Quantcast
Channel: Into the Blu » Anime
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3

Halo Legends

0
0

I was somewhat surprised to see the movie Halo Legends in my docket for upcoming review. As a long-time Sony and Nintendo gamer, I had never played any version of Halo, and saw no need to, based on my age-related dislike of first person shooter games. Really, my complete knowledge of Halo could be summed up as there was a green armored guy named Master Chief, and you use him to shoot lots of aliens.

As a general rule of thumb, movies based on video games tend to well, lets say, not quite meet expectations. Although there are exceptions to the rule (like Pokémon, or Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within), for each good movie there is three or four bad ones (like Street Fighter or Super Mario Brothers).

This being said, a quick read of the cover jacket piqued my interest, as this Blu-ray was a compilation of seven stories told through eight anime shorts. As a lover of anime, I find that the art form (when done well) has both emotional and aesthetic resonance that stays with the viewer days afterward.

Therefore, I optimistically sat down to view this Blu-ray with an eager air of anticipation – even though it was based on a video game, I knew there was an opportunity to enjoy the work of at least seven different anime directors.

Film 

There is always some difficulty in reviewing anime, as I do find the animation art form we are raised with in North America affecting our frame of reference. As we are conditioned to enjoy Chuck Jones-style slapstick or Scooby-Doo stupidity, I have often felt there are many levels to anime films that the North American viewer fails to appreciate.

As a Halo neophyte, I found the order of the shorts and the information provided to be more than adequate to understand the stories. However, I should caution that this is from the perspective of an experienced anime viewer – I am used to not having everything explained in detail to me. For someone who has not watched anime, or is unfamiliar with Halo, they may find some of the shorts challenging to enjoy, as they’re too distracted trying to understand what they are about. For this segment of the population, an advance visit to the Special Features before watching the shorts is advised.

I can thankfully report that this Blu-ray covers the anime waterfront – from linear and traditional (Origins, Part I and II), to incredibly stylistic and emotionally powerful (The Duel), to heavy and self-reflective (Homecoming), to mecha (Prototype), to action (The Babysitter), and to humor (Odd One Out). Even the viewer who is inexperienced with anime should find something to like here. The only short that seemed really out of place on the Blu-ray was the CGI-rendered “The Package”, which was more like Star Wars I through III, and less like traditional anime.

A very powerful theme that runs through the best anime is that of redemption – that a flawed character is eventually redeemed through making amends, self-sacrifice, a redemptive act, self-awareness, or choosing not to engage in an act. Of the eight shorts, redemption was at the fore in four, and was considered in two others. This gave the Blu-ray a credibility and weight far superior to what it should have from the source material.

Overall, this disc was very well done. If asked to pick favourites, “Odd One Out” appeared at a great time on the disc, adding a needed levity after some heavier segments. “The Babysitter”, “Homecoming”, and “Prototype” were also equally well done, and fit very well into a traditional anime mold. However, special praise is reserved for “The Duel”, a short that is stylistically unlike anything I’ve seen previously.

In “The Duel”, each scene looked like a shifting watercolor painted by a master like Renoir: sharp enough to suggest the scene, diffuse enough to allow your mind to add the details, yet having one fine detail at all times (like eyes) that jars and focuses the viewer. It has to be seen to be understood; my words do not do it justice. On top of this visceral beauty, the story dealt with strong concepts such as honor, power, loyalty, belief, murder, and revenge, very impressive in a short this length.

All in all, this was a very entertaining disc. Although the Spartans (of which Master Chief is one) and their war are what tie this movie together, the variety of settings, character perspectives, and anime styles are what make the disc such a treat.

Video 

As can be expected from any animated picture, the transfer was incredibly clean and sharp. Colors popped off the screen, yet tones were not lost, especially important when the color itself was being used to convey emotion. This is especially noted at the beginning of “Prototype” (when tones are used to set a somber mood) and when the Spartan returns home in the middle of “Homecoming” (the bright clear sky and fountain convey joy in a way words cannot).

It is difficult to nit-pick this Blu-ray, as the video is superb and smooth, with no artifacting, black crush, or noise to be seen. The only challenge is that with such different art styles and directorial visions, there would have been some compromise in color balancing the disk. This shows up in a few of the paler shorts, mainly “Origins I” and “The Babysitter”.

Although this is not a reference disk (like Wall-E), it is very, very close, and looks superb.

Audio 

As mentioned in the Video section, there can be a challenge when bringing together eight different shorts, yet getting them sonically balanced. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack of this Blu-ray did a surprisingly admirable job of doing so.

Dynamic levels were exceptionally good (considering the variety of anime presented), and dialog came through crisp and clear. Combat scenes had thump and power, shell casings landed all around the viewer, and surround channels were used regularly and appropriately. For DD 5.1, it was one of the best I’ve heard, and better than some True HD mixes.

My only complaint is the presence and mixing of the score. Much of the music is beautifully composed, and adds to the mood and atmosphere of the disc. However, there is too much of a good thing at times – the score can occasionally be invasive through the rear channels in some segments, and there is simply too much of it.

One of the things I appreciate about anime is that there does not always need to be a constant cacophony of dialog, music, and action noises. Some of the best scenes in may favourite anime are where there is silent and contemplative reflection (anathema to the Hollywood studio). Think of the trolley scene in Spirited Away or the train station scene with Shinji and Misato near the end of episode four of Neon Genesis Evangelion – there is a beauty to these scenes that North American studios would mangle.

Special Features 

It is a special disk which contains shorts that are so memorable, you’d rather watch them a few times more before reviewing the special features. But, the features must be reviewed. Such is my duty as your humble reviewer.

As a non-Halo fan, I did not find the commentaries really that interesting, and I’m confident enthusiasts will get more out of these than I did. Although discussions of the styles of the different directors were good, it was simply not enough to keep me interested.

For the same reasons, I did not find the “Gaming Evolved” featurette all that interesting either. Presented in 1080i, at least its presentation and run time was good, and would be a walk down memory lane for the itchy-fingered masses.

“The Story so Far” was an interesting featurette, and would be a good starting place for the Halo uninitiated to start. It explains a lot of the back stories (again in 1080i), and would be perfect for the person who needs to know everything about what they are watching. Again, I do not have issues with the partial-plot nature of anime, and found I enjoyed the shorts better by knowing less. However, this was a very good offering, and I could see how it would be appreciated by others.

To me, the cherry on the sundae was the almost hour-long “Making of” featurette which actually dissects each one of the shorts. This is one of those great “behind the scenes” features that allow you to understand the craft better. Recorded in 1080i, this is fully worth the time invested.

I was glad to see that Warner Brothers went the quality route with their featurettes on this Blu-ray. Although not all were to my tastes, my score for these reflects more the overall value that others (especially the neophyte) will likely get from this package.

Final Thoughts

Although apprehensive before viewing the movie, I was actually rewarded with a nicely crafted “variety pack” of anime. Through emotive storytelling and beautiful video/audio presentation, this disc surprised me with the depth, comprehensibility, and emotion of its stories. Even though the material was a bit uneven, there was much more good than bad on this disc. And when it was good, it was really good.

I would fully recommend this movie to those who appreciate anime, and to those who appreciate animation as an art form. Even those who aren’t anime or Halo fans are presented with quality special features that would allow them to fully enjoy the shorts.

In my experience, it is rare to be able to sample such a great variety of anime on one disk, especially one with such a high quality presentation. Highly recommended.

halo-legends


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images