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1 | Name | NameAddress | Title | PublishedDate | Rating(/10) | Usefulness | Review | ReviewAddress | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | GomezAddams666 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur59148101/?ref_=tt_urv | From a non-gamer. | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 249 out of 268 found this helpful | Let me start by saying I have never played the game this series is based on, so I came into this not knowing the story nor the characters. I am although familiar with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, as they both starred on Game of Thrones, and they have other television projects like The Mandalorian and The Worst Witch, respectively. I will say this first episode blew my freaking mind, I was hooked to the series the moment it started. I am not the biggest zombie genre fan either, but this series' characters have gotten me hooked, the direction, acting and pacing of the story has managed to provide me with enough information to not only care for the characters, but to also keep watching it. As I mentioned before, I don't know how faithful of an adaptation to the video game this is, but I can honestly say this first episode was an amazing one. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805379/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | lawrencelawrence86 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur55434128/?ref_=tt_urv | Almost too good. | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 125 out of 148 found this helpful | Saw 1 hour and 25 mins playtime and thought is it going to be worth my time watching, it was so much better than expected, Pedro is doing a fantastic job in the 1st episode and all characters fit into their roles well, having never played the game but being aware of the general story I may have the luxury of being surprised at moments i am seeing for the first time as well as being able to overlook certain moments that are "wrong" or skipped over depending on how strictly they follow the sorce material. My only worry is that it was so good will they be able to keep it up, fingers crossed and a big welcome back to quality TV. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804327/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | masonsaul | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur94560739/?ref_=tt_urv | Incredible start | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 54 out of 65 found this helpful | When You're Lost in the Darkness gets The Last Of Us off to an incredible start, easily crossing the admittedly low bar to become the best live action video game adaptation. Balancing faithfulness and originality with really impressive skill and bringing this specific episode to a hauntingly violent full circle moment. Pedro Pascal is phenomenal as Joel, bringing all the necessary pain, weariness and stoicism and conveying so much of it effortlessly. Bella Ramsey is equally strong as Ellie with all the joy and adorable naivety with hints towards her tragic past that makes her instantly likeable and fully realised. Craig Mazin's direction is amazing, it was a risky choice to rely on handheld camera for the majority of the scenes but it pays off and is always comprehensible. It's also endlessly impressive through its sets, costuming and world building how authentic it feels to the world of the game. Even at roughly 80 mins, it can feel a little too fast at certain points but overall the long episode length works well to expand on the characters and world, making the emotional scenes hit even harder and adding more tension to the outbreak as it happens in a more gradual and unsettling fashion. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805377/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | TheBabayaga | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur52102701/?ref_=tt_urv | The Prologue | 15 January 2023 | 9 | 91 out of 106 found this helpful | I've played The Last of Us at least five times and more recently the Part One remaster. The series premiere opens a lot like the acclaimed game with scenes and dialogue very nearly identical to the harrowing and emotional events of the prologue (the farmhouse ablaze, Sarah's POV in Tommy's truck, the streets of Austin gripped by chaos and confusion). Unlike the game however, the viewer gets to spend a significant amount of time with the Millers before the beginning of the world's end. The family dynamic is clearly shown through the eyes of Sarah with subtle hints of civilisation slowly crumbling as she goes about her day as normal which, as a gamer I thought was oddly fascinating to watch as the dread begins to seep in. The smaller details, from Sarah's shirt to Tommy's truck, to the interiors of the Boston QZ and more, meticulously mirror the game. But what of the actors? The game's narrative is driven by emotion, violence, mature themes and the robust chemistry shared between Joel and Ellie on their perilous journey. Who HBO would cast was of paramount importance here; whilst Pedro Pascal would not have been my first choice for the role of Joel (personally, I would've preferred Josh Brolin), Pascal ultimately makes the character his own and plays Joel with grit, complexity and convincing devastation. I was also very dubious of Bella Ramsey's casting as Ellie for mostly shallow reasoning. However, Ramsey thankfully encapsulates almost everything about Ellie's distinct personality and mannerisms. Interestingly, I can't say the same for Anna Torv's Tess, who oddly lacks the overall steely determination of her video game counterpart. If you're new to this story, you'll likely agree this is everything The Walking Dead wished it was. I don't know if this will please all fans of the original game, especially those who will have gripes about the casting choices or don't want any changes to stray too far from the game. I'd like to say I'm cautiously satisfied with what I've seen so far but of course it remains to be seen with how HBO deals with other pivotal moments from the game. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802348/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
6 | patrickrichardfile | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur46279726/?ref_=tt_urv | A lot of us | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 81 out of 100 found this helpful | I was afraid, like a lot of us. Knowing who were responsible for the project provided some sort of safe net for nothing less than an approved, 7/10 kind of show. But lets face it, this is Sony's legacy, this is HBO's bar level, this is Neil Drukmann masterpiece in videogame, this is Craig Mazin's chance to prove Chernobyl was not an accident, this is a very well assembled cast, this is Gustavo Santaolalla, 2 time Oscar academy winner, soundtrack. And it shows. Hopefully, this will get more people into realizing how superb a storytelling can be in fully playable, action videogames. This show should only help the whole industry into getting its long due respect. The pilot hits every box, and I can't wait till next Sunday. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802838/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
7 | lisichichi | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur102876636/?ref_=tt_urv | Immaculate work | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 78 out of 97 found this helpful | It's very, very hard to match the atmosphere of the The Last of Us games. On the one hand, you have this hopeless and brutal world which only allows humans to survive, not thrive or really live. But on the other hand, you have Ellies sassiness, Joel being the ultimate dad while being a total badass and also the beauty of this postapocalyptic world which sometimes shows through the cracks of this horrible new reality. And when I tell you this episode was spot on for conveying exactly that feeling, I'm not exaggerating. Everyone involved did a fantastic job, the atmosphere is immaculate, the cinematography is beautiful and the score underlines every scene beautifully. I played the games and I know what will happen, but my heart was beating so fast while watching this. A first episode that couldn't have been better. Can't wait for the next episode. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805438/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | Genti25 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur48981195/?ref_=tt_urv | I'm in awe | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 73 out of 102 found this helpful | What an incredible achievement. From the very first second you get sucked into this wonderfully horrific story. The cinematography resembles so much of the game it's kind of mind-blowing what they were able to achieve here. I know it's only the first episode but everything is clicking so right for me. I knew my heart would break within the first few minutes and boy did it ever. The acting is just outstanding. There isn't a single flaw whether with the dialogue or the delivery, everything just works. Pedro Pascal is the perfect Joel and now I can't even imagine someone else playing the role. Bella Ramsey has always shown she's a great actor and with this role they keep proving it. All the middle-aged men who fetishized Ellie's look from the game and got upset at Bella's casting have clearly been and will continue to be proven wrong. It's so funny to see all the people who were so ready to rate this series 1/10 as they often do with any show that's not specifically about a straight, white, male, and then complain on the review section that their feelings are hurt because a woman dared to exist within a screen. Now, they won't have too much company in complaining because the series is just so good. All the fake outrage and the culture-war stuff is so ridiculous to begin with anyway, and yet insecure people keep getting caught up in it. Nonetheless, I am so excited for the next episode and I will keep watching every week. This has potential to be my favorite series ever and certainly the best video-game adaptation of all time. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803827/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | Trey_Trebuchet | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur45516273/?ref_=tt_urv | 80s - ❌ | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 26 out of 35 found this helpful | This was kind of fantastic! The Last of Us is my favorite video game of all time. It means so much to me. The whole franchise does, both games and the dlc as well. I was initially excited when I heard the creator of Chernobyl (a perfect show) would be adapting the game into an HBO series. Thankfully, it's off to a very strong start. The look and feel of the game is very, very close if not perfect. It looks and feels a lot like the game, but it's still pretty cinematic as well. I enjoyed finding every Easter egg and line of dialogue taken right from the game. It probably goes without saying that the production is amazing. I think Pedro looks a lot like Joel and will be very, very good. Bella looks and feels enough like Ellie too. Looks don't mean everything... they are two legitimately great actors and are so far quite good here. I never had a doubt about either of these leads and they're so far spot on if you ask me. Gabriel Luna sounds JUST like Tommy. All of the casting is honestly great so far. I think the very (very) small changes they made were necessary for those who haven't played the game and don't want to feel like they need to piece everything together, if that makes any sense. Nothing changed enough that it didn't get the gist of the set up right! As far as added material? All great in establishing both the premise and the characters and where they'll be for the remainder of the show. The first act of this episode was brilliantly done. It was legitimately unsettling and anxiety-inducing, and I love that they added that interview broadcast at the beginning as well. People who haven't played the games were probably thrown in for a loop when Sarah died, thinking she'd be the main character after spending the entire first act with her. And yes, I did cry quite a bit... again... This feels very dreadful and hopeless, like the games do. I'm actually quite excited for this show. I won't say it'll be perfect or live up to the game, but I think there's a lot they can do with the material. I have faith in both Crazin and Druckmann. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805333/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
10 | MegaMaexn | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur34229248/?ref_=tt_urv | It's the real deal! | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 33 out of 47 found this helpful | There have been numerous articles and reviews about how good this video game adaptation supposedly is, and they couldn't be more applicable. Having played (and absolutely loved) the game, I, as everyone else, had high expectations, and they have certainly been met. I am more than happy to grant artistic license to the producers allowing the addition of new characters to the story, especially when they make it so much better like Anna Torv does. The tense and apocalyptic atmosphere is immediately palpable and genuinely transcends from the game. The cinematography takes you right in there, especially in the car scene when Joel is trying to get away with his brother and daughter, which actually gives the breathtaking cinematic scene quite a bit of a video game experience. Can't wait for the next episodes! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805117/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
11 | andmikkelsen | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur97835981/?ref_=tt_urv | This looks VERY promissing!! | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 27 out of 39 found this helpful | Wow what an unforgetable pilot this was! I enjoyed everything from beginning to end! Since i have played the gane i was very excited but also nervous at the same time! After watching this all my expectations were met.. and then some! The prologue was fantastic! Insanely well done! It felt like a movie and that gut-wrenching moment had me almost in tears! The rest of the episode stays faithfull to the unique vibe and atmosphere the game gave us! The casting is also PERFECT!! I almost can not believe how well the actors captured the unique traits of the characters! Very believable! So far this looks to be the best video game adaptation EVER!! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805019/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
12 | kikio_ | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur97717038/?ref_=tt_urv | Look for the Light | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 37 out of 52 found this helpful | Phenomenal, powerful, fascinating, spectacular, breathtaking, brilliant, remarkable, exceptional, gorgeous, tremendous performance and Masterful execution, the best pilot episode I've ever watched. It's still early in 2023, but it's going to take a lot for The Last Of Us to not be my favourite show of the year. I'll never get why people doubted this show when it had HBO behind it, Craig Mazin the creator of the hit mini-series Chernobyl who is a massive fan of the tlou game, and Neil Druckmann the creator of the game itself directing and writing, and a talented cast that includes Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. HBO's The Last of Us Is a Masterpiece and a Triumph for Videogames. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802647/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | handaloo | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur10656003/?ref_=tt_urv | Faithful, hard hitting and SUPERB | 17 January 2023 | 9 | 30 out of 38 found this helpful | I'll start by saying I'm a huge fan of the franchise. I've played part 1 through 7 times and part 2 4 times so I was a little worried I'd be disappointed in this as I'm so connected to the portrayals in the game by Troy and Ashley, but this didn't disappoint one bit. Pedro and Bella do an amazing job of both staying true to the characters and putting their own spin on them. The story is soo faithful to the game, yet brings more depth and detail which was amazing and Mazin brings his usual mastery of perspective and tension. So far, this might be the best adaption I've ever seen and I can't wait for episode 2. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805565/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
14 | thefoochie | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur104674451/?ref_=tt_urv | I'm a bit conflicted | 16 January 2023 | 8 | 39 out of 63 found this helpful | The first half of this incredibly long series premiere was absolutely incredible. I loved the slow buildup to the apocalypse. They keep teasing that something's wrong, until eventually it just turns to complete chaos. In terms of setting up the apocalypse, I'd say this is the best execution of it I've ever seen. The first 40 minutes or so were close to a 10/10. However, the second half slowed things down and tried to introduce the world. This part was good of course, but it wasn't anything special. It does the job, but it pales in comparison to the first half. It's understandable because the show needed to take its time in order to set up the relationship between Joel and ellie, which was done well in my opinion. I don't really feel like writing a super long review, but I do wanna mention that the scene with the plane was one of the most intense things I've ever seen on television. That whole section did a perfect job at making me feel pure terror. Fantastic job. Even though the rest of the show wasn't able to make me feel what I felt in that scene, I'm confident that it will eventually become a masterpiece. 8 out of 10, it truly felt like a movie! Can't wait to see what this show will become. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802757/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
