Lord of the Rings TV Series Purchased by Amazon

[Val the Moofia Boss]

This is the one shot from the show that looks decent.

[Ihavewaffles]

I couldn't find that one, but I did find a new shot of Celebrimbor.

He looks like...an old lady.

[Shadowferal]

Celebrimbor

[Belize]

In this one, specifically, its the lighting. He's stood in what appears to be a little dingy corridor (minus the room we see to the right), but he's got a bloody spotlight in his face lol

Obviously, a wider shot might actually make sense if we can see where exactly he is, but as it is, he just looks like he's got a light shining on him.

I forgot to crop out that image too, I was talking in general lol

Like, the scene with what I can only assume to be hobbits given the feet looks completely unnatural in not a good way.

[Orby]

Also are elves supposed to be ageless looking? why goes Celebrimbor look like an old (human) British politician. Some of the elves in general look way to aging. Maybe its the short hair too? Something is off.

But regardless of that there are some shots like that look nice, prop design looks great. The scene of them around the table looks very well done.

[Khaza-R]

Also are elves supposed to be ageless looking? why goes Celebrimbor look like an old (human) British politician. Some of the elves in general look way to aging. Maybe its the short hair too? Something is off.

But regardless of that there are some shots like that look nice, prop design looks great.

I was going to same the same. It definitely feels like they said elves are just humans with pointy ears and called it a day. Feels pretty lazy so far but maybe there's better scenes we haven't seen yet.

The hobbits looks decent at least.

[eschatological]

Can someone that's more cinematically inclined than I am help me pinpoint what's ~wrong~ with these images?

Is it the lighting that makes them feel off? Or maybe an overuse of CGI?

They seem to be almost touched up, but if these pictures haven't been through some sort of photo manipulation for print media, and are actual stills from the show, it probably means stylistic use of CGI to make things "pop" more and make things less.....hmmm, how would I say it....less dull than the actual reality of the shot?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Also are elves supposed to be ageless looking?

These era elves are supposed to be looking young, yes.

In the beginning, men and elves were immortal. Men sinned (by worshipping Morgoth and blaspheming against Eru) and were thus were cursed and became frail and had short lifespans. Elves didn't. However, Morgoth imbued the whole world with a little bit of his being. A person who eats an apple consumes a tiny bit of Morgoth's evil. These trace amounts of corruption are so small that they weren't apparent early on. However, by the time of LotR (set at the end of the Third Age), the effects of thousands of years of accumulated corruption starts becoming noticeable on the elves. This show takes place during the Second Age so the accumulated corruption shouldn't be noticeable yet.

[Super Kami Dende]

Case in point, if different hair length and/or color are such egregious transgressions that you flip a shit then your little more than a pedantic troll with little actual investment in the stories.

These works aren’t popular because of minor details like that.

Many things in LOTR work because of minor details in things. Making a character unrecognizable for zero reason is just inane. When Gandalf appears on the screen you know its Gandalf. Why even bother changing it when you could literally have just cast or even put make-up on a Character to bring them to their lore-correct vision.

Like what do you literally lose by not pointlessly changing things?

[Smallfruitbat]

Right I agree, criticism of like someone's hair or whatever just don't gain traction of a show is actually good because not enough people care.

I'm on the fence about looks, for a visual medium there needs to be more than costume differentiating characters with similar looks, I don't mind that. Where I get uncomfortable is when a character is completely changed for a show. Galadrial, is NOT full of piss and vinegar (as the showrunners described her) the character in this series is described as 'not the same Galadrial'. It is not 'an interpretation', it is a completely different character -made up and given a book characters name. This was done repeatedly with Wheel of Time.

Instead of bastardising well loved stories, I want to see these studios come up with their own. Galadrial was not a warrior woman stalking around in armour, it isn't necessary to write her as such. Why not write your own character in your own universe instead of trying to ride someone else' coat tails to success. If the general feeling is that the tone of older stories don't match our current age thinking then let them stay in the past and write new stories.

[shise]

I have Prime and watching something there is a pain.

How can such a rich company have such a crap smart tv app? It pains having to use it. Besides, 95% of their shit is not avaiable on your region or you must pay additional costs lol.

