The second season of Amazon’s The Lord Of The Rings sequel series The Rings Of Power is about to arrive and critics appear to be split down the middle.
The first three episodes will be available on the streaming platform tomorrow (August 29), while the rest of them will be released weekly.
NME was more positive about the series, writing in a four-star review: “Those who complained that nothing happened in House Of The Dragon’s sophomore effort will thrill at how The Rings Of Power refuses to slump. Indeed, the second season improves on the first, sharpening its narrative and taking assured footsteps forward as the writers continue to tell this expansive tale. Let’s just hope the series doesn’t make like the hobbits and end up going in circles.”
Meanwhile, Radio Times praised the show’s “splendid storytelling”, even if it “still has its flaws”.
“The Rings of Power would almost undoubtedly make for better TV if it had simply jettisoned its weaker storylines, but by this point, it’s clear that unevenness is a part of the show’s DNA; in one moment brilliant, in one moment perplexing. And, it’s a mistake to judge The Rings of Power for what it could be, rather than what it is,” the outlet said.
“Whether or not the second season’s genuine and significant improvements make the continued presence of these flaws more or less frustrating is difficult to judge. In the end, The Rings of Power season 2 is largely so carefully crafted, so creative, and so captivating that it’s incredibly easy to enjoy and appreciate what works, and ignore nearly everything else.”
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The Independent, however, was more scathing. Awarding the season two stars, it said: “There has always been something slightly wrong about The Rings of Power. A visual aesthetic that seemed to take more from Peter Jackson’s derided Hobbit films than his acclaimed trilogy. A wigginess to the character design that makes it look more like Doctor Who than prestige drama. A proliferation of MacGuffins – objects that catalyse the plot – that would shame even Michael Bay. A temptation towards fan service, shoehorning characters like Tom Bombadil into the already overstuffed action. An indulgent belief that “epic” means every interaction must be portentous – and that humour must be eschewed at all costs.
“The result is like being on a mirthless rollercoaster ride: thrown around, spun upside down, but always wondering when the fun is supposed to kick in.”
In a three-star review, The Evening Standard said: “I wish The Rings of Power could have learned more from the mistakes of season one, or even just heavily leant on the formulas of the films. The problem is that The Rings of Power season two spends all season building to a showstopping crescendo, whereas the film trilogy was packed with well paced action and comedy.”
“Season three desperately needs to be tighter, funnier, and meaner. But we will still be watching, regardless. Well, for the first few episodes, at least.