Halo Legends (2010 Video) User Reviews

Diversity over Quality

[xamtaro · 6/10 · 15 February 2010]

Halo Legends is an anime anthology series in a similar vein to "Animatrix" and "Batman: Gotham Knight". It consists of 8(but actually 7 since two of them are just parts 1 and 2 of the same story) short animated stories that explores areas of the rich Halo game universe which were previously only the stuff of rumors. Different anime studios and directors worked on each segment as as such, the quality of both the stories and the animation varies a lot from one clip to the next. Some for the better, others less so. Overall, the whole production plays the "diversity over quality" card. There is something for everyone to enjoy but at the same time, something that a anime fan might like, a Halo fan might consider it as a great insult to a great game. It also requires viewers to be well versed in at least the most basic of Halo jargon. Curious little piece but not quite essential viewing for either anime or halo fans.

I'll rank the segments from my favorite to the least favorite

1) The Package, Directed by Shinji Aramaki(Appleseed).This one is for the fans of the game as it looks just like one of the in-game cinematic cut-scenes. For the only time in the whole anthology do we finally get to see Master Chief 117 in action. First, an amazing scene of space combat that rivals even Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Then all out Guns-a-blazing action as Master Chief and a team of Spartans attempt to retrieve the titular package John Woo style. So many little easter eggs including a short FPS sequence and an important cameo appearance, easily make this segment a fan favorite for sure.

2) Origins 1 and 2 directed by Hideki Futamura(director of "Genius Party" Key animator of Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust) with animation produced by Studio 4C(Transformers Animated, Spriggan). Cortana narrates out the history of Halo from the ancient time of the forerunners to the events of the game. Though it plays out like some slideshow, the animation is richly detailed combined with the best 3D CGI used for backgrounds and vehicles. They even used a older 1980s animation style for the ancient history segments to give it that aged look.

3) "The Duel". Boasting a graphic style reminiscent of classic Japanese watercolor paintings courtesy of Production I.G (Ghost in The Shell: Innocence, IGPX), it really is refreshing to see an anime studio try something new. With themes of honor and betrayal, the costumes worn by the characters and even the traditional woodwind music, it is safe to assume that the directors, Hiroshi Yamazaki and Mamoru Oshii(Ghost in the Shell, Sky Crawlers) intended this to be a homage to traditional Japanese folk tales and art. We follow a tale of an Arbiter named Fal who fears that the covenant's ways are dishonorable. The prophet uses this to accuse him of heresy and has Fal's wife killed in order to lure him to his death. It is action intense while also giving a glimpse into the Covenant's inner workings.

4)"Prototype" by studio bones (rahxephon, FullMetal Alchemist).Directed by Tomoki Kyoda of "Eureka 7" fame and new comer Yasushi Muraki, it seems that someone got lazy and just edited a story outline of a Gundam episode with new names and Halo terminology. I would have ranked it higher if it weren't so unoriginal. Basically its about a Platoon commander "Ghost" who suppresses his human emotions in battle. He steals a weapon laden mobile suit and attempts to hold off the Covenant forces while the humans can escape. Imagine Gundam Wing's Heero Yui as a Halo marine and you have Ghost. While this was a heart wrenching little anecdote, it suffers thanks to its unoriginality.

5) "Homecoming". another unoriginal story. The main character is a SPARTAN II soldier named Daisy 23. While the story takes place during a mission in present day, flashbacks reveal the sad origin of the SPARTAN program where children are kidnapped to be surgically augmented and trained to be super soldiers. The flashbacks tell the tale of a failed escape attempt by Daisy and some other trainees and how she finally comes to terms with her role in the coming war. Homecoming tries to tug on the heartstrings but ends up a mildly boring mess. The flat 2D art and uninspired character designs clash badly with the beautiful backgrounds. Whats more, the tough SPARTAN soldiers are portrayed as angsty emo teenagers. One of the weakest entries in the whole movie.

6) Odd One out. 1 word summarises it = stupidity.The title not only describes the main character SPARTAN 1337 but the entire segment itself. While other clips focus on dark gritty war stories, Odd one Out focuses more on lighthearted slapstick comedy. It is no surprise that director Daisuke Nishio, who also directed the Dragonball anime, would imbue this with all the staples of those long running Shonen action series. Exaggerated hand to hand combat, quirky characters, super powered kids, cheesy dialog. Even the flaws like repeated scenes and inconsistent animation is present here. A real insult to Halo.

7)"the Babysitter". Not only is this little story one of the weakest in terms of narrative but in the animation too. The story does not have the emotional impact of the previous ones and only serves as a reminder for the Halo fans that the production team has not forgotten about the Helljumpers from "Halo: ODST". Toshiyuki Kanno's animation is flatly colored and clashes with the detailed CGI backgrounds. Character movements are painfully stiff except for one or two shots.

In closing, Halo legends has something for everyone and something to put everyone off. Where Animatrix and Batman Gotham Knight had constant running themes or common characters throughout each of its separate segments, Halo legends lacks that cohesiveness.

A mix of good and bad.

[alexander_disalvo · 6/10 · 19 May 2018]

As a big halo fan I thought alot of the stories were interesting and relevant but I didn't like the elites culture being almost exactly like ancient japenese ( from buildings to attire ). And "Prototype" was just ridicilous...

Great for the fans, so so for others

[The_Melancholic_Alcoholic · 8/10 · 6 February 2010]

I am not a gamer, so I tend to watch the video offshoots of games, Final Fantasy and that sorta stuff.

