Halo: Nightfall

21 November 2017. This television series, edited into a movie version along with Ridley Scott getting an executive producer credit for the first episode possibly for marketing purposes and brings another big screen story of the sci fi video game franchise to life. The Alien (1979) inspired spacecraft and landscape design are decent. Some of the early futuristic features incorporated into the movie are even more compellingly fascinating, including a scene resembling the window view of Tyrell's office from Blade Runner (1982). The script was overly ambition trying to incorporate both a monster story, a survival story along with a supposedly divisive cultural class story which the last component wasn't well depicted in the movie. Credit is well deserved for the improved version of the sci fi monster motif used in the movie, a definite improvement on the run of the mill monsters. One weakness that comes up is the somewhat incongruent topography changes and the mountain or crevasse scenes that don't always line up, especially one of the ending shots. The movie becomes a bit mushy and typically predictable with its incorporation of evil intentions even though there is some aura of moral integrity depicted. In some ways, it even follows some of the same overly dramatic script points in Journey to the Center of the Earth of 55 years prior to the release of this Halo. The ending climax is also a bit of stretch as to the apparent allowance of the idiocy that leaves open the opportunity to actually be able to kill someone, such is the use of a distinctly irritable script manipulation for the sake of an intended ending. In sum, this sci fi action, mystery, thriller comes across as a watchable, somewhat enhanced version of typical space adventure movies, but nevertheless not quite reaching the ranks of superior, quality sci fi.

When attempting to watch Nightfall on the Halo Channel, which came equipped with The Master Chief Collection, I was unable to, the Channel experiencing, much like the game, one of many intolerable issues. Awaiting with much anticipation, I purchased Nightfall on BluRay, the question that is perhaps on reader's lips being: should I do the same? I won't respond to this, but after reading this review, maybe, dear reader, you will generate an answer of your own.

Locke (Mike Colter - who is quite possibly the single most handsome man alive), alongside his team, is operating on Sedra, an isolated backwater on the fringes of space, though this is just a smokescreen. Much like Williams on Horizon in Mass-Effect 2, Locke, an ONI Lieutenant, is spreading his employer's technological influence.

Tracking a smuggler across the planet, he and his team encounter a Covenant threat, one they are unable to suppress, a massive biological attack crippling the city. Investigating the alien technology which brought ruin upon them all, it's origins are uncovered: Alpha Halo, or, more aptly, a piece of the installation, destroyed by Master Chief. If Locke, his team, and members of the Sedran military want to stopper this threat, they are going to have to go to hell to do it - little do they realize, the real threat to their survival, has been with them all along.

Similar, occasionally, to Prometheus, Aliens and Red Planet, most of Nightfall takes place on the desolated ruin of Alpha, which is far from attractive. Though the opening of the feature shows lush, fertile wilderness on Sedra, Alpha is a distinct, unappealing contrast. Ridley Scott's influence as executive producer is visible in the camera work, the atmosphere, and the creepy imagery associated with the Covenant threat the joint ONI-Sedran team encounter. The effects are amazing, despite never been as grand as massive Hollywood productions, though it would have been superb to experience more, especially in the scenes when the team is being savagely attacked, the uniqueness of the alien menace being riveting, and the decision to inhibit it in the background is quite insulting.

Although Nightfall is designed to tell Locke's back-story, the series is narrated from the point-of-view of Aiken (Steven Waddington). We are, much like Aiken, on the outside looking in, and never do we truly comprehend the mystery that is Jameson Locke. Unlike Lasky in Forward Unto Dawn (FUD), whose family, friends and character were effectively delivered on screen, Locke remains very much an unknown quantity. Aiken too receives little depth, an issue that all characters in the series equally suffer. It's revealed that Aiken was once a Spartan, but it's never postulated why he left, though a visual representation plausibly hints an answer.

