Devara public reaction: Netizens call it 'Baahubali lite version', Jr NTR fans fight back
24-year-old MBA student dies by suicide at IIM Ahmedabad due to...
From Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani,...: Big update on wealth of India's richest
Gautam Adani's big move, government to receive Rs 28000000000 from Adani group for...
Kanpur stadium authority hires langurs for India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test; Here's why
IND vs BAN 2nd Test: R Ashwin breaks Anil Kumble's all-time record to become....
Alia Bhatt reveals she has ADHD: What is it? How to deal with it?
India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test: Rain forces early stumps on Day 1, BAN 107/3 in 35 overs
LoP Rahul Gandhi gets parliamentary defence committee, Kangana Ranaut gets IT
Apple Diwali Sale 2024: Massive discounts on MacBook Air, iPhones, iPad, more; what to expect
Choosing 2 Men With Truck Removalists: Convenient And Cost-Effective Option
How Big Data is Used in Film Industry?
Akusoli Shoe Insoles Reviews Customer Critics
Escon Panache Villas: Experience Pinnacle of Luxury Living Through Eyes of Delighted Buyers
Land Records Portals in India: Comprehensive guide to access Land Information Online
Baden Bower Shares Important Tips for EB1A Visa Applicants
Viral Video: Rare giant crocodile-like fish leaves internet in awe and surprise, watch
‘It is all in the air’: SC raps Delhi air quality panel over pollution, stubble burning
UP shocker: Class 2 boy killed over 'tantrik' practices 5 arrested
This employee fired over bizarre reason, rehired after public backlash, check story here…
Jr NTR's Devara makers cut 7-minute scene just 3 days before release due to...
MUDA case: Siddaramaiah refuses to resign as Karnataka CM, says, 'will not...'
Mpox outbreak: Kerala confirms 2nd monkeypox case, man had returned to Ernakulam from...
Another big move by Gautam Adani, his company set to buy stake in...
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces special trains for upcoming festive season
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 teaser has Rooh Baba fighting Manjulika, Kartik Aaryan up against Vidya Balan
West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo announces retirement from...
Weather update: IMD issues heavy rainfall warning in 17 states for next three days, check details
In this Indian state, grooms are sent away to their brides' house after marriage, it is...
Malayalam actor Siddique's whereabouts unknown, police intensify search, issue lookout notice
Watch Virat Kohli's gesture when Kanpur ground staff touches his feet, here's viral video
The Big Billion Days Sale 2024: Check dates, offers, best deals on electronics, home appliances
Paracetamol among 53 drugs to fail quality control test: What are the alternatives you can adopt?
Big blow to CSK as Dwayne Bravo part ways, joins this team as...
30-year-old woman collapses at work, dies after manager denies..., company says...
After US, France, UK backs India's bid for permanent UNSC seat
Big blow for BJP as Sunil Jakhar resigns as Punjab chief ahead of Panchayat elections: Report
Bad news for Jr NTR fans, Devara Part 2 has a big update
Husky joins morning aarti, takes social media by storm, internet calls it...; watch viral video
Meet man, an Indian who wanted to become cricketer, now earns Rs 5 crore daily, is married to...
Meet man, who spent over 50 years in jail for murder he never committed, is now set to be...
Earth's 'mini-moon' to be visible from..., here's how you can watch it
PM Modi launches 3 Param Rudra supercomputers: Know features, how these will help India
Salman Khan flaunts his Sikandar biceps, gives glimpse into his fitness regime in viral pic
Virat Kohli needs only 35 runs to break star India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's world record of...
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio to get tough competition from BSNL as government...
Pakistani actor Darpan, whose brother Santosh was a superstar, reigned the romantic age
Indian mountaineers name peak in Arunachal Pradesh after 6th Dalai Lama, China responds
Anil Ambani rises again, Reliance Group companies becoming debt free, his net worth is...
Meet IAS officer, who can't speak or listen, still aced UPSC in his first attempt with AIR...
Meet man, who leads Rs 7781 crore company, close relative of Mukesh Ambani, has net worth of...
When Nita Ambani shared who she’d date if not her husband, Mukesh Ambani’s response was...
Kanpur weather forecast, India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test: Will rain play spoilsport on Day 1?
Zelenskyy meets Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, discusses Ukraine's 'victory plan'
Meet man, son of closest advisor of Mukesh Ambani’s father, who works in Reliance as…
Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju gets Mercedes Benz E-Class as gift, it costs Rs…
Flipkart Big Billion Days: Apple iPhone 15 is available for just Rs....; check how to grab new offer
DNA TV Show: As gold prices hit all-time high, should we invest in yellow metal or shares?
'Why pick up BCCI, settle with them only': SC asks Byju's on Rs 15000 crore debt
NASA’s rover discovers unusual 'Zebra-stripped' rock on...
