Voyage of the Chimera (2021) User Reviews

Outstanding Technical Achievement - Crap Movie

[nb-19881 · 3/10 · 4 June 2021]

The sheer movie-making achievements herein are nothing short of amazing. That said, the movie itself is a big, fat turd. Excellent premise, but not nearly enough detail, horrible acting, and a weird Jules Verne take on what space ships will be like in 300+ years. This movie is like a bunch of high school whiz kidz made Das Boot in Space -- with about 5% of Das Boot's impact and character.

Combine the technical achievement displayed with the rest of a real movie and you will have something special -- special beyond an amazing technical, low-budget success.

You have been warned.

Read the Trivia!

[excrementologist-47395 · 4/10 · 8 October 2022]

Remember the trivia said this was made on a budget of $20,000. It is really unfair to try and judge this film by big budget standards.

Space Opera Science Fiction is not cheap to make. Sets are expensive and so are special effects.

I was very impressed with the space combat scenes. They were very well thought out and realistically presented and explained.

The dialogue wasn't bad, the presentation was which comes back to the fact they just didn't have the budget to get enough talented actors.

Someone said they wouldn't hire any of them. I disagree, there are four talented actors, the rest weren't and should consider working behind the scenes.

All in all I liked the story and wished they'd had more money for casting.

As science fiction goes it's a story with a lot of potential and I'd like to see more just to find out what happens next.

Not bad, especially considering the budget

[thoughton71 · 5/10 · 1 October 2023]

This film was apparently made on a budget of $20,000, and shot entirely on green screen which is itself a remarkable achievement. It's a 2021 independent film directed by Michael Gates, co-written with his brother Patrick, and co-produced with his wife, Laura.

"Civilian aristocrat Marcus De Vol enters military service on a purchased commission as captain of Chimera - a battered and hybridized old destroyer spacecraft with a bottom-dollar crew. Initially given the relatively safe job of running down pirates and blacklisted vessels for prize money, a change of orders sends Marcus and his crew far from home and into very real danger. Marcus must become a leader despite his youth, inexperience, and self-doubt."

This film was clearly made by a fan of military science fiction so if you like David Weber, John Ringo and the like you'll probably appreciate this. Most of the film takes place in the submarine-like bridge and cabins of the ship but the occasional exernal space scenes are really pretty decent. The climactic scene is a pretty good 'naval-warfare-style' battle which you don't often see in science fiction films.

Student film quality if they got an F

[shawnlvxmarketing · 1/10 · 30 August 2023]

With a cast of many, there isn't one actor aboard this space adventure. Low budget is no excuse for being a bad film. El Mariachi proved that. They probably spent more on this and it doesn't show. Watching it now I ask myself, should I even finish this crap or just watch Seinfeld repeats? It's just so awful I beg you not to even start it. I would bet my life saving that the "10" reviews are from the cast and crew or their friends. There is no way any sane person would watch five minutes of this dreck without shutting it off. Or maybe hate watch it with friends. It does kinda scream for MST3k viewing.

Another no-warning multi-part movie

[Snootz · 2/10 · 9 May 2023]

This is a barely tolerable fan-film quality movie, that without any warning is the first part of a series. I give a film two stars merely for that insufferable stunt.

Whoever wrote and directed this film is obviously a major naval ship battle fan who decided to conduct such in deep space. The Captain reminds me of Wil Wheaton. His crew... I'm not sure whether they're actual actors, investors, or friends and neighbors making a very low-budget film.

The story is somewhat intriguing (mainly because there's a mystery involved), that mystery isn't solved in this film. The special effects and battle scenes are admirable considering the tiny budget. So kudos for that. But it's pretty obvious with a $20k budget that the actors were working for potential take rather than a direct paycheck. Still, the film is more than I would expect for that kind of money. But when a movie is continued without any prior notice, it will be the last of the the series I watch, whether it's continued or not.

If you enjoy the idea of spending 75% of the film in a mock-up ancient-tech submarine control center listening to military commands being thrown back and forth, boy is this the film for you. For the average viewer... you'll likely want to watch something else.

Now, let's see how many family / friends / actors and others involved with this film decide to neg-rate this review. ; )

Jay and Silent Bob do space talkie

[wm_sea · 3/10 · 6 November 2021]

Jay and Silent Bob do space talkie Ed Wood style. Cheese Wiz is thick on this one. Cool concept of total CGI background with cast all mostly commissioned officers in brass insignia and pony tales and beards with like two enlisted guys in dish rag styled shirts. No women. Must be an all male bathhouse movie.