[Shadowferal]

It'd be the height of irony if this turns out to be poorly written fan-fiction.

[Nyel]

It'd be the height of irony if this turns out to be poorly written fan-fiction.

It will. Everything about it looks like cheap CGI and terrible writing. I am so ashamed they're turning this prestigious and epic brand into something so cringy.

[Grimbold21]

These era elves are supposed to be looking young, yes.

In the beginning, men and elves were immortal. Men sinned (by worshipping Morgoth and blaspheming against Eru) and were thus were cursed and became frail and had short lifespans. Elves didn't. However, Morgoth imbued the whole world with a little bit of his being. A person who eats an apple consumes a tiny bit of Morgoth's evil. These trace amounts of corruption are so small that they weren't apparent early on. However, by the time of LotR (set at the end of the Third Age), the effects of thousands of years of accumulated corruption starts becoming noticeable on the elves. This show takes place during the Second Age so the accumulated corruption shouldn't be noticeable yet.

Did I miss something?

Men were mortal from the get go. Primordial men, so to speak, just had longer lifespans than your average human.

The gift of Illuvatar and all that, that men were "able" to die and have their spirits leave the world.

The only result of Morgoth's corruption, which greatest impact was seen much later, was men beginning to resent that died. Yada, yada and later they invade the undying lands.

[Dhrizzle]

These era elves are supposed to be looking young, yes.

In the beginning, men and elves were immortal. Men sinned (by worshipping Morgoth and blaspheming against Eru) and were thus were cursed and became frail and had short lifespans. Elves didn't. However, Morgoth imbued the whole world with a little bit of his being. A person who eats an apple consumes a tiny bit of Morgoth's evil. These trace amounts of corruption are so small that they weren't apparent early on. However, by the time of LotR (set at the end of the Third Age), the effects of thousands of years of accumulated corruption starts becoming noticeable on the elves. This show takes place during the Second Age so the accumulated corruption shouldn't be noticeable yet.

That's incredibly inaccurate. Elves were the First Born Children of Illuvatar and are immortal, their souls bound to Arda for all time. After a relatively rapid growth phase (becoming equivalent to age 18 after 72 years-of-the-sun) they enter their Life-Years. Their "Youth" lasts around 7000 years of the sun and "Maturity" another 7000. They then enter a time of "Fading" but this is not really dealt with in Tolkien's work as few reached that age by the end of the Third Age. Elves can die through physical trauma or, in essence, great sadness and their spirits go to the Halls of Mandos where they may remain or become Incarnate again.

Men, the Second Born Children of Illuvatar, were always supposed to be mortal, their bodies age and die naturally and their spirits pass through the Halls of Mandos where their fate is known to none, not even the Valar. The only Human known to return from the Halls of Mandos is Beren who was allowed to live out his days with Tinuviel the Elf (part Maiar) who gave up her immortality. This was only allowed by the Valar beseeching Illuvatar.

The Elves of later ages, and particularly those who dwell in Middle Earth, are lesser because they are not spiritually nourished the same way. Living in Valinor close to the Valar under the Light of the Trees created the mightiest of Elves including Feanor and Galadriel. After they came to Middle Earth in the Ages of the Sun their powers and those of their descendents diminished.

There was a race of men ruled over by the half-elven descendents of Beren and Luthien who dwelt on the island of Numenor, positioned halfway between Valinor and Middle Earth. They were rewarded for their acts against Morgoth with long life measurable in centuries. However in generations this long life gave way to a great fear of death and Sauron manipulated them to resent the Valar, eventually leading to a rebellion, the destruction of Numenor and the Closing of the Way where Illuvater made the flat world into a globe with a single path to Valinor that Men could not find. Those who remained loyal and fled before the destruction of Numenor saw their lifespans diminish until most were the same as other races of Men, though their royal line kept some longevity, hence Aragorn being 86 years old during Lord of the Rings and living to be 210.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm on the fence about looks, for a visual medium there needs to be more than costume differentiating characters with similar looks, I don't mind that. Where I get uncomfortable is when a character is completely changed for a show. Galadrial, is NOT full of piss and vinegar (as the showrunners described her) the character in this series is described as 'not the same Galadrial'. It is not 'an interpretation', it is a completely different character -made up and given a book characters name. This was done repeatedly with Wheel of Time.