The Halo stuff, of course I heard about it, but I never really saw anything. This episodic film, with 8 tales of the world of Halo, offers some insight into the whole Halo Saga. However, I thought it was a bit misty and confusing. I didn't get the whole story straight, or so it seemed. No doubt they've done this not to annoy die hard fans, and rightly so. But this certainly left me a bit underawed and underwhelmed. Sure it's a good anime, but why is this different from any other Anime? Elfenlied, Gunslinger Girls, the Melancholy of Haruki, they've all got something special, but this one?

I guess if you're really versed into the backstory, this is a very entertaining addition to your halo experience.

And the drawing is not very advanced, eye candy it's not. In this Avatar/Ghost in the Machine 2 age, that's kinda lacking.

The Melancholic Alcoholic.

Shouldn't disappoint any Halo fan. Satisfying experience altogether.

[markus_spain · 27 December 2010]

I will tell you about every episode and what it's all about. As a big fan of the series I found many things in almost every episode that made me pleased.

First of all, I don't understand people who complain about Halo Legend's animation styles or anything related to the fact its animated. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the movie itself, only that not all like animation in the first place.

I've always loved the Halo series and I regard myself as a big fan. For a long time I waited for some kind of Halo-related movie that would tell me more about the Halo universe and its history, show Spartans kick some butt, introduce me to other Spartans than John-117 and reveal their mysterious origins and have some comedic relief. Well, that's what I got when I found Halo Legends.

ORIGINS: I was pleased to learn about the history of Halo universe. Many "gaps" in my knowledge were filled in. Throghout time I've wondered what kind of weapons the Halos were, and I was satisfied to see it here. These episodes were informative and epic, thanks to familiar music from Halo series. And especially in the Origins II, Cortana is hot. Now that's what you call a bonus.

THE DUEL: The artistic value of The Duel is enormous. At first it might feel a bit weird, but let me tell you: It gets better each second. The Duel introduces you more to the world of the Covenant and that there are very humane sides to elites. It also reveals why the "Arbiter" rank is so disgraced in the Halo series. Action's beyond my wildest dreams.

HOMECOMING: I loved being introduced to how the Spartan soldiers are "made". There is Halo action, well-written tragic moments and, well, I don't have to wonder anymore why/how the Spartans are so "cold" soldiers and such war machines.

ODD ONE OUT: This episode was very good. Not at all corny comedy, I was really amused! And about it being an "insult" to the series, that is just a bunch of B.S.. I'm not the kind of guy who sees a human in a fictional comedy jumping 20ft. in the air and gets angry like "that's not possible!". You just don't have to take it dead-serious. Spartan Thirteen thirty-seven is hilarious. I would like to see more of his adventures..

PROTOTYPE: Kind of lame on the story, comes off to me as a cliché. Its cool to see some explosions and fast action, but it didn't feel as important or interesting as all the other fights with Spartans or ODST. Prototype didn't even tell anything about the Halo universe and feels out of place, but still can be enjoyed as a short action flick.

BABYSITTER: This one tells about an ODST squad and a Spartan on a mission to assassinate a Covenant Prophet on a planet full of aliens. If that didn't catch your attention, nothing will. Good action, Spartan shows off and makes every Halo-fan smile and there's a unique twist at the end which I personally liked. It only raises the question what have the Spartans gone through?

THE PACKAGE: I don't think anyone will deny, this is the best part of Halo Legends. Fantastic opening flight scene that puts the opening of Star Wars3 to shame, awesome explosions, beautiful "choreography" during fights, FPS, it's frigging HALO.

Nothing really disappointed me as a big fan to the series. Halo Legends satisfied my hunger for knowledge about the Halo universe, Spartan action, cool death scenes, comedy and more.

Overall Good, Room For Improvement

[maxxor-96991 · 7/10 · 4 May 2017]

Halo Legends Review

Video Games are growing rapidly as a medium, and in turn the games are growing larger in their own respects. An example of one of these franchises is Halo. While to many it's just a series of shooter games, it actually has a complex story arch and an incredibly vast universe. Halo Legends explores this aspect of the series through animated shorts. These shorts vary from more serious and dramatic pieces, to more light-hearted shorts. While there is certainly room for improvement, Halo Legends can certainly hold its own as a great staple of the Halo franchise. Each short is directed by a different director that is well known for their skill in animation. The project was led by Frank O'Connor, the creative head of the Halo Franchise. Some of the other directors include Shinji Aramaki, Hideki Futamura, Toshiyuki Kan'no, and Yasushi Muraki. The shorts feature many voice actors, including Josh Grelle, Greg Ayres, Luci Christian, and David Matranga.

Halo Legends allows the viewer to explore the expanse that is the Halo universe from multiple different perspectives. These perspectives vary from an Arbiter struggling with the conflict between his beliefs and the beliefs of his superiors, to a squad of ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) following a Spartan on a mission to take out a prophet.

None of these scenarios seem too far-fetched. They all feel at home in the Halo universe, and for the most part it seems as though the directors did their research. Having different directors for each short was the right call. It gives each short a distinctive voice, and makes each perspective feel unique. Something else that I enjoyed about the shorts were the animation styles. Each short has its own distinct style of animation, to help create the unique atmosphere of each short. The animation is beautiful in its own respect, but it also helps accomplish the goal of setting the atmosphere quite effectively. One short, The Duel, fell short in this. The animation itself was fine, but there was a filter over the whole short. This made the short look blurry, and it became annoying to watch after a while. A creative decision that I feel was intelligent was the decision to use the pre-existing Halo score instead of writing new music for the shorts. It helped make the shorts feel more at home in the Halo universe, and gives the viewers who are familiar with the Halo franchise a greater emotional response. That, and the Halo score is some of the greatest music ever written. An issue that I had with the film was how some of the directors ignored integral aspects of the Halo lore. I have previously stated that the directors did their research, which is a statement I stand by, but there were a few moments that left me puzzled. The most obvious examples of this are when certain characters interact that could never have been able to interact based off of the previously established lore.

