'Halo Legends' Review: Tapping Into The 'Animatrix'

Do you remember, at the height of the "Matrix" craze, a spin-off DVD was released called "The Animatrix." It wasn't a movie; rather, "The Animatrix" served up a collection of nine animated short films, each telling a short story set within the "Matrix" universe from different writers/directors. It was a solid idea with, as you might expect, a bit of an uneven presentation. Some shorts are excellent, some are forgettable and some would have been better left out completely.

I'm referencing this 2003 release because "Halo Legends," released yesterday on Blu-ray and DVD, is much the same thing. "Halo" is of course one of the biggest video game franchises on the planet. "Legends" is a similar sort of short film collection, but with a few notable differences: the contributors all hail from the anime world and none of the stories fit comfortably within the "Halo" canon established by the games and the books.

The Good
As with any short film compilation, there are a fair few high points to be found, provided you can get over any fanperson allegiances to the established canon. The clear frontrunner is "The Duel," a sort of samurai-tinged origin story for the Arbiter. It's an entertaining tale, but the presentation is what seals it: the visual aesthetic is that of a watercolor painting in motion. If you've played the game "Okami," you have a decent idea of what the look is. Another standout is "The Package," a CG-rendered short which follows Master Chief as he leads a small squad in a rescue effort. The visual style is solid, better than many of the game's in-engine cutscenes, and the frequent jumps to a first-person perspective are a welcome nod to the fans.

The overall presentation is also great, particularly the Blu-ray release. The actual animations vary in quality by short, but the overall look is crisp and free of noise. Supplementing the seven shorts -- really eight, as one is broken into two parts -- are a decent assortment of extras: an hour's worth of behind the scenes doc footage (one segment per short), a 20-minute look at the series narrative thus far and a commentary track with game producers Frank O'Connor and Joseph Chou for each episode. There's also an additional 20-minute extra, exclusive to the Blu-ray, in which the lasting pop cultural appeal of the franchise is explored through interviews and archival footage.

The Bad
There are a couple of shorts which fail to really deliver, for one reason or another. "The Babysitter," I suspect, is a matter of taste. If you are a fan of Pokémon, then you might dig what you see. I am not, and was not a fan of this particular story as a result. The two-part "Origins" also falls flat. While it's fascinating to learn more about the Forerunners and the Flood, the art style is underwhelming -- unfortunate, since "Origins" comprises two of the included eight shorts -- and the delivery is very dry.

Final Verdict
I would absolutely recommend "Halo Legends" to fans of the series. As much as certain bits fall short, the overall package is very well put together. You might take issue with some of the departures from the established story, but the shorts themselves make for an entertaining good time. If you're in a position to choose between Blu-ray and DVD, definitely go for the hi-def release. The crisp visuals alone make it worthwhile. Plus, there's something deliciously diabolical about watching this series of "Halo" shorts using the PlayStation 3's Blu-ray functionality.

Tags Halo, Halo Legends