El Eternauta

Yes, it goes from mystery, potential world ending event, and how characters react to it, thus drama and survival, quite abruptly to full-on sci-fi revelations..

Source material is about all that, and even if it obviously flows better, still the tv show is good. Some acting is weaker than other, while dialogue and story overall are fine.

Recommendable.

The original source that this series is based on is covered more or less in the first episode: everything else is new material. And I get the feeling that the showrunners feared this would be their only shot at a production of this magnitude, so they crammed every sci-fi theme they could think of in six short episodes. A massive biological threat, invading insectoid xenomorphs, good old body snatching, and a degradation of civilization, for starters. Unfortunately, together they end up making the whole product disjointed rather than gripping, since none of the threads are given enough runtime.

It's still a somewhat well-crafted show though. It's a nice touch to make middle-aged regular Joes with common sense the protagonists. As is the fact that this doesn't take place in a major US city for once. And also the idea that despite facing horrendous odds, strangers and neighbors often attempt to help each other, rather than the usual every-man-for-himself trope that we see so often. If Netflix greenlights any further seasons, I hope they ask the showrunners to pick a lane and stick to it though.

Dear reader, I know you may be confused reading the reviews for El Eternauta. Hopefully this is a good sign.

I myself, just can't get over the reviews of others complaining about "people being quiet" because they can't wrap their head around the concept of the rest of the world not being constantly living in a hyperstimulated world.

So yes, this is not a Hollywood script. People are not jacked, they do not have highly-confrontational relationships with their friends and neighbors, they are almost, let's say, "human".

And "El Eternauta", a original story from the late 50s, is very much a study in the nature of being human.

The protagonist is not a hero, he is a old man, whose primary interest is to keep his friends and family alive and well. He has a normal wife, he is not strong, charismatic, or has any other exceptional qualities aside from those that all common people share.

Faced with a terrible disaster, an apocalypse, he struggles to survive as best as he can, sometimes making errors in judgment.

If you are looking for a show that has that sense of mystery, but doesn't have the same usual tropes that modern scrips have, you totally should watch this. It's in spanish, but the subtitles are very good. The acting is up to par, the visual aspect is great when it comes to the sets, not so great with the CGI, but more than passable. Good direction and production.

And, for once, it's 6 episodes and it's done. You will not have to wait for years just for the show to get cancelled.

My vote: 7.5/10.

I read the comic as a child and then reread it as an adult, and let me tell you, this Netflix adaptation is much better than I expected.

Darin doesn't disappoint, and the rest of the cast is up to par. The effects are excellent, and the setting and filmmaking are also very well done.

While some key points differ from the original story, it's understandable given the complexity of adapting it to our times, but I didn't notice any unforgivable flaws in the script.

Overall, I really liked it. At times, it seemed a bit slow, but it's still enjoyable. A series that entertains without resorting to clichés.

I'm a UK viewer watching the original version with English subtitles. I think this has a good slow-burn human story about an event & invasion, and all the problem solving & personal drama that ensues.

If you are after another US-centric, Hollywood cheese-fest, like Independence Day or Starship Troopers then look elsewhere.

But for those who like their plots to revolve around the unfolding of the narrative and human drama in sci-fi movies- this is a very decent watch. The principal male character is excellent, and i think I've seen him before in other Argentinian films.

I think the bad reviews will largely come from the US and the sort of sci fans that like explosion based fun and marvel film style battles, rather than drama.