All in all, Halo Legends is a great film. The directors took great care in producing stories that fit well into the Halo cannon, and it holds up as an animation regardless. That being said, there were some creative decisions that were detrimental to the overall quality of the film. While my opinion may be biased, I would give Halo Legends a solid 7.5/10.

A Decent Antholgy Collection With Good and Bad

[arorashadow_2003 · 6/10 · 23 March 2010]

I am not a Halo fan nor a Halo player. Sure I pick the game up on occasions when I'm with friends or something. However I am a big anime fan and the thought of a Halo Legends anthology anime did interest me. When I found my all time anime directing idol was attached (Koichi Mashimo) I was excited and knew I had to check it out. Here is my overall breakdown of the collection.

Origins I&II (1/5): Origins from Studio 4°C was probably the worst of the bunch. I found it boring and tedious and the production quality strikingly amateurish that no anime fan would forgive from a lesser known studio. While it is a good idea to give the background of the Halo universe for non Halo players, the choice of doing it in a narration format was just duller than dirt. I could have saved my self the $20 and read the history for my self at Wikipedia.

The Duel (2/5): animated by Production I.G, I was taken aback by this one at first. The insane style really threw a curve-ball at me but in the end it kind of grew on me when I realized it was a very unique style choice and innovative. But the color pallet and visual style really didn't do much for the story. Felt like I was looking through a glass window trying to watch a TV. The character designs are ugly and they look like dinosaurs or something. The final nail in the coffin was the all to obvious "NOOOOOOOOO" when he finds the body of his wife. Of course that would be upsetting but does everyone have to scream No in film and television? It's an innovative and interesting episode to watch but feels more like a Samurai story set on an alien world than a sci-fi action story. Not that's a bad thing necessarily either.

Homecoming: (5/5) After the continuing disappointments the collection finally picked up with this great episode. Animated by Bee Train (with support from Production I.G) is one of my favorite segments yet. After the disappointment of The Duel and that storybook they called an episode (Origins) my hope was withering for these stories to pick it up again. Having full faith they could do a good job I watched with anticipation. Frankly the dark turn of events was really not something I was predicting for anything Halo ever. I'm glad they kept such strong contrast in the color pallet by not going dark just because it's a dark story like probably most other studios would have done.

The bear might have been cliché but you know, it really worked and it was a very melancholic touch. The music was great having a bit of a retro feel but still not too retro. People at Bee Train to me have always been masters of using music to it's full potential and this was no exception either. The ending bit with Master Chief was really just the best, while I didn't burst into tears like I have on some other sadder anime series I still felt moved by the story. The animation quality is also extremely well done in this as well the character designs and art pallet are quiet beautiful.

Prototype: (5/5) My other favorite of the series! Prototype animated by BONES really caught me off guard. I'm not a fan of BONES they make overrated and over hyped series and to many fall into useless clichés (like Tokyo Magnitude 8.0). This episode on the other hand was both dramatic and action packed as well as sad enough to make a little tear in my eye. A very powerful well written and animated drama was the perfect installment. This episode and Homecoming were my two favorites and there is no way I can chose one over the other as my 1st and foremost.

Odd One Out (5/5): Harking back to the good old day of Anime right? Well maybe. Animated by Toei Animation, Odd One Out isn't well liked here among the fans but being a non-Halo fan that is probably why I enjoyed it. Amazingly funny and just felt like DragonBall franchise colliding with Halo. A lot of fun and a lot of laughs come with this one and it's just awesome.

The Babysitter: (3/5) The Babysitter was the first episode I saw through Halo Way Point and I liked it. Didn't have much hopes for this being from Studio 4°C and their usually super deformed style of art but I did like this episode.

An interesting bit that provided good animation but not a particularly engaging storyline. Apparently it's about rivalry between the two groups but it seems to be playing more to one kid's ego and pride which has only been done 30 million times in film and elsewhere. Not the most ingenious or creative but not the worst.

The Package: (3/5) Casio Entertainment's Big finale was a pretty fun adventure. Really great Sci-fi action and adventure topped off with a space battle is the icing on the cake. The story sadly suffers from some mediocre writing with cheesy one-liners and a predictable plot line.

So in the end Halo Legends is another in the collection of anime Anthologies. What I like about projects like these is you get to see several creative minds give their take on a storyline. Halo Legends has it's good and bad and I think fans and non Halo fans alike will enjoy it.

It looked cheap as hell

[siderite · 6/10 · 11 March 2024]

I always applaud companion content to a beloved story, so I was kind of having high expectations about Halo Legends. Unfortunately, it all felt really cheap and uncoordinated.

You get seven animated stories in two hours, with various animations styles, various directors and so on, made by Japanese animators. With the considerable talent they've got over there and the resources of 343 Studios and Microsoft, this should have been amazing. Instead, the 2d animation felt like some 1980 anime and the last one, a 3D animated segment that looked like made with the Halo engine, was pretty weak.

But the problem was not really the animation, because I don't care about that, it was the stories. There were not bad per se, but they were not even close to special either. Probably the one with the Arbiter was one of the best, but the animation style was weird and took me out of the story - also it needed a lot more context to be understood, even if you know the lore. I liked the sniper mission one the best, but the childish dialogue again ruined it.

Bottom line: some entertainment value, but ultimately cheap looking and boring.

