Last of Us will be adapted onto the big screen by director Sam Raimi director of the original Spider-Man Trilogy and the recent movie OZ and the Great and Powerful. The Story will be written by Neil Druckmann and the movie will be produced by Sam Raimi also will be having help with Naughty Dog executive art directors. However, even though everything sounds promising will Last of Us work as a 2 hr motion picture? Here five reason I think there will be some difficulties to adapt a Last of Us film.
1. Character Development
Last of Us is known for its emotional scenes which also makes you emotionally attached to the characters. It works in a 14-15 hour game but can the audience be emotionally attached to the same characters that we play on are home television set? Throughout the game, players have the time be invested so you can know so much about the characters that your playing as but can a movie have enough to develop both Joel and Ellie? Emotional characters have surprised us in recent blockbusters such as movies like Dawn of the Planet, X-Men Days of Future Past and Edge of Tomorrow, but dose movies are originally made for movies. Even many people complain that human characters weren't better developed as the Apes. Similar to the same problem for Dawn of the Planet of Apes, Last of Us is a long game that guide the story for the players to learn and understand the characters through each emotional scene. I think it will be more difficult for the movie to focus on character development through out each progresses scene through Joel and Ellie's personal journey.
2. Comparisons
There is no argue there will be many average moviegoers pointing there fingers to the Last of Us movie poster or movie trailer complaining, "This looks like the Road with a girl" "Its Just a Walking Dead rip-off" "Looks like another Zombie apocalypse movie just with mushroom heads." Its sucks but its true, the Last of Us seems original videogame wise but movie wise there will be many people thinking it will be another cliche zombie movie with a little different concept. I'm afraid there will be many people who haven't played the games think its just another play it by the books zombie movie. Similar what happen to Edge of Tomorrow domestically, many of them were bored of another Oblivion or deep driven sci-fi movie. Will moviegoers will do the same if they saw a serious tone Last of Us movie trailer? I hope the emotional story of Last of Us will interest average moviegoers to understand the concept of Last of Us before thinking its just another survival apocalypse movie that they have seen a doze times in the theaters.
3. The Casting
You know how fans are every time they announced casting for popular comic book, videogame, and best selling novel movie adaptions there will always be a uproar among many fans. Will the casting director choose actors that can become the two favorite characters we beloved through out are progression in the game? I would love for them to choose better actors that won't overshadowed the characters but a little unknown old actor for Joel and talented upcoming child actors to play as Ellie. It will be disappointing to choose such a actor that his/her star power would distract us to see the characters that the actors are portraying to be. But I think casting won't be a big deal if the actors knock out of the park playing there roles right.
4. The Narrative
The narrative of Last of Us is kind of fragmented in cut scenes, when there is no cut scenes its mainly just game play and little of dialogue between each level or a specific scene. My personal problem of a Uncharted game becoming movie, Last of Us itself is already like a Hollywood motion picture so how can it be any different than a actual movie? The screenwriters/director has to make the Last of Us to be a little different to the source material or it will be the same scenes we have already seen or played. But I don't want the source material to be drastically changed if only it works better for the movie. Its more likely that the director has to fill in the gameplay filler segments with interesting narrative so the story can be paced smoothly.
5. What The Fans Love
The problems with videogame movies always sucking is that many movie directors take what's important of video games which many players love and the directors would throw away or changed the source material that know body aren't interested in. Last of Us is known for its drama, tension among characters, fear and development. Now throw that all way and turn it into a B rated cliche zombie action flick. I can understand many things work better on screen compared to a videogame but don't trash what many fans like about the videogame and changed it for the sake of making something entirely different that isn't relevant for the story or what makes the game so special. It maybe suitable for some movie book adaption such as Wold War Z but it doesn't mean it work for every movie. I want the Last of Us to be treated with care not be treated as just another action horror movie that will be forgotten less than a week after its release.
Beside my personal concerns I'm truly excited for a Last of Us movie and I hope Sam Raimi can deliver what we loved about playing Last of Us.
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