Television The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Massive Spanner said:
Irish accents are always crap in Hollywood productions, that's nothing new. We just laugh it off while watching it. It can be a bit distracting at times, though.

I've seen loads of English people moan at Butcher's cockney accent in The Boys, for example, so it's hardly limited to us.
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The moaning in the article I shared wasn’t just about the accent being crap. It was about the Irish accent being used for filthy hobbit peasants, while the English accent was assigned to aristocratic elves and nobles. Slightly dubious decision considering the history between the two nations.

Not a huge issue for me, personally. I was sharing the link for someone who is more likely to get exercised about stuff like that.
 
Eriku said:
In that article Pogue posted that I responded to, it started off by lamenting how the accents used by the Harfoots are inconsistent and take you all over the isles.
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That article is more about the representation of Ireland/Celtic people than just saying the accents aren’t good enough though. The accents being crap on their own is a superficial issue I don’t think anyone is losing sleep over.

It is actually really weird now I think about it though, if you’re going to make the Harfoots Irish, why not hire Irish actors?
 
Eriku said:
So funny that there being inconsistent Irish accents is such an issue. Frodo having a posh accent, Sam being all midlands, and Pip being bleedin’ Scottish; those things are fine and part of a classic trilogy, but Harfoots fluctuating in an Irish based accent in a world with no Ireland, that’s beyond the pale.



Celebrimbor, no?
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You are right. Apologies for the error. Thank you for the correction. ;)
 
Pogue Mahone said:
The moaning in the article I shared wasn’t just about the accent being crap. It was about the Irish accent being used for filthy hobbit peasants, while the English accent was assigned to aristocratic elves and nobles. Slightly dubious decision considering the history between the two nations.

Not a huge issue for me, personally. I was sharing the link for someone who is more likely to get exercised about stuff like that.
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There's that too, especially as I believe High Elves in Tolkien's works are generally considered very similar to Celts?
 
Eriku said:
In that article Pogue posted that I responded to, it started off by lamenting how the accents used by the Harfoots are inconsistent and take you all over the isles.
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Eriku said:
Just saying that it’s weird to be worked up by that inconsistency when Hobbits in close proximity vary so much in LOTR, and that passes without comment.
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As the others have added, it's less about the inconsistency of the accents and more about the optics of having the high classy races speaking in a posh English accent, and then having the less civilised and cultured lot speak with an Irish based accent. I don't think anyone's particularly worked up about it, but it's worth mentioning as it's been a longstanding trope with grim origins.
 
Eriku said:
Just saying that it’s weird to be worked up by that inconsistency when Hobbits in close proximity vary so much in LOTR, and that passes without comment.
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I guess the inconsistency is what got them off the hook.

I once had the misfortune to interview George Lucas about Phantom Menace back in the day. We stuck it to him about all the racial stereotypes and he stoutly denied that his aliens were anything but aliens and it was all in our heads. But he knew that we knew that he knew.

Cascarino said:
As the others have added, it's less about the inconsistency of the accents and more about the optics of having the high classy races speaking in a posh English accent
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It's no co-incidence that Tolkien described Elves as looking like the Norman ideal, while Sam the Gardener looked anglo-saxon. Or that his orcs all spoke with cockney accents. It's all baked into his cake.
 
Cascarino said:
As the others have added, it's less about the inconsistency of the accents and more about the optics of having the high classy races speaking in a posh English accent, and then having the less civilised and cultured lot speak with an Irish based accent. I don't think anyone's particularly worked up about it, but it's worth mentioning as it's been a longstanding trope with grim origins.
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Yeah, I’ve been told the gist of what else is behind that paywall now, and also linked to some of the curriculum from my linguistics course talking about how how this goes back as far as early Disney cartoons and the film industry since.
 
Eriku said:
Yeah, I’ve been told the gist of what else is behind that paywall now, and also linked to some of the curriculum from my linguistics course talking about how how this goes back as far as early Disney cartoons and the film industry since.
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Yeah apologies, I was going to edit my post as I missed two of your posts some how but saw them after I’d posted
 
Eriku said:
Just saying that it’s weird to be worked up by that inconsistency when Hobbits in close proximity vary so much in LOTR, and that passes without comment.

Thanks for the correction on Sam, bit of a brain fart, that.
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Because Harfoots were a "breed" of Hobbits. Think they all were seperate and in different locations in the 2nd age, but by the third age they all intertwined, so I guess makes sense that.. maybe or maybe I'm just trying to explain two different adaptations..
 
Spoony said:
Nah Cockney accents are old East End, old criminal gangs, Jack the lad, Arthur Daley and all that. Suits the orcs to be fair. Anything but English upper class.
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Sorry got that wrong that's why deleted my post.
 
Did anyone say that the warg scene was one to leave people scarred mentally? That was far more terrifying than the iteration of the similar animals from The Two Towers.
 
Am I the only one that never noticed CGI unless it’s really bad? That Warg scene was absolutely fine I thought and didn’t take me out the world at all. I’m not a very observant person though so maybe I just miss obvious things.
 
dumbo said:
Differing tones, styles and personal preference I'll allow but I can't concede on quality. There's nary a ring strong enough, in all of Middle Earth, to thwart the Goblin King's codpiece.
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I'll confine myself to stating I'm really not a fantasy aficionado (I didn't even read Tolkien until after I watched The Fellowship), and leave you to draw your own conclusions about how it's not really necessary to take me seriously, rather than lock horns over that assessment. :) I know a lot of people love those films (and books, where applicable).
 
So, besides some accent flaws, some inconsistencies with the original material, some CGI nit-picking and general sceptisism to Amazon's casting and production skills (I can't see how one can enjoy any show with those glasses on), do any of you enjoy the show?