Pretty fun

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 25 January 2024]

I played a fair few Halo games in my gaming days (mostly Combat Evolved, Halo 3, ODST, and then Halo: Reach), but I have to be honest: I never really got into the story or background all that much for any of them. Maybe I should've, because the first two parts of Halo Legends proved very interesting, and made me appreciate the universe and backstory of this series a great deal more.

After that, the remaining five shorts are a bit of a mixed bag, as is to be expected from an anthology film, but I generally found more good here than bad. The most memorable of the bunch, beyond Origins, is probably the wacky very anime-esque episode following Spartan 1337. That one was actually pretty funny, though I can imagine it annoying series diehards, because it kind of makes fun of the Halo series in general.

Halo Legends fluctuated between the most and least seriously I've ever taken a piece of Halo media, and for that, I have to hold a weird amount of respect for it.

I get it, why don't more people?

[nosonnic · 9/10 · 27 June 2010]

I watched these as a long-time Halo fan who's managed to get a solid OD of Halo life. I've read the books and seen all the extra content, I've debated back and forth with other fans and, more to the point, I've kept my sense of humour.

I loved Legends from end to end, although I despair a little at some of the people who can't seem to get the different aspects of it.

Origins; Solid work with a good director and a great narrative. Although for people who've read the books and seen the time lines before, it's nothing new.

The Duel; Showing signs of some of the great samurai movies of history, the change in depicting the Elites from vicious enemies to honourable warriors over the course of the games is only strengthened in this short. I loved the style, and I'm a die-hard fan of the 'one strong man against an army', why else would I enjoy Halo so much?

Homecoming; What's with all the hate? If you've ever even tried to pick up the books you'll know that this is pretty much another variation on the kind of thing that happened. The Spartans in training really were just angsty kids. Despite the size of Daisy in the flashbacks, she wasn't any older then eleven or twelve at the time. And that kind of thing does have a very hefty effect on you, regardless. The Spartans did escape, they did try to run away, and they most certainly experienced those emotions. So despite the slightly clashing styles in animation between characters and background, I loved it, heck I nearly teared up.

Odd One Out; Now this was just funny. What a mish-mash of classically over-done, completely over-the-top anime clichés! Super powered kids, dinosaurs, a stupid lead character who comes out on top in the end... Throw in a few internet memes and you've got the kind of stupidity that made 'Imma Chargin My Lazor!' funny in the first place (and don't pretend that you missed that bit, if you were watching it at all you'd have seen that face). Heck, even the Spartan's call-sign was '1337'. All of you claiming to be serious fans, just why? Why think that nothing about Halo could be funny? Don't tell me that you didn't stick the original game on easy and chase Grunts around with a pistol to make them squeal. It's literally just Halo for the Lulz. Secretly I have the opinion that most of you are people who would describe themselves as 1337 online too.

Prototype; Okay, yes, I know it's a cliché plot, and the characters do seem very... familiar. On the other hand, the easter-eggs hidden among both the fight scenes and the flash-backs are worth finding for some classic references. But again, the Halo universe thrives on just this kind of heroism, one person staying behind to hold them back? Using powered armour? And he's an inscrutable, seemingly emotionless man who's a veteran of hundreds of battles? Are we not drawing parallels between 117 here, instead of some other characters named so far? Babysitter; Again I say what's to hate? This is exactly the kind of situation that Spartans were deployed in. It's exactly how they were viewed, and exactly how they would have acted, and how others behaved towards them. I've been waiting for a decent rendition of how the Spartans had to interact with others, the games, especially the early ones, showed the ODSTs as far too helpful. The other marines weren't scared, they were impressed, and the military brass was altogether too happy to see them. The Spartans were freaks, as unlike the rest of humanity as the Covenant were, to some, with their green armour and faceless visors... Read the books kids, they might just open your eyes and shut some mouths.

And finally The Package; Brilliant, utterly brilliant. The spin-off game Halo Wars showed a couple of cut-scenes, highly rendered and beautifully directed, of what it was like having three Spartans take on the Covenant directly, including a fantastic case of direct hand-to-hand combat. This gave me the same feeling; the Spartans were unstoppable when they made their move, and particularly when they were led by 117, they never failed. Even if it killed them, they never failed. Plus, cameos are awesome.

I rate this highly, because I, much like the guys at Bungee (remember them, game creators?), have watched these shorts and not seen insulting values, but different and open takes on what the Halo universe has to offer. I've laughed with the funny stuff, and appreciated just how tragic the Spartans' lives really have been, and that's all there is to it.

Great to fill in gaps of halo universe

[carlesgolla95 · 7/10 · 27 May 2014]

I think halo: Legends it's a great compilation of stories that help the viewer understand the halo universe. The only problem i see is that it is made for a really small portion of halo fans. Tou have to be a good fan in order to watch this, but not too much, because if you haver read the books and all the stuff you might find it dull. It is made for people like me, passionate halo players, but not passionate enough to read book about halo universe. If you are like me i think you will enjoy it.

We can separate the stories in 2 different types: expalnation of halo universe and punctual facts. I found the chapters that refere to the history of halo very informative, and makes you understand lot of what is happening. The other ones were OK, but they didn't say anithing new, spartan II Program was rough for the candidates, spartans are not sociable, ODST and Spartans don't get alone.... Then what i though was a chapter of Dragon Ball, it was like seeing goku and his band fighting the first Sayans, i though that was bullshit, but then i analised what i saw in that chapter and realised it could be the one with the more important information: i saw a UNSC ship with a female IA that still on the ship and descendant of survivors that have a strenght similar to the one of a Spartan. Could that ship be the Spirit of Fire? A ship we don't know of, which carried Sparans II, and that UNSC looks as hidding something about it. Could these people be the descendants of the Spartans? That maybe would explain why they did fight like freaking goku. Or maybe it is just a parode... i hope we will now with the release of halo wars II.

