‘The Last of Us’ review: Yes, it’s just as great as you hoped it would be

Thanks to good shows and movies, the curse of bad video game adaptations is already past. arcane, CastlevaniaWhen inner werewolfHowever, if you’re still in doubt about whether video games make for good TV or movies, look no further than HBO. Last of Us.

This new series is based on Naughty Dog’s 2013 game of the same name, which was widely hailed as a masterpiece just like its sequel, setting a new very high bar for survival games. Creating a TV show that lives up to its source material always poses a high bar, but especially in this case. Last of Us Pursue excellence with the boundless energy of a clicker that hunts prey and leaps over it with ease.

Co-creator Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (co-president of Naughty Dog, Last of Us) delivered a sublime show that used the medium of television to build a vital niche while staying true to the game. It’s a survival story that you can become. It all comes together thanks to great performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, and her chemistry with the beloved protagonists as Joel and Ellie makes this instant TV a great heartthrob. But be careful. By the end of the season, your own heart could be torn in two.

how Last of Us Would you like to see it compared to the game?

like a game, Last of Us drops us into a world devastated by cordyceps It transforms human hosts into various forms of violent zombie-like creatures.

Among these survivors is Joel (Pascal), a smuggler who is tasked with taking 14-year-old Ellie (Ramsey) across the country. Reluctant, slanderous remarks color their encounter and the first stages of their journey, but the more dangerous situations they travel together, the more they trust and depend on each other. Last of Us The show is packed with big-budget effects and thrilling action sets, but like the game, where the show really shines is in the bonding scenes between Joel and Ellie.

It helps that the series pays clear homage to its source material, but with Druckmann on board, can’t we expect more? Although lifted, these dialogues still hit just as hard. The original voices and motion of Joel and Ellie His captures His actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson play important roles in later episodes, with Merle Dandridge reprising his role as rebel leader Marlene. perfectly replayed.

Some of the show’s funniest camerawork mimics the gameplay experience, staying right behind the characters as they make their way through new environments. Doom To unknownThe resulting effect is recalled Last of UsThird-person perspective between cinematic cutscenes. These moments are not only fun nods to the crafting level of the game, but they also keep us completely immersed in the ever-threatening world of Joel and Ellie.

However, a considerable number of Last of Us‘s most effective moments are those that deviate from the game’s linear narrative.Flashbacks to the scientist who encountered the infected at the beginning of the outbreak evoke the same kind of existential horror that Mazin tapped into Chernobyl: We recognize that disaster is imminent and there is nothing we can do to stop it.

Elsewhere, relationships between other survivors like Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) Last of Us Despite being almost entirely new material, the Bill and Frank-centric episode promises to be one of the best yet. (Yes, 2023 is just beginning, but I’m sure it will be on the list at the end of the year. that Good.) As heartwarming as it is devastating, it’s an incredibly clever adaptation choice. , proves that something extraordinary can be unleashed.

Last of Us It offers a gorgeous and terrifying apocalypse.

Last of Us It deftly combines sci-fi and horror to create authentic horror. Every dark tunnel could be crawling with infected, and every loud noise invites an ambush. It’s mostly because of its apocalyptic beauty that makes it both captivating and alienating.

each episode of Last of Us Presenting a new landscape that sinks teeth, we can see how nature has reclaimed the world twenty years after the beginning of the outbreak. Snow covers the emptiness of the Great Plains. A safe haven in a quaint and desolate town offers a fragile chance for a fresh start. Unfortunately for our blood pressure, these beautiful landscapes often obscure the hordes of deadly threats that fall upon our heroes.

These threats include the true star of the Apocalypse: the Infected. These zombie-like creatures have no bleeding wounds or rotting flesh.this is not the walking dead. Instead, cordyceps Fungus erupts from the head in bursts of terror in a mushroom-like body.This fungus remains a striking visual staple throughout Last of Us, whether it’s blooming from a corpse or coiling around a concrete wall. There is a strange push and pull between awe and nausea every time it appears on screen.

But this existence Last of Usthe truth we soon discover is that the real monsters in this world are not the infected, but the rest of the humans. Last of Us Introducing FEDRA’s strict militaristic rules, raider attacks on lone travelers, and worse. Here, the show reminds us again and again. Trust is a limited resource. That’s why it’s so beautiful to see Joel and Ellie come to trust and care for each other, knowing all too well how cruel life can be in this world.

Pedro Pascal and Vera Ramsey that is Joel and Ellie.

Pascal and Ramsey face tremendous pressure to step into the iconic roles of Joel and Ellie, but they more than justify these cherished characters. Channeling, Pascal’s Joel keeps at arm’s length those who suffered heavy losses at the start of the outbreak. That sense of loss lingers in everything: Pascal’s body language, the way he views Ellie, the way he fights. Watching Pascal soothe Joel around Ellie, Last of Us is truly one of the show’s most moving journeys. You may already be familiar with Pascal in “reluctant dad mode”. mandalorianbut everything he does as Joel still feels new and compelling.

And then there’s Ramsey, who’s very good game of thrones When Catherine called Birdie, and here is absolutely abnormal. Her performance is ferocious, foul-mouthed, playful and vulnerable, but reminiscent of Johnson in her best ways. Yet Ramsey succeeds in establishing her own role in this new medium. Because of her, it’s not hard to believe that Ellie will attack you with a penknife as soon as she ambushes you with her bad puns. Ramsey’s skills really stand out as Ellie experiences the world around her with childlike wonder.A trip through a flooded hotel becomes an opportunity for play. A trip to an abandoned mall with her friend Riley (Storm her lead is also excellent) leads to fun and self-discovery in a ruthless world. Ramsey rolls her eyes and takes it all in with the occasional cursed joke. No matter how cynical (ahem, Joel), can’t help but fall in love with her Ellie.

We may spend most of our time with Pascal and Ramsey, Last of UsAll of the supporting players also deliver memorable turns. Nico Parker will break your heart as Joel’s daughter Sarah, Anna Torv will instantly charm you as Joel’s smuggling partner Tess, and later episodes will feature Melanie as her Lynskey, Offerman, and Bartlett. You can see great works such as

With such a cast, a detailed view of the world, and a story that will touch your heart, Last of Us It’s an almost perfect show. Not only that, but it’s the best video game adaptation ever. I hope game fans continue to see adaptations of this level, but until then, I’m happy to follow Joel and Ellie wherever they are. .

Last of Us Premieres January 15 at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max(opens in new tab)with new episodes airing weekly.