Darryl O'Neill

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you throw millions of dollars into a fantasy series and forget to include a coherent plot, "The Rings of Power" is here to enlighten you. First off, the pacing is all over the place—one minute we’re plodding through dull dialogues about elven tea ceremonies, and the next, we’re expected to care about a war that seems to come out of nowhere. The characters? A parade of forgettable faces who seem to have been plucked from a casting call for “Generic Hero #3.” The depth of their personalities is about as deep as a puddle after a light rain. The CGI is impressive at times, but it can’t mask the fact that I’m watching a series that feels more like a budget video game cutscene than a gripping epic. The visuals scream “look at us!” while the storytelling whispers, “please don’t.” And let’s not even get started on the dialogue. It’s as if the writers decided to channel Shakespeare while simultaneously forgetting how humans actually speak. The result? Lines that are cringeworthy and awkward, filled with references that feel shoehorned in rather than natural. In a nutshell, "The Rings of Power" is a grand spectacle of missed opportunities. If you’re looking for a new way to experience the vastness of Middle-earth, this might just be the best way to put yourself to sleep. Save your time and rewatch the original films—they're a far better journey through the rich lore of Tolkien’s world.