Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Les anneaux de pouvoir

It’s watchable, but with a little of eye-rolling. Of course, even in its finest moments it is average at best (well, okay, there are some excellent scenes in the final three episodes). The biggest problems are in the concept, the characterisation, the dialogue, the non-intersecting lines (the fact that two of them don't even count is a topic in itself, not to mention that the best line is completely unnecessary), that is, aspects that, even if they improve substantially for the next series, won't be enough to lift it out of the B-movie waters. Sadly, McCreary is doing more for this than anyone else. If (and it's a big if) you can get past the degradation of "LOTR" (whether literary or cinematic), it's passable as a dozen badly written episodes of fantasy, which is criminally little. | S1: 3/5 | (19/11/2022)

The big return to Middle Earth in series form could have been more impressive, but it probably disappointed most fans. I’m one of the more satisfied viewers, because even if it doesn't reach the quality of Peter Jackson's trilogy, it's still better than any other recent fantasy show. Amazon opened their wallets and made one of the most expensive series, although you would expect that the money went on action and surprisingly there is not much of it, which is the only major criticism for me, but otherwise I had a great time and looked forward to every episode every week, which is a positive card for me. The lore of Lord of the Rings is very cool at the core and all the races, characters, cities, names, weapons, creatures fascinate me and entertain me a lot. Some plot lines were weaker. The Hobbits, we all agree on that, are the least interesting line. I enjoyed Arondir a lot (the much criticized black elf is ironically one of the best characters) and the villain Adar is excellent (though he didn't have enough space). Galadriel and Halbrand especially in Numenor were a blast, Durin and Elrond were great as well, so the characters grew on me and none of them downright annoyed me. The best episode is Udûn, an action-packed ride with orcs, I was roaring with bliss there, and delighted by the fact that it's surprisingly brutalfor a PG-13. I enjoyed the dialogue, the visuals, the production design, actors, the darker atmosphere and the lots of Easter eggs. I personally didn't have a big problem with it, and I believe it will all go dramatically better with more seasons. So more promise of action, darkness and lore. 7.5/10. (20/10/2022)

The stilted plot, the unnecessary story lines and the soporific pace cannot be saved even by the fantastic sets and expensive visual effects scenes. Cut it down to a two hour movie, remove the downright moronic dialogue between Galadriel and whoever, condense the hobbit line and remove half the elves. Big disappointment, please end it quickly in the second season. (25/10/2023)

I'm not an orthodox fan of Jackson's original trilogy, but I can fully appreciate its qualities; nothing better exists within the fantasy genre (and probably won't for a long time). I haven't read the books, though. So, some might consider my opinion as the shallow ramblings of a layperson, but whatever. The first photos, behind-the-scenes info, and trailers for the most expensive series in the history of cinema didn't impress me. Something just didn't sit right. And I'm not even talking about the much-discussed casting, which I see as the least of the series' problems. However, when almost nothing significant happens across 7 episodes and the creators try to catch up in the final episode, something must have gone wrong. The acting is generally average to below average, with the portrayal of Galadriel being the biggest weakness (along with turning her into a conceited brat who deserved a few slaps). The story also doesn't offer any surprises; I'd cut out the whole subplot with the Harfoots (completely unnecessary). The widely praised audiovisuals mostly look appealing at first glance but, upon closer inspection, the excessive CGI makes this series a sterile spectacle (I didn't feel the grandeur of Jackson's LOTR at any point). And there aren’t many battles either. There are some positives (music, the depiction of the orcs, and the relationship between the Elf Elrond and the Dwarf Durin), but for such an amount of money, it's extremely lacking. For me, it's 5/10. (16/10/2022)