How it all began

Release: Out Now
From: Animatsu Entertainment/Platform Entertainment
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Age Rating: TBC
RRP: £12.99 (DVD), £15.99 (Blu-ray)
Halo: Fall Of Reach winds back the clock on the critically acclaimed Xbox gaming franchise, to tell the story of how its greatest warrior became the hero we know and love today. Taking its inspiration from Eric Nylund’s military sci-fi novel of the same name, this animated film reveals how John-117 became Master Chief, the protagonist of the Halo series.

Fall Of Reach mirrors the book and John’s story flows through the film, which should be enough to create a promising base for the characters to build from. Unfortunately, the structure’s as shaky as a Halo Ring that’s about to go supernova. The character of John is also about as exciting as his name suggests, thanks to monotonous voice acting that robs him of any life. Subsequently, there’s no way to relate to his character and trying to find a hook into any of the cast was a chore in itself – something that’s not an issue when you have a game controller in your hand.

The film’s graphics are also not up to today’s animation standards, putting us in mind of an Xbox 360 version of Halo, rather than the high-definition output of an Xbox One. Pairing the emotionless faces of the characters with that uninspired voice acting only leads to further disappointment.

As with the Star Wars prequels, it feels like a long haul to see a fan-favourite character finally don an iconic helmet. The result can’t live up to the high standards set by the gaming series or Nylund’s novel, and you’d be better off indulging in either of those instead.

Review by: Matthew Clarkson

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