Ulthuan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVGOVokbw6Q

Thoughts?

I'm very much "wait and see." Some of it looks great. Some of it looks like they're trying very hard to draw in people who watched the films 20 years ago. And some of it looks meh, like the woman hanging from her dagger on the cliff. That very much looks like a computer game scene somehow. It gives us very little to actually go on. There's people in there, and fighting, and a storm and that's about it. I could have guessed all that without the trailer.

We could go very deep into how their clothes are too clean, or there's a black elf in there or whatever, and analyse it to death. But in the end, all that is irrelevant. If the story is good and the acting is good then the rest matters very little. People are willing to put up with a lot if those two thins are great. And if they are not then no amount of being faithful to the source material or special effects or mud on clothes will save you...

I think that's like a really bad title. Sounds like some C-grade Marvel comic.

Yes, there is definitely that. Feels like the thought process was "what's better than 1 ring? More rings!!!!"

I'm guessing they want to make it extremely obvious to even people who've only heard about the LoTR films that it's about Middle Earth.

I don't have a problem with the title.
It broadcasts clearly when the series is set and what it is about.
Instead of a very generic remote time setting, they have chosen a turning point that has massive repercussions in history, which therefore has great dramatic potential, while leaving a lot of creative possibilities due to the scarcity of detail left behind by Tolkien.
The only thing I wish is that Tolkien he had written more about this time, leaving less scope for a "creative" approach from the creators of the show.
(BTW I am not referring to the criticism that has come from the "anti-woke brigade", I am not bothered if there is greater variety of skin colours in the show)

Prince of Spires wrote: ↑Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:18 pm If the story is good and the acting is good then the rest matters very little.

Largely I agree. Personally though, Middle Earth is already a big draw for me, I enjoyed the Hobbit films, flawed as they were. If they nail the execution on this I guess we get something LOTR level on TV.

MasterOfNone wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:44 pm The only thing I wish is that Tolkien he had written more about this time, leaving less scope for a "creative" approach from the creators of the show.

Akallabeth from The Silmarillion would seem essential source material for an epic story of the Second Age, except that they don't have the rights to it. Looks like they'll still have a lot to say about Numenor though.

I home its better than the "wheel of time" series they did. Wasnt a big fan of that

SpellArcher wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 7:32 pm

MasterOfNone wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:44 pm The only thing I wish is that Tolkien he had written more about this time, leaving less scope for a "creative" approach from the creators of the show.

Akallabeth from The Silmarillion would seem essential source material for an epic story of the Second Age, except that they don't have the rights to it. Looks like they'll still have a lot to say about Numenor though.

Indeed. Tolkien actually wrote quite a lot about the history of Middle Earth, in the Akallabêth, but also already in the appendices of the Lord of the Rings. And Unfinished tales also contains something like 150 pages on the second age, and there's the History of Middle Earth books by Christofer Tolkien, which also contains several chapters on the second age. And much of the history of Galladrielle and Elrond is written in the Silmarillion. They just don't have the rights to any of that material, and they're ignoring much of what they do know.

Still, we'll see what they have come up with. I haven't seen the Wheel of Time series, but the comments I've seen on it make me hope that the LotR show is indeed better than that.

Prince of Spires wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2022 8:56 am They just don't have the rights to any of that material, and they're ignoring much of what they do know.

Especially considering the Last Alliance, one of the key events of the Second Age is already in a movie!

Prince of Spires wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2022 8:56 am Still, we'll see what they have come up with.

It's got to be a lot about Celebrimbor and Durin, maybe the Balrog of Moria? I was pleased to see them focus on Galadriel. She had a major impact on both the First and Third Ages and her attitude to the Valar was awesome.

i watched season one. It´s ok, but nothing more. As much as i am happy to get new nerd content, i think - as an elves fan - they should have cast some folks that looks more like elves and not like... that! The only one really looking like an elf is the Galadriel actress and the Arondir guy, but the other ones should have been cast as dwarves or whatever. Their faces just dont look like elves to me, sorry.

Icarion wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:12 am i watched season one. It´s ok, but nothing more. As much as i am happy to get new nerd content, i think - as an elves fan - they should have cast some folks that looks more like elves and not like... that! The only one really looking like an elf is the Galadriel actress and the Arondir guy, but the other ones should have been cast as dwarves or whatever. Their faces just dont look like elves to me, sorry.

I agree it was ok, not bad but not great either. I do think they kept the suspense of "guessing who was the villain" quite well. One issue I had was galadriel's character and whole demeanour was just so completely different to Cate Blanchett's depiction, there was no resemblance at all. I thought Arondir was a bit too built for an elf, maybe he could lay off the weights a bit and do more yoga before season 2 lol. I found Celebrimbor to be really annoying, he just seemed like an idiot. I was a little surprised at how small the scale of the battles and numbers was in the later parts of the season, I assumed there would be some gigantic CGI enhanced battles. They did look very "TV" when compared to the cinematic stuff.

Ielthan wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 3:49 pm I do think they kept the suspense of "guessing who was the villain" quite well.

Oh yes... i have to admit, that was the moment that saved the whole season for me, cus i didnt see that coming. I liked it!

Regarding the Galadriel´s actress being compared to Cate Blanchett or the Elrond dude being compared to Hugo Weaving, let´s be honest: That´s a battle you cant win. I mean, they took young unknown actors, while Blanchett and Weaving are experienced and simply have a class, the young folks simply cant have. Somehow i feel sorry for those young actors, because you have to be truely brilliant at such a young age, to be as good as the cast of the LotR/Hobbit movies!