The show is a passion project for Bezos, although it's not entirely clear if his passion is for the works of Tolkien or for the subscription payments he hopes to lure out of the wallets of the world's Tolkien fans keen to televisually return to Middle Earth.
But even if his heart isn't in the right place, his wallet certainly has been. LoTR:TRoP has gone down in the history books as the most expensive TV series ever made.
Well, Lord of the Rings is not exactly a property you can handle half-arsed, but even still, is the guts of half a billion dollars for a mere eight episodes enough to buy you love? Or, at the very least, a subscription to Amazon Prime Video?
Hard to say. I've only seen the first two episodes, both of which are streaming now. New episodes will be appearing weekly.
It's quickly apparent why APV launched with a twofer. The first episode is pretty boring. I mean that quite literally. The show is never anything short of being incredibly pretty, often quite stunning. With huge swooping shots over expansive vistas, exactly of the sort Sir Pete favoured in his epic cinema trilogy, and a lush and familiar otherworldly or ethereal look to the show when the camera settles on the actors and their incredibly detailed outfits and settings.
But ... that first episode is just a bit dull. It really makes you appreciate how masterfully Sir Pete got things rolling. There is an argument to be made that he only had to introduce one fellowship while LoTR:TRoP has a more sprawling narrative that follows various groups so set-up is going to be a wee bit longer and convoluted. Even with the bursts of action and excitement that's been peppered in to jolt you awake lest all the characters' very serious Tolkien-talk sees you start to drift.
But by the end of the episode all the pieces are in play; elf Galadriel, played with a superb level of grit by Morfydd Clark, has defied the elf king to continue her centuries-long quest to avenge her brother's death and defeat the evil baddie Sauron and his band of mangy orcs. The Hafoots, who are mildly annoying Hobbit stand-ins, have met a mysterious and powerful yet troubled giant and are plodding towards their own adventure, and the Elf Arondir's forbidden love for a human named Bronwyn is firmly on the back burner after their village is invaded by orcs sending everyone fleeing.
Very serious stuff, I'm sure you'll agree. However, in episode two the show starts to have some fun when the elf Elrond travels to the Dwarven mines to enlist their help and finds himself embroiled in a competition of strength and endurance with an old friend harbouring a deep grudge. This pairing brings some much-needed character and levity to the series making it that much more engaging.
The action sequences also get bigger and more spectacular as well, including one superb confrontation at sea.
So, after two episodes the show's hitting 50/50 but the indicators are only pointing up. It's confident, visually stunning and easily the most cinematic show to ever hit the small screen. Its quality shimmers through in a way other shows just don't.
But is that enough to win over today's Star Wars and superhero-obsessed world the same way Sir Pete did all those years ago? That is the half-billion-dollar question.
