Fallout is Prime Videos explosively entertaining addition to the golden age lineup of video game adaptations

Date:
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 13:01:00 +0000

Description:
Amazons Fallout TV show emerges from its vault tonight here are my spoiler-light thoughts on its first four episodes.

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Mild spoilers follow for Prime Videos Fallout TV series.

The golden age of video game adaptations is upon us. From Netflix s various animated offerings, including Castlevania and Arcane , and HBOs The Last of
Us ( TLoU ), to big-screen takes on Sonic and Mario, weve recently been treated to some excellent movie and TV adaptations of the worlds most beloved game franchises.

Now, Prime Video is ready to enter the fray with its Fallout TV show , and fans of Bethesdas multi-genre post-apocalyptic game series will be hoping it isnt a dud that bombs upon launch.

Having watched the first four episodes, I can confidently say that Fallout is an atomically entertaining watch. Like TLoU on Max , its an ambitious, prestige-flavored adaptation that brings one of gamings most iconic series to life with a highly satisfying blend of source material devotion and narrative originality. Sure, theres the odd blemish or two, but they do little to
derail another fantastic video game TV adaptation. War never changes Fallout 's plot is largely based around Ella Purnell's Lucy, an idealistic Vault dweller who's searching for her kidnapped father. (Image credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video)

Set in an alternate universe in the year 2296, Fallout takes place 219 years after The Great War a cataclysmic event that saw the US and China engage in all-out thermonuclear warfare, which killed billions and ended civilization
as we know it. Essentially, The Great War is ground zero for the stories depicted in each Fallout game.

However, pockets of humanity survived the nuclear fallout. The richest retreated to underground bunkers, known as Vaults in-universe, that could withstand said destruction. When the time was right (i.e. once surface radiation levels had dropped to safe levels), future generations would re-emerge to rebuild society. Little do those living subterraneously know, though, that remnants of humanitys poorest also survived on the surface (collectively known as the Wasteland). Those individuals formed new tribes
and communities, such as the militarized religious faction known as the Brotherhood of Steel, and they arent exactly enamored by the prospect of
these 'Vaulties' resurfacing to tell them how to restore order to planet Earth.

The absorbing nature of those dynamics owes much to the talents and charisma of Fallouts primary actors

Like Bethesdas playable titles, Amazons adaptation is set in this
post-nuclear world of haves and have-nots. However, rather than follow the games lead and focus on a single protagonist, which people play as, Prime Video s Fallout follows three main characters whose paths continually cross
in pursuit of an item thats not only of great significance to humanity, but also key to them completing their individual missions. Maximus is a Brotherhood of Steel's squire whose path converges with Lucy and The Ghoul's. (Image credit: Prime Video)

Of the shows intrepid trio, impressionable Vault-33 dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell), who needs to locate said item to bargain for her father Hanks (Kyle McLachlan) life after hes kidnapped by vicious surface-dwelling raiders, is arguably the lead star. Maximus (Aaron Moten), an impatient individual who wants the object to help fuel his ambition of becoming a Brotherhood of Steel Knight, and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), an enigmatic, centuries-old human-turned-mutant who experienced the world before The Great War, are also integral to the story, though.

This character-based divergence from the games might puzzle established fans who are used to Fallout s singular protagonists. Diversifying the shows main character lineup, however, keeps things narratively fresh as we follow their individual journeys and occasional team-ups the latter of which provides unusually early face-offs between them.

Diversifying the shows main character lineup keeps things narratively fresh

Most TV shows have a tendency to delay storyline convergence until later episodes, which builds anticipation for the inevitable crossing of paths, but which can also lead to subplots and other plot threads being dragged out. Fallout avoids this by bringing its major players together as early as
episode 2 for an R-rated Western stand-off thats as funny, dramatic, and over-the-top action-wise as the games are, with the ensuing battle faithfully recreating the franchises success-based, slow-mo hit chance gunshots.

