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The Last of Us TV series has proven a roaring success with both critics and casual viewers alike, breaking the curse that has long been associated with video game adaptations. The series, which premiered on January 15 in the USA and January 16 in the UK, continues to garner positive attention.
Casino scenes in films
Popular video games have long been used to provide a framework for movies or TV series adaptations, with varying degrees of success.
This is nothing new. Since the days of Casablanca, released in 1943, gaming has been an exciting device to aid storytelling. In Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart has to play a rigged game of roulette to secure the couple’s visas and get back to the USA (not recommended).
Later on, in film history, James Bond can be seen playing casino games, the scenes used for tension or as plot devices. In Diamonds are Forever, Sean Connery appears at the craps tables. Daniel Craig beats Le Chiffre in a famous card hand in Casino Royale.
Games like roulette, which is now popular online and at casinos, provide all the excitement needed to draw the viewer into the action. For the player, a simple spin of the ball around a wheel determines the outcome of the bets. The rules are simple, and the results are the same regardless of strategy. For characters in action films, the very same game represents a turn of events, a twist of fate, or a suggestion of power dynamics.
The video game adaptation curse
Along with casino games, video games also provide plenty of scope for directors looking to draw on well-established franchises and attract an easy audience of gaming fans.
Early examples include Mario Bros and Mortal Kombat, the latter picking up a cult following and the former known for being, quite frankly, appallingly executed. For those interested, a new Mario Bros is coming out in April. Let’s see if they do a better job this time.
This trend of video game adaptation flops has continued into modern times, despite video gaming becoming a more robust and more popular medium. Triple-A titles now offer compelling plots and engaging character arcs. Yet film directors still manage to get it wrong.
Recent examples of the video game adaptation curse are Assassin’s Creed, released in 2016, with a score of just 18 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Resident Evil, released in 2012, suffered a similar fate and has an RT score of just 35 percent.
These franchises have vast followings of fans and video game series’ spanning multiple best-selling titles. Yet the film versions were massively disappointing and underwhelming, serving only as food for hungry critics.
The Last of Us breaks the curse
Even more impressive, The Last of Us has managed to break the curse. Even before its release, the series was touted as one of the greatest video game adaptations ever. Since it aired, it has lived up to these expectations and garnered positive attention across the board, backed up by reviews and viewing figures.
The first two episodes were praised for sticking closely to the main storyline of the original game, following the journey of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsay) as they share bonding moments while navigating a post-apocalyptic world.
The third episode was the first to deviate from the script, delving deeper into the relationship between survivors Bill and Frank. It’s a thread that was only vaguely hinted at in the game, yet the show dedicates a full episode to building the backstory of the characters and exploring their love.
Despite moving away from the game, the episode has been applauded as one of the finest episodes of TV so far this year.
The Last of Us has been breaking records left, right and center. It currently has a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than The Witcher – one of TV’s other successful game adaptations – which has 95 percent.
It also boasts the highest increase in the number of viewers from one episode to the next. The first two episodes averaged 21 million viewers, and the third episode picked up 6.4 million viewers on the first night the series was aired, the highest number in the show’s short history.
New series already confirmed
Fans will be happy to know that The Last of Us has already been commissioned for a new series after just two episodes were aired. Such has been the success of the show. The series could well follow the plot of the second video game, The Last of Us: Part 2.
The Last of Us has succeeded in breaking the video game adaptation curse. In doing so, it paves the way for higher-quality productions in the future. Could we be entering an era when poorly executed films will no longer ruin on much-loved gaming titles? We sure hope so.
