try to do that, in fact it does everything it can to be. consistent with herself. And that’s a good thing in these times, to find some coherence.
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