15 | jm08249 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur125152334/?ref_=tt_urv | An excellent pilot, a pleasant surprise... | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 33 out of 46 found this helpful | Video games that make to the big/screen was always going to be reacted to with scepticism. After a big chunk of huge failures (Resident Evil), or somewhat failures (The Witcher), I think we finally found the one to change it. This Last of Us pilot shows the perfect way to set up a world and story, keeping the core of the source material while taking the necessary liberties to make it make sense. First off, the acting is top notch, Pascal is, as expected, excellent, but for me the highlight is his daughter, Sarah. The actress was really selling it for the screentime she had, her and Pascal's chemistry was excellent, making her death scene just as heartbreaking as it was the first time we experienced it. I loved the way that the show blended it's tv show liberties with scenes and dialogues taken directly from the game, the whole car section gave me so many flashbacks I was smiling at the screen. To summarize, the pilot was awesome, tense, at some points actually creepy, heartbreaking, brutal, and exactly what the game was about. Kudos to everyone involved in this amazing first episode, which I was waiting for with scepticism, but turned out to be absolute brilliance. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805537/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
16 | 851222 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur4405474/?ref_=tt_urv | Amazing adaptation of a bellowed masterpiece | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 16 out of 27 found this helpful | Greetings from Lithuania. "The Last Of Us" video game is my all time favorite one. That said I was waiting for its adaptation for ages. Finally it came. First episode was amazing in every way - it was perfect adaptation of TLOU. As the one who literally played trough the game 5 times and spent 1000 hours in its multiplayer part I can safely say that it absolutely captured all according to game, and in a best way possible. Setting, characters, griminess of the world, costumes, dialogs - its all there. Music by same compositor who created music for games is also there. Overall, safe to say that this episode blew my mind in the best way possible. And I'm sure remaining story is in safe hands and next episodes will deliver goods. What a terrific opening and adaptation of beloved masterpiece. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804663/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
17 | Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur24085266/?ref_=tt_urv | One of television's strongest debuts to date! | 31 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 2 found this helpful | The Last of Us was gonna be a Herculean undertaking to adapt for television, but thankfully Craig Mazin and Neil 'Mr. Naughty Dog' Druckmann were well and truly up to the task of turning the masterpiece video game into equally potent television. HBO has given us 2023's first bonafide television hit; and it's bound to stick in everyone's minds for a good time in the future. It's wonderful stuff, and it's necessary television in today's pandemic-afflicted landscape in desperate need for some universally-relatable survivalist drama. The Last of Us is the apocalyptic drama the world needed right now! It knocks it out of the park and keeps going! Like any well-done HBO drama it leaves enough story strands to pay off in this episode whilst teasing more surprises further down the line as this season plays out to its conclusion. The Last of Us delivers in being the first video game television adaptation comparable to the likes of Breaking Bad or Chernobyl, and the video game adaptation curse is comfortably broken. It took a long time to get us here (Castlevania and Sonic helped us along the way), but now we're finally over the rainbow and welcoming a new horizon for game adaptations everywhere. As a series opener for The Last of Us, 'When You're Lost in the Darkness' delivers the goods in every department, and despite what some might say, pacing wasn't an issue for me with this episode. It helped give breathing room to the story. 5/5 stars. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8840707/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
18 | AvionPrince16 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur104763420/?ref_=tt_urv | When you are lost, seek the lights | 16 January 2023 | 8 | 12 out of 23 found this helpful | Im pretty conviced by this first episode. It have some interesting moments and glad that they kept the same moments as the video games and make some other scenes that were not originally in it: that give more depth and dont make the gamers lost about what they played on their console. I enjoyed how it start pretty well and things will get more and more darker. The color was bright and warm at the beginning and after the infections come this will turned to something more cold in the images. They kept the most memorable moments ( the death of the daughter of Joel, the start of the infection.) And they added some scenes like Ellie who was locked in the cell of the fireflies and we saw also Tess locked up in with Robert. And we have the moment where Marlene offer the job of Elllie and to transport her; i mean we really follow it even if these are the same scenes: when Ellie talked with Joel and that really make me happy. I hope the next episodes will get better. It sound good for now. But im still not convinced by the actor who play Ellie: she looks way more strict and severe than Ellie and her face in the game. Maybe i will need to wait to change my mind. Good start anyway. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804325/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
19 | rachelsmithliverpool | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur72094964/?ref_=tt_urv | Beautifully the same | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 12 out of 21 found this helpful | I have played and replayed the last of us a lot. I know this game inside out. This was actually a breath of fresh air in a good way all the Sarah bits I thought were a really lovely touch. I thought all the action scenes were replicated well. I think the pace of the show is good considering that it's got a whole 26+hr game to fit into 9 episodes. I can't wait until we go deeper into it. I just want to see more. Pedro is great as Joel, everything I wanted. I was unsure about the actress for the role of Ellie but as soon as she started I loved it. I just can't wait to watch the rest I am simply in love with the games and the show has started to get my love, let's see how much further it goes. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805071/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
20 | dk777 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur80922659/?ref_=tt_urv | Pretty Good, For Now... | 17 January 2023 | 8 | 7 out of 13 found this helpful | A pretty good premiere episode of The Last Of Us. The series overall looks pretty good, the cinematography is excellent. The direction is also good, there is no irritating shaky camera, and everything looks very cinematic. The cast is not bad, but it could have been better. Pedro Pascal is a good actor and not a bad choice for this role and overall he did a good job. Maybe there were other actors who would have been better suited for this character, but all in all, it's not bad. The script is good, consistent, and the dialogues are better and more coherent than in most new shows. But we have seen good beginnings with some other series, only to be completely destroyed by the writers in the end. Let's hope that won't be the case here. If the writers manage to maintain this level of writing and not succumb to today's standards, the series could become one of those great works that are talked about and could become a classic. For now, the series is interesting and worth watching. For now.. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8806637/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
21 | TheReviewMightyCritic | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur161714964/?ref_=tt_urv | Best Pilot to Date! | 29 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 2 found this helpful | First off, we were blown away by how beautiful the cinematography was shot through this episode, it was really a sight. The adaptation part of things were near to perfect, basically everything was just as good or better. They did an amazing job at staying unpredictable with every scene that was put into place, those minor changes with the plane coming down and having the "car crash" sequence have more twists made it all the more intense! Sarah's death although being at the very start of the series had a lot more impact than I thought it would and again, perfect adaptation! Story: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Directing: 10/10 Quality: 10/10 Pacing: 9.7/10 Originality: 9/10 Consistency: 10/10 Enjoyability: 10/10 Final Grade: 98/100 So far, too good! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8836548/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
22 | timmyhollywood | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur0620624/?ref_=tt_urv | Powerful first half then fades | 25 January 2023 | 8 | 6 out of 10 found this helpful | I watched this not knowing anything about the video game. I watched because it looked good and has such a high rating here on IMDb. The first half of this first episode was riveting. Just completely captivating and terrifying. My wife and I watched it through our fingers. Shortly after the story jumps to "twenty years later," though, I found my interest waning. Like superhero movies, post-apocalypse stories have to have an "origin" opener of sorts. For the superhero, it's the mutating event, then the discovery of his (or her) powers, with a few random scenes before the main plot takes over to carry the movie the rest of the way through. I always find myself wishing that the story would linger on the origin part. It's so enjoyable when Spider-Man is first dealing with random crimes, or Robocop is chasing down everyday villains. So, too, I wished The Last of Us didn't have to jump so soon into the twenty-years later plot. I wanted more of the fungus spreading and the collapse of civilization. What do people do in those early days? I had been so glued to the immediacy and real-time feel of the opening, when the characters were experiencing things just as I was. Not when they inhabited a world twenty years in that I knew nothing about and couldn't relate to. The show owes its high rating in large part due to the success of the video game. Just read these reviews. Half of them are about its faithfulness to the source material, and that's great. But evaluating it purely as the first episode of a series I knew next to nothing about, it was good, but not great, with all the air coming out halfway through. It went from feeling immersive and epic to feeling like a TV show, right down to the casting choices, the perfectly distressed clothing, the perfectly yellowed walls. Everything too hollywood "apocalyptic" to feel authentically so. The Walking Dead had a super high rating in the beginning, too. I wonder how this will fare as time goes on, and more viewers come aboard who aren't ready-made fans. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8823756/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
23 | Jarl86 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur25040233/?ref_=tt_urv | Ho. Lee. S**t. | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 12 out of 19 found this helpful | I'm a licensed veteran to the game to put it mildly. I've played both original and remaster at least twice each. Every DLC and the sequel. Interviews, recordings, BTS and you name it of the cast. Multiple playthroughs and reactions to the more infamous scenes. There's a certain glee in watching a fresh player experience the first 30 minutes of the game for the first time, and the gut punch they inevitably experience. The game's been lauded for its emotional impact often enough. The shows first episode is more than equal to the game. It's plenty original, with enough verbatim picks from the game that a fan like myself grinned like an idiot. "Drugs. I sell hardcore drugs". I thought I'd be satisfied with Sarahs brief appearance that I didn't much care for who played her. But... Nico Parker man. Even if she's the main focus of the first part, she doesn't get to shine enough. She WAS Sarah, through and through. The death scene for the game was shot around 10 times for the director to be satisfied with Troy Bakers emotional response, which was only met when he was exhausted enough to feel the desperation. Pedro Pascal shines as Joel. Equally charming and cynical. I can easily see him be gruff, dismissive and irrationally angry, but also kind and soft when he needs to be. One of the most contentious subjects after the trailer was Ramsey and how much (or little) she looked like Ellie. Ellie was modeled after a young Ellen Page who was not made aware of that decision at the time, nor appreciated it as she had given her likeness to another game. Ramsey hardly looks like Elliot Page did at that time, nor does it matter. Her acting definitely is Ellie to a T. The sass, language, it's all there. The set pieces is a character in themselves. They are often shot with the clear intention of making it look like stills from the game. At times I could never be sure if a set is a direct copy from the game or something original, it's all so seamless. This is the best live action adaption I've seen of any game. That bar is low, but in the future I almost worry that this show sets a bar others will be unable to meet. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804096/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
24 | kadenkgcampbell | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur108113578/?ref_=tt_urv | Everything and More | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 11 out of 21 found this helpful | I played the Last of Us video game back in 2013 once and in 2021 2 times. It is my favourite game of all time and one of my favourite storylines of all time. The character development, atmosphere, emotion, tension, humour and heartbreak are all things that pull my heart closer to the story; after seeing the first episode I can say the HBO series did the same. Nico Parker and Pedro Pascal had phenomenal performances that literally brought tears to my eyes. The more intense connection we got with Sarah along with her backstory compared to the video game made me die a little inside when she met her demise. Pedro Pascal IS Joel. I had no clue what to expect from this show, all I knew was that Neil Druckman has never disappointed me, but Pedro embodied the character of Joel perfectly. Even with the short time we saw Bella Ramsey as Ellie, I thought she did an incredible job. Tess, Tommy and Marlene...WOW. The atmosphere of this show and how it through you right into the mix of it all with the great interview at the beginning, its just all so perfect. Its everything I could have wished for and much more. This is what an adaptation is supposed to be. The directors and writers are all masterminds and geniuses. Words can't really describe how much I love it. Sunday nights will now be the best moments of my upcoming weeks. 10/10. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805088/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
25 | bobcobb301 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur62702709/?ref_=tt_urv | Episode 1 | 3 February 2023 | 6 | 1 out of 1 found this helpful | The first 15 minutes or so of this episode were great. Having a 60's style TV show explain what could possibly happen and then we got the chaos of that infection and the spread making for arcade video game style action. That was well-done. And then it took a very odd turn. As soon as they flash-forwarded to the quarantine area it brought back the worst memories of The Walking Dead. I really hope that this is not what the show is long term because I feel like that would be a huge mistake. Focus on the action and the seriousness of this apocalyptic world and not the politics and power struggles associated with it. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8849596/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
26 | oirishguy | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur74655695/?ref_=tt_urv | Solid Start | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 10 out of 17 found this helpful | A solid start and how a TV adaption should be done (take note netflix). Apart from a few little things, this show is pretty on par with the video game. The outbreak scenes are well done and leave you sitting there saying 'just like the game', right down to the burning house and stranded family on the road. Appropriate humour, action, tension, horror and tragedy. Cast is perfect for their roles and do justice to the original characters from the game. All in all a great show, only fault was it dragged a little at the start, but then picked up unbelievably. Hoping they keep this standard up. Can't wait for the next episode and an absolute must watch. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805426/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
