Synopsis
Years after they rose to fame as young crime-fighting superheroes, the estranged Hargreeves siblings come together to mark their father’s death.
Review
If you’re currently riding the wave of quirky new comic book shows being lead by Deadly Class and Doom Patrol then The Umbrella Academy is definitely for you.
This is another series that I haven’t read ahead of its live action premiere. But it’s still an enjoyable pilot to watch even with little prior knowledge of its characters.
As with the aforementioned shows a lot of time is spent introducing us to its characters. We meet them in several time periods of over the course of their lives with much of the action focussed on the present day.
Where Deadly Class leans in to its 80s nostalgia setting The Umbrella Academy leans toward unconventional choices. Much of the opening act is only sparsely peppered with dialogue. Instead scenes are predominantly set to classical music as being performed by Vanya (Ellen Page).
It’s a bold choice for a first impression to the series. It meant that I put more effort into translating the visual language of the scenes. The series is making a statement that it won’t be pandering to a thoughtless audience. IF you are watching The Umbrella Academy then you will be expected to think whilst doing so.
The intermittent narration gives the series a Lemony Snickett feel at times. The colour pallette and cinematography choices also echo this type of off-the-wall fairytale type storytelling. It works well in the context of the show but certainly won’t be to everyone’s liking if it continues through each episode.
At times it became obvious that “We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals” is trying very hard to be different to your average show. Whilst I appreciate it for breaking from the norm it is at times a little grating.
Robert Sheehan will no doubt be singled out by many as a standout cast member. His performance brings some of the biggest belly laughs of the episode for sure. But at times he also seems to push the quirkiness a half-step too far. Like a true-to-life younger sibling you love them because they are family but boy can they piss you off when they get hyper.
There’s some very snarky chemistry between the adopted siblings. At times it’s a bit like watching a band going through a breakup as we watch them bicker. But it’s a testament to strong writin that each of the kids gets a moment to shine, even the MIA Ben (Justin H. Min/Ethan Hwang).
Much like every pilot the bulk of the runtime is dedicated to the characters. The overarching plot of the season only comes in to play in the background and towards the end of the episode. But enough intrigue is generated around the impending apocalypse to bring me back for the second episode.
No review would be complete without noting two standout scenes from the episode:
- The family dance sequence. An outstandingly random moment where the lead cast are all separately having a dance in memory of their deceased father. Despite the silliness each ones individual moves tells us a lot about their character.
- Donut shop fight sequence. Well choreographed action which feels a little influenced by movies like Kingsman. It might have only been short but certainly showed by The Umbrella Academy is capable of.
There’s nothing particularly offensive about “We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals”. But there also isn’t quite enough to make this my new, number 1 go-to show.
Verdict
“We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals” is an interesting first glimpse into the world of The Umbrella Academy. It’s not quite the home run that Netflix would have been hoping for but it wears its heart on its sleeve in earnest.
If great characters, an intriguing story and unconventional choices are your thing then this is the series for you.
7/10
The Umbrella Academy is based on the popular, Eisner award-winning comics and graphic novels created and written by Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance), illustrated by Gabriel Bá, and published by Dark Horse Comics.
The live-action series stars Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, David Castañeda, Aidan Gallagher, Cameron Britton, and Mary J. Blige, and is produced by Universal Cable Productions for Netflix. Steve Blackman (Fargo, Altered Carbon) will serve as executive producer and showrunner, with additional executive producers Jeff F. King (Hand of God), Bluegrass Television, and Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg from Dark Horse Entertainment. Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá will serve as co-executive producers.
The series is available via Netflix February 18, 2019.
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