Honor, respect, sacrifice and the Godlike power of taking life are major themes explored in the series, Aiken and Locke exhibiting a willingness to do what must be done. At the same time though, the series conveys how fear and hostility can tear through the bonds of even the most loyal comrades, as everything goes terribly wrong. Nightfall efficiently blends together contemporary issues, likening the story to the world dynamics of today. ONI is representative of America: a massively powerful, dominating influence upon everyone else. Sedrans are much like America's allies: they receive guidance and protection, but are never given the same respect as ONI gives to its own people. The smugglers, who are later encountered, are similar to Middle-Eastern extremists (and not just because of their ethnicity), with their lackluster technology and oppression faced at the hands of ONI.

Although the opening of the series is positively brilliant, and easily captures the viewer's attention, the slower pace that begins to ensue, could be likened to a driver suddenly putting on the brakes for a majority of the feature, despite the well articulated suspense. A feeling of clichéd predictability begins to creep into the later portions of the series, while at the same time, action scenes are short lived, and many confrontations appear to be more verbal, than physical.

Nightfall is a decent stand alone feature, however, much like Battlestar Galactica Blood & Chrome, the Halo universe could have kept on spinning without its induction.

While Nightfall is a step above most other video game televisions or film adaptations, it is still unfortunately delivers less than what is expected from a modern drama and quite honestly less than what fans of the long running game series deserve. Halo obviously had an incredible series of video game entries but also was really the first game series to pioneer a literary universe alongside it with many award winning sci-fi novels that routinely place in the New York times best seller list. Television and film is an arena Halo has yet to conquer as successfully and Nightfall is, sadly, not going to change that.

My biggest complaint would be that at the end of the day the story really has very little to do with Halo. That's a benefit for those watching who have never played Halo, but a letdown for those fans looking for that kind of story, and honestly considering the scope and quality of what is available for sci-fi why would you watch this if you were not a Halo fan? Most elements here, if you had simply swapped the names to non-Halo terms, would not change the context or value of the plot at all. It is a sci-fi film with Halo paint essentially.

The CGI is absolutely laughable, but the costumes are quite exceptional and really the CGI turns out to be very limited as this turns into more of a character drama than anything else which I enjoyed. Most of the characters are fleshed out with unique motivations and it creates a lot of loaded, tense conflicts between then as they decide what they have to do and what choices need to be made. If I can say one thing is that this is the realest Halo had ever felt in terms of characters and motivations. Everyone has clear reasons for what they do and say and how they act towards each other and it pays off in a lot of tense interactions between them.

Maybe someday we will get the Halo show we have been asking for, and this certainly isn't it, but it still was enjoyable for me and honestly a lot better than what I expected from a low budget video game adaption.

I generally like any kind of military scifi, but I have to say, this show is starting to tax my patience.

When I recall that the episodes are only twenty minutes long, that is actually far worse than it sounds.

The initial setup and "mission" are quite promising, but after that first episode, what was an interesting scifi concept turns into "Quarry Walking Simulator 2014". This begins in episode 2 and continues all through to the end of episode 4, which is about an hour of viewing.

There is a rather weak attempt to turn the show into a psychological study of people put in a difficult situation, but it doesn't really work. The short format of the series, plus the sub-par writing and acting, only makes the characters annoying rather than interesting. Instead of tense drama, you end up with trite stereotypes and predictable scenes.

The CGI isn't brilliant, but it does the job, but, as I have already mentioned, mostly it is a tale of people slowly losing control whilst walking around a large quarry. Quite where the purported $70 million dollars it cost to make the show went is a bit of a mystery.

SUMMARY: A poor man's Pitch Black, hampered by bad writing, acting and with precious little of the extensive HALO universe to show for the budget. Monsters that are clearly designed by someone who thought Matrix Revolutions was good. Considering what was done with the Battlestar Galactica webisodes, there is really no excuse for this.

VERDICT: The wait for a decent HALO series continues...

It starts off so well but then they spent most of the time walking around with the odd thing happening. There is parts with action but I felt it could have used a lot more. The fact this is a Halo movie I expected loads of special effects and action like in the games but we did get that for a short period of time. After that it was minimised.