The Last of Us review by Fabio Agius

Finally, after years of anticipation since its announcement, The Last of Us series has been launched on TV. As a fan of the videogame franchise, I was concerned about the outcome. Was it going to be translated well from videogame to TV? Will it be faithful to the game? Who will play the main characters in the game?

I was initially disappointed at the casting choices for the characters, especially for Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Although a brilliant actress, well known for playing Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, she really lacked the looks. However, after seeing her on-screen and watching her acting, especially hearing her voice, I was imminently convinced that she would deliver the part, which she did.

The series is very faithful to the source material, perfect at times, with dialogue and camera shots perfectly matching those of the videogame. Still, I really loved the fact that there were some fresh new ideas so that the fans would have their surprises too. Let’s face it, who wants to see a shot-by-shot adaptation of the videogame? The scenario is impressive. Though most of the backgrounds are computer generated, the ambience and sets are colourful yet gloomy, as expected in a post-apocalyptic drama. The infected characters are creatures straight out of someone’s nightmares and are challenging obstacles, much more challenging than those featured in the game. Clickers are very nasty and difficult to take down. There are also minor changes, like the infected, which I don’t want to spoil for the audience.

Something about the opening theme that strikes me is the use of the guitar, which is featured a lot as entertainment and mini-game through the videogame. I am very excited to see more of this series, and having played the game, I am curious about events to come, how the series will tackle them, and how the audience will react to certain shocking events yet to come.

I was thrilled that this series is available on GO TV, so I can watch it anywhere I want, even on my mobile phone. It could be a perfect horror-themed night with family or friends!

Interested to watch more of Fabio’s movie reviews? Take a look at what he thinks of The Batman, House of the Dragon, Absentia, Freaky or Ghostbusters all available On Demand.

Fabio is a comic artist and co-founder of Wicked Comics the organisers of the Malta Comic-Con. Apart from being an avid comic collector, he has a passion for cinema and movies. He reviews movies and series on various social media platforms on a regular basis.