KritPick's Reviews
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and we receive a commission if you visit a link and buy something on our recommendation. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra and the opinions expressed in this post are the author's own. For more details see our disclosure policy and privacy policy. Episode 7 of The Last of Us is here and as expected, it was just as entertaining as the previous episodes. We dive into Ellie (Bella Ramsey) heavily this time, taking a huge detour from the main narrative to give some back story only hinted at previously. Ellie and Riley (Storm Reid) are together in a flashback telling how Ellie got bitten initially. The relationship they build between these characters in such a short runtime is impressive, though they did this before in episode 3. The difficulty in this relationship is to not build it all the way. Bill and Frank's episode was able to fully bloom and their arc was fully realized which can be easier than writing an incomplete love story. The challenge is knowing where to take it and not go too far. It must end in a tragically awkward place which can be difficult to find and upsetting if not found exactly. Riley is the perfect antithesis to Ellie. They play off each other's ideals and we see how both of them are falling into the propaganda cycle of their respective sides of the same conflict. It's interesting to understand how they can oppose each other in an idealistic way yet come together on the basis of their friendship. Their relationship is built very naturally, though there are moments and lines of exposition that feel shoved in to save time. Riley's character brings an edge to Ellie that we can see retrospectively affects her. Not only do we see Ellie's episodic arc here but we see how the events of this story directly affect Ellie overall. Within the present day action we see that Ellie hates FEDRA. She actively dislikes where she lives and doesn't want to enact change, nor does she seem as vulnerable. It's clear that these events shaped her into the person she becomes but they are also the building blocks of her insecurities. It leads to her fear of abandonment, a huge theme of the show. It's even more poignant as Joel (Pedro Pascal) is bleeding out and Ellie is faced with losing another loved one. Leaving this out of the story until now is genius since it demonstrates that while Ellie couldn’t help Riley, she can help Joel. Her character grows without a lot of action, lights or sound, just stellar writing and brilliant acting. The criticisms for Ramsey have become completely hollow. She perfectly portrays Ellie in this episode in every facet of the human condition tapping into every emotion one would feel in this difficult time; joy, fear, anger, sadness, regret, guilt, elation and anxiety. She handles each with the precision of a seasoned actor like Pascal himself. Speaking of which, Joel isn't in much of this episode. It is clearly the Ellie episode. The story comes from extra content away from the original source material and it was a bold move to do so. To utilize something not in the original story was brave, but since they have taken many liberties with the story, they have a lot of leeway in terms of creative license. It more than pays off though and considering it almost entirely excludes Joel, a fan favourite, it was a risk I'm surprised they were willing to take. However, telling this story comes with a particular problem, not enough stakes. We are aware of two things about this story. We know Ellie gets bitten but survives and the show implies there was a second person with her at the time. Since Ellie doesn't speak about this individual, we're led to assume she died. There are no stakes because we know the ending as soon as the story begins. This is different from the rest of the show since knowledge of the source material isn’t required and without that knowledge, you can only guess at the conclusions. When it comes to this backstory, you can deduce exactly where it's going from moment one which is a huge issue because this show is all about stakes. It's about difficult decisions and attempts to make us see how morality works in the apocalypse, how ethics are bent and how that reflects on our current society. There are layers of how we navigate relationships too but the point is, there are no difficult decisions to be made here. We can't toy with what we would do because we know what the characters are going to do. The story still has value in developing Ellie’s character, but the concept of this episode is fundamentally flawed in the context of the show. Despite this my criticisms don't extend much further than that. This episode was a step down, but a step down from near perfection still lands you in a decent position. So I'm going to give The Last of Us episode 7 a... 7 out of 10 AuthorKritPick has been writing reviews for The Oscar Project since 2022. Check out all his reviews on his main review page. Follow him on YouTube (KritPick Productions) and Twitter (@Kr1tical).