It isnt the only moment where they interact and engage in buddy cop-style adventures, albeit certain individuals *cough* Lucy *cough* are subjected to such partnerships against their will. Yes, keeping Fallout s protagonists apart means that there will be fireworks when they inevitably bump into each other, but seeing these characters with diametrically opposed worldviews chew the scenery makes for explosively fun dynamics, and I found myself longing
for more humor- and drama-filled co-operation between them throughout the episodes I watched. Into the wild blue yonder Lucy's travels take her a junkyard-based community known as Filly. (Image credit: Amazon Studios)

The absorbing nature of those dynamics owes much to the talents and charisma of Fallout s primary actors. Purnell imbues the idealistic and naive, yet surprisingly resilient, Lucy with panache and instant likeability. Equally, she captures the wide-eyed nature of the cloistered Vault dweller seeing the post-nuclear, horror-strewn world for the first time with aplomb. Lucys childlike innocence and worldly inexperience make for plenty of awkward and darkly humorous moments as she traverses the surface world, which put
Purnells surprisingly solid comedic timing on full show.

Lucy isnt the only Fallout character who embarks on a coming-of-age-style journey. Lucy and Maximus experiences couldnt be more stark (hes a surface-dweller whos had to feed on scraps throughout his entire life), but hes as equally unworldly as his counterpart. However, unlike Lucy, theres a ruthlessness to his power-hungry, indignant persona thats captured with brooding intent by Moten. Still, given Maximus lifelong struggles and the gawky charm that Moten instills in Maximus, you cant help but root for him.

Goggins is delightful as the morally ambiguous and merciless Ghoul

Goggins is delightful as the morally ambiguous and merciless Ghoul, too, but his gleeful and humorously menacing portrayal of the calculating and
seemingly callous gunslinger isnt the full extent of his role. The Invincible star and Marvel alumnus is on dual acting duties here, as he also plays
Cooper Howard, aka The Ghouls former human form. A 21st century big-screen star, Howards intriguing ties to Vault-Tec, the megacorporation behind the creation of the subterranean nuclear shelters, are explored through
flashbacks that are drip fed through Fallout s primary narrative. Not only do they provide extra context to Howards backstory, his ties to Vault-Tec's
Vault Boy mascot, and The Ghouls present-day motivations, but they also
reveal what the world was like prior to humanitys self-inflicted near-total annihilation. Flashbacks of Walton Goggins' Cooper Howard provide a glimpse into the past of Fallout 's alternate universe. (Image credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video)

These glimpses into the past the one thing we could never do in the games , according to one of the shows producers and Bethesda boss Todd Howard
provide a tantalizing but terrifying opportunity to show the blind panic and futility of the moment that The Great War began, too. And let me tell you: thanks to Goggins emotionally rich, dread-infused performance one thatll be immediately relatable to anyone with kids its the most beautifully somber opening to a TV series Ive seen in a while.

Fallout doesnt just rely on its main trio to provide moments of levity and melodrama at its hilariously grim party at the end of the world . Hank and Lucys brother Norm (Moises Arias), plus the eccentric individuals that populate the shows dystopian Los Angeles, including the mysterious and slightly creepy Wilzig (Michael Emerson), provide sci-fi-laced intrigue and narrative thrust aplenty to its various subplots. The post-Lucy Vault-33 storyline is janky in its execution. (Image credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video)

That said, some story threads are haphazard in their execution. The post-Lucy Vault 33 narrative, for instance, is hamstrung by clumsy dialog, repetitive plot beats, and lackadaisical pacing. It eventually finds its feet as a semi-interesting mystery-thriller that sees Norm and fellow Vaultie Chet
(Dave Register) explore the nearby abandoned Vault-32 for well, thats getting into major spoiler territory. Still, its a story arc that failed to capture
my imagination in the same way as those involving Fallout s protagonists. Franchise dedication Fallout 's iconic T-60 power armor is on full show throughout Amazon's TV adaptation. (Image credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video)

No good video game adaptation is complete without honoring its source material. Thankfully, Fallout is as stuffed with homages and callbacks to Bethesdas popular games as it can be.

