JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
The diversions away from the source material have been so significant that it's honestly like 85% original content. "Lord Of The Rings" is almost just a brand license at this point. Take the show on it's own merits, or lack thereof, and ignore schmoes like me and edward kvetching about 'canon' nonsense.
In a vacuum the first season was shockingly uneven imo. But the good stuff - Durin and Elrond, especially - was more often than not actually great. Notwithstanding the above, where the show has been consistently weakest has been in the diversions away from John Ronald. The greater the diversion, the lesser the quality.
As with any adaptation, I'm not precious about deviating from the source if it makes narrative sense to fit the medium. However, most of the changes they've made sort of don't really make sense to me, so I'm just basically ignoring Tolkien as I watch, and only digging into it after the fact to nerd flex.
In a vacuum the first season was shockingly uneven imo. But the good stuff - Durin and Elrond, especially - was more often than not actually great. Notwithstanding the above, where the show has been consistently weakest has been in the diversions away from John Ronald. The greater the diversion, the lesser the quality.
As with any adaptation, I'm not precious about deviating from the source if it makes narrative sense to fit the medium. However, most of the changes they've made sort of don't really make sense to me, so I'm just basically ignoring Tolkien as I watch, and only digging into it after the fact to nerd flex.
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JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
I would not recommend this to anyone. Every aspect of it is poorly done. Atrocious acting. Horribly directed. Boring writing. Just an absolute waste of what could have been something phenomenalMy plan was to wait til all the episodes are out and the binge but this thread got me second guessing. Is it even worth it
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Don't listen to meow, he often isn't even sure what content he's slagging.
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JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
I wish I could get those 10 hours back. They would be better spent doing literally anything else
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Well that was an interesting way to get where we are now.
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JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Underwhelming finale. I hope things...pick up? develop? for season 2. Strangely enough, my kids (both teenagers) really enjoyed it and really pushed us each week to watch it. I liked the spectacle, most of the casting, and the production quality. But it seemed underwhelming as it went on. Early on, I thought it would be neck and neck with House of Dragons as far as "water cooler" talk, but not at all. HoD maintained that interest (despite multiple recastings!) but RoP didn't. That's a shame.
Rough month for Amazon with the **** NFL Thursday games and poor reception to Rings of Power.
Rough month for Amazon with the **** NFL Thursday games and poor reception to Rings of Power.
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JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
It’s because the one show was just way better than the other.Underwhelming finale. I hope things...pick up? develop? for season 2. Strangely enough, my kids (both teenagers) really enjoyed it and really pushed us each week to watch it. I liked the spectacle, most of the casting, and the production quality. But it seemed underwhelming as it went on. Early on, I thought it would be neck and neck with House of Dragons as far as "water cooler" talk, but not at all. HoD maintained that interest (despite multiple recastings!) but RoP didn't. That's a shame.
Rough month for Amazon with the **** NFL Thursday games and poor reception to Rings of Power.
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JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Yes. But it didn't have to be this way.It’s because the one show was just way better than the other.Underwhelming finale. I hope things...pick up? develop? for season 2. Strangely enough, my kids (both teenagers) really enjoyed it and really pushed us each week to watch it. I liked the spectacle, most of the casting, and the production quality. But it seemed underwhelming as it went on. Early on, I thought it would be neck and neck with House of Dragons as far as "water cooler" talk, but not at all. HoD maintained that interest (despite multiple recastings!) but RoP didn't. That's a shame.
Rough month for Amazon with the **** NFL Thursday games and poor reception to Rings of Power.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
"YOU. SHALL NOT. CROSS THIS BRIDGE!!!!!" -- meow remembering great moments from LOTR
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Re salvaging something worthwhile
Like I said, I thought the good was very very good, even great. But we had to wade through 5 1/2 hours of meh or outright wtf to get to it.
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Re salvaging something worthwhile
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Obviously I haven't watched the show, but I reject the idea that something can be very good, even great if you have to get through 5 1/2 hours of bad to get to it.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
I believe you.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Think of it this way: The podrace sequence and Duel of the Fates do not make Episode I a great movie. But those sequences are themselves pretty excellent. That's sort of what I'm talking about.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
My bad, I misread. I thought you were saying you thought the season was great. The old "no, really, it's a great show, you just have to get through the first 4 or 5 seasons."Think of it this way: The podrace sequence and Duel of the Fates do not make Episode I a great movie. But those sequences are themselves pretty excellent. That's sort of what I'm talking about.
Last edited by nocera on Mon Oct 17, 2022 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
The show has it's moments, yes.
But the dialogue, dear god, the dialogue ...
But the dialogue, dear god, the dialogue ...
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Some of this makes sense and is fair and accurate. But some of it is pretty weirdly off-base imo.
These two bits are a pretty accurate summary of what I think were its greatest failings.People don’t seem to have been told what sort of show they are acting in. It’s bizarre.
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The whole thing was lit as if it was an episode of Hollyoaks. Given the sheer amount of money thrown at the show, some of the visual effects were incredibly inept. Tonally, too, the drama didn’t know if it was meant to be for beginner-, intermediate- or expert-level Tolkien fans. As such, it felt like it was made for nobody.
Where I disagree most sharply with that critique is the characterization of the music. That was one consistently - and I would said unassailably - great part of the show, along with the production design/wardrobe/etc. They maybe overused the music in places, but that's not the composer's fault.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
I must've forgotten ever learning this, but apparently Nazanin Boniadi ("Guns Out") was once an ardent Scientologist. She was (unknowingly) auditioned by the church to be Tom Cruise's girlfriend and next wife back in the pre-Katie Holmes days. So that's fun.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
I thought it was fairly obvious from the start who the Stranger is, but maybe that's only because I'm not an expert-level Tolkien nerd.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Fiona Apple was a nice surprise tho.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Posting here cos it was amusing.
Got a phishing email at work yesterday. Mocked up to look like a DocuSign envelope. It was from "Mairon Gorthaur" and the document name was "akallabeth (pharazon)_3318". I appreciated that. It was the most thoroughly accurate Tolkien that's come my way in a few years now.
Got a phishing email at work yesterday. Mocked up to look like a DocuSign envelope. It was from "Mairon Gorthaur" and the document name was "akallabeth (pharazon)_3318". I appreciated that. It was the most thoroughly accurate Tolkien that's come my way in a few years now.
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
Start at 11 minutes for the transformation of smeagol and Start at 23 minute for some zep. I can't believe they connected all three nights with each of the books and based songs on how the story unfolded. Absolutely killer
JRR Tolkien Super Duper Mega Thread
I had no idea this was a thing and I probably won’t watch it but it’s cool that she’s coming back:
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