It’s almost never good when a studio comes up with a desire for a new project to become the Next Big Thing™ the way Amazon has. ultra expensive Lord of the Rings prequel Chain, power ringsfrom co-audience JD Payne and Patrick McKay, But despite it being the product of the ultimate hype machine and the way it’s up to you, it’s familiar from New Line Cinema’s films based on the books by JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power There is a complete knockout that brings a vibrant, new energy to the franchise.

Set during the tumultuous days of the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Dives deeply into and elaborates on the historical events mentioned in Tolkien The Silmarillion, After countless years of brutal bloodshed to rid the world of the Orcs and their creator – the first Dark Lord Morgoth – the elves, humans, and dwarves who call Middle-earth home, believe that there is a way of peace. The new era is upon them and it is finally safe enough to let its defenders down. Although most people lost something in the war, power rings Focuses exclusively on the elves because it opens to emphasize how much they sacrificed to defeat Morgoth and because some of them are some of the show’s most immediately recognizable characters.

Image: Amazon Studios

Before reigning as Lady of Lothlorion, Galadriel (Morphid Clark) was one of several elves Carefree, picturesque and near-immortal life in the land of Valinor – a magical place power rings It takes a surprising amount of time to explore. Like all elves, as fleeting as Galadriel’s foot is, she is fond of the beauty of nature. His understanding of the world is far more nuanced than that of beings—humans in particular—that haven’t lived long enough to see what they have. but because so power rings Told from the point of view of the elves, and at a time when neither Galadriel nor her good friend Elrond (Robert Aramayo) became giants of Middle-earth, the show takes care to present them as complex, flawed Is People Instead of a Wife from another world shrouded in mystery.

Galadriel’s warrior spirit and ingenuity is evident from the moment of her introduction, but it is not until her immediate family is personally touched by death that she must herself take up arms and fight against Morgoth’s famous successor Sauron. Freedom to attend. As it is condensing important parts of Tolkien’s lore into one compact montage in its first episode, power rings Initially it seems like this might be the kind of show that isn’t sure where it wants to focus or what ideas it wants you to put at the forefront of your mind. But the speed with which the show moves actually serves as a very effective way of showing how the elves feel and experience very differently than other races that don’t live as long. .

unless power rings Properly kicks into gear, so much time has passed since both Morgoth and Sauron have lost (for the first time, in Sauron’s case) that friction between the elves and the men is more about the elves’ continued presence in Middle-earth. And it’s less about orcs that seem to have been hunted to extinction. With his mission accomplished, High King Gil-Gallad (Benjamin Walker) wants nothing more than to send Galadriel and her fellow warriors home to Valinor, if only to pull her out of his luxurious silky hair. But in the depths of their hearts, Gil-Galad, Galadriel, and many power ringsThe other main characters of All Know that there is something horribly hidden in the world, just waiting for the right time to make themselves known.

Image: Amazon Studios

The exact size and nature of that evil is becoming increasingly clear power rings Sylvan begins to introduce his core characters such as elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova), human apothecary Bronwyn (Naznin Boniadi), and Eleanor “Nori” Brandifoot (Marquela Kavenagh), a daring Heartfoot whose wanderlust makes her a bit awkward. . While none of these characters appeared in any of Tolkien’s works, in each of them, you can see the personality types and relationship dynamics that made fans fall in love with this world.

Arondir is no Arwen, and Bronwyn is no Aragorn, but forbidden love that goes against the teachings of their respective peoples, creating a poetic, narrative throughline between them. power rings And The Lord of the Rings that glows instantly. nori does Read a lot like one of those ultimate Curious Bagginses who can’t help themselves from taking a look at anything out of the ordinary. But unlike the hyper-domestic hobbits the Shire settle down to one day, Nori and the rest of the Harfoot lead somewhat secretive and migratory lives that make it all too easy for them to hide from those who will harm them.

as impressive as many power rings“There are big set pieces, few series.” The most truly magical moments take place in the Harfoots’ camp as fewer people are popping out of their hiding holes – revealing their ingenuity and the sheer amount of work that went into development. Practical implications for the show. It even follows characters like Dwarf Prince Durin IV (Owen Arthur) to notable places that have been making headlines in the past Lord of the Rings movies, power rings Drawing attention to the finer details of his splendor in his prime makes him feel new.

Image: Amazon Studios

it’s one time power rings shifts your attention to places that aren’t portrayed like the Sundaring Seas and Numenor’s bustling human kingdom that you really begin to understand how Amazon spent hundreds of millions of dollars to produce the show in the first place. Season. Its every VFX-heavy action sequence to make you feel the risk power ringsThe protagonists face all manner of monsters, sweeping shots of the New Zealand jungle trying to remind you of the scale and majestic beauty of this world.

Whether it’s streaming or broadcast on traditional networks, it’s rare that a series feels like a binge TV show alongside its studio dreams. And Like a big, expensive cinematic event. Between strong performances, an eye for impressive subtleties, and a solid sense of his ability to move forward theory that it is not technically part of, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power It certainly seems like that could be the case.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Amazon Prime hits on September 2.