Personally I really like it so far. I've read everything by Tolkien multiple times (30 years ago though) and I really don't care about the inconsistencies with the original material as long as it's entertaining and I look forward to next Friday after every episode.
Amazon has put a lot of eggs in this basket and the WoT basket, and I'd really hate to see either not reach the finishline. We need all the good fantasyshows running.
 
troylocker said:
So, besides some accent flaws, some inconsistencies with the original material, some CGI nit-picking and general sceptisism to Amazon's casting and production skills (I can't see how one can enjoy any show with those glasses on), do any of you enjoy the show?

Personally I really like it so far. I've read everything by Tolkien multiple times (30 years ago though) and I really don't care about the inconsistencies with the original material as long as it's entertaining and I look forward to next Friday after every episode.
Amazon has put a lot of eggs in this basket and the WoT basket, and I'd really hate to see either not reach the finishline. We need all the good fantasyshows running.
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I'm sticking with it, but can't say I'm overly wrapped up in it. As you mentioned, there's a lot to be desired in the overall script, casting and acting quality. It lacks the charm of LoTR which genuinely makes you care about what happens, here I'm struggling to really get behind anyone. Overall though, for the most expensive TV show of all time, I'm generally underwhelmed and left wondering where exactly all the money went. Even the things you'd expect an Amazon production to do excellently aren't that great.
 
troylocker said:
So, besides some accent flaws, some inconsistencies with the original material, some CGI nit-picking and general sceptisism to Amazon's casting and production skills (I can't see how one can enjoy any show with those glasses on), do any of you enjoy the show?

Personally I really like it so far. I've read everything by Tolkien multiple times (30 years ago though) and I really don't care about the inconsistencies with the original material as long as it's entertaining and I look forward to next Friday after every episode.
Amazon has put a lot of eggs in this basket and the WoT basket, and I'd really hate to see either not reach the finishline. We need all the good fantasyshows running.
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In football, we talk about "the eye test". For this one, I think makes sense to have the "care test" - how much does it feel like I care about the characters and what happens next? Does it feel important? Do I believe in these people, as something other than something scriptwriters have done because they have to fill the minutes of a tv show? With LOTR, I did believe in them and it did feel important what happened - I emotionally tapped into things like the siege of Minas Tirith, because the story and the characters convinced me to.

On that basis and for me, I'd say it hasn't won me decisively over, but it hasn't lost me either.
 
I find myself anticipating the next episode of this more than the next episode of House of the Dragon.
 
Vidyoyo said:
No matter how good this show is, we're all agreed that Dune is better than LotR, right?
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Not seen the show but if we're talking about the books then ... no! :lol:

Much as I love Dune, and I do, LOTR is the absolute daddy of all books for me. I'm not even a fantasy nerd, just a sucker for tales of heroism. I read LOTR at least once every couple of years.
 
LOTR V GOT is just two completely different styles of fantasy. ASOIAF changed the genre, brought us to where we are now were grimdark, brutal, nihilistic cynicism exploring the ugliness of human nature dominates. LOTR, with its epic, sweeping mythological take on grand themes and characters is the one out of place now. The problem is if you take away the genuine sincerity of LOTR and insert the cynicism of GOT to fit modern expectations it is not really LOTR anymore.
 
Bobski said:
LOTR V GOT is just two completely different styles of fantasy. ASOIAF changed the genre, brought us to where we are now were grimdark, brutal, nihilistic cynicism exploring the ugliness of human nature dominates. LOTR, with its epic, sweeping mythological take on grand themes and characters is the one out of place now. The problem is if you take away the genuine sincerity of LOTR and insert the cynicism of GOT to fit modern expectations it is not really LOTR anymore.
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I always preferred the grande, mythological fantasy over the low fantasy (well, low with dragons) that aims to be grim, brutal and "realistic". Game of Thrones was awesome (the first half anyway), because we hadn't seen the everyone can die at any time thing in mainstream TV before, but in the end, I actually prefer the good guys winning and the bad guys dying :)
 
KirkDuyt said:
I always preferred the grande, mythological fantasy over the low fantasy (well, low with dragons) that aims to be grim, brutal and "realistic". Game of Thrones was awesome (the first half anyway), because we hadn't seen the everyone can die at any time thing in mainstream TV before, but in the end, I actually prefer the good guys winning and the bad guys dying :)
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I like them both, but the genre tends to be, as with everything, very fashion and success led. GRRM led to Joe Abercrombie, Bakker and co all working within the same style, or taking that brutality of ASOIAF and going even further. Sanderson is doing something a bit different, though the last couple of his Stormlight Archive read like overly verbose explorations of mental health issues. He tells a good story but the writing is super functional.

GRRM did a great job of attaching you to characters and then emotionally crushing you with their demise. LOTR can be very depressing in its own way, the world is diminishing, and even though the good guys might win the world has lost something that will never return. Themes over individuals.
 
troylocker said:
So, besides some accent flaws, some inconsistencies with the original material, some CGI nit-picking and general sceptisism to Amazon's casting and production skills (I can't see how one can enjoy any show with those glasses on), do any of you enjoy the show?

Personally I really like it so far. I've read everything by Tolkien multiple times (30 years ago though) and I really don't care about the inconsistencies with the original material as long as it's entertaining and I look forward to next Friday after every episode.
Amazon has put a lot of eggs in this basket and the WoT basket, and I'd really hate to see either not reach the finishline. We need all the good fantasyshows running.
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Not sold on WoT there seemed to be too much missing from it including a lot of the acting. Still, hope it improves.
 
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