The Umbrella Academy Review
- Camsmila
- May 1, 2019
- 4 min read
Hello Story Lovers, there has been a hype about this series and I really wanted to know what it was all about Netflix Original Series: The Umbrella Academy. Spoiler free!
First up! Our small summary...
43 babies are unexpectedly born around the world to women that weren’t actually pregnant. Of course, they’re not ordinary children. 7 of them are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves who creates The Umbrella Academy with the goal of saving the world.
Now, they’ve lost one member and they’ve all gone their separate ways; but, the mysterious death of Reginald Hargreeves will draw them back together and will make them face not only each other, but a looming tragedy: the apocalypse is going to happen in a matter of days and it’s up to them to figure out how to stop it.
5 super humans, 1 dead brother, 1 ordinary member.
Ok, so I'm going to try a different method today. Bare with me!
PROS & CONS
Lets start with the bad news...it is better to rip out the band aid as fast as possible, right?
Cons
I have to talk about the acting here. There are 7 main characters in this story (the Umbrella Academy Members) plus a some secondary roles such as Cha Cha and Hazel. These characters have completely opposite personalities (all of them) and their traits are very distinctive, which is a good thing. Yet, the problem lies with the way actors assume this polarity as a need to overact and overreact inside the guidelines of their characters. Yes, these aren't ordinary people, but it doesn't mean veracity has to be compromised in the process of exploring the edge. Some of them are just too much, and they loose credibility as a character. Not good.
The story didn't catch my attention since the beginning. I was pulled into it after the fourth episode or so, and I've watched series that have done this in the first 10 minutes of their first episode. It does start a little bit slow.
I don't know if this is part of the Cons segment or not, it depends on you, but for me it's a little bit of both. Have you seen Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (another Netflix Original Series)? Well...when you watch The Umbrella Academy, you get a similar sensation to when you watch A Series of Unfortunate Events. I do believe it's because of how the characters are played (more with a theatrical approach), and how they all react to the situations they face. I can't really put my finger on it, but they do feel similar and I don't like when two totally different shows have the same sensation/feeling to them. Maybe...just maybe, this cons is more personal.
Ok, time to put the whip away and go for some sugar!
Pros
The story builds up to an interesting point. Plot twists set in the right moment save the narrative as things go down hill really fast. Once you finish the first season, you'll be wanting more. That's for sure. And more is coming!
Ok, I was hard on the actors, so I feel I have to defend their characters. Even though, there's overacting, the characters are interesting to watch and they do develop certain deepness as the story evolves. I was really torn when it came to Klaus, since the actor over did it, but at the same time it was the most interesting character of this production. His humor, his dialogues, his background story, his power and his internal/mental/emotional state create a complexity worth exploring.
It may seem trivial, but the way they present the title in every episode is really creative and clever. Sorry...I had to say it!
The sound guys...it has a really rich sound composition (and I mean more than just the music). It's ingenious how they resolve things and situations that wouldn't (and shouldn't) sound normal...because there's an extraordinary element to what's happening, there has to be an extraordinary component to the sound and the way it is treated and mixed. Music and sound are braided together in the most empowering and beautiful way, enhancing the experience f watching what's happening on screen.
It's fantasy and super heroes! If you love these genres, then you should totally watch it.
Plus, it's full of comedy and surprises! It's not the kind of series that'll get you bored easily. You will get pulled into the plot and you'll get attached to certain character (if not all of them).
The scale is balanced. Yet, it does tilts towards a good review, with more positive than negative aspects.
Rating: 3.8/5
I encourage you to watch it and tell me what you think about it! Do you agree with me? Or did you love it and you want to throw a brick at me for the cons list? Let me know! But, please don't throw the brick, just write a comment below :)
Your friend,
Camila
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