This short film packs candy visuals and prioritizes polished visuals and special effects it seems more like a triple A engine testing trailer more than a short film but even in that tonally and conceptually this movie is amazing.It's palette is groundbreaking in my opinion and if adapted to feature it would show a lot of promise artistically.I personally love Samus as a character and have always thought the long line of metroid media needed continuity and story issues fixed generally for most if not for all of their games and its pretty much the same wall this film hits theirs not much infrastructure for plot or character focus still conceptually brilliant though.
4 Reviews
Okay film
bazmitch2311 June 2016
This short is very well made. For an internet movie, it has good effects, cinematography, sound mixing and music. You really do feel like you're watching a movie.
It is very much influenced by "Alien", due to the fact that Samus is based on Ripley.
It is cool seeing Samus do her moves from the game like turning into a ball. However, the big shoulders don't work. Although I do like the green lights coming out of her suit.
However, Jessica is miscast. There isn't really anything Samus-like about her. Nothing heroic about her. She's an okay actress, but Samus wasn't for her.
The plot is very meh. Samus goes on a planet, discovers something and goes home again. That's it. Also, she is the only character in this film. It would be nice if Sam Balcomb made another Metroid short with more characters in it.
Movies based on video games don't work, but they work as TV shows like Earthworm Jim and Sonic Satam. Even the Mario cartoons were enjoyable, despite their obvious continuity mistakes.
I'd like to see a Metroid series be made, maybe for Netflix. Maybe Sam could direct an episode
It is very much influenced by "Alien", due to the fact that Samus is based on Ripley.
It is cool seeing Samus do her moves from the game like turning into a ball. However, the big shoulders don't work. Although I do like the green lights coming out of her suit.
However, Jessica is miscast. There isn't really anything Samus-like about her. Nothing heroic about her. She's an okay actress, but Samus wasn't for her.
The plot is very meh. Samus goes on a planet, discovers something and goes home again. That's it. Also, she is the only character in this film. It would be nice if Sam Balcomb made another Metroid short with more characters in it.
Movies based on video games don't work, but they work as TV shows like Earthworm Jim and Sonic Satam. Even the Mario cartoons were enjoyable, despite their obvious continuity mistakes.
I'd like to see a Metroid series be made, maybe for Netflix. Maybe Sam could direct an episode
If this was made to encourage a feature, it fails
grandmastersik17 November 2015
Someone posted a link to this video on a website and I have to say that even if fans of the Metroid games would love to see a feature about Samus' adventures, they'd certainly not want it to be anything like this!
The idea of this short seems to be to set up the rest of the story, leaving us to wonder if a feature is indeed on its way, however, the dull and bland 11 minutes we're presented with is absolutely nothing to be inspired by, and if this does go on to be a feature, I certainly won't expect great things from it.
Verdict: if you enjoy Samus and all things Metroid, just stick with the games.
The idea of this short seems to be to set up the rest of the story, leaving us to wonder if a feature is indeed on its way, however, the dull and bland 11 minutes we're presented with is absolutely nothing to be inspired by, and if this does go on to be a feature, I certainly won't expect great things from it.
Verdict: if you enjoy Samus and all things Metroid, just stick with the games.
An example of how to honor source material
utjzz11 September 2021
Visually, this short is spectacular, and the few issues to be found are fixable in the event of a major motion picture following suit-the Varia Suit looks clunky and the actress wearing it doesn't provide the athletic frame or movement seen in the games, and the actress, who perhaps has the look, failed to capture the stoic and strong Samus Aran, instead channeling a nervous, confused character filled with trepidation as opposed to confidence. That, above all else, prevents this from being a nearly perfect depiction of the original games.
The problem with making Metroid, from a commercial film standpoint, has always been adapting the story + visuals and still selling it to mass audiences. It's increasingly rare to find a sci-fi film of any notable production providing atmosphere over exposition, source-material accuracy over big names and a convoluted screenplay loaded with tired tropes and material that insults the original instead of honoring it.
This short, however, did just that. Yes, the parallels between Alien, 2001 and this short are extremely obvious, but not in a detracting way; in fact, it perfectly illustrates how taking that type of approach-hard sci-fi with a slow build-would work incredibly well for a feature film with the Metroid name and story. A film heavy on atmosphere and tension, loaded with second and third-act action, and minimal dialogue or characters would likely work if the two-hour runtime were tightly edited and the studio intervention (that is, the bottom-line watchers) was kept to a minimum.
But to the point, this short is very well made, by people who clearly love the source material enough to use it, not change it, while still adding a brief and simple look at expanding the greater Metroid/Samus universe in believable ways.
Not perfect, but extremely gratifying for those of us who simultaneously lust for and cringe over the idea of a blockbuster film version of our beloved game.
The problem with making Metroid, from a commercial film standpoint, has always been adapting the story + visuals and still selling it to mass audiences. It's increasingly rare to find a sci-fi film of any notable production providing atmosphere over exposition, source-material accuracy over big names and a convoluted screenplay loaded with tired tropes and material that insults the original instead of honoring it.
This short, however, did just that. Yes, the parallels between Alien, 2001 and this short are extremely obvious, but not in a detracting way; in fact, it perfectly illustrates how taking that type of approach-hard sci-fi with a slow build-would work incredibly well for a feature film with the Metroid name and story. A film heavy on atmosphere and tension, loaded with second and third-act action, and minimal dialogue or characters would likely work if the two-hour runtime were tightly edited and the studio intervention (that is, the bottom-line watchers) was kept to a minimum.
But to the point, this short is very well made, by people who clearly love the source material enough to use it, not change it, while still adding a brief and simple look at expanding the greater Metroid/Samus universe in believable ways.
Not perfect, but extremely gratifying for those of us who simultaneously lust for and cringe over the idea of a blockbuster film version of our beloved game.
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