Very Disappointing

[Harlemer · 4/10 · 18 February 2010]

I'm a big fan of the Halo games, and when I heard that they were going to make an Animatrix-like collection of animated shorts based on the universe, I was hugely excited...

And then I got around to watching it, and I felt myself die a little inside.

Firstly, let me just say that not everything was bad. I did like how they used the same music from the games, but also added in their own music on occasion, and I thought the English voice acting was very good. However, unlike the Animatrix, Halo Legends is mostly crap, with only one or two good shorts out of all seven. Animatrix, despite some of it's shorts to be pretty mediocre, was mostly a good show.

Out of all seven shorts, only three were really good. But since Origins I and Origins II are the same thing, just divided, then let's just say only two were good. The two-part Origins segment is narrated entirely by Cortana, with good animation and music (though it only uses music from the game). It tells the history of the Halo Universe, why the Forerunners created Halo, how they died, how Humans first encountered the Covenant, etc. The other short that's worth watching is the final one, titled "The Package", is CGI-animated and loosely resembles the game cut scenes. It's about a group of Spartans, 117 included, who head into a Covenant fleet to rescue a "Package". This short is awesome because it starts off with a kick-ass space battle, gets you hyped up with a sweet guns-a-blazing race, and ends with a cool cameo appearance. It defiantly makes Halo fans feel like they at least got SOMETHING good out of this catastrophe.

And then there are the rest of the shorts...

"The Babysitter" is about a small squad of ODST soldiers who work together with a Spartan, who doesn't seem think that TALKING TO YOUR SQUAD is all that important, who are on a mission to assassinate one of the Prophets. This has really boring animation, really stupid characters, and no real redeeming features. When we find out at the end that the Spartan is actually a woman, I get no real shock. Who cares if she's a woman? We get to see the "main" character of the short, who greatly disliked the Spartan, suddenly have a change of heart because, hey, I may not like Spartans, but I can't hate a woman! "The Duel" is a like it or hate it segment. I REALLY didn't like it because of the portrayal of the Elites. It focuses on an Arbiter who is accused of Heresy, so his wife (yes, his WIFE, we get to see what female Elites look like, and let's just say, they don't look anything like Elites IMO) is killed, and he takes out a whole god-damn army of Covenant soldiers by himself. I guess what really irked me about this was how they made the Elites live in some kind of Japanese-inspired environment, wearing really uncharacteristic clothing. It just bothered me, even though I know it's a really petty thing to get upset over.

"Homecoming" is a boring pile of crap. It follows a Spartan named Daisy (ugh) who keeps having flashbacks about how she was recruited to be a Spartan in the first place. Omg, where do I start? First off, the kick-ass super-soldiers are portrayed as scrawny, angsty teens who need to serious get on some steroids, and the dialogue is all junk, sounding more like it came out of some cruddy shoujo anime than out of a HALO TRIBUTE. And the little symbolic teddy-bear key chain thing made me want to gag. And to top it all off, the animation was a major bore.

"Prototype" even though I kind of did like this one, because it had really good editing, voice acting, animation, and use of music, it just didn't seem like it had anything to do with Halo to me. It felt like more of an original segment from some mecha anime than a Halo tribute. It does a good job of making to feel sorry for the character and all, but by the end of it, all you can think of is, "oh yeah, right, this is about Halo, isn't it?" "Odd One Out" is a parody. This is this worst bag of garbage I have ever seen! Why the Hell would someone make a PARODY of Halo in a collection of SERIOUS SHORTS? I don't care if it's appropriately title "Odd One Out," it's not funny, it has horrible animation, the main character is UNBELIEVABLY annoying, and it serves no significance whatsoever to the whole project. There may be one or two jokes that are actually a little funny, but it doesn't cover up the fact that this is one of the most insulting things they could have added.

All in all, you may enjoy this if you're an anime fan, and, you know, you're stupid, but I suggest to fans of the Games to watch Origins I, Origins II, The Package, and maybe Prototype on the internet or something. Don't waste your money on the whole shebang.

The origins stories of Halo are brought to glorious life.

[kevinxirau · 9/10 · 25 October 2011]

I must say, this was quite a surprise. About a decade ago, Halo: Combat Evolved revolutionized how games, specifically first-person shooters, should be played. What followed was a succession of sequels, each being better than the last one. Inevitably, a movie was not far away. With the possible live-action movie postponed by companies fighting over it, this anime was created help satisfy fans and keep them waiting for the live-action film. It does its job well.

In a style similar to "Batman: Gotham Knight", Halo Legends consists of several action-packed episodes, each made by a different studio, having its own unique artwork/animation, and basically revealing a certain aspect of the Halo universe. The episodes are Origins Part 1 and 2 (history of the Halo universe), The Dual (how the Arbiter became a title of shame), Homecoming (the horror of the Spartan II program), Odd One Out (a ridiculous non-canon episode), Prototype (the first Spartan armor), The Babysitter (ODST-Spartan rivalry), and the Package (Master Chief and company go in to retrieve a heavily-guarded package).

Odd One Out is the only flaw in this movie. Everything else is excellent. Beautiful animation, wonderful music, awesome action scenes, and great stories. This is as good as the games. Fans will most likely enjoy this and so will you. In the words of the Master Chief, "... we're just getting started," because soon enough the live action movie will arrive.

it was okay. except for one, READ THIS!

[www-dogi-dk · 7/10 · 24 April 2012]

well, it was okay, some of them were. I loved Origins 1 and 2, i liked the babysitter, and that dragon ball episode (though it was very stupid).