Mpox outbreak: Centre issues advisory to prevent spread of virus, says, 'minimize risk of...'
Ratan Tata's company inks Rs 91000 crore pact with Taiwan firm to build India's first...
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance teams up with Swedish company, will now sell...
TELEVISION
The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power season 2 is a marked improvement on season 1 but falls short of being great television, despite stunning visual effects and good score
TRENDING NOW
Showrunners: JD Payne and Patrick Mackay
Cast: Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Charlie Vickers, Charles Edwards, Maxim Baldry, Owain Arthur, Sophia Nomvete, Markella Kavanagh, Daniel Weyman, Joseph Mawle, Benjamin Walker, Tyroe Muhafidin, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Megan Richards, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Trystan Gravelle, Rory Kinnear
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Rating: 3 stars
There was a poetic quality to the writing of JRR Tolkien. Throughout the Lord of the Rings books, or in Simillarion and The Hobbit, even his prosaic words feel to the ears like verse. Melody was pivotal to his storytelling, and that is why he left some of the most quotable quotes in modern literature on his pages. Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy brought that out beautifully. For all their faults, the cash grab that was The Hobbit series, also included that melody in its dialogue. But Rings of Power lacks that. Season 1 suffered from the makers’ choice to spend time to set the world (ironically Tolkien fans got annoyed at the most Tolkien thing ever, taking time). Season 2 brings the payoff for all that setup and includes gritty action, breathtaking visuals, masterful acting, and even some enchanting score. And yet all that comes apart in the face of some pedestrian writing, particularly the dialogue. Rings of Power season 2 is a living, breathing example of why spinoffs and fanfics so often fall short – because the OG masters are masters for a reason. This show lacks the soul of Tolkien, and without that, it is a beautiful, even entertaining watch, but never captivating, and certainly never memorable.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 revealed that Sauron (Charlie Vickers) had infiltrated and manipulated the mind of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and even coaxed the great Elvish smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to do his bidding. The second season shows how Sauron transforms into Annatar, fooling the Elves into creating his instruments of control – the rings of power. All this while Elrond (Robert Aramayo) battles to get the dwarves and elves together to fight this foe, and the advancing Orc chief Adar and his armies. While far away in Numenor, a very Trump-Hilary-like battle for power ensues between Queen Regent Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle). And we finally learn the identity of the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), which fizzles more than it pops.
Season 2 is full of action, quite in contrast to the first season. There is a lot happening in a short span of time, which keeps your attention blocked and your eyes glued to the screen. The visuals and CGI are beyond top notch, among the best you will ever see, making it a worthy successor to Jackson’s trilogy. The colours, the landscapes, the sounds, and the score all come together to beautifully create Tolkien’s world in a manner that the great writer would have been proud of.
And yet, it all seems hollow the moment the characters start talking. The dialogue is the bane of the show. There are phases, particularly during the conversations between Celebrimbor and Sauron, where you can see shades of vintage Tolkien. But elsewhere, the show’s writing fails to even come close to its contemporary rivals like The House of the Dragon, let alone Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. There are hardly any memorable lines of pieces of conversation that stay with you due to their depth. This lack of depth also means the characters hardly ever gain weight with even the seemingly-wise folks like Tom Bombadil and Gil-galad coming off as too 2D.
The actors try their best to extract whatever they can from these elementary characters. Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor is easily the star of the show. He brings so much humanity to this tragic, doomed character that you are drawn to him and left heartbroken at his betrayal at the hands of Sauron. Charlie Vickers manages the impossible by being a worthy foil to him. The way he brings Sauron’s treachery and malice to life deserves accolades. Elsewhere, it is largely a sorry state of affairs with the actors tied down by the writing. In the case of Morfydd Clark, her stony expressions do her no favours and unfair comparisons with Cate Blanchett (who played the same role in the films) come to mind too easily.
The action could have saved this show to an extent, had it been spell-binding or visceral. But it is neither. We have seen more realistic battles in Game of Thrones and more spectacular ones in LOTR itself. Rings of Power takes a middle path but ends up nowhere. The battles are good to look at but not much impactful.
The redeeming arc of the show comes from its politics, particularly the track that takes place in Numenor where Pharazon’s transformation into Boris-Trump is complete. Everything, from a rousing speech against the ‘others’ to persecution of minorities and other faiths, is blueprint of right-wing nationalism, a bold choice for a fantasy show in today’s times. The execution falters every once in a while as the narrative refuses to add humanity to these men, but it is a worthy attempt nonetheless.
Rings of Power season 2 is a marked improvement on its predecessor, probably the best thing based on the Tolkien books since the original trilogy (yes, I am not a big fan of the Hobbit films, how’d you guess?) But it is still not great television. And given the source material, anything short of great is criminally under par.
The DNA app is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Please download the app and share your feedback with us.