Too ambitious with too little

[anthonyandrewevans · 1/10 · 16 June 2022]

This small budget film was just too ambitious for a first outing it fells like a cheap fan production and the immersion was broken with the virtual sets and more could have been done the cast could be been smaller and the script is sloppy for a first film it does it best but the film could easy have benefited with more funding and a better script none of characters seem to have an impact and it felt was no of the heart that a film might have and most the budget went on getting a large cast who seemed bored and inexpericed the achievements and mistakes made a this film should serve as a learning experience for all involved about ego and ambition student films and fan films have done better with less and there are ways of getting more funding and backers amazon charged too much for it.

Amazing accomplishment, horrible execution.

[emh93 · 1/10 · 19 September 2021]

This felt like the premise was inspired by the people who made it: a ragtag crew with a tight budget and limited direction on what to do next.

There were a couple decent actors, but they had small roles in the film. The audio was inconsistent at best, with moments that were clearly overdubbed (horribly), followed by dialogue that was echoey and then immediately into dialogue that was loud and overpowering. It felt like most of the budget was spent on CGI for the space shots, which actually were quite impressive for a completely independent film.

I was 18 minutes into the movie and nothing much had happened - I had learned more from the opening text than the dialogue. They were following a ship for prize money, but that's all we knew as the viewer, and they just kept following the ship and following the ship and following the ship and then finally something happened. They also tried to work in these meaningful moments like the second in command calling the captain by his first name while leaving for a potentially dangerous mission, but we didn't know the characters enough to care if they lived or died.

I really wanted to love this movie, but the audio issues alone were enough to take me out of my suspension of disbelief.

Lost in Space

[shaneedavis-64065 · 2/10 · 12 August 2021]

There isn't much to this, it appears to be the pilot to some TV show maybe ? As someone else has pointed out it's all talk and no action. I was bored except the cast is attractive. Not enough reason to watch this though. Even good-looking guys standing around talking aren't enough to rate this more than a 2.

Very good for a Micro Budget film.

[dorgotti · 10/10 · 18 June 2021]

After hearing the story of how this project came to be, I am actually surprised how well it has come together. Yes there are a few places where it can be improved, Hopefully on the next chapter the crew will improve, But for the Movie itself, for what is is without having the big budget for special effects and all the action and glitter. To me it was more of a brand new crew trying to find a connection between each other and how to pull off an amazing feat with little to no experience. I would love to see how the crew will take on the next chapter in their voyages and to see the future improvements from these film makers.

Really nice budget Sci Fi

[xalen · 7/10 · 3 November 2022]

I really enjoyed this one. I'm amazed at what they were able to accomplish on such a small budget. A little of The Expense and a little Battlestar Galactica. There was great detail given to ship maneuvers in space. Especially impressive to see them feature retro engines along with port and starboard thrusters. Was also nice to see them utilize actual munitions instead of taking the easy way out with energy based weapons.

More attention should have given to crew costumes and next time, maybe some female crew members? Sure there's room for improvement acting wise but what was on display here left me wanting more, not less. Looking forward to what comes next.

Cheesy plot and worse acting

[moyerbros · 2/10 · 16 April 2023]

This is certainly a low budget film. Given the low budget, the green screen work is good. The acting is horrible. It's worse than a high school play. Stunted delivery of lines. Monotone dialogue. The script is simplistic at best. The crew is portrayed as though they are on a WWII navy cruiser rather than on a futuristic high tech spacecraft. Lighting looks like it was done with utility lamp from Lowe's. I'm pretty sure this production was made on an ipad.

This is not the kind of movie you watch when you're looking for an edge of your seat thriller.or even one that will keep you awake. This is the kind of movie you put on Amazon Prime when you have absolutely nothing else to watch on a Sinday afternoon.

Impressively wooden acting and no ending

[FunkyDragon · 2/10 · 10 July 2023]

This is not a standalone movie, and there is no ending - just a "to be continued" when the picture drops. Which is pretty much the final nail in the coffin. The effects are middling, the writing weak, and the acting really wooden, but all of that could have been forgiven if it was a complete story. Unfortunately, it ends without resolving a single major plot point or exploring a number of worldbuilding issues that were merely mentioned. The pacing is really slow within scenes but then characters have to tell us they've been there for a while because there is no passage of time between scenes. Sadly cannot recommend watching this.

