A chimpanzee, a 60-year-old trapped in the body of a 15-year-old and Ellen Page with a violin walk into a mansion.
Based on the graphic novel by My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, “The Umbrella Academy” depicts the world of the Hargreeves siblings, seven children all born at the exact same time to women who experience unconventional pregnancies.
They spent their childhoods learning to control their superpowers while forcing the seventh sibling Vanya (Ellen Page) into the shadows.
Beginning with the return of Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) from the future to time-traveling assassins, the show is filled with endless twists and turns which were met with gasps and minor freak outs as every point.
One of the first aspects of the series that grabbed my attention was the soundtrack. Every fight scene was filled with classic rock songs such as Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and throwback’s to Way’s roots with “I’m Not Okay” by My Chemical Romance.
However, to contrast the more intense moments, classical symphony pieces played as an homage to Vanya’s violin in both the show and the graphic novel.
The choice of music was a positive addition to every scene. Instead of distracting from the acting, the soundtrack enhanced it to maintain the overall tone of the series.
Despite being reminiscent of both “The X-Men” and “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “The Umbrella Academy” avoided being too unnecessarily heavy or dark. The show was both funny and endearing while continuing to remain interesting throughout with the help of character development and fantastic acting.
Bluntly, Number Five was my favorite character by far. This 15-year-old was honestly a better actor than his adult counterparts.
Number Five is your typical witty smartass with sociopathic tendencies.
As a 15-year-old with the mind of a 60-year-old, Five maintains the sassy attitude of a teenage boy and the “get off my lawn” demeanor of an old man.
Gallagher plays Five in such a profound way. He is not only able to create realistic character developments but can also deliver a romantic monologue to a mannequin in a way that few can.
Despite the intriguing plot that still feels like a graphic novel, I wish “The Umbrella Academy” delved more into the backstories of the siblings, specifically as children. When their pasts were revealed, there were small details that had yet to be explored.
Hopefully, this will come to fruition in season two.
But a warning goes out to those who cannot handle gore very well. There are graphic scenes of murder and torture that can seem incredibly realistic. I’m not squeamish, but even I found myself cringing a little.
There are so many good aspects of “The Umbrella Academy,” so before you brush it off as an “X-men wannabe,” I suggest taking another look because you might enjoy it more than you’d think!
