MovieChat Forums > The Last of Us (2023) Discussion > The portrayal of Ellie

The portrayal of Ellie

posted 2 years ago by BeenSavage (631)
19 replies | jump to latest

I usually can't stand supporting child actors for obvious reasons but for the first time that I can remember really enjoyed the performance and character of Ellie in the game. Fast forward to this show we get an actress that overdoes it when it comes to the snarkiness and sass. You almost wanna root for Joel to just lose it and smack some respect into her. I never once got this while playing though. Maybe I'm not a fan of the actress. Maybe it's the show's direction of the character. Maybe both?

[–] brux (14724) 2 years ago

She is annoying. I don't find it believable that a child whose been through all the trauma of the world falling apart and the horror of killer monsters that could be your close friends hours back can turn into devouring zombies would be so careless and stupid in that world. I think a kid would be agog and quiet to watch, learn and absorb whatever they could from the two she was set up with.

You know, it's not the actress, right? She just does what they writers and directors tell her to do.

But also Pedro Pascal's character is written in an overdone snarky way too.

I'm curious to see how this goes, but I am not thrilled with it at all. It's just OK.

[–] BeenSavage (631) 2 years ago

For sure. Ellie in the game though snarky was a lot more of a survivalist than the show's counterpart. Here she feels so dignified in disrespecting adults but freaked at the sight of a skeleton. If anything she reminds me more of an entitled Gen Z'er.

[–] brux (14724) 2 years ago

> If anything she reminds me more of an entitled Gen Z'er.

You Right-wing nuts have to always shoehorn in some kind of BS comment to advertise your mental illness.

[–] wiiztec (258) 2 years ago

lol why are you trying to astroturf political drama here?

[–] Brooklynjoe76 (191) 2 years ago

Probably because they are an entitled Gen Zer

[–] Druff (1796) 2 years ago

Maybe you didn't get the memo- we're having a culture war, pick a side and be a cock toward the other side.

[–] Mattc164 (618) 2 years ago

She hasn’t been through the trauma of the world falling apart though. She was born into that world. It’s all she knows. She was raised into killing “zombies” someone raised and born into that would be mentally immune to it.

[–] cyguration (3951) 2 years ago

No they wouldn't, they would be traumatized by it to the point of hiding or going full-bore lunatic. Just look at the child soldiers in Africa. Hocked up on cocaine and mutilating and killing as if they were barbarians in the seventh circle of Hell. The others who recognize the insanity of it all, cower and/or avoid the insanity as much as possible. What they are not, are snarky Gen'Zers with Twitter-tier comebacks and Liberal-themed outlooks.

[–] Mattc164 (618) 2 years ago

In reality the world would’ve fallen years and years ago anyway so to debate on what the behavior of children would be in that world is a moot point anyway. I can not foresee people going 20 years without getting bit. Luck would run out a lot sooner than that. Procreation would cease and humanity will be nothing but shuffling “zombies” along the hellish landscape.

[–] cyguration (3951) 2 years ago

Man that's some grimdark Warhammer 40K thinking right there.

[–] emori (3661) 2 years ago

Wasn't Ellie born into QZ and spend her whole life there not interacting with zombies since no one was allowed outside? Like she had school, she knew about them and world outside but those children were born inside FEDRA QZ. They never felt and experience any real danger. They just saw adult being sassy and bad mouthed and copied that behavior.

[–] McQualude (4231) 2 years ago

I haven't played the game but she seems like a good actress for her age which is more important. Her attitude and behavior are unlikable but that's okay, she'll mellow out.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

To begin with i had some doubts about the casting choice, but i must admit she's growing on me. She's a good actor, and does the role reasonably well imho.

[–] dilligaf (312) 2 years ago

I reckon she is awesome, getting better with each episode

[–] Boricanator (1440) 2 years ago

She is great and really on point playing Ellie.

[–] emori (3661) 2 years ago

Disagree. I went to watch people playing Game on youtube and Ellie was actually very annoying there. And she was too pretty and perfect looking to be bad mouthed like that. She was unrealistic for me. While Bella Ramsey actually looks like a child that can throw F-word around and be sassy and badmouthed.

People just wanted some perfect doll to play Ellie but she was unrealistic in game. And keep in mind that "game people" are not the target and primary audience. Its normal people who didn't play game and just watch tv shows. They dont know "game Ellie" and dont car about her like gamers do.

[–] TrentnQuarantino (9187) 2 years ago

> You almost wanna root for Joel to just lose it and smack some respect into her.

Is that what you do with irritating kids?

[–] BeenSavage (631) 2 years ago

Yes. I grew up in the school of hard knocks and it served me well.

[–] TrentnQuarantino (9187) 2 years ago

I doubt it if you are promoting hitting little kids.