Impressive Low Budget Project

[dshen-85835 · 10/10 · 17 June 2021]

I was floored to find out this project was completed by a dedicated couple with nothing but a green screen, an empty warehouse, local volunteer actors and a home editing studio. The passion everyone involved with this project has for it really shines throughout the whole viewing experience. The story line is compelling and the graphics are well done. Well done!

Watched with trepidation but actually enjoyable

[simon-watts-825-761677 · 7/10 · 28 May 2023]

Yes, you have to get past the micro-budget effects and flat acting, but I did find myself enjoying it and hoping that the "to be continued" happens.

I watched this feature late night, after a more polished but completely forgettable SF film, appearing as a random "watch next" suggestion. The trailer reminded me heavily of the Traveller TTRPG setting, so I started watching to see if this was someone's campaign put into motion.

You see, it has a coherent story, believable behavior, and some nice well thought out action. It doesn't rely on flukes or coincidences - other than one that makes this a story rather than a non-event. So many SF and action films end up relying these to prop up lazy writing.

I was definitely left with the impression that this film was set in a larger universe. The team had a story they wanted to tell, and just went ahead and told it as well as they could afford.

Micro-budget films can be much more polished than this, to be sure. Think of "Iron Sky" and it's precursors (Prik series?). But remember how many year some of these took.

And yes, it does feel like someone's Traveller campaign - which wouldn't be a bad thing.

An enjoyable movie

[brianncowan · 8/10 · 9 June 2021]

This movie appears to be a modest budget production, BUT the production was definitely top drawer. I saw a lot of craft here.

The story was good.

Sound was far superior to many modest budget movies.

Good acting by most, nothing terribly shoddy by any of them.

Lighting, cinematography and editing were superb, even on model shots.

Few of the actors had the chiseled, charismatic "look" associated with certain stereotypes, which detracted a little bit, but all the above combined to carry the story through quite nicely.

Personally, I think more face-on close ups would have enhanced the movie and reinforced acting, but I was impressed as hell with this movie or I wouldn't have bothered signing up to IMDB so I could write a review. I had no difficulty whatsoever suspending my disbelief. I hope to see sequels.

nice Sci fi

[kdgates-59782 · 8/10 · 16 June 2021]

Great optics and intriguing plot, especially for a low budget film. Especially enjoyed character interactions.

Refreshing and enjoyable

[pbachmeyer · 8/10 · 13 November 2023]

Refreshing take on a genre too often loaded with techno glamour and action but without any depth of plot. Enjoyable and exciting despite the low budget and limited resources of its creators: some wooden dialogue and less than desirable acting, but engaging story and good audio and visuals.

History is not a linear progression. Liberal democracy (such as what we live in today) values liberty and equality, but this film is set rather in an aristocracy of the future, which values virtue, nobility, and honor, and it is this setting which drives the plot in this story: a traditional all-male crew, led by a man who did not earn his command by experience but rather was obtained by social rank, and whose motivation - what constantly holds his feet against the fire to succeed - is to save the honor of his family. It's a simple plot, but a brilliantly refreshing one.

The film is a blend of sci-fi and Tom Clancy style submarine adventure: a crew which could have been taken from a WWII warship transplanted into space - sci-fi space travel technology, in a 1950s era warship outfit and setting, with crew personalities reminiscent of an 1800s military vessel. The acting is sometimes poor and the dialogue is sometimes cringe worthy. The special effects are pretty good. Given the low budget though, all in all an enjoyable movie. Would love to see more of this.

Looking forward to what's next

[bennfarrellwriter · 9/10 · 24 March 2022]

Yes, this appears to be a more cerebral installment of more to come in a series, but I think the characters are pretty solid, some action but not a lot, but mostly I'm impressed with how much the production used visual effects for what appears to be every shot in the movie. Also, I like the fact that there aren't any traditional sci-fi aspects like "shields" from sustaining damage from attacks. It's like, you get hit with a torpedo, you're dead, just like a submarine attack, but in space. I like that. There's more at stake by doing it that way. So I'm excited to see more from whatever the producers have planned.