So many of us have been saying for quite a while now that we are yet to see the perfect
video game adaptation.
And while that virus has continued to spread throughout numerous takes on
popular games for over the last decade, with HBO's The Last Of Us, we may be looking at
our first truely good adaptation.
In one episode, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are able to
introduce us to this story in a natural, yet highly engrossing way, that for newcomers,
seems just as effective.
I have to say, I was stunned by how good of a start this is, with
the result being quality television that lays the table for an even more eventful 9 episode
run.
In this video, I'm going to be giving you my review for the opening episode of The Last
Of Us, discussing why I think it's a perfect start for the new HBO Max series.
There will be brief spoilers in this video, so if you haven't seen it yet, I would recommend
watching this review after done so.
Before I get into it though, if you want to see more videos on The Last Of Us and upcoming
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But without further a do, lets dive into my review for The Last Of Us Episode 1.
So The Last of Us is the much-anticipated adaptation from HBO on what a lot of people
consider is one of the greatest video games of all time.
We've seen popular video games adapted into film and TV form in recent times to very dissapointing
results and I think many of us were going into this adaptation, not expecting one this
good or one to be told compellingly for the small screen.
However, The Last Of Us is known for taking zombie horror and turning it into something
more emotional and nuanced, leaving room for an adaptation that can equally do
something more than just being your typical video game adaptation.
Add on that you've got one of the current best storytellers working in the television
medium involved, Craig Mazin, who worked on 2019's award winning Chernobyl,
and you get a fitting telling of this tale, in what I can only imagine will be a beautiful,
yet heartbreaking 9 episode run.
Neil Druckmann, writer of the original game, has teamed up
with him, to bring us an opening episode which feeds on the fuel of dread, right from that
extended opening prologue.
The way the opening moments are extended for the tv medium is
quite unbelieviable to watch, making us follow Joel and his daughter Sarah in the transition
from terror to complete heartbreak.
It shows the rapid pace at which this outbreak takes control
and we follow that through the eyes of Sarah in an incredible 20 minute opening.
Yes they were able to translate frames and heartfelt
moments in the game to screen in almost identical ways, but what adds to this in the show is
the heightened level of human connection and the belivability in which it is captured on
screen.
I'd argue that the opening television conversation before this actually does the perfect job
of setting that tone and making the audience fully aware of the darkness that's about
to take form.
I think it really establishes a natural feeling of progression, through both the tone of the
script and the performances on display, that will only build even more with the
characters that remain in the future after this opening event.
And we learn very quickly that most of those who survive the outbreak are eventually put
in military quarantine zones, leading us to 20 years later, where Pedro
Pascal's Joel has become the grieving, yet thieving father in Boston, eventually tasked
with moving a teenage orphan to a resistance group
outside the city.
We haven't seen much of Bella Ramsey's Ellie, with much more on the way in upcoming episodes,
but I'm definitely convinced by her early performance that she can
showcase the range of emotions and traits that Ellie does.
The writing, production and performances on this show tell us that as we go along, this
isn't just going to be another zombie horror or action packed video game instalment.
Yes it will have those elements and episode 1 definitely does, but there's a beauty to
the way it's all constructed.
Whether that be through the focus on the grim reality that
takes form in this decaying world, the odd ray of light that highlights faded rooms or
destroyed landscapes, or most importantly, the silent,
yet impactful moments between characters that tell a lot about who they currently are.
The establishment of meaningful human connections, with a lot of those including Pedro Pascal's
Joel, makes us truly care about their journey's
right from the outset.
The thing that makes this have the potential to be a perfect adaptation, is that like the
game, it's so far a gripping tale of survival that makes room for human
connection through love, desperation and egotism.
And putting this on display in a TV show is exactly the right medium to do so in.
As touched on before, The Last of Us does attach itself to the clichés of the zombie
apocalypse genre.
There's this common note of the surviving humans being the greater threat over an
infectious horde.
There is the hope that a facility in the distance is working on a cure.
There are rebelions and communities that have secrets that we will soon know about.
