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LotR: Rings of Power

Started by sheridan, 02 September, 2022, 10:25:02 PM

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JayzusB.Christ

I've really enjoyed it so far.  The LotR films for me were about the world-building (well, cinematic realisation of a world already built) as much as the plot; or possibly more than the plot.  I love the look of Middle Earth, from the pastoral village of Hobbiton to the mind-bogglingly huge statues of kings straddling the rivers.  The soundtrack is perfect too; just the right mix of cheerful homeliness, ethereal mysticism and apocalyptic hugeness  - sorry, I'm not too good at describing music.

So even though I still don't really know what's going on storywise, I've been rivetted all the way.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Tiplodocus

Yep, this is exactly my cup of tea.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Dandontdare

I'm enjoying this but with reservations. It certainly looks amazing, they've nailed that. The main story with Galadrial, Elendil and Isildur is all a bit po-faced, lots of historically portentous statements and meaningful looks. The Harfoot parts are more fun, but patronisingly simplistic. This bit I enjoyed most in the 3rd ep was the orcs and prisoners sections.

It suffers from the usual prequel curse of knowing how the story ends, and seems to be just an exercise in very expensive eyeball-candy.

Funt Solo

Quote from: Dandontdare on 12 September, 2022, 04:07:00 PM
I'm enjoying this but with reservations. It certainly looks amazing, they've nailed that. The main story with Galadrial, Elendil and Isildur is all a bit po-faced, lots of historically portentous statements and meaningful looks. The Harfoot parts are more fun, but patronisingly simplistic. This bit I enjoyed most in the 3rd ep was the orcs and prisoners sections.

It suffers from the usual prequel curse of knowing how the story ends, and seems to be just an exercise in very expensive eyeball-candy.

^^^This.

Grand music as the camera glides over elaborate sets and characters stare in slack-jawed amazement at a green screen isn't quite enough. In Blade Runner, for all the awe of the vast, neon-lit, rain-soaked vistas, Deckard always looks unimpressed. And the music is always taking us with it.

Logic: was Galadriel just committing suicide when she jumped into the water? Can Elves swim across oceans normally? Why's she being such a diplomatic dunce all the time, when she's incredibly wise in Lothlorien?

I still want to watch, but some of the beats are tricksy, precious.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Funt Solo on 12 September, 2022, 10:25:11 PM
Logic: Why's she being such a diplomatic dunce all the time, when she's incredibly wise in Lothlorien?

Because she's about two thousand years older at that point...?
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Funt Solo

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 12 September, 2022, 10:49:12 PM
Quote from: Funt Solo on 12 September, 2022, 10:25:11 PM
Logic: Why's she being such a diplomatic dunce all the time, when she's incredibly wise in Lothlorien?

Because she's about two thousand years older at that point...?

5000 year old stroppy teenager? Ah, why not...
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Tiplodocus

Yeah, I thought it was quite good that they laid out in Episode 1 that Galadriel and Elrond are almost the opposite of when you first see them in Fellowship. There's your character journey.

Of course this is in no way legally part of the Jackson movie universe. Oh no, not at all.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

judgeurko


Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 13 September, 2022, 08:59:33 AM
Of course this is in no way legally part of the Jackson movie universe. Oh no, not at all.

Definitely nothing to do with the Jackson LotR. Definitely not. No way. What's that? Why, yes, we did hire Howard Shore to do the main theme, what of it...? Nudgenudgewinkwink...
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Rara Avis

Quote from: Funt Solo on 13 September, 2022, 03:50:48 AM
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 12 September, 2022, 10:49:12 PM
Quote from: Funt Solo on 12 September, 2022, 10:25:11 PM
Logic: Why's she being such a diplomatic dunce all the time, when she's incredibly wise in Lothlorien?

Because she's about two thousand years older at that point...?

5000 year old stroppy teenager? Ah, why not...

She's only about a 1,000 years old at the time this is set you filthy casuals ...

Just kidding but I did read that somewhere.

Funt Solo

How dare you! I did approximately three minutes of research to come up with my magic number about a mythological immortal elf warrior.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

sheridan

The timeline has been concertinad somewhat as otherwise the elves would all stay the same and they'd have to get an entirely new cast of non-elves every episode.

Dandontdare

Anyone interested in a rather odd Thranduil (Legolas' dad) fanboy meme dump that I found?

Tiplodocus

This continues to be a thing of beauty and when scenes land, they land really well but goodness to they could have squeezed episodes 4 and 5 into a single episode.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Definitely Not Mister Pops

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 24 September, 2022, 12:43:39 AM
This continues to be a thing of beauty and when scenes land, they land really well but goodness to they could have squeezed episodes 4 and 5 into a single episode.

I would go as far as to say the five episodes we've had so far could have been squeezed into three. Here are some thoughts I have thunk about the show so far:

(Fair warning, this is a bit meandering, nit-picky and spoilery)

There was a weird bit in episode two where Elrond and Calebrimbor resolve to go and visit the Elrond's Dwarf mucker. I was expecting a big ol' procession with guards and carriages, but nope. Cut to the two elves sauntering up to a wee door in the side of a mountain. They didn't even hop on a horse. Didn't even put on a coat of bring a picnic bag for the journey. No pomp or ceremony. In the most expensive TV show ever

Maybe the dwarves just have entrances to their mines everywhere, so they just sauntered down to the entrance down to the nearest one. Maybe it's just elves being elves and a multi-day journey doesn't seem like a big deal. At least that's one part where they just progressed the story, and they do address the Elvish disregard for time later.

The dwarves injected some much needed levity into all the Elve stuff, Elrond and Durin's friendship is really endearing. Not a full blown bromance, but I think that makes it a bit more genuine and charming.

The Harfoot culture is feckin' brutal.

"We will wait for them"

Will ye fuck.

I wasn't invested in the drama of the Nori's da being left behind because it was obvious the big man would sort them out.

The big man is the most interesting part of the harfoot plot. Who is he? Amnesiac Sauron? I want to say Tom Bombadil, but he was cut out of the Jackson trilogy, so why bring him in here? Could be to address that omission, but his coat is not blue and his boots aren't yellow.  A Bombadil origin story would also ruin his mystique and he doesn't seem to be all that care-free. I will concede that his attitude could easily change over the millenia. Galadriel's certainly did.

Gladriel's character has just been idling. Sure she has achieved stuff, but I don't get the impression that she has learned anything or developed in any way. She remains obsessive and haughty, so I'm looking forward to see if the events in this show turn her into the aloof and wise being that dumbfounds the fellowship with her other-wordly beauty. The ecstatic horse riding scene was a bit strange, her love of a good ride wasn't really established and I don't like when shows pad their running time with slow-mo. There's been a lot of that throughout.

Númenor looks awesome, but I don't think we needed two episodes of politicking. This isn't A Song of Ice and Fire.  But I like how they're setting Elendil up. Seems to be a rise and fall arc going on there.

The Southlander's plot is my favourite. The showrunners have correctly judged that rubber face orcs are way better than CGI ones. They're properly menacing and have provided some of the best action scenes so far, with Arondir Legolassing all over their asses. Benjen Stark makes a good villain too.

Overall, the run-time would put us roughly at the last act of The Two Towers theatrical cut, so here's hoping for some Helm's Deepish* swording next week.

*Peter Jackson's staging of that battle scene was insane, so I'm not expecting anything near it. Nor should I. Even from the most expensive TV show ever.
You may quote me on that.