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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and we receive a commission if you visit a link and buy something on our recommendation. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra and the opinions expressed in this post are the author's own. For more details see our disclosure policy and privacy policy. Episode 6 of The Last of Us continues the journey of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they attempt to find Joel's brother, Tommy (Gabriel Luna). The episode is set three months after the last which works great for the narrative. I appreciate when a show cuts unnecessary fat with time jumps. The characters need to get to a place but the journey there isn't exactly thrilling or full of character development and the writers shouldn't feel the need to fill in those blanks. Sometimes the destination truly is more important than the journey. After the time jump we find our protagonists well on their way to finding Tommy. What I love so much about this is how much of the source material they cut. In a video game it isn't weird to spend hours exploring the world which works well in that format. However, too much of this in a screen adaptation can actively harm your version of the story. This show rarely has that problem and nowhere in this series is it more evident than here. They cut large portions of the source material that originally took hours to get through into short 10 minute segments. It's extremely effective and shows the power of the narrative because everything that gets highlighted moves a character forward, whether it be literal movement or part of their story arc. In a previous review I mentioned that this show is hellbent on making the audience cry. Every episode feels like a ploy to poke at the audience's emotional sensibilities like a 2010s Pixar movie. While still true, the show has never forced the emotional moments. This episode actually avoids this trend. There is a true emotional heartbeat throughout this episode that largely has to do with Joel and the fear he must overcome when filling the role of Ellie's protector. Through the loss of his daughter, Joel is naturally quite guarded and only shows small bits of emotion but the writers allow him to let go in this episode. He bears his soul in a way we haven't seen him do before. He has bottled his emotions for over two decades and the only thing that has drawn them to blow the cap off is Ellie. Ellie's parallel to Sarah grows more apparent as time moves forward and it's to the point where Joel himself can't separate his duties to them both, both in memory and present. This links to something integral. Though this episode does little to progress their arcs, it ties up several loose ends in the story which have been hanging in the balance for a few episodes, even from the first episode. Not only does Joel finally come into contact with his brother but Ellie discovers that Joel had a daughter and that she passed. This bit of knowledge has been preventing Joel from letting go of the stand-offish persona he keeps around Ellie. This is told very well through Joel experiencing moments of fear induced paralysis that the audience is initially left to wonder why. We're later told that Joel, feeling his age, worries that he will let Ellie down, or worse, put her in harm's way. He's in a position where he does not want to lose another child and yet what's most interesting about this is that Ellie does not feel safe around anybody else but Joel. Ellie has absolute faith in him as a guardian, a father figure, and a friend. But it isn't until Joel is able to see this that the characters can branch and move forward. It’s not exactly character building, but rather clearing new ground so we can continue to build elsewhere. It's beautiful and written so flawlessly by the writers. Ramsey’s performance continues to impress and despite the love for Pascal, I think she is the best part of the cast. Pascal brings a lot of the emotional depth, not surprising as he is a seasoned actor, but Ramsey brings the echoes of emotion for Pascal to play against and bring it home which can be a vastly more difficult task. I do not understand the hate targeted towards her casting and this may be a case of an audience needing to maintain their expectations. Ramsey's interpretation of this character may vary slightly but she handles the adaptation as well as the show does overall. She may change some staples but she carries the overall spirit and soul of who Ellie is, which is more important than a one for one translation. It astounds me the quality this show has been able to keep up this entire time. It's been a very long time since I've seen a show where every episode adds a new element, a new arc, a new adventure, and every one is on par with the last. In last episode's review I mentioned that the show seems to be going back on that uphill trajectory and I think this episode all but confirms that. So I'm going to give The Last of Us episode 6 a... 9 out of 10 AuthorKritPick has been writing reviews for The Oscar Project since 2022. Check out all his reviews on his main review page. Follow him on YouTube (KritPick Productions) and Twitter (@Kr1tical). Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and we receive a commission if you visit a link and buy something on our recommendation. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra and the opinions expressed in this post are the author's own. For more details see our disclosure policy and privacy policy The Last of Us episode four is a curious case. The quality is the same as previous episodes, the writing is just as fun, and the action is just as thrilling. I enjoyed it massively, yet I'm finding myself with very little to say. Now yes, the show is still great. My lack of words should not be taken as an indicator of a dip in quality, just a moment to note that the show may be plateauing. It would be plateauing at a very high level but plateauing nonetheless. Coming off the back of episode three, which was in essence a slow paced romance short film, I expected this episode to go crazy with action and fast paced storytelling but it doesn't. I think it is vital for the next episode to pick up some momentum to avoid making the entire show a slow burn. The source material has a great balance of high intensity action and slow paced character work. The character work has always been the highlight and the show chooses to focus on that aspect for their story. That said, the creators must keep in mind that character only work so well in the game because of the juxtaposition. An action set piece happens, the characters escape or win, and then they take it easy and grow together from the experience. This episode contains one bit of action and it goes by without a true moment to live in it. The character growth between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) is truly starting to show here and their relationship is well within its budding season. Ellie’s character is tested in this episode and the decisions she makes are not only essential foundations of who she is to become, but who she doesn't want to become. Joel, though Ellie's guardian at this point, is not a good man. It is well documented and implied, even within this episode, that Joel has done many awful things to even innocent people. There are shards of a great man in him and those shards reflect his light often through his actions towards those he loves. But that cannot distract us from remembering that he is a broken person who has done a lot of damage. The second video game, which is highly controversial for this stance, tries to explain this and I think that is key to keep in mind in this episode. Joel is not only Ellie's protector, but also a warning of who she could become, the things she can be capable of if she goes down the same path as Joel. She is supposed to be better, and I think the seeds of that are starting here in the show. Aside from the chaos and torment of their situation and the future themes and meanings of their relationship, they are finally growing quite fond of each other. Ellie tells Joel a few jokes in this episode. Cringey, ugly, Dad-like jokes. At first Joel finds them annoying but by the end he laughs at one and finds them endearing. It's a small bit that carries throughout the episode that isn't integral to the plot in any way, but it's a cute way to see how Ellie softens Joel in a way that nobody has been able to in a long time. This episode focuses more on world building than the last, so we end up following another group of people for a while who directly opposed our main duo in a moment of conflict. This is one of the things that holds this episode back. Though I understand the need to build out this world, especially for the sake of future episodes, I don't find many of these scenes interesting or captivating. They just feel like moments that are happening whilst waiting to get back to Joel and Ellie. At the end of the episode we get teased with two characters who will feature more prominently in the next episode. This episode feels like a lot of setting up, even to the point where the group in the B plot are setting up potential threats for both themselves and our two protagonists. There are set ups and teases within the set ups and teases which make it feel less concise in contrast to the other episodes. I assume the following episodes will pay off and most of this episode will work better within the context of an entire watch rather than a singular episode viewing. Luckily, the next episode is being pushed forward due to the Super Bowl so you don't have long to wait to get some pay off for this episode.
AuthorKritPick has been writing reviews for The Oscar Project since 2022. Check out all his reviews on his main review page. Follow him on YouTube (KritPick Productions) and Twitter (@Kr1tical). Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and we receive a commission if you visit a link and buy something on our recommendation. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra and the opinions expressed in this post are the author's own. For more details see our disclosure policy and privacy policy The Last of Us Episode 2 released on schedule with a fairly significant dip in runtime but does the quality suffer because of that? Absolutely not! The premiere episode boasted an excellent score of 8 out of 10 so this episode had to keep up the standard in momentum, faithfulness, adaptability, and quality. But luckily for viewers, it does so tenfold. This episode starts with increased tension by dropping the viewer immediately into the action. This tone sticks directly to the camera the entire time and even turns up when the situation requires it. The heart of this episode is discovering the bond between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a bond that will grow and become the heart of the show, and it is handled beautifully. The first episode had to focus on establishing characters separately, especially Joel who got the majority of the screen time. As a result, the relationship was not explored and Ellie herself was very underexposed. This episode is aware of that and immediately remedies it. There is plenty of Ellie content here, even away from Joel and she has an important conversation with Tess (Anna Torv) where she explains how she got bitten and whether she has a family or not. Ramsey plays up the subtext here and provides a deep yet subtle performance. She capitalizes on every chance to create a nuanced performance, and even in lines that could easily be forgotten, she gives so much meaning and life, a perfect piece of casting. Joel doesn't grow much in this episode but not because of how the character is written. Joel becomes a warmer toward Ellie