27 | LegendaryFang56 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur134308492/?ref_=tt_urv | We lose. | 21 January 2023 | 7 | 10 out of 27 found this helpful | (730-word review) While this was certainly nowhere near as much of a masterpiece, unrivaled by most premieres, comparable to the greatest ones, as the majority seem to think, it was decent enough. The first half (up to the time skip) was better than the following half, which pretty much only had the ending going for it; the big moment before the time skip was impactful in a logical sense, but I wasn't emotionally swayed by it like with most people. It's been a while since I last absorbed the game: and my memory of everything is clouded, but most of this premiere was almost a carbon copy of its counterpart/source material, especially leading up to the 20-year time skip. Some stuff after that was new or done differently. That could've contributed to my finding it decent instead of a masterpiece; you know, the fact that I already "experienced" it. But I think stamping this premiere, and even this show as a whole despite only one episode (which so many have already done) with the labels: 'masterpiece,' 'phenomenal,' 'fantastic,' 'incredible,' 'outstanding,' and so on, is a somewhat significant overstatement. And that will likely incite massive disagreement towards me/that opinion of mine. The opening scene reminded me of Craig Ferguson and Timothy Dalton because Dr. Neuman (John Hannah) sounded like the former, and Dr. Schoenheiss (Christopher Heyerdahl) sounded like the latter; a pretty irrelevant thing to mention, but I went for it. The title sequence was good, and the theme song by Gustavo Santaolalla is always lovely to hear; equally immersive and invigorating: if it were to play every second of every episode, I would love that. There wouldn't need to be other score cues. It's so good. The cinematography didn't stand out as much as I was expecting, given the majority's praise, akin to Jesus Christ himself returning, but it wasn't bad; the long scene inside the truck was the highlight. The most noticeable thing I noticed in that same vein was the production value, and luckily, the show's budget has been well-spent. I didn't have any particular misgivings about the casting of Pedro Pascal and Gabriel Luna as Joel and Tommy; however, part of me felt better actors (generally, not concerning their acting) would've fit better. I'm pleased to say that I'm already on board with Pedro and Gabriel, especially the latter, for some reason: even though I should feel that way more about Pedro. But (there's always a 'but') I'm still on the fence concerning Bella Ramsey and Anna Torv. Bella seems on the right track regarding Ellie's attitude, but something about how she plays her doesn't scream 'Ellie.' She also doesn't look the part, especially facial expression-wise, and her American accent/voice could be better, which somewhat, and I mean this in the kindest way possible, throws the performance off. And Anna doesn't seem to have a presence behind her performance, and that may or may not "be necessary" for Tess, but I don't remember; either way, she felt lacking and not at all Tess. As far as the acting/performance(s) side of things is concerned, Nico Parker was the standout, and it wasn't that close. You can sum up her performance in one word: natural. Her chemistry with Pedro was palpable, which can't be seen yet with Ellie and Joel, although I hope it'll get there; it needs to. She should've lowkey been Ellie; it's a joke, everyone! I'm joking! Or am I? Overall, being a new medium, this premiere was familiar, at least for me, resulting in a much lesser impact, as far as I'm concerned, than it seemed to have on most people. I feel that, by the end, it'll be the weakest or one of the weaker episodes. But I think that's a good thing for the people who are going into this blind, not having played or watched through the game, as everything it faithfully covered from the game makes for a compelling introduction to the show and what's to come. Since most people already feel like this premiere was the pinnacle of television, they'll undoubtedly feel more strongly about the following episodes. I'm just hoping they'll be more appropriately up my alley and more compelling than I found this premiere, which wasn't bad at all. If you've read this far, I'm surprised; if you've skipped to the end, I don't blame you. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8816475/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
28 | ha77y73ad97 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur64707141/?ref_=tt_urv | Literally could ask for anyrthing better | 23 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 8 found this helpful | This is going to be a series for the ages. The writing, directing, cinematography, acting are all spot on for the opening of a new series. The tone of the series is just set perfectly for the world they are trying to build. Pascal as always going to be known for the begrudging adoptive parent of grogu, ellie and the sand snakes. All of the acting is spot on, cant wait to see more of Gabriel Luna who can only take this show to another level whilst hes out in the wasteland. The settings of the who show are well put together with the cinematics of the worlds leads this to an awesome design. Overall i cant wait for the next episode its a great vibe. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8820488/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
29 | DanTheButler | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur58339844/?ref_=tt_urv | A pretty solid start | 16 January 2023 | n/a | 6 out of 12 found this helpful | Having played the video game franchise, I was a little skeptical about if this series could be adapted into its own series and I was not disappointed. Starting out much like the first episode of The Walking Dead, the story really punches you in the gut. Given the recent pandemic we all lived through, they could not have picked a more relevant time to release. Pascal is the draw but Torv and Ramsey both bring emotion to their roles, respectively. The infected are notoriously quick and have super strength, much like the video game. The final shot of the episode leaves you drooling for more, as if you just watched a cut scene from the game that lasted 80 minutes and are about to jump into gameplay. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803211/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
30 | aboalhyjaa | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur69239269/?ref_=tt_urv | Look for the light! | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 6 out of 15 found this helpful | With no doubts and after watching +1200 movies and +200 shows that the concept of this episode and the show as a whole is one of the best in an a post apocalyptic universe. Cinematography are amazing, fantastic music, VFX and the set designs. I read somewhere that people who played the game hated some parts of this episode because of how their brain attached the memory of the event happening with how hard the gameplay was. But when they realized they aren't playing they knew how much a great story it is. 80 minutes but felt like 20, went by so fast. I didn't play the game so i definitely wasn't expecting much. But im hooked to this show like ive been watching it since ages. Cant wait for the next episode. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803527/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
31 | gabriel-80 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur3218365/?ref_=tt_urv | Off to a decent start, but... | 20 January 2023 | 6 | 23 out of 71 found this helpful | It is not like the intro was even remotely original, but the 60's segment worked really well in building tension, and the pre-apocalypse segment, with our main characters, also worked really well, all though the big surprise really wasn't that much of a surprise - even if, like me, you haven't played the game - as the press photos gave away, that one of the characters most likely would not be in the post apocalyptic world. So far so good, but then for some reason the episode lost its grip on me until it actually started to bore me - something I did not expect. The characters are hollow and lack motivation, and the storyline and world building leaves a lot to be desired. IMHO this comes down to poor writing and uninspired directing. The show simply doesn't have anything even remotely interesting to make it stand out from the plethora of apocalyptic shows coming before it. I will give it a couple more episodes to convince me otherwise, but so far I am not impressed. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8813301/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
32 | faeez_rizwan | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur26767722/?ref_=tt_urv | True To The Game | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 6 out of 12 found this helpful | I couldn't be more pleased to state that this is, in fact, the first video game adaptation that reaches the so highly desired status of excellence! Labeling or selling the series merely as an action or horror show is misleading viewers to anticipate just another rendition of The Walking Dead or its countless spin-offs. Judging by the first episode alone, one great thing about this HBO series is that it's tailored to satisfy both fans of the game and newcomers who have no idea what The Last of Us is. It's still early days but Pascal and Ramsey are perfect as Joel and Ellie. The former imbues even more darkness into Joel from the start; tortured by the past, tormented by what he's had to become to survive. This was one of the better dramatic pilots that we have seen in quite some time. They did a great job of tying in the authentic moments of the game. But, then, they did an excellent job of grabbing the attention of those who didn't play it. I'm really looking forward to see the second episode next week ✨ | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802639/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
33 | muhddanesh | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur149192978/?ref_=tt_urv | Started out really strong | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 6 out of 14 found this helpful | This premiere is so good, especially the first half. It is so tense, and they executed the horror of the apocalypse, something Fear The Walking Dead barely succeeded to do, though I couldn't blame them since Fear has lower budget. But all I'm saying here is that it has a smooth narrative pace as it unveiled the the beginning of the apocalypse. The chaos, the fear and the sense of danger altogether when you're watching them trying to make it out of the town alive was really unbearable. The second half, however, was a bit, and only a bit dull and slow, but I can't say it doesn't intrigue me. I have never played the game before, so I'm confused a little when all these names were thrown at me, so I'm hoping for a speedy memory by the time episode 2 comes around. The one thing that intrigues me the most was Ellie and her immunity to the infection. Probably, that's because why she was apparently such an important individual to the Firefly. Well, I have my answers by the few next episodes. Overall, the episode is amazing, a strong premiere, contains a slow, yet thrilling pace and intriguing characters and plots that was set up vaguely in the background. All I can say is that I can't wait for the next episode because I have such high hopes for this show and it has such good potential. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804497/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
34 | RobTortureWright | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur34064689/?ref_=tt_urv | You've seen this before (A lot) | 16 January 2023 | 6 | 42 out of 193 found this helpful | The last of us comes at a time where the zombie genre has well and truly been flooded with every imaginable scenario you could possibly think of. This means that while this show is far from bad it simply doesn't add anything new, in fact, it's just different actors acting out the same thing you've seen for years or even decades at this point. The best way to describe the first episode and in particular the first 30-40 minutes is like the TV version of the Gerald butler film Greenland. It's the most recent comparison I could make and it plays out exactly the same, World is fine one minute then all hell breaks loose the next. If we were to look at this realistically, a virus would simply take longer to unfold on the world, not simply 1 minute fine next minute everybody is dying and looting and losing their minds. Of course as a person living in 2023 we all know too well how a virus unfolds on the world. This instant madness take's away the believability but let's be honest, it's a show about zombies so how believable can you really get ? The rest of the first episode plays out just like the premiere of The Walking Dead with writing on the walls in blood, a decaying world and seeing how the "survivors" are finding ways to cope in this new world. This is all quite fine but FAR from special or unique. All of the dialogue is generic, although acted quite well. My attention span drifted quite a lot throughout the first episode, however it was held just enough to keep me watching till the end to see what the writers could try and do to make me continue the journey. 1 hour 20 minutes did drag in a little with the middle portion being very slow but you have to allow this as it's the first episode and it's trying to set the scene. Helping a random girl get to where she's going in world of complete ruin makes you lose all believability but again, please leave your brain at the door. The woman talking about Ellie and saying her purpose is greater than she could know then handing her off literally 5 minutes later is quite lousy writing. Lyanna Mormont from Game of thrones suited the actress Bella Ramsey better, but that's just my opinion. She does however do her best as Ellie and to be honest I don't see many other actresses portraying the role as well. The bond that starts between Joel and Ellie is the glimmering light that many fans of the games and new viewers will hold on to, as this really is what the The Last of Us is about, a connection between two people. This is the one thing that's unique about the show and it's something the writers have to indulge in as often as they can to keep this show feeling fresh and watchable. The first episode ends on a bit of whim with Joel and Ellie making their way forward, to where we don't know yet, but a screech is let out and roll credits, meh. Not awful, not great, but we move on to episode 2 with atleast a little bit of intrigue. Overall I think this show will be moderately successful, for how long is completely determined on how the writers take a completely generic idea and try to make it feel fresh, and how they can try to make Joel and Ellie's connection hold the audiences attention for more than a few episodes or just 1 season. For me it's a show that offers nothing new, I've seen it before and I've seen it often. I could tell you how the rest of the season will unfold almost play for play, but for people who are going in for the first time having not seen as much as me, People who haven't watched dozens of zombie films from the late 90's and 00's and Haven't seen tv shows like The Walking Dead, then maybe, just maybe they will enjoy this moderately. I don't think it's ever going to take over the world like a Game of thrones or Breaking bad, but if you like the look of it then stop reading this and go watch it. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802908/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
35 | travian-63622 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur111008983/?ref_=tt_urv | Never got attracted like this | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 6 out of 15 found this helpful | Never got attracted like this from the start of the first episode, everything thing will attract you attention. I cannot wait to watch the next episode. I think everything in this show was done in a perfect way. The unique thing about this series was the story and the mixture of different elements to grab the watcher attention. This include: well constructed storylines, casting, drama, comedy, music, action and all of this in one episode. I believe this show was written in great way. I'm grateful for everyone making this show because for long time, I was not attracted like this to a show. So excited for what is coming next. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804328/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
36 | moritzherz | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur132350764/?ref_=tt_urv | Stupid casting, dumb race swapping but still outstanding. How is that possible?! | 29 January 2023 | 7 | 5 out of 14 found this helpful | As someone who played recently The Last of Us Remastered on my PS5 and got blown away by its perfection in every possible way I wondered how they transform it into a TV show. The result is a show that loses nothing of the brilliant story and characters of the game but also show the desastrous state in which Neil Druckman is today. He is a broken man, feminist would be the word to describe him. Race swapping one of the characters broke my heart and I cannot forgive him. Because of that I go one point down in my review for the first episode. Another point minus for the hilariously dumb casting. Just compare the tv characters to the game characters, you will see what I mean. The funny and scary thing is, that although they made very easy and dumb faults the show is still easily better than most of the modern trash we get nowadays! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8836518/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
37 | meltingmel | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur60992299/?ref_=tt_urv | Holy Accurate Batman | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 10 found this helpful | I've watched my husband play the game throughout the years and WHOA - this was SO WELL DONE. I know there has been a lot of concern on the internet about the casting choices, but they were fantastic decisions. The acting was so spot on, the sets, the accuracy of each scene! So many studios take material and just butcher it. They put their "own spin" on it and it always just pisses off the fans. It appears this show will join Peter Jackson's LoTR films as the second most accurate adaption. You would think studios would learn by now to keep true to the source material. They would make so much money if they just did that. It's very clear this series is a winner and I'm stoked to watch the rest of the season. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802811/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
38 | encinasbrandon-87590 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur76232178/?ref_=tt_urv | Incredible start | 30 January 2023 | 10 | 1 out of 1 found this helpful | I'm writing this review after watching the first 3 episodes, and I gotta say, this show has been an absolute gem for me personally. It starts with this episode being a near perfect adaptation of the iconic game opening, with some changes here and there to flesh the story out, which I've been appreciatingore and more each episode. The world is dripping with atmosphere, and the characters are so well done. Like I said in my review of the second episode, I'm extremely excited to see what they do with the rest of this story and especially season 2, which was announced would happen just recently. This could potentially be an all time great. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8837456/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
39 | mbreau-12249 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur111446425/?ref_=tt_urv | Absolutely amazing video game adaptation | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 8 found this helpful | Coming from someone that's played the first game multiple times the show stayed extremely close to the game. The things that were added were great additions. The only down side wish they could have had the spores I understand that it's harder to show on camera but that was huge in both games. One thing I didn't like was having Joel selling drugs even though that was a Easter egg from Sarah saying that because that's how she was able to get his watches which she brought and didn't have it fixed which was more far fetch how she was able to buy a watch in the game. I liked the more in-depth with Marlene character that was extremely interesting to see. The way the episode ended with the buildings falling into each other was identical to the game the hearing the clicker noise in the background was amazing though! Can't wait for episode 2 highly recommend watching this! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802879/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
