Its distribution in France remained uncertain for a very long time, but finally the first episode of The Last of Us is available on Amazon Prime Video since Monday, January 16. This is the adaptation of the video game of the same name which made the heyday of the last three generations of PlayStation. To carry out this ambitious project, HBO called on the creator of the saga Neil Druckmann and the showrunner of the excellent series Chernobyl.
For those who are not familiar with this universe, we are immersed in a post-apocalyptic world, where the two heroes, Joel and Ellie (Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey), must survive among human beings infected by a mysterious fungus. which makes them particularly aggressive. So, what is this adaptation worth? We watched this first episode, so here are our opinions (guaranteed without spoilers) of the beginning of The Last of Us.
As a fan of the game The Last of Us, I was waiting for the series with an impatience tinged with feverishness. But this first episode immediately reassured me. Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin managed to transcribe the atmosphere of the video game saga while taking full advantage of this new medium.
I appreciated this fidelity to the basic plot with a few side steps when necessary. The series allows itself to dig into certain secondary characters who are only glimpsed in the game. It is also difficult not to become attached to the duo made up of Joel and Ellie. The casting of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey is marvelous in this regard.
From the outset, this first episode places us in 2003 in the America of the Bush years. This time frame is in fact only a pretext to show the emergence of the pandemic, which leads us very quickly to the collapse of civilization. The rest of the story takes place 20 years later in a context where the few humans who survived still find a way to tear each other apart.
We can also note that the series knows how to set certain milestones and play with the details (Joel’s watch and the radio synonymous with nostalgia). Fans of the game will clearly find what they’re looking for, but you don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate the onion-like production, memorable scenes (the background on the grandmother won’t leave anyone unscathed) and the very neat soundtrack.
The end of the episode is clever to justify the departure of the heroes on a road trip that promises to be ultra eventful. And it’s an understatement to say that I’m looking forward to the sequel.
The risk with adaptations of successful video games is to make a big flop. The history of cinema has proven it with crappy films like Resident Evil, Assassin’s Creed or the mythical in spite of itself mario bros. The mass-produced formats were luckier. Netflix has managed some great adaptations with The Witcher (even if it is not perfect), Arcane, Cyberpunk Edgerunners. On Paramount+ we also happily feast in front of Halothe adaptation of the Microsoft game.
Good news, The Last of Us falls into the second category. In any case, this is the impression that this first episode gives us. We could even say without flinching that TLOU stands out as one of the best video game adaptations if not the best. With HBO producing and the creators of Chernobyl at the helm, one could imagine.
Whether or not you have played TLOU, you can only appreciate the writing work of Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin who manage to perfectly transcribe the atmosphere of the game. The impeccable photography, the soundtrack faithful to the video game and the chiseled realization embark us from the first minutes. Pedro Pascal (Narcos, The Mandalorian) sublimates the character of Joel and Bella Ramsey (unfairly criticized even before the broadcast of the first trailer) embodies a funny and sassy Ellie more real than life.
So we come out of the first episode of The Last of Us excited like a child on Christmas morning. The next episode, quickly!
To put us fully in the bath, The Last of Us is betting on an episode of one hour and twenty minutes. It’s relatively long but it helps to lay the groundwork. And what bases! From the first minutes, the series captivates us. The first third of the episode offers a frantic pace and, like the characters, we should almost stop for a few seconds to catch our breath. Throughout this first episode, we shiver. Especially since the terms “pandemic” and “curfew” have never been so familiar to us. Halfway through, the episode picks up a slightly calmer but nonetheless oppressive pace.
Let neophytes be reassured: the series The Last of Us is looked at with great pleasure without ever having plunged into the universe on a game console. It’s always good to remember that. The series takes up the framework of the first video game and we can say that it is faithful… Which will appease the biggest fans. Visually, it is absolutely impressive. Series or video game, it would be almost difficult to tell the difference. Similarly, some scenes are filmed as if we were playing the game. Something to help us get in the mood.
Regarding Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, the two actors are impeccable in their respective interpretations of Joel and Ellie and we know that they will continue to impress us over the episodes.
For a first episode, The Last of Us achieves a faultless. The foundations are laid (and well laid) and now, there is “only to”. The series has all the cards in hand to continue this good momentum. In any case, we are crossing our fingers.
