Sleeping evil, long-lost heroes, and a world without wizards? The Rings of Power is middle-Earth like you’ve never seen it before. The highly-anticipated Prime Video series The Lord of The rings: The Rings of Power is an ethereal and irresistible cinematic masterpiece. This season brings to the 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. 

The scope and scale of the story are immense as we begin to forge a new path through Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of compelling, familiar and new characters as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone. 

SECOND AGE

This fantastical universe created by J.R.R. Tolkien is much bigger and more expansive than just the events featured in The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. This second age is defied by many events, victories, and defeats, but perhaps it’s well known to be the time when the Rings of Power were created. Spanning 3500 years, we witness the Harefoots, the Elves, Mankind, and dwarves all occupying a very different Middle-Earth, one where there is love but also darkness as a nameless shadow is waiting. The time period is documented extensively in The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s posthumously published book which was finished, edited and released by the author’s son, Christopher Tolkien in 1977. This is the setting of Prime Video’s The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, the most ambitious streaming show ever made. Amazon bought the rights to the trilogy, The Appendices, and The Hobbit and with the vast amount of material they’ve created something ambitious and worthy of Tolkien. This onscreen return showcases the mythology as the creative team has envisioned a sprawling bespoke series that’ll eventually be told across multiple seasons. The Second Age of Middle-Earth truly is an amazing untold story with themes focusing on fantasy and heart, dark sorcery and political drama, as one moment you’re exploring the landscape with the Harfoots and the next in the Elven realm discussing the fates of the Kingdom. 

ASSEMBLING A FELLOWSHIP

Some of the characters in The Rings of power will be familiar. Thanks to the everlasting nature of elven-kind we see younger versions of Galadriel and Elrond, previously played by Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. Both these characters maintain the whole history of Middle-Earth, having lived through all the Three Ages. Galadriel now played by Morfydd Clark brings such an outstanding performance as The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power gives viewers a younger, grounded take on the character. Clark brings naivete to this immortal being who dons such graceful armour as this warrior has an instinct that evil is not finished. Elrond now played by Robert Aramayo is an architect and politician, he has strong ambitions as the herald to Gil-Galad, the King of Lindon, the elven kingdom where Elron resides. 

For each of the worlds in The Rings of Power, the creative team crafted a theme and their own language to show their beginnings, with the Elves being connected to a spiritual realm they have real ethereal quality, everything about them is shiny and lustrous. Contrast that with designing the Harfoots who are the ancestors of the Hobbits. They are much more primitive and live in the land. Harfoot are very endearing people and their styling is very much based on natural elements. They’re also very earthy with large feet and from lying in the undergrowth they have bits of branches and moss tangled in their matted hair.

The Dwarves are thriving in their underground kingdom of Khazad-dum during the Second Age. They’re mystique in their culture but you’ll see an expansive amount of gold down there. They are a strong-knit community with very traditional ways of being, they wear their hearts on their sleeves and are not afraid to get their hands dirty. Disa and Durin played by Sophia Nomvete and Owain Arthur are the Princess and Prince of these Misty Mountains.

Headlining this ensemble cast are Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Accountant), Robert Aramayo (HBO’s Game of Thrones), Owain Arthur (BBC’s Casualty), Maxim Baldry (Mr. Bean’s Holiday), Nazanin Boniadi (Showtime’s Homeland), Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud), Ismael Cruz Córdova (Showtime’s Ray Donovan), Charles Edwards (Netflix’s The Crown), Trystan Gravelle (ITV’s Mr. Selfridge), Sir Lenny Henry (Netflix’s The Witcher: Blood Origin), Ema Horvath (What Lies Below), Markella Kavenagh (True History of the Kelly Gang), Tyroe Muhafidin (Caravan), Sophia Nomvete (Award-winning UK Theatre actor), Lloyd Owen (Apollo 18), Megan Richards (Wanderlust), Dylan Smith (Maze Runner: The Death Cure), Charlie Vickers (Netflix’s Medici), Leon Wadham (Go Girls), Benjamin Walker (The Golden Compass), Daniel Weyman (BBC’s Silent Witness), and Sara Zwangobani (Monarch Cove).

Each actor had a unique challenge. Some had to follow in the footsteps of iconic performances and others got to bring iconic Tolkien characters to the screen for the very first time. The show presents itself as a more diverse version of Middle-Earth, which has always been a theme in Tolkien’s work as he often wrote characters uniting, despite their different backgrounds.

JOURNEY BACK TO MIDDLE-EARTH

I’ve seen the first two episodes, and they are filled with the kind of special effects magic that fans of Peter Jackson’s “Lord Of The Rings” movies and Tolkien’s books will love. It’s such a hugely expansive series as you have this army of fantastic technicians, artists, and craftsmen bringing such detail to the project on an epic scale. There are creatures and monsters such as the terrifying Orcs, the beastly creatures are visually grotesque and horrid which perfectly fit this world that’s full of darkness and shadows. there is also fighting, battles, and armies galore. The series truly hits the ground running with its intense action but also throughout it carries hefty themes of good vs evil, morality, hope among grief and ultimately a fellowship. Through Television we are able to get more time with these characters as they interact with each other. The sheer scale of the project is such a technical achievement for streaming especially, there are over 9,500 VFX shots in the first season alone. Director J.A. Bayona directs the first two episodes with such grandeur, that he beautifully captures the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand as he enhances the story through visual elements which included the overall sense of beauty. The cinematography and the use of light are astonishing thanks to Oscar Faura. Everything I witnessed whilst watching the first two episodes was delicious, especially the score by Bear McCreary. The Soundtrack which is available now honours the legacy as he created 15 new themes and melodies, it features a ninety-piece orchestra, plus a 40-voice choir. The score alone will transport you right back to Middle-Earth.

VERDICT

Have you ever wondered what else is out there beyond our wander? Ultimately The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power an Ethereal & irresistible Cinematic Masterpiece. The scope & scale of the story is immense as we forge a new path through Tolkien’s Middle-Earth! Features stunning visuals, Storytelling, and compelling characters! Writers and showrunner McKay and Payne have written an unexpected journey full of twists, turns, and surprises.

THE RINGS OF POWER, from Amazon Studios and JD Payne & Patrick McKay, will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world in 32 languages on Friday, September 2, with new episodes available weekly.