40 | gs-subs | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur148326172/?ref_=tt_urv | the suspense is palpable | 17 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 10 found this helpful | Wow, I was really worried about the show with hearing from multiple 'wrong' youtubers stating its a 'you know what' fest and it goes to show how the ill informed can potentially ruin a fledgling franchise - so there is a lesson here, we all have our views, but unless you have watched the show, keep those opinions to yourself. I knew Pedro was going to do his absolute best - he always does, but I was interested in Anna Torv's character and Ellie and tbh I initially hated Ellie since she came across as a lot of an ahole, but towards the end of the first episode, I saw her character softening and becoming more relatable - I'm glad this changed, since her being cocky all through the show would of been irritating. I look forward to seeing some more episodes and I really hope 'you know what' stays out of the show and the show entertains, shocks and devestates it's viewers through good story telling, acting and music - you know, how entertainment used to be :) | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8807538/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
41 | frankiesilver-91836 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur120447312/?ref_=tt_urv | A surprisingly faithful and thoughtful pilot to an adaptation of one of the greatest games ever made. | 20 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 7 found this helpful | This is a show I have been very cautiously anticipating for YEARS. I have been extremely hyped ever since the original movie announcement for an eventual live-action adaptation of one of my favorite games ever. It's still a little too early to tell how the entire show will turn out, but after endless dreading, I can safely say this pilot was surprisingly great! It was a little long, but the length is needed to be able to tell all of the game's story in 9 episodes. The length also enables the addition of a bunch of extra material not in the game. The first 15 minutes of the show is all original material and it includes fantastic additional lore/character depth. Opening the show with the 1968 flashback discussing what the zombie virus is and how it works was an amazingly terrifying and ominous way to start the show. The rest of the pre-apocalypse stuff in 2003 was nice for adding more to Joel and Sarah's relationship before s*** hits the fan. It reminded me a lot of Fear The Walking Dead Season 1 with the eerie anticipation for what's to come. Despite not understanding the reasoning for changing her look from the game, Sarah's actress does a fantastic job. Her and Joel's love for each other is very believable. This is thanks in part to scenes like the game's opening and Sarah's death being adapted one-to-one. As a fan, seeing these faithful scenes were awesome. I also loved how they paid homage to the truck scene being shot just like it is in the game. Sarah's death hit me really hard despite knowing it was coming! Superb acting! The time skip is just as disorienting as it always was in the game, but I'm very pleased with how much more Boston, FEDRA, and the Fireflies are explored. The world feels SO much more lived in. Along with expanding the world, there are some cool little changes I think work in favor of the writing such as Tess and Joel trying to get a car battery instead of guns. I especially love that, in this continuity, Joel is actively trying to find Tommy rather than having not seen him in years. I also thought it was neat that Tess and Joel's relationship is official. I've yet to be sold on Bella as Ellie, but her line delivery during this episode was good. One thing I found odd was Joel beating a soldier he knew to death solely out of care for Ellie. It felt more like he gradually got to a point where he cared that much about her in the game, so I just hope they don't rush their relationship at all going forward. On another note, the early zombies genuinely feel terrifying in this show. Everything from the tendrils coming out of their mouths to the way they move and how they turn is next-level disturbing, even to a long-time zombie fan. Every use of special effects feels very real and makes for stunning visuals that wouldn't be possible without the insanely high budget. Shots like the plane crashing were insanely cool. The use of the music from the games is also an amazing touch. Definitely another sign that they are taking this seriously and are determined to adapt everything correctly. Overall, this is a shockingly perfect start to this show! I hope they keep sticking close to the source material for the rest of the season. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8813182/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
42 | benyaminshakeri-04856 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur160414117/?ref_=tt_urv | New competitor for TWD | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 10 found this helpful | The first episode of The Last of Us series was released. It was a good start and I think it could turn into a lovely series. The opening sequence of this episode reminded me of the movie "Don't look up!" This series is among the group that is adapted from a video game, like Resident Evil! But comparing The Last of Us and Resident Evil in the world of movies and series is not the right thing; Because it is quite clear that The Last of Us has been better in this field so far. The series has done a good job in choosing the actors and it can be said that the agents have been very careful in choosing the actors. It was said that the choice of Bella Ramzi in the role of Ellie was wrong, but I don't think it was a bad choice, Bella Ramzi looks very similar to the character of Ellie in The Last of Us. Of course, we must not forget that he acted very well! Pedro Pascal was also a wonderful choice!! It seems that he was created for acting in this role! The point I want to say is that finally the walking dead series can have a serious and powerful competitor in the zombie genre, of course, provided that The Last of Us makes changes to its video game. Now I want to get into the details of the series: the writing in this episode was very good! The story had an acceptable pace and the makers had avoided extra scenes and I really liked it! The lighting was very good! The type of filming was excellent (especially in the scene of driving a car) The voiceovers were also very good and timely! But this episode did not have one of its important elements! The existence of zombies was scary. In the first part of this episode, which took place in 2003, we saw zombies that were no different from ordinary people in terms of makeup (only their mouths were bloody). But if a series is not going to have enough budget, then why would they want to make an adaptation of a huge video game! So we can conclude: maybe because zombies were born for the first time in 2003, those zombies we saw were the initial version of zombies and maybe in the continuation of the series we will see more evolved versions of them!! ! I really like this series to develop until it becomes a rival to the walking dead series. Maybe the walking dead series has declined in the last few years due to lack of competitors in this genre. And if these two series compete with each other, we will witness two fantastic series in zombie style! I give 10 points. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803603/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
43 | fuad_tarin_58 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur26178405/?ref_=tt_urv | Wow what a start | 20 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 7 found this helpful | What an amazing start. So i played the first game when it come out years ago. Only thing i remember is the start when Joel loses his daughter and meets up with Ellie. Thats the only memory i have from it. Nothing else.. and i must say im happy for that because this seems to be the next big show and im happy to not know whats going to happen after the first episode. Pedro Pascal is one my favourite actors of all time. First time i ever saw him was in Game of thrones and he killed his role there. Later i saw him in mandalorian and this guys is just an amzing actor. Its seems like he masters every role he gets and now as Joel in this he just takes it to another level. And Bella was a favourite in Got aswell and its very nice to see her getting bigger roles now. Its very rarly i give higher then a 8/10 for the first episode of any new shows but this one was so god for a first episode that it will be a 9/10 for me. I cannot wait to see the rest of the season. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8813183/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
44 | joe_mama101 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur129317959/?ref_=tt_urv | The best pilot I've watched since Fargo | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 9 found this helpful | As someone who has unfortunately not played the game (xbox gamer), I can't speak to any similarities and am strictly looking at this as a new viewer. The opening act of this episode was perfect. It felt like the beginning to A Quiet Place 2, but in my opinion exceeded it and most other zombie movies (the exception being Train to Busan). The writers let the tension build over a substantial amount of screen time and the payoff felt like I was watching a movie. I also enjoyed the bait and switch of Sarah being the POV character in the first act. That takes guts as a writer to pull the rug out from under the viewer that early. The rest of the episode is really good and does a good job table setting and introducing us to characters. All in all this did not feel like a 90 minute episode and when it ended I wanted more. The first act is one of the greatest openings of television I have ever seen. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802762/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
45 | eoinpgeary | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur89122372/?ref_=tt_urv | Look For The Light | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 8 found this helpful | This was a really good first episode ! The one thing that I found the best was the pacing !! I have played the game and I did really like it, I found myself almost saying some of the lines BUT I love that they aren't afraid to change parts of it and honestly those parts are really well done !! The cast is super ! In these reviews I will do my best to rate the episode as it's own things and not compare it to the game. The opening was great ! I love that we are getting more Tommy, Joel is great I think Pedro was a great casting choice. The feeling of immense pressure within the opening minutes was outstanding!!! It is really creepy which i didn't get from the game, this felt so real it did give me goosebumps a few times. Life in FEDRA was good, I like that we aren't there super long, again the pacing is great, usually with a pilot your getting the build up for the season but I find this opening is much more, there is more than enough going on in the episode to hold its own and set the series up. Really good first episode I'm so excited for next week and I hope the quality is the same ! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802708/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
46 | AlanRodriguezCastillo | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur84109034/?ref_=tt_urv | LAYING THE GROUNDWORK | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 3 out of 7 found this helpful | The Last of Us has been one of the anticipated tv shows on HBO and with this pilot we got a since of what it is. The fact that this is based on one of the most beloved and acclaimed videogames of all time cnnot be ignored. I have to give the creators prop for capturing the feeling and the sense of desperation the game presented so perfectly. It expands on the lives of our beloved characters in ways that make since from what we know and should be seen as welcomed additions to the lore. I really appreciated that we got to spend some time on the pre-outbreak world of The Last of Us. Nico Parker, who plays Joel's daughter Sarah did a wonderful job here being the lense through which we see the setup for what is to come. Pedro Pascal was amazing as I expected and so was everyone else. I liked that they kept the actress who played Maleen in the games for this adaptation because it shows a connection with its source material and it's warranted. The people behind this series and this pilot episode specifically know how to hold, crank, and work up the tension in a scene, so props for that as well. My only complaint if you can even call it that is that many scenes that were pretty much one to one with scenes in the game didn't hit as hard and maybe that's because I'm biased, maybe it's the fact that I've seen it before but something just didn't feel as important or fresh even. Nevertheless, if this series continues the path that this pilot has set this will certainly be a great series so I can wait to watch the next episode. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802904/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
47 | mathewmartin1604 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur56021669/?ref_=tt_urv | And So it Begins... | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 5 out of 11 found this helpful | As a huge fan of the game, I have been looking forward to this series for what feels like a lifetime. Nearly 10 years ago Joel and Ellie began their journey, and the events of this episode hit me just as hard today as they did back then. Staying faithful to the source material, whilst not just being a carbon copy of the game's cutscenes was always going to be a hard ask, but this first episode has done it extremely well. The opening scene was a really nice introduction to the Cordyceps parasite that this series is based on, whilst some of the scenes of Joel, Tommy and Sarah trying to drive out of town looked exactly the same as the game and brought back memories of playing the game for the first time. As a starting chapter, this episode is basically perfect, however I'm not 100% sold on Bella Ramsey as Ellie just yet, and that worries me a little bit. This entire series, and the emotion behind it, relies almost solely on the relationship between Joel and Ellie and I'm just not sure if the chemistry is there. She's shown a bit of the sass and fire that Ellie needs, but hasn't had much screen time yet to convince me yet. I'm sincerely hoping that changes over the next few weeks, but for now the show is a 10/10. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803643/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
48 | phoenix_prjct | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur159616472/?ref_=tt_urv | Tense, terrifying, and epic in scale... | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 3 out of 8 found this helpful | Final Thoughts: When You're Lost in the Darkness is a phenomenal beginning to a beloved story, remaining faithful while transitioning some plot beats that suit the medium better. Tense, terrifying, and epic in scale, the rich foundations hold a cast absolutely stacked with talent. All worries about how this landmark experience would translate have been utterly destroyed and, if the creators can keep this balance throughout the run, The Last of Us season one might just become the best video game adaptation ever made, and, like the game before it, set a standard for the medium that others will undoubtedly follow. For an in-depth look and more posts like this, please visit my site: The Phoenix Project - Read. Watch. Play. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804846/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
49 | nscoby93 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur39717569/?ref_=tt_urv | Episode 101, Really good opening to the season | 16 January 2023 | 8 | 2 out of 10 found this helpful | When this show was announced I was extremely ambivalent towards it, especially because video game adaptions are almost always no good. Being the big Last of Us fan and in particular how passionate I am about that game. I just did not see how such a master piece could be translated well to a TV series. While I still have my reservations, I am very happy to say this over one hour long episode was very well done. I have plenty of nitpicks though, for starters I wish Sarah and Tommy looked more like their video game counterparts, though I must give credit to Gabriel Luna as Tommy he did a great job sounding like his video game counter part. I'm still not 100% sold on Pedro Pascal as Joel, while he is a great actor and looks great in the part. In my mind Joel Edgerton would've made a better Joel he has a natural build like Joel's and his voice is deep as Joel's. Pedro just doesn't have that same build or voice, every time he talked I didn't see Joel I just saw Pedro Pascal. This maybe my recurring issue through the series. Bella Ramsey is fantastic as Ellie she really brings her attitude, sarcasm, and potty mouth to life. Merle Dandridge is also doing fantastically in the role of Marlene and she has such a great resemblance to her video game counterpart which made me happy. Some honorable mentions Tess and Robert are good, there were some changes with Tess I didn't care to much for but again nitpick. But what the show has gotten right tremendously so far is the music and camera work that matches right up with the video game, anything that looks and reminds me of the game is a huge plus. They are doing a lot things differently particularly in the ways of the infection which I must say bothers me quite a bit, I will speak more to that later. Some new scenes but these scenes still match the tone, atmosphere, and attitude of the game so I'm happy with that. Now as for the infection, they seem to have cut the idea of the spores from this show which I hope is not true because those spores added such a unique intriguing twist to the infection that made them standout from your average zombie. The infected seem to eat people instead of attacking, infecting, killing and moving on. That is a change I genuinely do not like. It changes them to just another zombie instead of the weird infected creatures they are, because this fungus is about mutating and infecting not eating. The fungus consumes the host, yes but not like a zombie. It's those spores that the fungus uses to spread through places an infected creature couldn't reach. It what helped the infection in the game and in this franchise standout they weren't your run of the mill zombies. To my memory of all my playthroughs of The Last of Us I never saw one infected eat a person, do they bite yes but they don't stick around to eat. They continue looking for more hosts to infect or the fungus consumes them so much they die and become for lack of a better word spore stations. It's far and away a much more intriguing premise than zombies that we've seen done dozens of times. Correct me if I'm wrong. Overall I am very pleased with how this season started and I hope the quality will rise from here. IMDb: 8/10 Letterboxd: 4/5 Watched on HBO Max. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803054/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
