Sometimes when I’m reviewing films, I get caught off guard with the type of film that I’m expecting to see. It was definitely the case with “Halo-4: Forward into Dawn, as I was expecting a CGI film. Instead, I ended up with a live-action “Halo” film that serves as a prequel for the new “Halo-4” videogame.
The film follows Thomas Lasky, a young cadet at Corbulo Military Academy. He and his cadets are training to help the United Nations Space Command defeat the insurrectionists that caused a civil war that is happening all over the galaxy. Lasky is conflicted about his path and future with the academy. But everything changes for him, when the academy becomes under attack from an alien assault that’s intend of wiping them all out. The only assistance that can help Lasky and his fellow cadets is the mysterious supersoldier known as the Master Chief.
I was very surprised with “Halo-4: Forward into Dawn”. This is a film that I was going to hate considering that this was live action as opposed CGI animated. But to my surprise, this was one very entertaining live action film.
Most of that had to do with Steward Handler direction. One of the things that made his direction good was that it had the feel of a live action film and it looked professional. Handler does that, by the way he handles the dark tone in his direction. It helped the film feel like an actual film instead of a fanboy type of film, which I feared going into this film. The other thing that he does well, he manages to get his cast to really be invested in the screenplay. I liked, the way that the cast brought a level of seriousness to their characters. It helped made the characters in the story interesting to watch and it helps you be engaged in the film.
Overall, a very good job on the direction side of the film.
The best part of this film was that the screenplay was very good. Todd and Aaron Helbing did a very good with the way they handled the story. One of the things that made the story very good was the character development. The development does a very good job going into the characters, especially in the beginning of the film where you get the introduction of the characters through army recruitment vignettes of them taking about themselves and why they joined the army. It’s a very solid introduction that helps establish them to the audience. The other thing that makes the development work was the fact that it doesn’t rush into the action. I was happy that the writers spent time developing the main character and characters around him. By not rushing into it right away, it allows you to be interested in the main character. It makes the story entertaining, before all the action sequences started to kick in.
“Halo-4: Forward into Dawn” is the closest thing at the moment to a full blown live-action “Halo” film. It’s a very entertaining film that has a story that has good development and direction which way was better that I anticipated.
Review Rating: Four Stars
