Season 1 Review:
The Last of Us Parts 1 & 2 have the best stories I have ever experienced in a video game - surpassing the narrative of some of the greatest films. When I heard the announcement for an HBO show, my first instinct was "cashgrab". Thankfully I was wrong.
What they did right here was to keep the original creator on board (Drukmann) and create a relationship with another brilliant mind in television (Mazin). This not only made sure the heart and aesthetic of the game was faithfully preserved, but that it offered a chance for something more. They stuck to the narrative of the game as a skeleton, and when there was a chance for further exploration of human stories and concepts, they deviated (example: episode 3). They knew exactly when and where to stick to the source and where to expand and they nailed it. As such, an already brilliant story was shown in a new light and those who haven't played the game also got to experience it for the first time.
But even if you have the right creators, you need to right cast. Bella and Pedro were perfect. While they are new faces, they captured the essence of Joel and Ellie perfectly and really made the characters their own. Pedro has already shown his versatility and continues to do so, but I was very impressed with Bella. Everyone in this show, actually, put on great performances. Sprinkle in surprising and meaningful cameos for the gamers and you have perfection.
Lastly, the world, the action, the infected - everything was done to the highest standard of quality. The set designs were beautiful. The action was thrilling and tense. The Last if Us world felt as it was supposed to be here.
Hands down the best video game adaptation ever made, but more than that, the creators used the medium of TV to expand upon an already beautiful story and give us a rare gift.
The Last of Us Parts 1 & 2 have the best stories I have ever experienced in a video game - surpassing the narrative of some of the greatest films. When I heard the announcement for an HBO show, my first instinct was "cashgrab". Thankfully I was wrong.
What they did right here was to keep the original creator on board (Drukmann) and create a relationship with another brilliant mind in television (Mazin). This not only made sure the heart and aesthetic of the game was faithfully preserved, but that it offered a chance for something more. They stuck to the narrative of the game as a skeleton, and when there was a chance for further exploration of human stories and concepts, they deviated (example: episode 3). They knew exactly when and where to stick to the source and where to expand and they nailed it. As such, an already brilliant story was shown in a new light and those who haven't played the game also got to experience it for the first time.
But even if you have the right creators, you need to right cast. Bella and Pedro were perfect. While they are new faces, they captured the essence of Joel and Ellie perfectly and really made the characters their own. Pedro has already shown his versatility and continues to do so, but I was very impressed with Bella. Everyone in this show, actually, put on great performances. Sprinkle in surprising and meaningful cameos for the gamers and you have perfection.
Lastly, the world, the action, the infected - everything was done to the highest standard of quality. The set designs were beautiful. The action was thrilling and tense. The Last if Us world felt as it was supposed to be here.
Hands down the best video game adaptation ever made, but more than that, the creators used the medium of TV to expand upon an already beautiful story and give us a rare gift.
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