50 | frank-71651 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur160625234/?ref_=tt_urv | It was for nothing | 17 January 2023 | 4 | 18 out of 85 found this helpful | It is yet unclear whether The Last of Us intends to be anything more than a big-budget imitation of its source material. Sadly, nothing that we saw in the first episode suggests it. Fans of the original game may relish the show's live-action recreation of many of their favorite scenes, but there's very little else to truly appreciate. In a lot of ways, HBO's TLOU has always been dead on arrival. The tired zombie/post-apocalypse motifs were already wearing out their welcome in 2013, and they definitely can't carry what's supposed to be premium television in 2023. It is the game's greatest strength - the effective reliance on rote television tropes - that turns here into the show's greatest weakness. The actors' performances are serviceable but their character arcs range (or will range, judging by the show's rigid adherence to the original script) from predictable to non-existent, the dialog is merely functional, and Mazin's direction, while confident, can't overcome the garden-variety writing of Neil Druckmann, the game's co-creator. Had this been a prologue or a spin-off to the original narrative without Druckmann's name attached to the project, the writers might have wrestled a less formulaic zombie drama out of its paper-thin premise. As it stands, it is woefully complacent fan service - and a lengthy cinematic you can safely skip. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8806991/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
51 | tresm87 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur11839633/?ref_=tt_urv | Not the first scattered yet ambitious video game adaptation and surely not the last of...them. | 16 January 2023 | 7 | 6 out of 60 found this helpful | We have seen countless renditions of video games made into movies and tv series constantly in the last 30 years. Usually there are differences that fans of the video game can disagree with either minor or major. Personally Im ok with slight tweaks here and there if everything is still executed somewhat solidly. This is another instance that will go either way with fans of the game. There are aspects that live up to the game with astounding visuals and excellent intensity. The acting is fairly well represented but some of the casting decisions will be sure to tear some fans away from the finished product. Plot wise it does relatively follow the basis for the most part but at times strays of the path into territory that seems forced for the times / certain crowds. Overall it will go either with fans but people unfamiliar with the game that dont know any different will enjoy it as a decent post apocalyptic survival saga . | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802692/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
52 | dieselhirvi | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur49352968/?ref_=tt_urv | Solid pilot, but nothing special | 16 January 2023 | 7 | 22 out of 64 found this helpful | First off I'd like to say that I also played the game, and didn't particularly like it. However, when I saw that there was a tv series adaptation coming out, I thought I'd give it a shot because while the game wasn't that great, it certainly had a gripping storyline. It turns out, at least so far, the story works pretty good on a tv series. It's definitely a very solid 7, nothing more, nothing less. Biggest factor bringing down the score is definitely the choice of cast. Many of them, especially Ellie, feel miscasted. I am sure Bella is a fine actress, but she is just not a good fit for this role, in any shape or form imaginable. Then again, Pedro as Joel works very well. Let's see how it goes on but I am afraid it might be downhill from here given how much more we are going to see of miscasted Ellie. I'd love to be wrong, though. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804741/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
53 | simianfriday | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur126645799/?ref_=tt_urv | This is off to a great start. | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 6 found this helpful | I was very skeptical coming into this because far too many video game adaptations have turned out to be absolutely terrible (including a previous Naughty Dog adaptation - Uncharted), but after the first episode I am cautiously optimistic about this show moving forward. The first episode was almost a perfect adaptation of the game - with enough minor changes to keep things interesting for those of us already intimately familiar with this story. There are a few changes the show makes that I think are better than the original game, and a few where I think the game did better - but overall, this has vastly exceeded my expectations and has set the bar *very* high moving forward. I can't wait to see how this develops with each new episode. Here's hoping it keeps this level of quality throughout. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802807/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
54 | ashishhsunny | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur34906825/?ref_=tt_urv | I'm not crying, you are crying! | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 3 out of 9 found this helpful | Starting with the intro credits of Gustavo Santonalla's legendary composition you know this episode is done with respect to the original. The grainy filter, the mind boggling action setpieces, the characters, the makeup(Oh, the makeup) and the haunting music.. this felt perfect. The acting is incredible, the direction was perfect! I know it's a bit too early to say how the rest of the season would be, but for a pilot episode I'd say this one was on of the best I've ever seen. Easily the best I've seen in the "zombie" genre. I cannot wait for the next Sunday to watch the second. As one who adored the original and it's music this surpassed my expectations by a fair mile. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803287/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
55 | pavlomir | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur71314129/?ref_=tt_urv | Strong begging. | 16 January 2023 | 8 | 2 out of 9 found this helpful | I never played the games or heard about the story, so my review will be less biased. When there is strong foundations like a book or in this case a video games, you can be mostly sure that the work will be proven to be interesting enough to be watchable and enjoyable. If this series have come a little bit sooner I would have said "just another zombie TV series, move on...", it have being a while from the Walking Dead that just refused to end, only some Korean work have kept the presence of such undead characters. Would the audience grow out of this zombie alike tv series? Something yet to be seen. "The last of us" had a strong emotional introduction, pre-face to the beginning of the post apocalyptic world were single parent is taking care of his daughter and works all day to make the living. The story telling alike other TV shows of quality is not quick to make the viewer worried, so aren't the characters. It's all good until it's not. Very fast and intense breath taking run in the seek for safety, but this isn't a happy story. The rest of the 20 years later shows the battle of existence in the new reality of the situation. Joel the main character struggles to wrap a plan, in the process he meets a "package to deliver" which would allow him to get what he needs. The future part is less emotional, I think the first part have stronger impact on the viewers, at least for me. It's will be very adventure filled show, I expect a lot of drama and bounding time with the "package". | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804992/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
56 | IonicBreezeMachine | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur117926588/?ref_=tt_urv | One of the PS3's Best Games makes its long awaited debut on TV and is well worth a viewing for newcomers and fans alike. | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 0 out of 3 found this helpful | In 2003, Joel (Pedro Pascal) a building contractor based out of Austin, Texas works alongside his younger brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) while providing for his teenage daughter Sarah (Nico Parker). When an outbreak of parasitic fungal infections run rampant throughout the world including Joel's hometown, Joel, Tommy, and Sarah attempt to escape from the carnage, but Sarah is killed in the ensuing chaos. 20 years later, Joel is now based out of Boston which is now a stronghold under control of military dictatorship FEDRA who are at war with resistance group the Fireflies. Joel uses his skills to earn ration cards in the Quarantine Zone (QZ) alongside his partner Tess (Anna Torv) with the two also earning more via smuggling jobs. When Joel and Tess are double crossed in a deal, this leads them to a confrontation with Firefly Marlene (Merle Dandridge) who makes a deal with Joel and Tess to transport a young teenage girl, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to their associates outside the QZ. Joel is initially reluctant as is Ellie who doesn't trust Joel but eventually decides to take the job for his own interests. Eventually however Joel and Tess learn Ellie is infected, but has not succumb to the disease as others have making her potentially a source for a cure. The Last of Us is a post apocalyptic TV series airing on HBO based on the 2013 video game of the same name produced by Sony and developed by Naughty Dog which became one of the consoles best reviewed and best selling games for the system and arguably one of the best of that generation of consoles. After the success of the game, much like Naughty Dog's Uncharted series there were discussions about adapting the game into a feature film with Sam Raimi coming on board as a producer, but much like Uncharted, The Last of Us adaptation lingered in development hell going through various fits and starts. Eventually plans for the film were abandoned with focus instead shifted to adapting the game as a series on HBO under Sony's PlayStation Production Banner with original game's writer Neil Druckmann teaming with Chernobyl's Craig Mazin to adapt the series which is said to be one of the largest budgeted productions in Canadian history. Now premiering after nearly a decade of development hell, I'm please to say that at least for now, The Last of Us may become the gold standard by which other video game adaptations will be compared. To start off the review, I'll say that I've only played the first The Last of Us (twice) but have not played the DLC or the sequel (I never bought a PS4 or 5) so my apologies if this review isn't as all encompassing as possible. From the first frame of the pilot episode that begins in 1968 with a talk show discussing the nature of a fungal pandemic the show does a solid job of expanding upon the world built in the game and integrating it with scenes translated from the game to narrative film. Pedro Pascal, Nico Parker, and Gabriel Luna I thought were really well cast as Joel, Sarah, and Tommy and the opening section with the three of them going about their last day of normalcy before all hell breaks loose really endeared me to the characters and made me invested in this story as much as I had been when I first played through it 10 years ago. The show does a good job of adding sections like Sarah interacting with neighbors or the community and while such additions do run the risk of seeming like padding or unnecessary they're very well integrated into scenes taken from the games and they feel organically interwoven so the translation from game to TV is mostly seamless. The iconic segment from the game were the trio drive Joel's truck through a night filled with chaos is excellently recreated and just as chilling as it was in the game and even if you haven't played the game you'll still feel like you're getting the full impact. Once the show makes its 20 year time jump the mood is well established with Pedro Pascal's performance as Joel quite strong as he's become a much more hardened person by this world and his trauma and very much surviving without any real reason living in a state of purgatory just trying to get through each day. Bella Ramsey makes a good impression as Ellie and Anna Torv is also quite good as Joel's partner Tess and the episode sets up strong stakes and emotional threads that provide rich potential to be paid off through the series. Admittedly the pilot doesn't feature too many up close interactions with the infected and is more focused on establishing the world, atmosphere, and characters, but that's where the biggest cores of this story come from and the infected should be used sparingly in a story like this. The Last of Us is a strong first step by this series and undeniably raises the bar for video game adaptations. Assuming The Last of Us can maintain this same level of quality this will probably be one of 2023's best new TV series. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805259/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
57 | Smith-jordan431 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur56833338/?ref_=tt_urv | It's finally here... | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 3 out of 8 found this helpful | Coming from someone who hasn't seen the video game, this pilot episode did what all pilot episodes aspire to do: establish tone and set-up the rest of the season. Within the first few frames I knew that the attention to detail would provide a stunning viewing experience and I was proved right. The writing, the cinematography and the music all blended together so well. Pedro Pascal gives us a haunting portrayal of a broken man. Whether he speaks or doesn't speak he's able to freeze you in your seat, a truly remarkable performance. Once the ride starts after the first 10 minutes, you're off. Not a wasted step and headed into episode two, I can tell we're only getting started. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802731/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
58 | Holt344 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur80693802/?ref_=tt_urv | Brilliantly written and directed, a season premiere that shows a faithful adaptation, a spectacular episode | 17 January 2023 | 10 | 0 out of 6 found this helpful | The season premiere of the anticipated show "The Last of Us" left me with a mix of emotions but also me thinking how spectacular it was. Critics are calling it the best game adaption and I agree, the games are cinematic and written brilliantly, the game writer and director (Neil Druckmann) serves as co-showrunner along with Craig Mazin who created the phenomenal and critically acclaimed limited Series "Chernobyl", together the two created a masterpiece of a show. Or so I've heard, so far with one episode in, I agree. Time will tell though. There's so many things they got right with this first episode, countless of scenes. To the acting, direction and cinematography, but also production design. Everything was perfect and felt right. Me being a big fan of the games and the genre, I can gladly say this episode and show overall, met my huge expectations. The Last of Us is set twenty years after a fungal outbreak, focusing on Joel and Ellie, a pair connected through the harshness of the world they live in. They are forced to endure brutal circumstances and ruthless killers on a trek across America. But the season premiere begins prior to the outbreak, like in the game. The cast is filled with great actors who embodies the characters and everything they stand for. Let's start with the leads: Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Then a supporting cast of Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Anna Torv as Tess. I think the performance that stands out the most in the first episode, is Pedro Pascal without a doubt. He is Joel. From the dialogue heavy scenes to the action sequences, he has every part of the performance nailed to perfection, and I can't wait to see what else he brings to the table. But from what we saw of the rest of the cast, I think they did a great job, Anna Torv is great as Tess. Too early to tell about Bella Ramsey, but she got the mannerism and dialogue right. Critics praised the acting for a good reason, there are so many terrific performances in this episode. I'm also really glad Merle Dandridge returns to play Marlene, the same character she portrayed in the game, a great performance. What I always wanted was for Gustavo Santaolalla to compose the music, I got my wish granted and the musical score alongside with all the sound design, it sounds perfect. Everything. But let's get back to the writing, lines of dialogue is borrowed right from the game and it's a close adaption. But they changed a lot of the action to focus more on character drama and honestly, it was the right choice, so I got nothing but praise for the writing. They nailed the atmosphere and dark tone of the story, of the world, which I expected from Craig Mazin. There's so many things to love about this show, about the whole story, and I'm glad it was such a hit on HBO. It's a story more people should experience and here is the perfect way to do it, with this masterpiece of a premiere. It's an episode full with suspension and tension, with you on the edge of your seat on multiple of occasions. Also an episode of brilliantly written drama and acting you'll surely find impressive. The 82 minute season premiere "When You're Lost in the Darkness" never felt that long, they used every scene to create a powerful prologue and overall engaging episode. I'm impressed and proud of what the crews and everyone accomplished. It's a well made show and they can be proud to call this "The Last of Us". | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8807133/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
