We waited two years, but it was really worth it: after the announcement in December 2017, the new episodes of Stranger Things, eight in all, will arrive on Netflix next July 4th, just in time for Independence Day. This new season the subject of Stranger Things 3 review, at least from the first five episodes that we have been able to watch, is, without a doubt, the best: in the third season Hawkins returns and has never looked so good. And, surprisingly, comical. We are in 1985, in summer, the summer of love: for six months, much to Hopper's annoyance (David Harbour), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) are inseparable. They do everything together, they breathe together, they can't take their hands and mouths off. Like Max (Sadie Sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), albeit with a few more fights. Will (Noah Schnapp), on the other hand, still seems to be paired with his own demons and does not actually have all this passion for girls: he much prefers to organize D&D campaigns that none of his friends, because of the crazy hormones, seem to want to. participate. In order not to feel left out, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) talks about an elusive girl, Suzie, whose existence, however, everyone doubts, also because our future favorite engineer loves the company of Steve (Joe Keery), who, after finishing high school, found himself a seasonal job in an ice cream shop, where she puts together cones and cups side by side with Robin (Maya Hawke), smart, tough and intelligent. And very, very pretty. Summer working also for Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), who got an internship at the city newspaper. However, the one who suffers most from love is Hopper, who tries them all with Joyce (Winona Ryder), too distracted by magnet problems to notice. Everyone seems happy, everyone seems to have left behind the terrible monsters from Upside down, which Eleven sent back to their size. Or maybe not?
Starting from the basics: writing and directing
Brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, now a spokesman for the nostalgia of the 80s on TV, they did the only sensible thing: after the huge and unexpected success of the first season they got carried away, packaging a second cycle in a hurry, a little watered down, little cared for in the writing and also in the invoice, breaking a little the spell created with the first. Realizing the mistake, they took their time, starting from the basics: writing and directing. By putting the strongest elements of Stranger Things at the center of everything, that is the nostalgic atmosphere for a period and a very specific culture - that nerd - and the characters, they have created a story that exalts both at the highest levels. Lovers of quotes will find many again (from the posters of Back to the Future and The Thing hanging on the walls, to the adventures of Indiana Jones up to the truly brilliant one of Terminator), but this time they are also totally functional to the story, indeed , essential.
Brilliant dialogues (very reminiscent of Joss Whedon's in the cult - 90s, but it's a detail - Buffy the Vampire Slayer), perfect comic timing, details that only seem to have been put there by chance and then come back later, chaining each other. to perfection: finally! At the same pace the direction, which becomes more accurate, indeed, experiments, plays with shots and lenses, creates frames that look like almost comic strips, and photography, with bright colors (the gloom of the second season is fortunately a memory ), not to mention the set design, studied to the millimeter.
Even the themes are more mature: if before Stranger Things was a pure entertainment product, which consciously played with the nostalgia effect, here the shot is raised, because from childhood we throw ourselves headlong into adolescence: therefore there is space for complicated man-woman relationships, for the difficulty in imposing oneself in the world of work when one is young and in particular female (the dialogue between Nancy and her mother is one of the most touching moments of the entire series), for the difficulty in growing, especially when others seem to be light years ahead of you, and for the difficult path of self-discovery. Looking inward and finding yourself different from what you thought can be scarier than coming face to face with Demogorgon.
Friends don't lie
If the technical side is finally of the highest level (even the special effects have taken a leap forward), but the characters are the beating heart of this series, which truly feels like a reunion among friends every time we find ourselves watching it. The boys have grown up, all well: good, beautiful, full of charisma. Seeing them struggling with their first love problems almost made us feel like older brothers. We can no longer do without them and we cannot not love them. But who has stolen our heart is the detective Hopper: the only father figure, full of contradictions, doubts and insecurities, he is the one we would like to continually embrace and sometimes embrace us, with his strong and reassuring arms. But be careful not to make him angry: and in these episodes it happens very often.
If Dustin, Steve and the others are now like brothers and friends, it is love at first sight for two new characters too, namely Robin (played by the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, of whom he took both the best sides, for a genetic miracle) and above all Erica (Priah Ferguson): we do not anticipate anything of this new entry, so as not to spoil the surprise, but we can say that so much charisma and sympathy in a single girl were rarely seen. We already want his motto "free ice-cream for life" printed on the shirt.
Stranger Things: towards infinity and beyond
Hoping that the ending of Stranger Things 3 does not spoil what is excellent seen in the first five episodes, if Stranger Things has become (in just two years) this gem of horror comedy, we hope that it will continue for a while longer, to explore even more this fascinating world made of our memories, songs, games and comics that we loved (and still love), but above all of the friendship between them. characters who, now with few glances, tell us things that perhaps we have forgotten, but which, once seen on the small screen, immediately return to the surface with such power and strength to make us feel good.
Comment
Resources4Gaming.com
8.5
We waited two years for Stranger Things 3 and as we saw in the review it was worth it: the Duffer brothers learned from their mistakes, rolled up their sleeves and started from the basics: script and direction. Written as a horror comedy, Stranger Things 3 has the brilliant dialogues of Buffy the vampire amazon combined with an irresistible nostalgia effect, which this time becomes the real protagonist of the story, with brilliant situations. Strengthened by a large group of characters that we loved immediately, as if they were brothers or old friends (in these parts we love Dustin and Hopper above all), these new episodes can also count on at least two new faces that will immediately become the favorites of the public. Breathing a sigh of relief, followed by one of joy, we can say with certainty: the third season of Stranger Things is the best.
PRO
- The two-year break served: writing and directing improved exponentially
- The comic tone given to these episodes is irresistible and works perfectly
- Finding characters who have immediately become at home is nice, but even the new ones will make you fall in love
- What we saw in the first five episodes is excellent: we hope that the ending is up to par
