Pretty much hated this movie. I didn't find anything that i wanted to take away from this movie, and I didn't pick up any overall message from this movie. The resolutions and problems were equally shallow.
I felt the director had some experience with blind people, but almost none with cross country (having been a runner 4+ years myself). Several examples: running form, how sports-related problems are dealt with by school/legal authority, how cross country as a sport itself is portrayed, ect.
Granted, I have a specific limited experience that is not applicable to all experiences. However, none of the characters felt real, and the narrative did not justify many of their actions. And most of the movie was spent on characters going, "I have a belief, I must be right, and I'm going to be selfish and not listen to what you have to say." Which in effect, created most of the problems in the movies to make up for the lack of actual plot.
Also, I felt that the music did not match most of scenes, feeling overly-dramatic. I usually do not rate movies this poorly, most of my ratings are spread from 5-10. When asking the question, could I meet any of these characters in real life, or see similar situations, most of the time the answer was no. While one of these factors might not have been so bad on their own, all of these factored together and made the movie a poor experience.
If nothing else, very few people (at least on trakt) have watched this movie, and I think that should say something. I spent most of the time hoping that this movie would pick up somewhere, and it never really did. That's why I gave it a 2.
If you think i was overly harsh, let me know why. But at best, this can't be more than a very mediocre movie.
Brace yourselves, dear viewers, for this episode will undoubtedly spark heated debates among fans. Some will love it, while others will loathe it—much like the game itself.
The Last of Us ends with a masterful coup de grâce, cementing this adaptation's place in the pantheon of prestige television.
It is sombre and dark yet replete with emotions that run deep. Joel, at long last, becomes a man of action. Whether his actions are morally defensible, however, is a subject of endless debate.
Staying true to the game, this episode does not falter in its execution, boasting a master-stroke opening that sets the stage for a gripping narrative to unfold. The strategic use of a flashback adds layers of complexity to already richly-wrought characters, serving as a catalyst for some of the most poignant dialogue between Joel and Ellie to date—dialogue sure to leave the audience teary-eyed.
The action is far from glorified, leaving viewers in a state of visceral shock and awe. The last couple of episodes have served to do some fantastic work for Joel, and this episode is the proverbial cherry on top, truly a beautiful and profound culmination of his character arc. Indeed, the show is a thing of beauty, but beauty that is shrouded in darkness.
Were a flaw to be ascribed, it would be that of brevity. At a mere 40 minutes, the finale feels curtailed. The absence of the Cordyceps is understandable, given the laser-focused narrative, though it marks a deviation from the source material.
By turns harrowing and humane, towering and intimate, this finale buries its hooks deeply in the viewer, capping off a brilliant maiden season. Love it or loathe it, impassioned discourse will assuredly abound in the wake of this uncompromising conclusion to the first chapter of The Last of Us.
01x09 - Look for the Light: 8.5/10 (Great)