59 | spacekarma | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur117433225/?ref_=tt_urv | Pretty Mediocre adaptation with a complete misscast | 31 January 2023 | 4 | 4 out of 15 found this helpful | I find this a pretty ridiculous miss cast with another show where After 3 episodes we already know where this show aims. Ellie miss cast is one of the worst casting decisions I have seen in decades. It makes the show unwatchable. Ellie in the original game was played by a real actress, why not get her? She looks completely different from this actor. And then we have a whole pointless episode that never was explored or cared about in any game about a gay couple. Why did we need an episode about that? To me as a fan of the game it's a huge disappointment. After 3 episodes it already goes down the mountain. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8841280/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
60 | redsoxloveryankeehater | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur150503160/?ref_=tt_urv | A Great Adaptation | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 3 out of 7 found this helpful | Wow! This is extremely gripping, well performed, and truly frightening at moments. Pedro Pascal and the entire crew does a nice of embodying these characters. Some of the shots in this episode feel like they were ripped straight out of the game. The atmosphere of the show is extremely intriguing. Capturing the feel of the game is way too high of an expectation, but this got almost everything right! As someone who absolutely adores this video game and the story, I am truly truly impressed. If anybody was feeling nervous and concerned about another video game adaptation, DONT BE! This hits the nail in the head in almost every aspect. Well done! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802612/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
61 | lassegalsgaard | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur65996558/?ref_=tt_urv | When You're Lost in the Darkness | 28 January 2023 | 9 | 0 out of 1 found this helpful | Talk about being scared for something to break your heart. When they announced this project, I became slightly excited due to the involvement of Craig Mazin and the game's creator Neil Druckmann, but also very reserved due to the history of video game adaptations. A lot of them are not good, with this year's release of "Uncharted" being a great example. However, a lot of hopes were riding on this with the incredible cast and crew they had collected, so I was excited for it. And luckily, this is clearly made by people with passion for it and that's why it's so damn good. This show does what a lot of adaptations don't do, which is follow the plot of the game very precisely, yet still finding ways to make it fit the medium better. This immediately starts off with showing us that they're not afraid to take some swings and with a chilling opening sequence laying out the impending pandemic, the show is off to a great start. And it starts off like the game, showing us Joel's life before the outbreak and the heartbreak of it is still very real. Craig Mazin's direction in this episode is especially good, and the feeling of dread is ever present, both with the characters and the audience. The show really starts when we jump into the present-day, and Mazin and Druckmann find ways to expand on the quarantine aspect of the game, showing us the inner workings and the corruption going on. They find a way to make the show feel new and refreshing for people like me who have played the games countless times, and that's why this adaptation clearly works better than others. The passion is there, but also the intent to give the audience what they expect, yet serve them something unexpected in the process. The introduction of Ellie is also a huge highlight and the way they set her character up is beautiful, especially with Bella Ramsey in the role who clearly finds herself very easily in this character. The same with Pedro Pascal who simply transforms into the perfect version of this very beloved character. "When You're Lost in the Darkness" is a great beginning to the show, and the promise of what is to come is almost too much. The characters feel refreshing yet memorable, and the actors inhabiting them have been perfectly selected, and are supported by great writing that respects the games, yet also successfully expands on them. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8832608/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
62 | facebook1378 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur41752800/?ref_=tt_urv | Haven't played the game, but this looks promising | 18 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 10 found this helpful | Like I've stated in the title. I haven't played the game. Maybe one day if it comes to PC. With that said, it's obvious I know nothing about the plot/characters/details except the general setting: Fungus destroys world, makes man go zombie and brrrr. Overall the first episode is great. The characters are thought out, their motivations; the suspense, tragedy, drama...all accounted for. It packs a bit of action, and the CGI looks good, so no complains there. Acting is on point. Don't know why, but Pedro Pascal has this "Broken man" vibe all over him. I guess he's suited to play such characters. Immersion: Also on point. The set design really does give a post-apocalyptic feel. Both on the small front (small community, like in TWD), and the larger one (the world). I hope there is character development, and that it's not rushed. I hope it has a good ending, although I will settle for a bad one as well (kinda can see this thing ending tragically, but with a silver lining). If the series continues to exist in such a great state, AND the characters don't become low IQ morons with moronic decisions, to force tragedy/advance plot, then this show is shaping to be one of the better zombie genre in history. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8808542/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
63 | BoulosSoueileh | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur63069428/?ref_=tt_urv | Your Watch is broken | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 1 out of 7 found this helpful | An intense episode, First 30 minutes were a bit slow but it was good to start the story before the game. The atmosphere is so similar to the game, the building, the road and the fight between the two factions. The game was so good, they didn't change anything in the first episode but Robert death and his fight with the fireflies which was smart, but to be honest some parts like Subway should be longer and other parts like the beginning should be shorter. The performance was perfect, Pedro Pascal is a gem and he can be better than Troy Baker if he can hide his smile all the time. Bella Ramsey was so good, but the one that stole the show, is Tess. Sorry fot that but I will hate the moment when we are going to loose such character. The first couple minutes were good, dr. Heunman was the right person in the right place, one moment he was talking about the virus and how it will take your brain and suddenly all the audience stopped moving, this was a perfect gesture of what will happen next. Too much Easter eggs and cinematography scenes to talk about, but either you get it or no you'll enjoy this. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803312/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
64 | panagiotis1993 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur71127982/?ref_=tt_urv | Well... it's Ok I Guess | 1 February 2023 | 7 | 0 out of 1 found this helpful | Before starting my review, I just wanna say that I've never played the game. The reason im watching is because I thought that the main concept of the show is interesting. This is not a tv episode, that's a movie, it's 1 hour and 20 minutes long, damn, love that. Love how the old lady that couldn't move or speak now is able to run like crazy (because she got infected). Love all the chaos, has a really raw and realistic vibe. The zombies are different from the Walking Dead, really fast. Wtf, the soldier starts shooting while they're not even sick. Losing his daughter, that's brutal. After that we get a huge time jump, 20 years, I like it. Post-apocalyptic Boston looks completely destroyed, love it. So these people are sentenced to death because of ''unauthorized entry into a quarantine zone''. Isn't that a bit too much? Ok we see Ellie for the first time, her character already looks annoying. I hope this is not the classic snarky character recipe. So we have two forces fighting each other FEDRA (the government) and Firefly (the rebels), this could be interesting. Half the episode is good and half is not that good, the pacing towards the end is bad, I got really bored while the first half was more exciting. My conclusion is that the first episode is mediocre to good. But it's only the first episode so I will have to watch ep. 2 to be more specific. My rating is 7.0/10. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8843084/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
65 | Abby_Normal-27696 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur125813867/?ref_=tt_urv | Great all around first episode. I hope it will last." | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 6 found this helpful | I've been excited for This show to come out for a few years now and i was hoping they weren't going to just beat this dead horse of a genre. Poorly made season walking dead mixed with bad last couple of seasons of game of thrones had me worried HBO ruin the show before it began. However this first episode had me pleasantly surprised. It definitely looks like the writers, directors, and actors have really committed to this show. HBO delivered enough of a budget make the show feel real, and they have done a great job staying true to the series that it's based off off. Especially in the beginning when they flee, wow! It looked so good. I really hope this continues. My biggest gripe and reason for not giving it a perfect ten would be i thought the casting for some of the characters could have been a little better, which I'm sure I'll grow to like them in time. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804945/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
66 | secret_arash | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur114560829/?ref_=tt_urv | Search for the Light | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 1 out of 6 found this helpful | As many of you probably know, there have been several failed attempts in making an apocalyptic show after 2010 when The Walking Dead was released. The first episode of that show is without a question one of the best pilots in history of television. But the thing is it made it much difficult for future shows to have a great introduction of a zombie world. In fact, two of the failed attempts were Spinoff of TWD itself. But now, after 13 years, The Last of Us has done it again. Unfortunately, I have not played the video game so I won't get any of the Easter Eggs or references in the show. Nevertheless, considering it as a whole new show, I can say this looks very promising and we could expect great things from this show. And let me just say, it is about time that we get a perfect show. I mean, honestly, the last time that some really amazing shows began launching was 2015 when we got Mr. Robot and Better Call Saul. Let's hope The Last of Us be such big of a show that leaves a mark in television history. One final thought; I remember many critiquing the casting when they were announced. Let me just say I believe both Pascal and Ramzey are great choices for their roles. Along with great acting, the storytelling is absolutely astonishing which is a result of good directing and cinematography of the show. Overall, this was a fantastic first episode. Hope it stays that way to the last. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803634/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
67 | andywzhu | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur60577300/?ref_=tt_urv | Absolute Masterpiece | 21 January 2023 | 10 | 3 out of 7 found this helpful | Coming from a guy that never played the video game, this was one of the best pilots i've ever seen. Reminds me of the early seasons of the walking dead and looks like it was created with such care. The visuals are outstanding, music is fantastic, and the writing is superb. Do yourself a favor and watch this episode, we might be witnessing a masterpiece in the making. The first scene develops Joel's character into what he is today. The storyline that the pilot sets up is very intriguing and we are getting the opportunity to see these characters go through a journey in the post apocalyptic world. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8814412/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
68 | JayDeeezy | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur134485651/?ref_=tt_urv | Awesome Start | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 1 out of 7 found this helpful | I'm a big fan of the Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2 - they were both masterpieces in storytelling and broke new ground in the video game world. In a world where capitalization is a must, my first instinct is that this series is being done with great care. I'm glad Neil Druckmann is one of the main showrunners. The attention to detail and canon shows here because...well, him and Naughty Dog created this. The team up with Chernobyl's Craig's Mazin sounds really good on paper and thus far, translates well to screen. The lead roles are cast really well - I loved Pedro Pascal in the Mandalorian and GoT and even though I've only seen Bella Ramsey before in her brief GoT role, she seems like a good actress. I'm very excited to see more of both of them and the relationship between their Ellie and Joel. The acting by the rest of the cast has also been solid. The world looks perfect. It captures the world in the video game perfectly and expands the scope to screen exactly how I would hope for. We haven't seen much of the creatures yet but the opening act and the makeup/effects on the infected we do see look wonderful. I'm very excited by what I see thus far. The games were works of art but I'm hoping this expands further on what we know and gives us more of the world with a slightly different perspective. If it keeps going the way it's going, I'm also glad this awesome story will be reaching new people for the first time. Lets go. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802766/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
69 | codefool | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur1386904/?ref_=tt_urv | Fantastic start! | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 1 out of 6 found this helpful | I've never played the video game - but often heard that the best part of it was the story, and that many hoped they would make a movie of it. Well, here it is and it's spectacular. After many awful offerings by video game adaptations, this is something completely different. Real characters, real struggles, real stakes, and relatable situations. The story doesn't lean on the monster battles of a video game trope. It's more about the characters trying to survive against the monster onslaught, politics, and genuine solutions to post-apocalyptic problems. The monsters for their part (at least in this first installment) are in the background, if noticed at all. Think of it as a The Walking Dead - but done better. Well done. Keep it up. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804412/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
70 | sarthakbharad-36851 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur110299220/?ref_=tt_urv | That's how you make a PILOT! | 17 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 8 found this helpful | I can't remember the last time I had this much excitement just while watching the pilot of any show. Everything they've done here is just fabulous and proves a point that Video Game Adaptations. If done right are the superior form of storytelling. The prologue about fungus was quite interesting. It immediately sets the audience up into what they should be expecting and also manages to build some much required tension. Then comes in DAY ONE of the epidemic. The whole act of Joel, Tommy and Sarah experiencing those horrors sent chills down my spine. After which, the screenplay settles down a bit, but only for the best. It jumps to 20 years later and shows how much of the world has fallen to the epidemic's knees and has barely made it through. The story which then begins to unravel and the cliffhanger this episode leaves the audience on is just too exciting and wonderfully executed. The casting is also on point and perfect. Pedro Pascal rules as the flawed protagonist of the series and he's definitely going in my list of LITERALLY ME characters. Bella Ramsey is quite good as Ellie but she didn't have much screen-time in this episode so we'll have to just wait and watch for the upcoming episodes. Although, whatever she was given, she performed it great and is quite a different take from the Ellie in the Video Game I must say. Overall, a great and promising start. Hope this is the level the series continues to maintain! HBO really is the content king and this episode proves it again. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8807122/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
71 | jay_amer | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur77927383/?ref_=tt_urv | A Dream Finally Come True! | 18 January 2023 | 10 | 1 out of 7 found this helpful | I have been a huge fan of this game since it came out and I cannot believe we now finally have a show and I was a little nervous about this one to be honest and honestly from seeing this first episode, my mind has changed this was a perfect episode, I got the Same Feeling when I played the game, the atmosphere is so familiar and it's just absolutely Breathtaking. From seeing how night the reviews are for the first episode I agreed with all the High reviews. I am proud to see a master piece of an episode from my top 3 favourite video games of all time. Do not miss out on this show, it is off to a fantastic start! I look forward to see how the rest of the episodes are like and how this story will end, this is perfect. Watch It! Overall, if there was an option for it...Infinite. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8808147/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