Im not exaggerating when I say its packed to the rafters with Easter eggs, either. From the immediately recognizable Nuka-Cola bottles, Vault Boy bobbleheads, and hugely impressive real-life Vault doors, to easy-to-miss inclusions like the Junk Jet and Robco Protectron, no stone has been left unturned in this shows pursuit of authenticity and fan service.

Theres a ruthlessness to Maximus' power-hungry, indignant persona thats captured with brooding intent by Moten

Thats just scratching the surface of Fallout s roster of trinkets, weaponry, and other in-universe tidbits. There are monsters galore (the gulper, yao guai, and radroaches to name just three), nuanced references to standalone games (see if you can spot the Westside and Dom Pedro town tributes), and enough Fallout 4 -specific Easter eggs (Grognak the Barbarian! The Commonwealth! Super Duper Mart!) to look out for. Heck, theres even an acknowledgment of Fallout 4 s faithful canine companion Dogmeat, albeit this very good boy is called CX-404 in Amazons adaptation. The Ghoul is a clear throwback to the mutated humans in Bethesda's multi-game series. (Image credit: Prime Video)

Fallout is amusingly self-referential in its use of other gaming staples, too. Its various, interwoven story threads uncannily resemble the gameplay mechanic of undertaking optional side quests and completing bitesize, multi-strand missions in order to achieve a larger goal. Indeed, Lucy, The Ghoul, and Maximus attempts to track down the previously mentioned MacGuffin to complete their individual main objectives serve as proof of that. An episode 3 quip from The Ghoul even references this gaming construct in the most meta way possible, when he sarcastically tells Lucy that thou shalt get sidetracked by b******t every goddamn time. Hey, Amazons take on the Fallout games wouldnt be fully respectful if it didnt ironically satirize them.

Speaking of the franchises penchant for humor, Fallout doesnt skimp on the games' wacky, deadpan, and macabre comedic tonality. As demonstrated by the giant, smirk-inducing The End title card that greeted me mere seconds into
its premiere, it wastes no time in perfecting the franchises signature humor. Thanks to Howard and Nolans input, as well as the sharp and witty writing of co-showrunner Graham Wagner ( Silicon Valley , The Office US ), who wrote the series alongside Captain Marvel scribe Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Fallout dives headfirst into absurdist, satirical, whimsical territory with one-liners, delightfully awkward encounters, and violently goofy spectacle that had me sniggering and guffawing throughout. My verdict

Prime Videos Fallout confidently and purposefully tackles Bethesdas genre-bending, tonally diverse, and dense source material with hearty finesse and a highly satisfying authenticity that does justice to the franchises vast fictional universe. By staying true to the ambitious and large-scale world-building that Bethesda has perfected over the past 27 years, as well as telling a brand-new story in the fan-favorite series, it finds a near-faultless balance between the old and new that pays off handsomely.

Fallout fanatics, myself included, arent the only ones wholl find lots to enjoy here. Fans of dystopia-set stories, such as Mad Max , The Walking Dea d , and another of Nolans popular sci-fi works in Westworld will savor Fallout
s epic and sweeping narrative, pulsating and gory action (of which there is plenty, albeit with the odd lightweight and/or labored set-piece), and multi-genre appeal.

Without wanting to sound hyperbolic, I think Fallout might be one of the best Prime Video shows ever made. I cant overstate how much I enjoyed it and,
with Nolan suggesting that the series creative team has very cool plans in mind for its rumored second season , the fact that Im desperate to return to the Wasteland, whenever that might be, speaks volumes of its outstanding quality. Dont be surprised if Fallout s Everyone liked that meme emerges from its own vault when, well, everyone inevitably falls in love with Amazons TV adaptation.

Fallouts eight-episode first season debuts in full exclusively on Prime
Video tonight (Wednesday, April 10) in the US, and Thursday, April 11 in the UK and Australia.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/amazon-prime-video/fallout-on-prime-video- opinion-piece


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