Post by chiqui on Sept 3, 2022 12:54:52 GMT -4
Watched last night on Amazon Prime, and loved it! If I could describe it in one word, it would be "charming." Kudos to the writers for expanding upon the rather thin material they had to work with (just the Appendices at the back of The Return of the King). The script was excellent and overall did a good job of extrapolating a Palaeolithic version of Middle Earth. It was clear they had read and loved all everything Tolkien, but stuck to the Appendices for the actual plot. This meant the part about the trees, their poisoning, and their light put into the jewels would have been confusing to someone without an overall Tolkien knowledge, as much of that was in the Silmarillion which was not optioned by the creators.
In overall design the show was similar to the Peter Jackson trilogy -- lots of spectacular mountains, spectacular fjords, Autumn trees (wait, I think those were Elven trees with naturally gold leaves and white trunks) and a cathedral-like, airy look for Elven architecture.
Even the silly parts were charming. There's one scene where some elves are headed to Valinor for their earthly reward, and they're all standing on an elven ship -- STANDING stock-still in formation presumably for all of the many days required to reach the place -- in their armor, which is symbolically removed as they near to show they've renounced their warrior aspects. I mean, it must have sounded great on paper, but to think of them striking that pose for weeks, not eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom -- was hilarious!
As for the characters, I loved them all. Warrior Galadriel was an interesting choice, and I liked how the Harfoots structured their society around cooperation and concealment, living alongside the world but not exactly in it. The elves were all gorgeous. The orcs, gross. The humans, unfortunately, were only a few steps above the orcs in the grossness department.
Now on to the meteor and the "giant" -- very obvious, that's
I could say more but I'd go on for pages and pages.
In overall design the show was similar to the Peter Jackson trilogy -- lots of spectacular mountains, spectacular fjords, Autumn trees (wait, I think those were Elven trees with naturally gold leaves and white trunks) and a cathedral-like, airy look for Elven architecture.
Even the silly parts were charming. There's one scene where some elves are headed to Valinor for their earthly reward, and they're all standing on an elven ship -- STANDING stock-still in formation presumably for all of the many days required to reach the place -- in their armor, which is symbolically removed as they near to show they've renounced their warrior aspects. I mean, it must have sounded great on paper, but to think of them striking that pose for weeks, not eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom -- was hilarious!
As for the characters, I loved them all. Warrior Galadriel was an interesting choice, and I liked how the Harfoots structured their society around cooperation and concealment, living alongside the world but not exactly in it. The elves were all gorgeous. The orcs, gross. The humans, unfortunately, were only a few steps above the orcs in the grossness department.
Now on to the meteor and the "giant" -- very obvious, that's
{Spoiler}a newly born Gandalf! He was one of the five Maia, or Maiar (forget which) created by the gods of Middle Earth to help its races resist Sauron's pull. Being newly formed, doesn't know anything and has to be taught. That's why he had such a high regard for Hobbits in the LOTR -- because they were the ones who discovered him and helped him, so he imprinted on them.
I could say more but I'd go on for pages and pages.
