After watching 15 episodes of "Pablo Escobar: El Patron Del Mal," I'm done. I've had enough. No mas.
However, I'm not writing this review to wholly condemn the series. I'll admit, no one forced me to sit through 15 episodes. Also, I recently watched the series "Narcos" as well as a documentary on the subject so I've simply had my fill of Pablo Escobar. Had this been my first exposure to Escobar, I'd probably still be watching.
Unfortunately, the series suffers from flaws which would have turned me off regardless of my knowledge of the subject matter. The most notable problem is the casting of Andres Parra as the lead. Parra constantly looks awkward and embarrassed. Pablo Escobar must be rolling in his grave; never in a million years could he have risen to power had he carried himself like Parra. Parra's version of Escobar also conflicts with the portrayal of Escobar as a young man. The actor who played the younger Escobar was charming, confident and reasonably handsome. It's difficult to believe that Parra and his younger counterpart--who can't be separated by more than seven or eight years--are the same character. Parra also speaks in a monotone as if he is too focused on the cue cards. Escobar was driven by his emotions. Parra's acting is devoid of emotion. It's just a terrible, terrible fit.
The Parra debacle aside, my other complaints are more trifling. At times, the filmmakers spent too much time on fairly insignificant matters. For example, the fallout from Escobar's execution of a prominent public figure is the subject of two entire episodes. Much of that focus was on the widow, who wasn't even a public figure in her own right. Perhaps there is some cultural conflict here. Perhaps the deceased public figure is so beloved in Columbia that two entire episodes were warranted. As an American, I perceived it as overkill.
Lastly, the music/score is cheesy and awful.
"Pablo Escobar: El Patron Del Mal" is informative and fairly compelling and the acting (exclusive of Parra) is pretty good. It's worth a shot if you want a comprehensive narrative on the life of Pablo Escobar and if you're not a picky cinemaphile like me.
However, I'm not writing this review to wholly condemn the series. I'll admit, no one forced me to sit through 15 episodes. Also, I recently watched the series "Narcos" as well as a documentary on the subject so I've simply had my fill of Pablo Escobar. Had this been my first exposure to Escobar, I'd probably still be watching.
Unfortunately, the series suffers from flaws which would have turned me off regardless of my knowledge of the subject matter. The most notable problem is the casting of Andres Parra as the lead. Parra constantly looks awkward and embarrassed. Pablo Escobar must be rolling in his grave; never in a million years could he have risen to power had he carried himself like Parra. Parra's version of Escobar also conflicts with the portrayal of Escobar as a young man. The actor who played the younger Escobar was charming, confident and reasonably handsome. It's difficult to believe that Parra and his younger counterpart--who can't be separated by more than seven or eight years--are the same character. Parra also speaks in a monotone as if he is too focused on the cue cards. Escobar was driven by his emotions. Parra's acting is devoid of emotion. It's just a terrible, terrible fit.
The Parra debacle aside, my other complaints are more trifling. At times, the filmmakers spent too much time on fairly insignificant matters. For example, the fallout from Escobar's execution of a prominent public figure is the subject of two entire episodes. Much of that focus was on the widow, who wasn't even a public figure in her own right. Perhaps there is some cultural conflict here. Perhaps the deceased public figure is so beloved in Columbia that two entire episodes were warranted. As an American, I perceived it as overkill.
Lastly, the music/score is cheesy and awful.
"Pablo Escobar: El Patron Del Mal" is informative and fairly compelling and the acting (exclusive of Parra) is pretty good. It's worth a shot if you want a comprehensive narrative on the life of Pablo Escobar and if you're not a picky cinemaphile like me.