through this episode, starting off very cold, callous, and soldier-like, but ending up much kinder and understanding. This small character shift, seen in just an action or two, is enough to keep the audience invested in their growth together. Their relationship seems built more on experience than conversation. Joel is a character who finds it difficult to open up and this show would lose a lot if it were to just give it away so early. Beyond the two protagonists, the show succeeds stylistically. The first episode was more of a drama, but this episode definitely leans into the horror sensibilities of the source material. The suspense scenes where we finally see the real threats of this world are heart pounding and executed in a way to not put off viewers who are faint of heart while enticing those who want the more thrilling aspects of the story. The balance is found wonderfully and with ease. Some of the plot developments involved with these scenes are slightly predictable but being from a video game, that is not at fault of the show. Adaptations often come across a big problem in their creation. They either change plot points to be unpredictable or they stick to them and run the risk of it not working as well in a different medium. An IP this beloved must stay as respectful to the plot beats of the original as possible and only add in moments that don't effect the overall story, which it does. Though it's taking the smarter route, it's to the show's detriment at times, but does not happen enough to ruin the experience. As an adaptation of this section overall, it brilliantly captures the feeling of creature discovery as intensely as the game does. In line with the previous episode, scenes and sequences not from the game are added to build out the world in a unique way that only television can do. It takes everything that works in the original video game, puts it in a colander to lose all the aspects that won't adapt well and that takes what's left, adds a few ingredients and creates a beautiful new dish that feels refreshing yet familiar. The set design is even better this time around. We venture outside the quarantined zone setting of the first episode and find ourselves in a larger city. Just the aesthetic of this city tells a story. The tipped over skyscrapers, the craters in the floor from bomb explosions, the mass graves, and overgrown cars. Every corner of this city looks beat down and filled with stories of tragedy and fear. I love that you know exactly what happened to this city without it having to be told to you. They're even improving on some aspects, a tall task which the creators (particularly set designers) seem to want to take on. The costume and makeup on the zombie-like creatures are incredible, partly practical, partly CGI. They look impressive, especially in low light where the designs are most effective.
AuthorKritPick has been writing reviews for The Oscar Project since 2022. Check out all his reviews on his main review page. Follow him on YouTube (KritPick Productions) and Twitter (@Kr1tical).
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and we receive a commission if you visit a link and buy something on our recommendation. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra and the opinions expressed in this post are the author's own. For more details see our disclosure policy and privacy policy.
The Menu finally hit streaming recently and with an underperforming box office run, it's found a bigger fanbase with the ease of access. Buzz online has grown for this film and usually when this happens before I see a film, I sigh. I try not to attach myself to online fandom and anticipation for a movie because the excitement a lot of the time feels grander than the movie itself and the eventual viewing can be underwhelming.
This did not happen in this case. As much as it pains me to admit it, the internet was right. This film is as exquisite as the food it flaunts. The cold atmosphere of the cinematography courses through the runtime long before the film turns into a thriller. There's a constant essence of awe but also caution, a chill of tension playing the bass under the symphony of amazement and stellar casting. Every single aperture of this cast is filled with someone so perfectly selected that actors stop playing characters and real people are forged. There is little to no exposition on each character's backstory. We learn who they are, what they do, and why they're here all from subtext and sapient acting that create believable personalities in limited characters. There isn't a flaw in the casting but there are stand outs, notably the obvious in Anya Taylor-Joy (Margot Mills) and Ralph Fiennes (Chef Slowik) who we've come to expect nothing but stellar performances from.
The main problem with The Menu is that it's predictable without having the courtesy of being nimble. It slowly drags out sequences which don't raise much tension and leave too much to be desired in terms of thrilling content. The only thing that saves these scenes are the fantastic monologues performed by Fiennes who's occasionally accompanied by one of the great side characters.
I don't want to sound awful about this film because I truly did enjoy the experience. Though the pace was steady, the long, drawn out segments that lead to a predictable conclusion hurt an experience that is otherwise excellent. The story isn't incredible, the characters are slightly underdeveloped and mostly shallow, but the character work from the actors truly make this film a really exciting and fun time despite the rest of the flaws. Fine enough premise, gorgeous presentation and lovely, though unconventional, final girl ending. Would eat again. 7 out of 10 AuthorKritPick has been writing reviews for The Oscar Project since 2022. Check out all his reviews on his main review page. Follow him on YouTube (KritPick Productions) and Twitter (@Kr1tical). |