With a little over a week left before its premiere, the first reactions to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are storming in. Judging by what the majority of critics are saying, the Amazon series appears to be worth its massive price tag. (Each episode reportedly cost $50 million.) According to the reactions, the show captures the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy realm while achieving its own visual style that delicately threads the needle between separating The Rings of Power from the Peter Jackson movies while still maintaining an epic look and feel that audiences have come to expect. That’s no easy task, but the Amazon series is ready to face the challenge.
“I have seen the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and they are a total joy,” Entertainment Weekly‘s Devan Coggan tweeted. “Watching it feels like stepping back into Middle-earth. I cannot wait to see where this story goes.”
I have seen the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and they are a total joy. Watching it feels like stepping back into Middle-earth. I cannot wait to see where this story goes.
— Devan Coggan (@devancoggan) August 24, 2022
“Good news, @FilmBayona directs the HELL out of the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: #RingsOfPower. Watch it on the biggest screen you can,” Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist wrote. “Markella Kavenagh, Robert Aramayo, and Owain Arthur are standouts. The whole series looks like a big win for Prime Video.”
Good news, @FilmBayona directs the HELL out of the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: #RingsOfPower. Watch it on the biggest screen you can. Markella Kavenagh, Robert Aramayo, and Owain Arthur are standouts. The whole series looks like a big win for Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/jB8nIPa45h
— Gregory Ellwood – The Playlist
(@TheGregoryE) August 24, 2022
“It’s a powerhouse of storytelling that reaffirms why I love LOTR and the kind of world building that empowers and inspires,” Fangirlish managing editor Lyra Hale wrote. “Also, badass women. Can’t forget about them!”
Watched the first 2 episodes of #TheRingsOfPower and it’s a powerhouse of storytelling that reaffirms why I love LOTR and the kind of world building that empowers and inspires. Also, badass women. Can’t forget about them!
@LOTRonPrime @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/8ss0ixNb3n
— Lyra Hale
(@TheAltSource) August 24, 2022
“I can say for certain you’re in for a treat,” Eric Francisco at Inverse tweeted. “Big, bold, and beautiful to behold. TBD if it’ll sit alongside Jackson’s films or deserve Tolkien’s name, but for now it’s all the maximalist pizazz one might expect from a historically expensive production.”
I’ve seen #RingsofPower and I can say for certain you’re in for a treat. Big, bold, and beautiful to behold. TBD if it’ll sit alongside Jackson’s films or deserve Tolkien’s name, but for now it’s all the maximalist pizazz one might expect from a historically expensive production. pic.twitter.com/Fgwh5L8eYC
— Eric Francisco (@EricFrancisco24) August 24, 2022
You can see more reactions to The Rings of Power below:
I’ve seen the first two episodes of #LordOfTheRings #TheRingsOfPower, and it looks worth every penny Amazon paid.
— Ani-Bundel, Scribbler-At-Law (@anibundel) August 24, 2022
#RingsOfPower is exactly what you want it to be – a thrilling dive back into Middle Earth (just a few thousand years before LOTR). Cast, VFX, costume/setting – it’s all top notch. Get ready for quite the ride. pic.twitter.com/bOsWMoNonM
— Every JR. Everysteros All at Once (@jrforasteros) August 24, 2022
Okay so the first two episodes of #LordoftheRings #RingsofPower are a spectacular sight to behold. The scale, scope, ambition and grandiosity is unrivaled on TV. It also has the laborious task of introducing SO much necessary world building that it takes a bit to set flight.
— Brandon Katz (@Great_Katzby) August 24, 2022
I can now say that the first 2 episodes of #TheRingsOfPower are as cinematic as fantasy can be on TV. Feels made especially for Tolkien fans and is as *epic* as LOTR should be.
JA Bayona and cinematographer Óscar Faura continue to make magic together, a real dream duo. pic.twitter.com/YsBRrpf6Mb
— Andrew J. Salazar (@AndrewJ626) August 24, 2022
I’ve seen the first two episodes of Rings of Power!
I really, really dig it so far. It’s slower, and I’m savouring all the build up. Beyond a couple of cheeky nods, it’s not trying to be Jackson’s trilogy, it’s standing apart on its own, and I am so excited to see where it goes
— Lucy James (@lucyjamesgames) August 24, 2022
#TheRingsOfPower is truly an impressive feat. All the money is on the screen thru its impeccable production design, costumes & FX. Manages to wield the power of Tolkien’s fantastic world building while making unique & stunning touches of its own. Wonderful character work, too!
pic.twitter.com/RS2zbWl8kA
— Preston Barta (@PrestonBarta) August 24, 2022
#TheRingsofPower is CINEMATIC EXCELLENCE. The scale of this story has never been done before, making each moment EPIC & BREATHTAKING. The marriage between practical and computer generated effects will set the standard for everything that follows. @LOTRonPrime @PrimeVideoCA pic.twitter.com/Grt3wsUUtC
— Shahbaz
Fan Expo Toronto (@shayhbaz) August 24, 2022
Gotta admit I wasn’t overly excited about #TheRingsofPower Then I watched the first 2 episodes & I’m fully converted. The production is beautiful w/ excellent blend of physical & VFX. Great cast who pull you into the various plots. It’s now on my ‘most excited to see more’ list pic.twitter.com/yxZbay2uXp
— Tara Bennett (@TaraDBennett) August 24, 2022
Here’s the official synopsis:
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 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.
The first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power start streaming September 1 on Amazon Prime Video with new episodes dropping every Thursday.