I just don't like the duel episode, and i directly hate the package episode. The dual was interesting made, but it was so boring, the last fight scene was okay, but it was way to long and boring (the rest of the movie, not the fight scene), i did not like that water paint quality, it was interesting made, and the idea was not bad, but the story were not good, it was just boring.

-But as i said, i hate the package episode, oh my god i hate it, i hate the way they made it (3D style), though i must admit that the fight on the ship was pretty cool, i did not like the rest, let me explain.

• As the story goes, Master chief and some Spartans (who looks stupid) are going to find something or someone on a covenant ship. first, when the f**k in the halo time line does this happen? before the first halo event? but anyways, they got to get this thing, or find something i don't know, and it actually starts okay, until you see the squad and hear master chief's cheesy voice. it is bad, sorry to say that, but it just doesn't fit right. They fly to the ship and that part is actually pretty cool, and you begin to think: ''hey, this is actually pretty good'', until Master chief meet this female doctor, and the doctor says: ''don't make a girl a promise, if you know you cant keep it''. i swear to god, my b*lls fell off at anger, she did not just say that, (no, my balls didn't fell of), are they saying, that this doctor, is Cortana in human form? remember that epic line in halo 2, were Cortana says to chief ''don't make a girl a promise, if you know you cant keep it'', or in the third game were master chief says ''you know me, when i make a promise...'' (Cortana replies) ''you keep it''. they just ruined it,the whole episode was ruined for me, because of that that stupid line! arg! it could have been a good episode, but one line ruined it. it would be the same as if Justin B. said ''wake me, when you need me''.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur-zrf6QDU0 (The doctor says the line)

summed up, all the other novels were Okay, not too good, but okay to watch as a halo fan. If you ARE a halo fan, you will like this movie, if not, well, i don't think you will hate it, but it will not mean that much to you though...

See it, its okay, except for the package.

For Halo fans only?

[mmushrm · 5/10 · 22 March 2011]

Watching this "movie" makes me wonder if its for Halo fans only. If you are unfamiliar with Halo, this movie will appear disjointed. If you are familiar with Halo but not a die hard fan (ie. like myself) you will find it rather dull, disjointed and disappointing.

The movie is a combination of 7 stories by different writers and directors. Hence the disjointed feel as it does not flow from beginning to end.

Part 1 - Origins; it explains the halo universe but IMO is a little too preachy about humanity's penchant for war. Even though the intro into the Halo universe was good, the humanity and war angle has been done many many times in Japanese anime. The story line is also very very common in any superhero comics. Found it rather dull.

Part 2 - Duel; Interesting artwork. Take the Halo universe and transform it into the samurai era. reminded me of one of the episodes of Samurai Jack.

Part 3 - Homecoming; Explains the spartans. Story is flashback on how a spartan "escaped" when younger to get back to her family. Found it very interesting and they could probably create a full lenght feature with this story line. Japanese Anime style.

Part 4 - Odd One Out; All I can say is WTF?? How did an episode of Dragon Ball get in here. Basically this is Dragon ball with the same character designs, stupid dialogue and slapstick. Just replace Goku with a Spartan.

Part 5 - Prototype; very mech type action oriented. Looks like Gundam. Action is good but (me not being a halo fanatic) don't see the connection with Halo other then the baddies.

Part 6 - The Babysitter; A throwback to the 80s style of anime like Robotech or Yamato. Felt like an episode of the shows I mentioned, even the ending. No bad.

Part 7 - The package; IMO the best of the parts. If the entire movie was like this I would give it a 10. Great CGI graphics and action scenes. This is the Halo im familiar with. Not much story (recover a package from the enemy fleet) but exciting.

While parts of the Halo legends are good and entertaining, as a whole it is disappointing and I admit that for the 1st few parts I was reading a book while watching and it took will power to not stop the movie partway through. Too disjointed and while the concept of different styles seems good, IMO in this case it took away from the flow.

A MUST FOR ANY HALO FAN

[triztanq · 7/10 · 1 February 2022]

If you've only played the video games, this series of shorts is a great place to start learning more about the Halo lore in a comfortable way.

The animation variation in each of the shorts is enough of an excuse to watch them calmly.

On the other hand, if what you are looking for is a story that has a direct impact on the narrative of the games, you will not find it here. They are isolated stories that, although they complement the lore, do not alter it in any way and may even fall short if you have read the novels of the HALO saga.

Halo Legends Is A Legend

[moviecyborg · 10/10 · 18 July 2010]

This series of seven stories can't be beat. I love every minute of this series and I still can't believe how good the finale was. The animation is amazing and the voice-overs were excellent. The lipsyching is a little off but I don't care. The action is awesome and the "camera" angles are fantastic. The Package has amazing CGI and when the Spartans are completely covered by their armor they look real. The cartoons are incredibly detailed and so is the blood. The paintings for the duel are great and the energy swords look great. You need to see Halo Legends I gave it a ten out of ten and if that doesn't persuade you to see it I don't know what will. Overall Halo Ledgends is a must see for anyone who enjoys action movies but be forewarned Halo Legends is rated PG-13 for a reason.

Not even close...

[adam_hx · 1/10 · 30 September 2010]

I watched this some time ago, and I am still in shock. Let me start by saying I love Halo. I have all the games, enjoy the books and comics... However Halo Legends was utter garbage and I regret watching it.

There are 8 separate animated segments, done in different animation styles. It is similar to the Animatrix and Batman; Gotham Knight, except those ones are good.

I will comment on some of the segments and what I thought of them.

Firstly, the worst segment in my opinion was 'the duel'. The animation was horrible, I think it was trying to be stylized, but all I could think was 'lazy' and it was so blurry I couldn't tell what was going on most of the time. The story was some junk about an Arbiter who lives in Fuedal Japan and is married to a cat. He upsets the covenant and has to fight a bunch of blurry samurai after they kill his cat wife. Probably worth skipping this one.

