Studio: HBO / Warner Brothers
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Rating: Not Rated
Film: 4.5/5
Plot The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
My ThoughtsHBO has a long tradition of creating must watch shows over the past 25+ years and their latest hit is no exception. It’s based on the video game of the same name that was developed by Naughty Dog and released back in 2013 for the PlayStation 3. The series is created by Craig Mazin, known for this work on the HBO series
Chernobyl, and Neil Durckmann, the writer and creative director of the video game.
I originally watched the show via a Kaleidescape download back in April over a span of four days and went back and sampled various episodes for this UHD release for comparison purposes on the A/V quality. While I had mixed feelings about the show the first time through, I have to admit it was able to grab me the second time through as well—particularly the first episode that sets the entire story up and features some of the best demo-worthy audio segments in the entire series.
My biggest gripe with the show still remains that you have to suspend your critical thinking throughout the show because the worldbuilding isn’t based in any form of reality. For example, anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of our power grid would realize that there’s no way it would be functional 20 years after the onslaught of the fungal infection. Heck, I live in California and our power company can’t keep the lights on through a July heat wave let alone leaving the grid untouched for decades and expect it to work.
Additionally, the survivors would have a very difficult time feeding themselves locked in big city enclaves that are a safe haven from the infected. At some point you’d need to farm and raise livestock in massive quantities, which would be impossible given the way the infected supposedly roam the countryside. I know I’m splitting hairs, but I did find these types of anomalies to be distracting. Granted, I did enjoy the show and found the narrative compelling and quite tense. Earlier in my life I was an avid video game player and I could definitely see aspects of the game play coming to fruition in the screenplay.
As expected, there’s no visible difference in the audio and video on the disc versus what is found on the Kaleidescape, but the K-scape is definitely more convenient because you don’t need to change any discs or deal with FBI warning screens. Throughout the show, gunshots ring true with precise dynamics and the LFE occasionally gets quite a workout with some explosions and general mayhem as the world descends into chaos. Just like the K-scape, the Dolby Atmos track is exemplary and makes good use of the entire soundstage.
Video 9/10
Audio 9/10 (Dolby Atmos)
Special Features: - The Last of Us: Stranger Than Fiction
- Controllers Down: Adapting The Last of Us
- From Levels to Live Action
- Getting to Know Me
- The Last Debrief with Troy Baker
- Inside the Episode
- Is this A The Last of Us Line?
- UHD + Digital Copy
Conclusion The four-disc set includes all nine one-ish hour episodes along with the informative supplemental package which wasn’t included on the K-scape download. I particularly enjoyed the first one with the expert interviews myself. If you haven’t seen the show, this is a great way to see it in the best looking and sounding format. Who knows when we’ll see a second season given the strikes in Hollywood, but when it finally comes out, I’ll definitely be watching it. Highly recommended.
Reference Review System: JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Kaleidescape Strato + Server
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
SVS SB3000
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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