‘Lord of the Rings’ Review: Prime Video’s ‘Rings of Power’ is Grand, Gorgeous, and Flirting with Disaster

To say that Prime Video‘s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the most ambitious fantasy series ever made for television would be an understatement. It is the most expensive series in history, led by a massive ensemble cast of mostly newcomers, and charged with producing 50 hours of television from just a few pages of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Appendixes. The Rings of Power also has to live up to the reputation of Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning and overwhelmingly beloved original Lord of the Rings trilogy; a feat not even Jackson could pull off with his adaptation of The Hobbit.

From what little Decider has seen, those crazy sons of bitches at Amazon might have actually pulled it off. The first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are visually gorgeous, densely lived-in, and awe-inspiring at times. Morfydd Clark is luminous as Galadriel and Bear McCreary’s score is the stuff of legend. There is a big problem, though. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power might have a strong start, but its plot is laden with so many moving parts and far-flung heroes, it’s easy to see the story cratering much like the mythic utopian civilization of Númenor. Without watching beyond the two episodes provided for review, we can only be cautiously optimistic — and skeptical of what’s next.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set in Middle-earth during the mythic Second Age, a time of seeming peace that would see the destruction of the aforementioned Númenor, the rise of Sauron, and the creation of his One Ring. The evil that Frodo Baggins and his fellowship have to fight against has its roots here. The show opens with Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) doggedly pursuing rumors of Sauron throughout Middle-earth, much to the consternation of her fellow immortal elves who simply want to embrace the peace they fought for.

What the elves don’t know is that evil is stirring, on the edges of the Southlands, where the descendants of First Age humans who sided with Sauron’s mentor Morgoth dwell. Elf scout Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) has been tasked with keeping watch for evil in the region for 79 years, but it’s really a sweet single mother named Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) who has caught his eye. The two have a tortured, secret romance that could spell doom for them. While they pine for each other, a mysterious plague spreads amongst cattle and Bronwyn’s rebellious teen son Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) discovers an ominously broken blade.

Meanwhile, Galadriel’s ambitious friend Elrond (Robert Aramayo) has been asked to help elven smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) with a secret project that has him journeying to the dwarf kingdom of Khazad-dûm. That’s where we get to see the dreadful Mines of Moria from Peter Jackson’s trilogy at their prime; and, folks, they’re spectacular. Elsewhere a group of harfoots — the evolutionary ancestors of hobbits — cross paths with a mysterious meteor man the show will only name “The Stranger” (David Weyman). And there are Númenoreans having Númenorean drama on Númenor, I guess. (Although Númenor was featured front and center in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s splashy Super Bowl ad, we do not see Númenor in the first two episodes sent to critics.)

One thing The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power gets profoundly right is the “feel” of Middle-earth. The sets, costumes, and props are dense with details. The locations are uniformly vast and spectacular. You can see Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s obscene wealth reflected in every pixel of every frame. Even the light glimmers as though magic is literally in the air. You will believe this is the same world depicted in Peter Jackson’s films, although a few thousand years younger, brighter, and richer.

While there may be few, if any, household names in the show’s massive ensemble cast, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is full of stars. Morfydd Clark is fabulous as the Galadriel, imbuing the younger version of this iconic character with both grace and grit. Robert Aramayo’s Elrond is a charming political genius with a heart of gold. Ismael Cruz Córdova and Nazanin Boniadi will have you swooning for their star-crossed lovers and Tyroe Muhafidin fully sinks into the role of a churlish teen teetering into the darkness. Primary harfoot actresses Markella Kavenagh and Megan Richards are winsome and adorable in a way that evokes Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd’s incorrigible hobbits. And no one chews up the scenery quite like Owain Arthur and Sophia Nomvete do as doting dwarf power couple Durin IV and Disa.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power starts off on an incredibly promising note. Whether or not the first season can continue to deliver on that promise is less clear. As Cate Blanchett’s regal version of Galadriel herself said in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: “The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains, while all the company is true.” All Tolkien fans can do now is tune in and hope.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Prime Video at 9 PM ET on September 1.