The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ruffled the feathers of some fans when it was announced. It wasn't (and couldn't be) pure J.R.R. Tolkien they declared and therefore its rise was blasphemous. But the way I look at it, Star Trek continued after Gene Roddenberry died, spawning many quality adventures that he did not oversee. The same goes for Planet of the Apes, which reinvented itself with marked prosperity well after Pierre Boulle, Rod Serling, Michael Wilson and Paul Dehn bid farewell.
As long as Tolkien's spirit haunts this new, Middle Earth incarnation, then we're set, and if its first two episodes are any indication, The Rings of Power succeeds big time in this respect.
This ambitious, eight-episode, Amazon Prime endeavor, developed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, ascends by being idyllic and majestic, but above all, edgy (and Bear McCreary score hits all the thematic chords with proper precision). To nurture the ideal verve, no sooner does one see children playing, they engage in a scuffle. The elves then leap into war, and the Lady Galadriel (played by enchanting Morfydd Clark) sets forth to avenge her brother, Finrod (the eloquent Will Fletcher) who's been slain by the evil Sauron (the shadowy Anson Boon). Among these melodramatic tiers, there's blood and death, dragons and Ents: pure Tolkien through and through. Okay, there's a political bent, as well, but it's tolerable and identifiable, due to the stately Elrod (the distinguished Robert Aramayo), who emboldens the atmosphere with justified pomp and regal command.
Because of the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies (and the Stephen Strange ventures deserve credit here, too), the sorcery genre hasn't gone down the socio-sissified tubes, and it would have otherwise with franchises I won't dignify with mention. Let's face it, millennials don't dig Tolkien and won't dig this prequel. Rings of Power would prove too aggressive and purposeful for their bow-to-thy-foes philosophy.
However, for those who like their mysticism muscular, equipped with a goddamn spine, then Rings of Power is just what the war-torn doctor ordered. This adventure, as with Tolkien's official, founding works, advocates the fine art of squashing tyranny and championing a righteous cause. If only we had more such honorable ilk at play these way-too-ball-less days, the current culture might not be plagued by such enormous despair.
I can't say for certain if the series' kickoff, badass approach will thrive to the end, but so far, so good, and for that, I give my sincerest salute.
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