The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review roundup: what critics are saying about the 'gutsy' new show
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is almost here – and the critics have already weighed in on the epic fantasy series' first two episodes. We gave it 4/5 stars, saying that, "Amazon's bet big on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – and if the opening episodes are anything to go by, Jeff Bezos put his money in the right showrunners. This could be the one fantasy show to rule them all."
The show currently has a 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is actually higher than all three Peter Jackson movies. Reviews have been mostly positive save for one or two negative reviews that call the show's boldness a misstep. Some mixed reviews praise the show's high-budget visuals but feel that they overpower the plot.
We've rounded up what the critics are saying about Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to give you an idea of what to expect – and don't worry, everything we've included below is spoiler-free.
"Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a unique take, telling something of its own story using a distant time period of the lore that Tolkien mostly laid out in broad strokes. It’s a bold approach, and here fortune has favored it. The two-episode premiere marks a strong start, with breathtaking cinematography, excellent acting, and a story that – after a somewhat labored set-up – shows some serious promise and intrigue."
"But it’s not meaningless eye candy, either. The characters’ motivations might seem basic at first, but they develop and deepen over time; the second episode is even better than the first, artfully expanding on relationships introduced in the pilot. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay (Star Trek: Beyond) do have a lot of story threads to juggle, but they all work so far,
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