Okay, it’s time: we’ve got to talk about Rings of Power.

For those of you who have been around since my Hobbit movie reviews, you’re probably (maybe?) on the edge of your seat, waiting for the epic smackdown. If so, I’m sorry to disappoint, but there will be no smackdown today.

Allow me to explain.

Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit is just that—an adaptation. He had a full-length, masterfully crafted story to work with, and was charged with transferring it faithfully from the page to the scr...