72 | jamescrean-49859 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur149847912/?ref_=tt_urv | A great but lopsided pilot | 27 January 2023 | 8 | 1 out of 3 found this helpful | The Last Of Us, much like it's source material, starts out with a bang. And the first half of this episode which retells that bang, that fantastic, recognizable intro, surprisingly manages to improve on it in some very interesting, subtle ways, creating an incredibly engaging, tense and brilliantly shot opening that managed to shock me even though I knew the game's story very well going in. It's absolutely brilliant, and dare I say perfect. However, this episode is an hour and a half, and that intro is like thirty minutes. And the other stuff- I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying it isn't great. There's a lot of bad acting, overly frequent and unnatural sounding swearing, and just a general lack of things going on. It's a lot to get into, but it all really boils down to the pacing. That intro is absolutely exceptionally paced. It's what makes it so great, there's just this constant, neverending rise of tension that ends with a massive story bombshell. It's awesome. The rest of this episode, to me, kinda feels like a flatline. It spends a lot of time setting up a lot of stuff instead of actually doing any of it. Is that bad for this episode or good for the show? Both. But, even if I don't care for that part too much, it's still good TV, and it's still very entertaining. They just set the bar impossibly high and couldn't reach back up to it right away. But that's fine. The most important thing for a pilot isn't that it's the best stuff in the world, it's that it sets the show up right- Which this definitely did. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8831177/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
73 | mrwankynq | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur141323280/?ref_=tt_urv | A series that changed the way to convert games into serials of history | 17 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 10 found this helpful | Personally, I have not played the game, but I know that it is very popular and has a large audience ... The series entered my heart from the first episode ... I was touched ... I cried ... I fell in love ... I entered the world of the series in a crazy way ... The beginning Iconic for me I think the series will be extraordinary... I loved everything about the episode.. The acting, the cinematography, the soundtrack and the environment in general... For someone who hasn't played the game like me, I was impressed at first... It didn't feel like it was an hour and a half The Hour... An episode full of interesting events, and the beginning of a series that touches my heart 🔥🌌 | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8807209/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
74 | mvincentk | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur43744805/?ref_=tt_urv | Love it. Absolutely love it. Pure bliss | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 10 found this helpful | I was really looking forward to this show. But I had my doubts. Really had my doubts. To me, The Last of Us is the absolute best game I've ever had the joy of experience. Period. The story, the characters. The real fungus in ants, and what if... We get some additional storylines to add to the characters, and that's nice. I feel it's in line with what could've been done in the game. But it also treats the action a bit different. For example, instead of the car hitting Joel's and Tommy's car, a piece of airplane does the trick. Sarah being black in the show instead of white in the game - but she really played the part to perfection; great actress. It almost was.. more than what the game did and you got the same feeling like when Sarah died in the game. A rare thing to duplicate it when we expect it. The actor playing Tommy is almost a spitting image of him. Scary and perfect - however not with a gun but with his trademark rifle. Awesome. And the cordyceps in the mouth - yuck and so very creepy!!! Great job!!!! They are continuing to add stuff and make some changes here and there, but really not anything that truly matters. And the ending! THE ENDING! WHAAAAAAT! The clickers in the distance, Depeche Mode. Code 80 guys, CODE 80!!!! MOVE! But what I really, REALLY love about this, is that they incorporated lines from the game into the episode and in the right places. Man, this is going to be AWESOME and I can't WAIT! Thank you. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805100/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
75 | heidibokor | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur114216935/?ref_=tt_urv | Stellar Start | 22 January 2023 | 9 | 0 out of 3 found this helpful | First off, I never played the game, and in fact, have never even seen scenes from the game. When I heard they were making a show based off of a dystopian game, I had to read about what the game was even about. So I went into this first episode completely unbiased. The first half of the first episode was absolutely stellar. There was barely any lag time before things started happening. The first half showed the infection spreading and the world falling apart very quickly. In this first half we meet Joel, Sarah and Tommy.....for those who have watched it or played the game you know what happens at the end of the first half so I won't go into detail. The second half is 20 years later as we catch up with Joel. The second half does slow down so it can start setting up the storyline of what is to come. I can't compare the games characters versus the show characters, but I think Pedro Pascal and Anna Torv are great. Even the brief amount of screen time for Nico Parker (as Sarah) is great. Where I have a problem, and hence the loss of a star, is the character of Ellie as well as the actress playing her. I personally think she is a bad actor and has a very whiny demeanor and face. I don't like the casting so far for her, but will hold my full judgment until the end. I know people are very protective of the game, and those that love the game, will probably throw shade at every comparison. (Trust me.... I did it with The Witcher which kept me from truly enjoying the show!) Everyone should go into this first episode with an open mind, knowing it will get slow at times because it's a drama before it's all about action. So far, stellar concept, stellar cinematography and great acting (except for the Ellie actress!) This is a great start and one of the best first episodes of a show I have seen in a long time. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8818437/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
76 | xxmelmothx | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur9338532/?ref_=tt_urv | Nothing New....A Few Overdone Stories | 16 January 2023 | 5 | 23 out of 108 found this helpful | I just started the series. I just watched the first Pilot. I will cut to the chase....my main point here....there is nothing new with this series. I am feeling The Dawn of the Dead, Walking Dead, Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, Annihilation, The Road....etc, etc, etc. With that said, the acting is great, the atmosphere is well done and the CGI works. There are some good action scenes and interesting sets. You may like it if you haven't seen any of the above productions. But in my opinion, some are made a lot better. But if you have seen the productions I mentioned you will probably be really bored. It's like watching the same thing over and over. Time to think of something new guys. The same stories are getting old. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802873/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
77 | GregTheStopSign95 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur2794038/?ref_=tt_urv | JUST missed it. | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 7 found this helpful | What an opener. They've perfectly captured the game's essence, and translated it to live-action TV really well so far. The small-ish changes they've made make sense, so while it's not a frame-for-frame perfect translation, it still works. I'm not QUITE sold on Pedro Pascal as Joel yet, but I'm sure I will be soon, Anna Torv is great as Tess, Nico Parker did an outstanding job of giving us so much Sarah in such a short time so far, Gabriel Luna is amazing as Tommy - even to the point of sounding almost exactly like Jeffrey Pierce's Tommy in a few scenes - and of course Merle Dandridge is spot on as Marlene, but the real star for me is already Bella Ramsey. She is frickin' PERFECT as Ellie! She's got the mannerisms down, the attitude, the tenacity, and even sounds a lot like Ellie from the game, just with more Bella than Ashley (which, duh) so I just know it's gonna be a great show. I can't wait to see what else they flesh out, in what ways they've changed and/or stayed true to the characters we've grown to love from the game, and how much more of the world they've built for us to experience. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803082/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
78 | raphaelmarcelino | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur46754150/?ref_=tt_urv | That's how you start a series! | 16 January 2023 | 8 | 1 out of 6 found this helpful | First of all, I'd like to make it clear that I'm writing this review having only watched the episode and never having played the game or researched anything about it. The first half of the episode had everything we can expect from a first episode of a new series, it was intense, exciting, it held our attention at every minute creating a hostile atmosphere even in the most ordinary scenes. The construction of the post-apocalyptic world was done perfectly, showing us the origin of the end, and leaving us looking forward to what would come after. For me, unfortunately, the second half didn't manage to maintain the same level of intensity, maybe because the beginning was so good, the timeline change brought me even higher expectations. Anyway, things were heating up again closer to the end and the next episode has everything to be even better than the first. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804899/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
79 | Mesina02 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur135386883/?ref_=tt_urv | Couldn't have done it any better | 19 January 2023 | 9 | 1 out of 7 found this helpful | What a start. This show now has my full attention. Going into this, I was a little hesitant mainly because of how worried I was that they were going to botch this adaption but I was quickly proved wrong. This first episode really matched the vibe and the overall feel that the video game had. There's a lot that they expand upon, mainly with how the outbreak started. It gives you a lot more context and I liked how they showcased the characters lives before the event. I know how this season will play out but I want to know whether they'll change some things or improve things later on. I don't really want a copy and paste scenario with this adaption because there's a lot of stuff that they can do that wasn't really brought up in the game. But overall this was a great start to the show. Looking forward to the next. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8810181/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
80 | jjjjaviera | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur39340465/?ref_=tt_urv | Thank you | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 7 found this helpful | It was truly a gift for older fans and new ones (like me, who first played the game last year). It was so damn well adapted. A poem for fans. I know some things had to be rushed (like Robert's storyline) to get new viewers who know nothing about the game hooked (specially with that ending and that info), but I know that things will only get better. Pedro and Bella were amazing, just as I expected them to be. Can't wait to see how their relationship will develop. Can't wait for next Sunday! Thank you, HBO for finally doing a game adaptation good. You need to watch this, you won't regret it. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802784/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
81 | pooz_the_gun | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur28989336/?ref_=tt_urv | In passages phenomenal, in others a bit clunky | 16 January 2023 | 8 | 1 out of 5 found this helpful | Let me preface this review by telling you that the game this series is based on is one of my favorite games of all time. So I was looking forward to this with great anticipation. There's some changes to the original which I wouldn't mind as long as they enhance the story. Let's start with the introduction scene from the 60's. You needed some kind of explanation in the show, because you needed the science explained which is very believable in theory was seemed a bit forced here. However, still very serviceable and it wasn't too long anyway. Now to the part from 2003. I thought they've made an extraordinary part of the game even better. Following Sara through the day makes the scene at the end of this era hit even harder. Now let's come to the last part of this episode. The modern era. Some story decisions seem quite clunky and the acting by some didn't help at all. The actress playing Tess switched from an overly hard ass to someone easily scared and on the brink of crying in a way that seemed very unbelievable. Ellie's actress was more often miss than hit, but considering that she's a child actress I don't fault her for it. Pedro Pascal as Joel had some acting decisions i disagree with but that's just a personal opinion and I can see why he did it the way he did. Storywise, they changed up the story in a way that made it actually more unbelievable than what was kind of a natural progression in the game. Once again, it felt forced here in order to get along faster with this part of the story to focus on others later I would assume. On a technical standpoint, cinematography is top notch and the direction really good. The acting was a letdown for me in a few instances. Overall, this is however a very competent and great pilot episode and the 2003 part was phenomenal. Let's see what will happen in the next few weeks. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804458/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
82 | Arch-Carl | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur152673088/?ref_=tt_urv | Was OK but... | 18 January 2023 | n/a | 7 out of 40 found this helpful | OK the parts that followed the game wear good most parts that didn't wasn't, can please tell me why they race changed pretty much everyone and please be good answer that not just for ticking boxes.? Why is Joe suddenly week wear he was bad ass in game.? Why did most action parts that would of been alsome by the way not added.? Why is Joe not gun smuggler anymore.? Ellie her face just does not look right sorry say but no the time skip have mixed feeling about, and a lot of things in story and character how react and what do just seems dumb to not feel right down to situations. And why oh why is Joel being immasculated made weak and.? Also why did they change the fugal disease and how works. ? And messaging about global warming dear god please stop and just stay close to original game and would be good also including looks, but not 2nd game that was horrible. Then the feel just wasn't there as was expecting from the game. And the acting.???. I was excited for this but then saw and see how going so got deppressed as looks like for 1st game at least its going to be bad but could be wrong hope am. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8808755/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
83 | feliciaa-08320 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur64279050/?ref_=tt_urv | Must say, I'm jealous | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 6 found this helpful | I'm kinda jealous at the people who haven't either played the game or watched someone else do it, they're in for a ride! Me on the other hand, big fan of the game. Both played it myself and I watched others do it, and so far I'm really impressed! Both with how much love the producers have put into this and with how they both create new and exciting parts of the story while they also keep the original. I also really like the cast, I know there's been discussions online about Bella Ramsay as Ellie and honestly I don't understand why. People criticised her before even seeing the show, and some said they wouldn't even watch it because of the cast. Well, it's their loss! Bella did an amazing job and I honestly can see her as Ellie, even Ellie's original VA agrees! And I think if she thinks Bella is a fit for Ellie, then we should listen. Pedro is amazing as always of course, and since I want this review spoiler free. I won't say much, but damn man! You're good! I'm indeed super excited for this show and even though I know what's going to happen (more or less) I'm already very stressed out, great job on that btw! It's going to be fun to follow this ride! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804132/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
84 | LansTaylor | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur106964964/?ref_=tt_urv | Staying True to the Source Material | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 1 out of 7 found this helpful | First off, let this set the example for future show-runners on how to adapt from a video game (looking at you, Resident Evil). The bar has been set. The pilot episode started off very strong. It was straightforward and never had a dull moment. There were many fine details included (e.g. "I sell hardcore drugs") that gave the gamer audience deja vu but there were also enough new twist to keep said audience engaged (e.g. The car crash). Personally, there were many moments that made me feel like I was watching a cutscene. They did a great job with the cast and developing the characters back story so that the people who never played the game could still relate. What a phenomenal adaptation by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for staying faithful to the game while adding a bit of world building. If this is just the first episode, I can't wait to see what is in store for us the rest of the season. 10/10 for keeping the original theme. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804907/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
