How well written is the review on 'The Rings of Power'?

The article, ‘The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’, is a good review, because it communicates a clear opinion with specific reasoning; provides information on the show; and shares, and comments on, the opinion of the show runners. Kain describes the show as having failed in several significant ways:

It fails as an adaptation, neither enriching Tolkien’s work nor remaining true to it. It fails as a good fantasy, giving us generic tropes and melodrama rather than blazing new ground. And it fails as a compelling story, filled with cheap mystery boxes and unsurprising ‘twists.’ (Kain, The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’)

Kain not only gives an opinion on the quality of the show but lists its specific shortcomings. This allows readers to put more faith into the truth behind the review, and more knowledgeably determine whether the ‘failures’ in the show are traits that would hinder their enjoyment. Kain also includes descriptions of the show, such as its “eight-episode, eight-hour” (Kain, The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’) run. The knowledge of the length of the show may also affect whether readers find it worth watching. Along with information on the run time of the show, he provides basic information on the story line. He states that, “Our hero, Dadladriel, and Ronsaur (going by the name Halberd) are rescued by a ship from Ronemún that just happened to also be sailing in this exact part of the ocean at this exact time.” (Kain, The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’) These kinds of inclusions make the article more effective in reviewing the story, since readers can have an insight into the story that he is critiquing, and whether they find it compelling. “Payne and McKay sold their vision of a Lord of the Rings adaptation thanks to what has been described as a ‘fidelity’ to Tolkien, yet nothing could be further from the truth.” (Kain, The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’) In this quotation Kain shares the goal of the show runners, working as an expert opinion, and follows it up with a judgement on how well this was achieved. This inclusion adds to the reliability of the article, since it demonstrates the author’s research into the purpose of the show.

‘The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ would be a valuable review, specifically for fans of The Lord of the Rings, who value the preservation of the original story lines. This article is well written for its audience, and it is immediately clear to readers whether or not they are a part of that audience. The article title itself effectively communicates to potential readers that the review will be written from the perspective of a fan of The Lord of the Rings, and the language used further establishes the target audience. Kain includes terms such as, “Númenor” and “The Nine” (Kain, The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’). Those who are not familiar with The Lord of the Rings would not know these terms, and would, therefore, not follow the descriptions. He also includes criticisms of the show's accuracy to the story, which would be most appreciated by those already invested in the original work. “We spend a total of about fifteen minutes on the forging of the Rings, which is done out of order and almost as an afterthought.” (Kain, The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’) This kind of example would make sense to the target audience and make it clear how much the source material was altered.

Work Cited

Kain, Erik. “‘The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Review: Amazon’s Arrogant Betrayal Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’.” Forbes, 18 October 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2022/10/18/the-rings-of-power-season-1-review-amazons-arrogant-betrayal-of-the-lord-of-the-rings/?sh=4210bf421839. Accessed 2 May 2023.