So far this production comes off as a fairly generic "high fantasy" series you could easily pass off as any other high fantasy series if you weren't specifically told this was based on Tolkien. Only they spent upwards of a billion dollars to make this one.
A lot of the scenes feel very "green screened" and filmed on closed sound stages.
The prominent protagonists are all written to be cutouts of stereotypical clichés.
There is a lack of hygiene among any group not specifically Elven... everyone is covered in grime, dirt, sweat and grease for some reason. The male Elves all have these comical 80's/90's hair styles like they're the leads of a daytime soap opera. Meanwhile combs have yet to be invented by anyone not an Elf.
The dialogue is pretty cringe in places... like someone trying really hard to write really elaborate and deep prose... but lacks the talent to actually pull it off. Characters saying things like "boats are good because they float in the light, rocks are evil because they sink into the dark depths".
The main protagonist is unlikable. It is difficult to empathize or relate to her as she comes off as a dispassionate **** obsessed with avenging the death of her brother and any one not with her is in her way. We're never shown any interactions that would explain the bond between them, other than that one line of banal platitudes about boats.
She is stated to be commander of an army, yet has no concept of authority (beyond her own) or being subordinate to anyone, not even the King. Normally I don't fault actors/actresses for the end result presented on screen. They're hired to do a job and can only work within the bounds of what they're given to work with... which isn't much in this case... but Morfydd Clark has no range and in every exchange with any other character she projects the same thousand-yard stare, suggesting she's stunned someone is, yet again, contesting her decisions or rationale. She's even glaring at the King as he affirms her for carrying out her duty as if "You mother****er, how dare you" is running through her mind. It is like she had to film many of these scenes without an acting partner and has nothing to play off of while delivering her lines because she is playing to a ball on a stick for greenscreen instead of her fellow performer.
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