85 | wrka-195-299928 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur57378255/?ref_=tt_urv | TLOU succeeds where The Walking Dead failed | 15 January 2023 | n/a | 2 out of 8 found this helpful | First, I'm not a fan of the game and I have never played, so just a viewer who has been fans for years of post-apocalyptic series, I can say that this episode is the best I've seen so far, it far exceeds the pilot episode of The Walking Dead and although the comparison is inevitable. The cinematography is beautiful, the music is sublime and the characters complete this very well written story. I didn't find moments of filler or stupid dialogues, the action scenes and dialogues are the most solid of this episode, and explains very well how the epidemic started and its possible cure. This is the most interesting Where The Walking Dead and other series of this genre failed, The Last of Us is the master and put them to shame. Without a doubt in the future I will follow any Craig Mazin project. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8801547/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
86 | radmehrbahrami | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur65136557/?ref_=tt_urv | AMAZING!!! | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 4 out of 9 found this helpful | I've played the original last of us back in 2014 on ps4 and that game was the main reason why I bought a PlayStation, I was 13 and I think I beat it about 3 or 4 times, it's still my fav story game. Well done to Druckmann and Mazin for making this awesome and heartbreaking pilot episode, it was very loyal to the source material but at the same time adding new and original stuff to the plot so those who had already experienced the game and the new viewers are going to enjoy and experience the story in a new way. I loved almost everything about this episode from technical standpoints (cinematography, camerawork etc.) to the casting choice with their great performances. Can't wait for the upcoming episodes! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8805491/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
87 | claszdsburrogato | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur160132690/?ref_=tt_urv | The Last of Us - S1E1 (2023) Better than original | 17 January 2023 | 9 | 1 out of 5 found this helpful | This entire first episode already shows us that this will be the best live action adaptation of a game. They managed to totally improve that beginning of the game that can seem a little boring. He introduces you to the characters in a way that makes you care about the deaths that will happen later in this episode. It may seem a little too fast compared to the game, but it's not a defect, not least because it gets much more interesting. It's not a perfect episode, but it does its presentation job very well. One fear I have after watching it is that they make the series too fast and end up not being able to explore the game's moments so well. However, overall it's a great adaptation that promises to be one of the best series of the year. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8806108/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
88 | 8izxq | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur130957840/?ref_=tt_urv | PERFECT !! FAN REVIEW | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 4 out of 10 found this helpful | A great start to one of the biggest TV shows in history. I liked everything about the episode from beginning to end, their choice of actors was successful, their acting is wonderful, it makes you feel the same feeling in the game , I liked the additions in the series that were necessary because they turned the game into a series, so it is natural that the story is told in a different way The music is great and gives the same feeling as the game. The writer is Neil Druckmann, the same person who wrote the game's script . This episode made me excited for the rest of the season's episodes. I hope it continues on the same level . | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804230/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
89 | micespeland | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur60101396/?ref_=tt_urv | A very good start to this highly anticipated series | 16 January 2023 | 8 | 2 out of 6 found this helpful | As a big fan of the games, this episode marks the beginning of a great story. If this show continues on this path, it will go down as one of the best series in a while, and possible even the best video game adaptation ever made. It sticks almost completely true to the events that unfolded in the first game. Is this a good thing? Yes, and possibly no. Some of the characters still needs a few episodes to flesh themselves out, and the story may be a bit confusing already if you haven't played the original games. If I could change one thing, I would've made the introduction to Joel and his daughter Sarah a big longer and a bit more fleshed out, as the twenty year time jump feels a bit rushed, especially if this story is new to you. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804952/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
90 | contacttylerobwallispro | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur119617246/?ref_=tt_urv | Brilliant! | 23 January 2023 | 10 | 0 out of 2 found this helpful | This first episode has been a gem from start to finish. It took me a while to separate this show from it game counterpart. But it has proven to be very good at adapting the scorce material whilst introducing new and frighteningly ominous concepts to the storyline. The love for the story shines in every scene, and expansion of the story is to serve a purpose to the core narrative. The characterisations are very well considered, and it is a pleasure to see. Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal and Anna Torv have done amazing work bringing these characters to life here. It reminded me a lot, not of any recent zombie shows. But more of the unknown threats of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I think it's fair to say this is a must watch. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8820126/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
91 | nebula0024 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur38600765/?ref_=tt_urv | Phenomenally Good | 17 January 2023 | 10 | 0 out of 6 found this helpful | With all of the terrible adaptions and mediocre television shows being pumped out these days, I was worried The Last of Us would flop. After watching the first episode, I am happy to report that so far, this show is nothing short of a masterpiece. There have been some minor changes in terms of casting, but after finishing the first episode, my concern over those changes faded to nothing. The entire cast was so believable and talented, I truly feared for their lives within the first few minutes, knowing what was coming. This show invoked feelings of dread, fear, horror, and in particular, gut-wrenching sorrow. There are several scenes where the writers knew their audience was smart enough to understand certain concepts without using words. Masterful writing, to trust the intelligence of their viewers. There are far too many shows these days that feel the need to spell things out, when what they really needed to do was drop a trail of breadcrumbs. Perfection. If the rest of the season is anything like the first episode, then we've got a once-in-a-generation hit on our hands. Keep this up and I will absolutely be buying the boxset on Blu-ray once it's available. Bravo! | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8807020/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
92 | RobGraddage | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur22695437/?ref_=tt_urv | Almost perfect start | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 7 found this helpful | The episode itself was superb. Similar enough to the game to keep fans happy, and different enough to keep it fresh and give us something new. Also I'd imagine a lot of it was hard to transfer to screen in a way that made sense for people unfamiliar with the story. The feel of the show is spot on, the settings, obviously the music. The casting is excellent. I'll admit I had my doubts but everyone has knocked it out of the park. Nico Parker was probably my highlight who nailed Sarah. Bella has Ellie's character quirks to a T. It's a shame it was such a small role, unless she comes back in flashbacks later on. My only qualms with the episode, and they're little things really, was that a couple of moments felt rushed. Sarah's exit, Robert's comeuppance and Ellie's revelation all needed a bit more time spent on them to really land. Otherwise I loved it, and can't wait for the rest of the series. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803427/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
93 | mrreactionary | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur93231421/?ref_=tt_urv | Episode 1 is okay | 16 January 2023 | 4 | 16 out of 131 found this helpful | If you are a fan of the video game The Last Of Us there really isn't anything to gain from watching this episode. It is nearly a word for word, scene for scene copy of the game. Good acting, but it really doesn't add to the story. It felt that watching a remake of a film, it just isn't as good as the first version was. The scenes in Boston were alright but it didn't have an aged feeling like it had been 20 years since the infection occurred. It lacked that lived in feeling. Also this infection is supposed to be through spores and the show is ignoring that which thus doesn't explain the spread of the infection. There is a lot wrong with the series, it's okay, but it isn't great. Four stars out of Ten. Maybe next week they will expand upon he show more bug I have my doubts. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804500/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
94 | suranyigabor | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur42610641/?ref_=tt_urv | Treats you like you have 10 IQ points less compared to the game | 16 January 2023 | 6 | 17 out of 81 found this helpful | Casting: okay-ish Directing: mediocre Writing: treats you like a child Cinematography: semi-plausable Every small detail in the game was subtle and really rewarding when you recognised it. In this pilot there are no small details cause everything is in you face, for instance the wrist-watch. It's shown so many times that you know it's gonna be important and when you find out they forced it in your brain only for a singular reference a few minutes later after it was last shown you think: "Really? It would have been a really nice subtle touch but they treated it like it was gonna be a time traveling device or something and since it's not, it's ruined". The bumper sticker, every little sign on the fence are shown for such a long time and up close that it ruins the world building. These details should be subtle, the story works fine without them, these should add to the immersion even subconsciously, in a real world details aren't forced on you, over-exposing these make the world feel fake and everything is less powerful in it. The music is also pretty lacking, when there is it's good but certain scenes don't have any soundtrack that should. Silence can be a powerful tool, but you should know when to use it. It has scenes without a soundtrack that would be better with them and that also makes silent scenes less effective because there are too many of them. That's the main problem, overusing assets and simply not having a feel for certain senes and not knowing how to properly portray them. The whole episode felt like the director was just checking every box on the "how to direct a movie for begginers"-list, so textbook so boring. The writing also didn't help, they tried to expand on the base material and while sometimes it was okay, trying to make you care for certain characters more, they also butchered and overused references, left nothing to figure out, left nothing to wonder about. They simply overexplained. It's for a mature audience, please don't treat us like we can't put two and two together. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804535/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
95 | kakuraka | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur22585495/?ref_=tt_urv | Ellie | 18 January 2023 | 10 | 3 out of 9 found this helpful | Many have already written about the series as a whole. I will write only about Ellie. Bella Ramsey does a great job of portraying the character. (I was a skeptic about this earlier). But one thing. Ellie's character in the game is quite a quiet, self-contained person. (I saw it that way). After meeting Joel, she shows emotions, sharpness, fun, jokes. In the second part, she is generally completely alone and withdrawn into herself. Introvert. In the film, Ellie is initially shown as self-sufficient, blunt, and a bit of an anarchist. And this is very correct! The film has a more emotionally correct character. Considering in what world these children were born. But I like Ellie from the game more) | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8808720/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
96 | villererealty | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur37054744/?ref_=tt_urv | Winning combo of design, cast & plausible narrative | 16 January 2023 | 9 | 2 out of 6 found this helpful | Are we reinventing the wheel here? A little, and by what little this first episode reveals. But it's good, if not great. You have a lot of similar material to either align or distance yourself from, but mostly, the balance this episode brings for 2003 v 2023 it presents an ample measure of believability, motivation and intrigue. Production wise no ones hair, make-up or clothing is too done, the sets look legit, even the scenes in Austin (I used to live in Austin) I was like yeah, that looks like Austin (and maybe it was filmed there, Idk). For me now in my late 40s it evoked memories of 80s tv wonder in V (sans lizard people / spaceships), World War Z, and maybe even a little Mad Max. Solid cast, engaging story unfurling, looking forward to watching each week. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803422/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
97 | saje_ | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur104355260/?ref_=tt_urv | I mean yeah | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 8 found this helpful | Im not at all surprised by how good this first episode was considering it's the same creator as chernobyl. It was so faithful to the source material, and on top of that there were a few additions that I felt even enhanced the story. When people say it really shouldn't be so difficult to translate video games to film, this is what they are talking about. As long as it's clear the creator has respect for the source material, a beloved property won't be ruined. Now obviously the last of us lends itself to a movie adaptation more than most video games, but still. One thing I will say is that I ironically would like a bit more deviations or additions from the video game. So far, it has been almost a one to one, with a few additions that I enjoyed. I just worry people will complain that the show is useless when the game can just be played instead. This episode gained my trust for the series, and wherever it goes from here I am fully in. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8802896/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
98 | ashkan-khashaey11 | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur57879180/?ref_=tt_urv | I was at the edge of my seat | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 3 out of 8 found this helpful | Finally a great adaptation... Amazing deliveries, amazing storytelling I mean they hit the jackpot white this one The beginning white the relationship between joel and the kid was very heartwarming, i was crying when the kid died I really was at the edge of my seat This is the way to do adaptations from video games Learn people.. learn The acting ..! I mean omg The casting is right on . And the dialogue's are brilliant Im dying too see whats gonna happen next although i knew already Thats how good of a show this is Congratulations to all the cast and crew Looking forward to next episode's. From ashkan. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8803694/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
99 | falcondj | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur64985601/?ref_=tt_urv | Look For The Light | 23 January 2023 | 10 | 0 out of 2 found this helpful | Incredible! I was extremely skeptical going in as I've seen far too many VG adaptations being butchered on the big and small screen, but this one was done as close to perfectly as I could reasonably expect. Outside some questionable casting choices for some characters, which were still well portrayed despite this, there was nothing I could find that indicated, in any way, the writers didn't care passionately about the source material. Also, I'm leaving this review for episode 1 after watching both 1 & 2, and they're both 10/10. Hopefully, this show stays the course and doesn't become the next Walking Dead. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8820515/?ref_=tt_urv | ||||||||||||||||||
100 | stefanestebann | https://www.imdb.com/user/ur50393146/?ref_=tt_urv | Masterpiece, does the game justice and even adds valuable details and depth to it | 16 January 2023 | 10 | 2 out of 8 found this helpful | Going into this I had serious doubts it could live up to the same level of storytelling as the game, but after the first episode I have to say I was blown away and left seriously impressed. This right here is probably the best video game adaptation I have ever seen. The acting is incredible, the storytelling is amazing and does justice to the game and everything new adds so much needed context to a lot of scenes from the game. I personally found the start to be even more emotionally wrenching than the game, probably because you get to see how each person is feeling and oh boy do the emotions run high. By the end of it I can say I'm hooked and can't wait for next week. I know where it us going, but I'm super excited to see their take on it and all the extra details they put in. Also, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay are perfectly cast as Joel and Ellie. | https://www.imdb.com/review/rw8804734/?ref_=tt_urv |