Hello again to any and all who follow my blog. This iteration concerns my review of the full length animation feature Halo Legends. This animation feature debuted last month and is a seven-story anthology – told in eight episodes – that explores the world of Halo, including its origin, historical events from the Halo universe, and some of its intriguing characters. The eight episodes of Halo Legends range in length from 10 to 17 minutes; the result being almost two hours of animated adventure.
Before I get to some of the more interesting storylines from Halo Legends, I would like to provide some observations about the origin, and unique animated make up of this feature. The Halo “franchise” is anchored by its hugely successful series of video and computer games, and also includes a number of novels and comics, and a wide variety of other merchandise (most of which I own). This franchise is an all-American affair managed by Bungie Productions of Kirkland, Washington, in partnership with another Washington-based quaint little company called Microsoft. Halo Legends was developed by 343 Productions – an offshoot of the Microsoft Corporation – created specifically to develop Halo-related full-length film projects like Halo Legends. That being stated, a large portion of Halo Legends is envisioned with Japanese art styling, and interspersed with Japanese culture (such as the clothing and Haka’s Armor in the episode “The Duel”).
Halo Legends uses, to great benefit, a variety of animation styles and techniques, including CGI, 3-D and Japanese anime. It follows in the footsteps of other animated features of this ilk from the past decade, including The Animatrix from 2003 and Batman Gotham Knight released in 2008. But its multiple episodic format, disparate animation styles and wide-ranging storylines make Halo Legends unique.
For those unfamiliar with Halo and this feature, here’s a quick description (from the DVD cover) of what Halo Legends is all about: “This sweeping science-fiction saga delves into the rich Halo universe with seven exciting stories (told in eight parts) focused on Master Chief’s mysterious origins, the Spartans’ advanced combat capabilities and the tense rivalry between Spartans and Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs). Created in collaboration with some of the world’s leading animators from Japan, Halo Legends draws you into the center of humankind’s ongoing battles with the Covenant, dynamically depicted in cutting-edge animation styles that deliver breathtaking visuals and gripping adventure. Go beyond the game – and join the roll call of Halo Legends.” Pretty cool, huh? Well here are my own views on Halo Legends.
If you’re familiar with the Halo Universe and some of its history, whether from the games or the novels, you can skip the two “Origins” episodes, although “Origins I” is interesting because it covers who made the Halo weapon, why it was made, and what the consequences of its use were. “Origins II” covers humankind’s thirst for war and the development of the Spartan super-soldier program. I would recommend watching these two episodes if you need to brush up on your Halo history, or are unfamiliar with the universe. The animation style for the two “Origins” stories may not be the best out of the episodes, but the storyline is all encompassing, and is great for those not very familiar with Halo and its history.
The remaining six episodes each take unique and interesting views of the Halo Universe. The first of these – “The Duel” – focuses on the Covenant (the antagonists) background. It is very stylized and is heavy on Eastern/Japanese motifs which normally are not present in the Halo series. It is also animated in this interesting grainy style. It takes a little bit of effort to get used to this animation style and to into the story. The next story, “Prototype”, shares the story of a Marine known as ‘Ghost’ as he comes to terms with his humanity. Having the focus on a standard rank and file soldier, rather than on a one man army super soldier Spartan, is an interesting change definitely worth viewing . Almost all the remaining stories – “Homecoming”, “Odd One Out”, “The Babysitter”, and “The Package” – follow the Spartans, the human super-soldier heroes of the Halo Universe. Each one has its own storyline and follows different Spartans.
“Odd One Out” is definitely one that’s worth watching, especially if you want a break from the other “heavy” or more serious stories included in this anthology. This episode is light-hearted, satirical, and even throws a nod to some anime-style martial arts action. As its title suggests, this episode is the most off the wall, and for those of you who follow Halo, it definitely falls into a similar realm of the Red Vs. Blue satirical Halo Webseries.
Of all the episodes, the best by far is “The Package”. This episode uses amazing 3-D CGI animation, and has intense action sequences. It follows the Master Chief, the Numero Uno Spartan hero with his fellow Spartans. One of the most interesting elements of this episode is how it occasionally switches to first-person views from the Spartans’ helmets as they combat the Covenant together.
Master Chief on a Booster Frame from “The Package”
Being a die-hard Halo fan, I see Halo Legends as a very enjoyable snack that keeps my appetite whetted until between now and the next major Halo release – be it game of feature film. Obviously, the hardest of the hardcore Halo lovers will like it most, but animation junkies should also check it out, as well as fans of anime. For those of you who are on the fence, check out the two minute trailer for Halo Legends below.