Instead of bastardising well loved stories, I want to see these studios come up with their own. Galadrial was not a warrior woman stalking around in armour, it isn't necessary to write her as such. Why not write your own character in your own universe instead of trying to ride someone else' coat tails to success. If the general feeling is that the tone of older stories don't match our current age thinking then let them stay in the past and write new stories.

The Galadriel they're presenting in Rings of Power seems to be based on Tolkien's later notes. Her story and character underwent many revisions and Tolkien had barely scratched actual events in this period. Remember the Silmarillion was not a finished piece of work and Christopher Tolkien scraped it together for release after JRR's death. His many notes, letters and unfinished tales tell often contradictory stories. "Full of piss and vinegar" is probably a decent way to describe the restless Galadriel Tolkien described as an "Amazon" (warrior woman) who's mother-name meant "Man-maiden," who chafed under the tutelage of the Valar, fought fiercely against Feanor at the kinslaying and remained ever wary and vigilant for the evil of Sauron after the banishment of Morgoth. Also don't forget that by Tolkien's reckoning of elven aging she was just leaving her "Years of Youth" and entering the "Years of Maturity" at the end of the Third Age when she sailed West (at the end of Lord of the Rings.) Her mortal-equivalent age during the Second Age was early 20s to early 30s.

[Fuiking]

Did I miss something?

Men were mortal from the get go. Primordial men, so to speak, just had longer lifespans than your average human.

The gift of Illuvatar and all that, that men were "able" to die and have their spirits leave the world.

The only result of Morgoth's corruption, which greatest impact was seen much later, was men beginning to resent that died. Yada, yada and later they invade the undying lands.

You missed the Ring of Morgots and the tale of Andreth I think.. which both refer to those things happening.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Did I miss something?

This:

'Yet among my people, from Wise unto Wise out of the darkness, comes the voice saying that Men are not now as they were, nor as their true nature was in the beginning. And clearer still is this said by the Wise of the people of Marach, who have preserved in memory a name for Him that ye call Eru, though in my folk He was almost forgotten. So I learn from Adanel. They say plainly that Men are not by nature short-lived, but have become so through the malice of the Lord of the Darkness whom they do not name.

...

That is not the voice that the Wise hear out of the darkness and from beyond it. Nay, lord, the Wise among Men say: "We were not made for death, nor born ever to die. Death was imposed upon us."

...

[Finrod said,] 'Therefore I say to you, Andreth, what did ye do, ye Men, long ago in the dark? How did ye anger Eru? For otherwise all your tales are but dark dreams devised in a Dark Mind. Will you say what you know or have heard?'
'I will not,' said Andreth. 'We do not speak of this to those of other race. But indeed the Wise are uncertain and speak with contrary voices; but whatever happened long ago, we have fled from it; we have tried to forget, and so long have we tried that now we cannot remember any time when we were not as we are - save only legends of days when death came less swiftly and our span was still far longer, but already there was death.'

'Ye cannot remember?' said Finrod. 'Are there no tales of your days before death, though ye will not tell them to strangers?'

'Maybe,' said Andreth. 'If not among my folk, then among the folk of Adanel, perhaps.' She fell silent, and gazed at the fire.

...

[Andreth said] 'We may have been mortal when we first met the Elves far away, or maybe we were not: our lore does not say, or at least none that I have learned. But we already had our lore, and needed none from the Elves: we knew that in our beginning, we had been born never to die. And by that, my lord, we meant: born to life everlasting, without any shadow of any end.'

[Nerovar]

Extremely bewildering choice to give the elves 16th century plate armor.

[Shadowferal]

Looks...mannish

[tomten]

Feel like Strange New Worlds and the Mandalorian are interested examples here, because they are broadly being accepted as great shows by most fans while stuff like Picard and Book of Boba are widely criticized.

I think it's really as simple as people like good things and hate bad ones!

What Picard? Because lately, i find myself really enjoying the things internet hate on... Like book of boba fat, halo etc etc.