Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a prequel series to the Lord of the Rings movie,  a film that followed different perspectives of characters preparing for war. However, in the prequel, the main focus is Galadriel, an elven warrior that appeared in the original Lord of the Rings movie, who helped Frodo along his journey. In the prequel, viewers follow Galadriel in her journey to discover herself and challenge the fate everyone else has laid out for her. At the same time, the watcher grows appreciation for her stubborn determination. This series is beautiful and so well written, it deserves all kinds of praise, especially for living up to the name of the original works of J.R.R. Tolkien. 

There was much skepticism from Lord of the Rings fans around the new series because of the big name it has to live up to. However, after moving past the idea that this Amazon Original series could never possibly be the same as Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power is an incredibly well written story for the ages. The first two episodes are a little slow and tedious (much like the first movie of The Lord of the Rings trilogy), but provides much needed information on the world and the new characters. Every little detail leads to a bigger revelation later on, which leaves the viewer in shock from how well the directors manage to hide secrets. These finely scripted episodes follow each other in a perfect and satisfactory sequence, successfully building upon each other in each new scene. Despite having their own stories in different parts of the world, each character still helps the viewer understand core aspects of other characters’  journeys. For example, during the show, a seemingly disconnected group of characters with different things happening to them each eventually come to the shocking realization that something they’re doing individually is affecting a larger plot. It then becomes the main goal of the whole cast to dispel evil, making for a great and overall well developed plot that connects every bit of the story together as one. It is much like the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien in this aspect, which shows that Rings of Power is a worthy prequel to the great series that is Lord of the Rings.

Along with the interweaving plotline and storytelling rivaling that of the original Lord of the RIngs movies, the series showcases updated CGI effects that weren’t present in 2001 when the first movies were released. The new effects and animation programs beautifully present the scenery and the worlds’ mystical aspects. Additionally, character designs are much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and imaginative in comparison to the original movies, considering the changes fashion has experienced over the years. Other aspects to take into account are the beautiful camera shots of the scenery, which included the previously mentioned CGI skills and contributed to the show’s shock factor. Scenes utilizing ethereal glowing, dark shadows, reflections and creepy red lighting were successful in dramatizing scenes and overall, creating alluring images. These things seem small, but they really add to the whole illusion of a fantastical world of magic. 

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a sort of “don’t knock it until you try it” show. It had a huge name to live up to, and was successful in doing so. By not trying to copy the original movies at all in terms of storytelling, this show became a worthy watch, and something to look forward to when season two comes out in 2024.