The second worst segment was named 'Homecoming'. I think they were trying to market this to an audience of 13 year old girls. It's about a girl Spartan who cries a lot and carries a little teddy bear keyring or something. I felt sick when I watched this one.

The segment 'Odd one out' was bad from the start. This one I think was meant to be funny, but they forgot to put the jokes in it. I didn't even crack a smile.

I think the segment 'Prototype' was added to Halo Legends by accident. They had an un-aired episode of Gundam lying around and it somehow found it's way into the collection. Watch it if you like Gundam.

The segment 'Babysitter' had some potential... Unfortunately they ruined it because all the ODST guys had girl hair (Apparently the military doesn't have grooming standards in the future), and the Spartan is a girl (AGAIN). *SiGh*

The package was probably the only segment I really enjoyed. The CG was like the games and it had lots of action (And no girls crying).

Origins was okay, but really nothing more than a rehash of the game story. I thought of it as an instructional manual being narrated.

In conclusion I thought Halo Legends was awful. I believe anime was a poor choice and there seemed to be too much influence from the Japanese production houses. (Apparently the Japanese thing all Spartans should be schoolgirls or something).

If they do another Halo animation I hope DC or Marvel can get involved and do it decent.

I enjoyed this very much!

[ollie-thiele · 10/10 · 15 March 2010]

Now believe me! I'm not a very big Halo fan and have really only played the first Halo very often. I really enjoyed THE ANIMATRIX and expected this to be at least good. But I was blown away! Each story (for me) was highly engrossing and kept me interested the whole way through! And believe me they really do save the best till last! The Package (which is the last one BTW) is definitely my favorite (and everyone's favorite it appears) If your a fan of Halo or anime this is definitely worth checking out There's something in it for everyone!

5/5

10/10

Halo legends- does not represent the halo universe well, but he anime itself is okay.

[Nova_Blast_13 · 5/10 · 16 April 2010]

Content: Most of the Halo Legends movies give a very poor representation of the Halo universe.(based on the books& games) Of the 7, origins one and two are the strongest, giving a good background story. The package has nothing to do with halo, but is an excuse to show off nice graphics. Odd one out is ridiculous. The Babysitter is third closest to the story. Spartans do not talk during missions, and do not try to be cool. The story represents this well, although it is unlikely the spartan female is so feminine looking. Prototype is nice story wise, but unrelated to halo. The dual storyline may or may not be close, but I found it the least interesting to watch. Graphics: The package is the strongest in this respect. Origins 1 + 2, the babysitter, prototype and the package have similar graphics which are in line with Japanese anime. They look average. Odd one out and the dual are the least strong in this respect. Music: Origins one and two stand out as true halo music. The rest are generally good but not exceptional. Overall: Overall disappointing. I would have liked to see stories which represent the Spartans as they truly were. Highly professional soldiers who put the mission before everything else, who do not say cool stuff, but have above all an inner strength which allows them to win. They do not look like heroes(being in that armor after brutal modifications), except for their physique. The anime is reasonable, but nothing exceptional.

good but could be better

[craigd-69371 · 9/10 · 26 November 2017]

this is a good movie overall but is lacking the necessary fast paced action that halo fans have learned to love and deserve. you can checkout www.streamhalo.com to checkout the latest and best live gaming streams of all the halo titles!!so you can watch a slow story based movie or you can jump in and watch some of the fastest paced and best players in the halo universe.

No. No, I refuse to accept this as canon

[blockmelater1 · 2/10 · 18 May 2010]

1) The Duel is by far the best, and only good short in this disaster. It explains the origins of the Arbiter, and why the rank was made what it was during the halo games. Personally, i loved the way it was written, how it all tied together, but the art style was off. The use of TOO MUCH Japanese art style made me think i was watching a samurai epic rather than some science fiction story. The Elites' armor were TOO influenced by the Japanese samurai armor, and it took away some of the feel for the elites' own culture. But besides that, this short is watchable and enjoyable.

2) Origins is an origin story narrated by Cortana, explaining how the Halo universe came to be. I like how the animators included views of Forerunner technology and ships, and i love the way the combat skins looked. But that's as far as it goes. Don't get me wrong, this short has all its information in the right place, i just think it may have mistakenly shown us information in a different way. For example, when Cortana is narrating how the Flood returned to attack the covenant and the Humans, it showed all races fighting the Flood. This may not be entirely accurate, but the way it showed them makes it seem as if brutes, elites, humans and all others set aside their differences for the sake of fighting a greater enemy (and they all lived happily ever after). Besides that, there's not really nothing wrong with this short, except that you can read this on wikipedia rather than shell out a few bucks for it.

3) The Package. I won't deny it, its fun. Its pretty damn awesome to see the spartans kick major Covenant donkey (bad pun, i know) on their own turf, but i must point out a few flaws. Arthur and Solomon, for example, died TOO damned easily. They're supposed to be spartans, the ultimate fighting machine, and they died stupidly, with Solomon charging recklessly into the inside of a Covenant cruiser only to suffer a stupid death thanks to a Covenant anti-matter charge. Where was all the military discipline? I know that time was short, but ALL soldiers are trained to work as part of a team. If your team loses, you lose, and that's something that apparently Solomon wasn't taking into consideration though. On the other hand, Arthur's 'death' wasn't visible, and it opens up a few possible stories, such as a capture and escape from Covenant space. I'd like that.

