Gauntlet

I've been wanting to check this one out for a while. I knew that the production was several years in the making, given all the animation/graphics that were involved. It's a super fun flick that really shows how much you can accomplish when you're willing to take on piles of work and not stop until you reach the top of the mountain. It's an indie passion project so it's obviously going to be a different experience than watching the next $200 million dollar studio sci-fi movie but if you're up for something different you should check it out. I look forward to seeing what this team comes up with next!

This is by far the best low-budget & self produced I've ever seen. And trust me...I've seen some BAD ONES.

But to give a more detailed review here are my highs & lows.

Highs: The VFX are great for the film. And for the most part are utilized really well in conjunction with film's storyline. Also the plot itself was intriguing as it played off Tron & Tron Legacy only a bit. At first I was a bit concerned that it may seem like a Tron rip off, but I was pleasantly surprised that there was much more to plot than just retelling a 40 year old story. It also made me want to revisit some video games from my childhood, but that's just an added bonus. Finally, assuming that the actors are not professionals, their dedication to the roles & plot was very clear.

Lows: It's hard to be too critical of the talent within the film, but a few characters did leave a something to be desired. As various lines were delivered or battle scenes carried out it felt a bit awkward. The only other low was some of the costumes. There were holes on the sides of the masks that were distracting in scenes & the overall fit of some costumes remind of the budget of the film.

All-in-all, this movie was really good. The story drew me in & the production quality for such a project was very surprising. This project took a handful of people 10+years to complete, with the vast majority of it done by one person. All things considered, it was BRILLIANTLY DONE!

Great story and final twist. I was left thinking, "Wait, this story should not be over. Surely, there's a next chapter." Contemplating the storyline after the film and thinking what might be next is my litmus test in determining how well I liked it.

This movie was filmed and set in the 90s, so I could appreciate the non-HD camera and overall feel. The visual effects are definitely modern though (even the retro ones) and worthy of a major motion picture.

As other commentors have mentioned, the actors were a bit green during this time, but they told the story very well. This is one of those films they will be referring to a "remember when" segments on Entertainment Tonight.

Note to the film's creator: Make a next chapter. When it hits the big screen or gets picked up by syndication, consider a post credits scene with a tease of what's to come. I can't wait to see where it goes.

If you're reading this review, find a way to watch it!

After watching this film, there are some high points and some points that could have improvement.

High points: The visual effects were outstanding! It's hard to believe that this wasn't done by a studio where more than one person would have been working on it. The colors chosen throughout the film were intriguing and interesting and set within the 90's time period well. The music composer did an excellent job of helping me to feel the emotion of the movie even more. The story was compelling to watch. Suriv's performance was comical, yet very well done.

The areas that could have some improvement is what would be expected with a very low budget film. Part of it was some of the acting. It was evident it was the early part of some of their careers. Then outside of the visual effects pieces, some of the camera work could have been less grainy, but that was mostly at the very beginning and very end of the film. However, that could have been part of the vision for a film that takes place in the 90's.

Do the high points outweigh the low? Absolutely.

Have I watched it more than once? Yes.

Would I recommend it as an interesting, fun watch for a Friday night? Yes.

Knowing the context of how this movie was made, almost no budget, shot mostly in the directors garage and all VFX was done by one person on one computer over a 10 year period, makes you marvel at the accomplishment even if at times it shows that it's a no budget film. Suriv is my favorite, his performance was excellent. Story was fun to watch and I enjoyed the fight scenes! For sure worth the time to watch this film and appreciate the talent and discipline of a VFX artist/director. Is it as polished as a marvel high budget movie? Obviously not, but it doesn't matter, it's awesome for what it is, excellent film!