The Umbrella Academy: What the Must Watch reviewers think
Must Watch reviewers Scott Bryan, TV Editor at Buzzfeed, and Hayley Campbell, journalist and critic, share their thoughts on The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.
What do you think? Leave your comments below...
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(Photo Credit: Christos Kalohoridis/ Netflix)
Scott says: "I really liked it"
"I think this is what Netflix are seeing as their big show for Spring. It's got Ellen Page in it, who's been nominated for Oscars. Robert Sheehan from Misfits is in it...
"The whole idea is that in the mid-1980s, a group of women gave birth to babies who ended up having superpowers and this eccentric billionaire managed to buy seven of these babies and bring them into the family.
"This captures their late teens and early 20s when he passes away - where they are essentially family, but they're not getting on that well together.
"I really liked it.
"So many times, superheroes are portrayed in a two-dimensional manner. What's so fascinating about this is that each character has an ability, but they have their own personal demons they're fighting against. It's interesting that you can be this hero on the outside, yet still see yourself as a failure.
"Robert Sheehan is absolutely amazing. To see him back in this provocative role is lovely.
"Secondly, Ellen Page's character's superpower is that she hasn't got a superpower - she's just told constantly that she's a normal kid. Her character is so interesting in terms of the anxiety and the jealousy you have against other people."
(Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)
Hayley says: "I'm not sure it's for me"
"The billionaire's goal was to create a special force of children who could one day go on and save the world.
"He's also got a chimpanzee butler called Pogo who's animated by the same people who did Planet of the Apes.
"I remember working in a comic book store at the time the comic book [of this] came out - it has a very devoted fan base. It's pretty respectful to the source material. It just feels like it's slightly more smoothed out and accessible.
"It's not as dark and pretentious as some comic book adaptations. If you have a sliding scale where you've got Christopher Nolan's Batman films at one end, and Thor Ragnarok on the other, this falls somewhere in the middle.
"I kind of like that tone - it feels kind of progressive. One of the children, Klaus, is gay or bi, and that's just how he is - it's not a plot point.
"I feel like Ellen Page is so much more interesting than a lot of the stuff she's [cast] in - I want her to write a book or run for President. I feel like she's underused here."
The Umbrella Academy is available on Netflix from 15 February 2019.
