‘The Last Of Us’ praised as ‘masterpiece’ in first reviews of TV adaptation
The anticipated HBO adaptation arrives on January 15.
By Nick Reilly
The Last Of Us has been hailed as a “masterpiece” in the first reviews of HBO’s anticipated small-screen adaptation.
A direct adaptation of the acclaimed 2013 video game of the same name, the show stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States.
While the Naughty Dog developed game is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, its TV adaptation is now receiving similarly rave reviews.
In the first reactions, many critics have praised for the show for swerving the notoriously poor reputation of video game adaptations to become an accomplished and impressive show in its own right.
In a glowing four star review, The Telegraph’s Ed Cumming hailed the show as “the greatest video game adaptation ever made”.
“In its scale, depiction of dread and its believable vision of friendship in disaster, The Last of Us is a rare piece of television: an adaptation that makes you want to rush out and play the game,” wrote Cumming.
Meanwhile, Empire Magazine hailed it as a “masterpiece”.
“The live-action The Last Of Us is a superb example of how to make an adaptation work, how to retain the elements of what worked while having the confidence to explore bold new avenues, to expand the universe, to make a thing that stands on its own two feet,” stated John Nugent in a glowing review.
Elsewhere, IGN gave The Last Of Us an impressive 9 out of 10 score, while Collider said it was “everything a great adaptation should be.”
The Last Of Us is set to debut on HBO on January 15.