Amazon is taking the fate of its latest, and very costly-to-produce show, into its own hands.
The first two episodes of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” debuted on Sept. 2 and were met with criticism. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes hovers below 40%, even though the critic score averaged 83%.
Meanwhile, the reviews on Amazon are off.
The reviews on the streaming website are only suspended and will be held for 72 hours to make sure each one is legitimate, a source at Amazon told Comic Book Review.
But fans on Rotten Tomatoes haven’t held back. Many point out the “awkward” dialogue and acting, though most are pleased with the visual effects. User Michael A said that the story feels like it’s “going nowhere.”
Brandon Avery, a critic, called the show a “masterpiece” and a “homerun,” a much different take than some of the Rotten Tomatoes reviewers. “It’s exciting to see a completely different perspective of life and morals from some of the older characters while simultaneously getting to know the new,” he said.
The show “will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness,” according to the official synopsis.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is rated TV-14 and will feature frightening moments, but no sex or nudity.