Der Herr der Ringe: Die Ringe der Macht

Giving it one star because it's currently trendy, that would be reminiscent of the Titanic days, which would certainly not be wise. However, I can understand the extreme indignation of die-hard fans of the saga, because the Lord of the Rings series is aesthetically quite impressive, and thanks to some nice cinematography and decent work with the music, it's a bit epic, but script-wise it's a mess, and when it comes down to it, The Rings of Power looks like a mix of Indy, Harry Potter and the Twilight saga. The acting and the casting are a failure. Technically, there is something to build on and work with in a second season, but in order for that not to be a fiasco, it will have to undergo a drastic overhaul and its creators will have to thoroughly redo a lot of things. (18.04.2023)

The first few minutes are truly gripping, unfortunately, in the worst sense of the word. Because when you get two elves philosophising under a tree about why a rock doesn't float and a boat does, the level of screenwriting is somewhere near primary school. Fortunately, after a few minutes, the LoTR series, at least as far as visual and aesthetic qualities go, gets off to a fairly solid start and makes us remember the old days of the most successful fantasy films ever, which did several times better for barely half the money. The actors are a big question mark so far, technically it’s OK, but lacks ingenuity, directorial skill and a sense of cinematic epic. So far, at least the first episode, looks rather like a polished version of medieval Indiana Jones. (11.04.2023)

If it wasn’t for Moria, this episode would be even less entertaining than the first one. So far, it's a shame the potential of the characters hasn't been exploited, because hardly any of them are interesting. Whereas in the films the Hobbits were cute, here they are annoying, while the noble Elves look like members of a religious sect. So far, this patchwork looks very disjointed. (13.04.2023)

So far, the LoTR series feels more like a whodunit, it has a lot of names and questions, but it’s very sparse with the answers. Compared to the classic epic films, this is quite a difference, but it can be managed. The third episode also has a little better dynamics, fewer hobbits and a beautifully rendered Númenor, whose creators were heavily inspired by Gondor in Return of the King. (16.04.2023)

The fourth episode feels like beating around the bush the whole time, just waiting for the slapping to happen in the next episodes. Many of the dialogue passages are terribly tedious and annoying. It has its passable moments and some decent characters, but unfortunately that doesn’t include the main ones. (16.04.2023)

A showcase of breathtaking sets, impressive landscapes and solid music that seeks to build on the success of the films once again. In terms of characters, drama and plot development, it's still a bitterly hard slogging average. (16.04.2023)

If we ignore the fact that it actually revolves around one town, one village and one army, and thus doesn't have nearly the breadth and monstrous epicness of its cinematic predecessor, the sixth episode is quite fun. It's properly dark, there are a few elven perks and properly gritty fights that are quite decently edited and suspenseful. If the whole series was in this style, I would be satisfied. (16.04.2023)

Everything about the Dwarves is good, with the Hobbits is the traditional boredom and running around in circles, while in the calm, thanks to one pub bum, a new territory of evil is created and in case someone didn't get it, the creators obligatorily write it there at the end. (16.04.2023)

One of the few episodes where something really happens. Some characters will finally get clear outlines and a supporting story framing, probably for a second season, if there is one. Of course, how and where the main plot around the evil lord takes off is questionable at best, but more likely ridiculous. A script with a Hercule Poirot-like reveal, all in the wanna be most epic and costly series of all time. (18.04.2023)