And there are distraught survivors who have prepared
years to get somewhere or make a better future if they can by any margain.
This is all common stuff that could be the sole focus and in turn
make this show feel no different from what's come before.
But the adaptation understands what made the game a masterpiece and tries to add to that
with the benefit of a new medium.
It finds interesting ways to approach the cliches, focusing on the the familial and
new bonds in the aftermath of disaster.
Mazin is a great artist when it comes to the characterization
in his shows, making sure that the supporting characters and the many locations featured
on screen become more than just one note.
And while I do think that say the members of the
fireflies were probabaly the weaker element of this first episode, the promise of screen
time with them and the hope to build them out just as much as Joel and Ellie, gives
me confidence that the creators of the show can successfully
build a world on screen that is driven by it's many characters.
This is something Game Of Thrones and other successful big budget shows have
done in the form of television so well in the past.
And the expanded pre-apocalyptic prologue gives us the space to really delve into the
tone of this world before we even meet the characters that follow, promising a sense
of further expansion.
It's early moments like how Joel is initially motivated by money, but then naturally we
know that the relationship that builds between him and Ellie, has the space
to grow and deepen, following the loss of a daughter in such a devastating way.
And the hope that this girl may be immune is something that
starts to give him hope in the time ahead too.
With Neil Druckmann having clear creative control on the writing process, the addition
of returning actors from the game, and his partnership with an Emmy award winning writter
and producer in Craig Mazin, there's a sense that The Last Of Us can be a show of a high
caliber in the seasons ahead.
The $10 million price tag for each episode, which is pretty much
right up there with instalments of Game Of Thrones, is used in the right way.
The world is brought to life using stunning set design showcasing
bombed cities and the takeover of nature when humankind begins to fade out.
And to encompany this with the composed music by Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming,
those who also did the score for the original game, the images are
given an emotionally thematic purpose in this decayed world, just like the charcaters are.
While we've only had one episode, I'd say that it's
a really strong example that this can be a perfect adaptation and hopefully, it'll be
the first truely great video game one.
While we haven't had many great video game adaptations, it shouldn’t be surprising
that a storyteller like Mazin with the support of Druckmann, has managed to take the drama
of the game and turn it into a dramatic tv show successfully.
In a smart way they have maintained a personal connection to this story, yet made it an entertaining
thrill ride for those who are new to preceedings too.
Rather than just showcase the disaster involved, they've focussed on the dynamics between characters,
they've begun to introduce us to the functions of the landscape
around them, and conveyed the emotional stakes to a good degree.
Yes it doesn't feel highly original to begin with, especially when we've seen other zombie
and apocalyptic horror projects that share similar beats, but the human connection
amidst the urgency involved, tells me that they are going to play around with our expectations
as the episodes come and go.
And while doing so, it's the nuanced focus on broken
and formed bonds between characters that makes this all feel entirely natural.
Video game adaptations either try to be too faithful to a point
where drama and charactersation for a tv show can at times feel light or they deviate too
much to a point where no one is happy with the outcome.
But in The Last Of Us, it seems like we're getting a perfect amalgamation of it
all.
I hope they can continue to build on this first episode, but so far, I'm really impressed
with the current outcome for this beloved story.
But that was my spoiler free review for HBO's The Last Of Us.
Overall, the show has had an incredibly strong, being one part faithful to the source material,
and in another, adding to it in the right ways needed for an adaptation
of this material for the small screen.
The tone is perfectly captured, and with the addition of a good storyteller in Mazin, it
looks like we're going to be getting a well made version
of this tale.
In the coming episodes we'll know if it can live up to the heights of the game as a whole,
but if it continues on this track, I think it's definitely got a shot at being
the best video game adaptation of all time.
I know that bar is quite low, but I truely think that this can set a high bar.
I'm giving The Last Of Us Episode 1 a rating of 9 out of 10.
But to those who have already seen the opening episode, what do you think of the new HBO
series so far and do you agree that it has the potential
to be a perfect video game adaptation.
Let me know down below in the comments section.
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