4) Homecoming. Again, where's all the discipline? Spartans are shown here to be (and i'm paraphrasing another reviewer around here) angsty teens. I know that they still hadn't had their first glimpse of battle, but why suicide? These people were trained to be the ultimate fighting machines (redundancy, i know) and some of them just killed themselves when they found out that they'd been replaced with clones. I get it, its traumatizing, but i think that if you take some things into consideration the story is entirely impossible. Most, if not all of the Spartan-II candidates were taken from the early age of 6. A child's mind is so suggestive at that age that with proper conditioning, the UNSC would've made them forget entirely about their parents and whatnot. More importantly, while i know that going back to your estranged parents only to find out that you were replaced with a clone is not exactly a happy thought, its not enough grounds for suicide. Suicide (and i say it as a person who once considered it) is a gradual thing, not something sudden. On a side note, why is Ralph-303 a marine? If he received the augmentations, the training, and the discipline, why did he not remain a spartan? Was it because of the escape? But in that case, then technically Daisy-023 should have been kicked out of the S-II program and made a normal marine as well. Oh and just to put the cherry on this, there were only 150 Spartan-II candidates, with 75 being chosen for the actual program. Why 303? Why is this short deliberately wiping its opening at the end of the alimentary canal through which solid waste matter leaves the body with our beloved canon?

5) The Babysitter. This one had *so* much potential. It is the story of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper squadron (ODST; Helljumpers) sent behind enemy lines to assassinate a Prophet. But wait, there's a twist! They have a Spartan. Now, all of you who are familiar with the Halo mythos know that ODSTs and S-IIs have a fierce rivalry, ever since John-117 (the Master Chief) killed three of them in a training fight. So, where is all this rivalry? Instead, we're stuck with this kid, O'Brian, who whines like the pre-pubescent teen he is, griping about how the Spartan SAVES HIS LIFE ABOUT 3 TIMES. This could've essentially been one of the best of the shorts, instead it plays out like that filler episode in anime, where they throw a bunch of clip shows together that adds nothing to the overall storyline. Again, on a side note, why doesn't Cal-141 ever talk to the other members of the squad? Is she suffering from PTVD, as Lucy-B091? Or did the producers want to hide the fact that there are also women serving in the front lines? Because i know women serving in Iraq right now.

6) Prototype. There's nothing really wrong with this short, except that it doesn't add a damn thing to the story. Like most of the compilation as a whole.

7) Odd One Out. Didn't happen, disregard it.

As a whole, there's not really that many things that are wrong with Halo Legends. I do think though, that they could've made it a whole lot better.

A must-have for fans of the game

[JamesMitchell451 · 9/10 · 22 September 2013]

HALO Legends is like Batman: Gotham Knight and The Animatrix in that it is a anthology movie that contains eight episodes chronicling the much beloved HALO video game universe. The tales told include (but are not limited to): A soldier with no emotion fighting off Covenant forces in a badass power armor suit, a group of ODST's and a SPARTAN assassinating a Prophet, the origin of The Flood and The Forerunners, and a SPARTAN down on his luck. All of the episodes are well animated, containing some breathtaking moments, and the many action scenes are pure eye candy. The dialogue is well penned and well voiced, with the strongest episode being the origins of the SPARTAN program. However, the one episode that really sticks out in a "not so god" kind of way is the one about the unlucky SPARTAN, in that it tries to be all jokey and stuff. Problem is, not all of the jokes are funny. But despite the one episode being mediocre, the rest of the episodes are incredible and should be seem by anime fans, and if you are a HALO fan like me this is a must buy.

Boring

[Jessicanu94 · 3/10 · 25 September 2018]

Kinda lame. The second story was really odd with its watercolor scheme.

A mixed bag ,Great and not so ...

[dregj · 9/10 · 18 February 2010]

As you've no doubt heard the ultra violent crowd pleasing The Package is the best Master Chief and his Spartans (mostly taken from the books) assault a covenant fleet to rescue a special package.Cgi awesome-ness could help wondering what the series would look like when I watch this.

Origins is good also ,kinda like the halo legends equivalent of second renaissance in the animatrix.It tells the story of the flood, the forerunners and the rise of the covenant-human war. Even if it does kind of gloss over certain important points.

The duel has an interesting idea that the first arbiter was against the covenant and knew the great journey was a lie.We know he fails but it tragic to see it happen when his fight begins.The only huge problem in this was i wasn't sure for the first few minutes of the segment what race was being depicted .Was it a new covenant race we've never seen ?No it was just really badly done elites,nil points for drawing

prototype goes back to action and to a guilt ridden unsc soldier while the action was brilliant the segment kinda get bogged down in personnel demons of the central character a little too "manga inspired over played back story"

Homecoming had a very interesting central idea spartan escape the testing facility and go home to find their imperfect clones in their place and their parents oblivious of their absence. Suffers from a cheesy obvious ending

odd one out and then some. Ill skip over this travesty as I'm not permitted to swear on this site(and cannot review this with such foul language)Moving on

babysitter not bad ,not great very predictable even down to the Spartan taking off it's helmet

over all well worth watching just have your remote control handy for the Clunkers

What were they thinking?

[Reviewafilm · 1/10 · 22 February 2010]

This is truly pathetic. Why make a movie from a milked game? Especially since they haven't even bothered to use real actors, oh no, they decided to make an anime film. Anime has to be the worst kind of film there is. Its bad enough they made the film, but they fact they made it in Anime shows that they can not do anything they originally planned to do. It is a truly terrible movie, even for Halo fans. If you are looking forward to this film, kill your excitement now so you are not let down while you watch it. Truly a terrible film at best. Why did Bungie even bother trying to milk the Halo franchise this far? It should have been left as a game. Save ourself the money and don't buy it.