The First ‘LOTR: The Rings Of Power’ Reactions Are Calling The Amazon Series ‘Big, Bold, And Beautiful To Behold’

With a little over a week left before its premiere, the first reactions to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are storming in. Judging by what the majority of critics are saying, the Amazon series appears to be worth its massive price tag. (Each episode reportedly cost $50 million.) According to the reactions, the show captures the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy realm while achieving its own visual style that delicately threads the needle between separating The Rings of Power from the Peter Jackson movies while still maintaining an epic look and feel that audiences have come to expect. That’s no easy task, but the Amazon series is ready to face the challenge.

“I have seen the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and they are a total joy,” Entertainment Weekly‘s Devan Coggan tweeted. “Watching it feels like stepping back into Middle-earth. I cannot wait to see where this story goes.”

— Devan Coggan (@devancoggan) August 24, 2022

“Good news, @FilmBayona directs the HELL out of the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: #RingsOfPower. Watch it on the biggest screen you can,” Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist wrote. “Markella Kavenagh, Robert Aramayo, and Owain Arthur are standouts. The whole series looks like a big win for Prime Video.”