- Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn

I picked this movie up from a Red Box because I was bored and wanted something to watch that I haven't seen before. This movie was near the bottom of my list of things to watch because I am not a fan of the Halo games, so I didn't really hold out much hope for the movie. I expected it to be basically like Starship Troopers (which was a great book that got turned into a disappointing movie) and I did not have high expectation for it at all. To my great surprise this movie is excellent. It is far closer to Enders Game than Starship Troopers, and the movie shines because of it. The majority of the movie follows a group of cadets (probably aged around 13-16) who are the children of the military elite as they progress through military school. I am guessing that this all deals with the "lore" of the Halo series and technically takes place before the first game, because it didn't have anything to do with the video game I remember playing (which to me is a huge plus). Instead of fighting aliens the children are learning how to fight "Insurrectionists", a group who's purpose is never explained but left enticingly nebulous. The 10 or so minutes of the movie that did include the main character from the games (Master Chief) were the least interesting portions of the movie but didn't do enough to make me drop down to 4 stars. This was a wonderfully written movie, good dialogue, good coming of age themes, dystopian overtones, it is well paced (something many big budget theater release movies can't seem to get right), well acted (which is a accomplishment considering that 90% of the cast are teens), and engaging. If you are a fan of Halo then I can't really advise you if you will enjoy this. If you are like me and are either not a fan or are ambivalent about Halo as a franchise but enjoy things like Enders Game or Old Mans War then do yourself a favor and pick this movie up. You will be pleasantly surprised.

I don't think I've ever given something 5 stars but I did for this. It deserves 5 stars not because it is a perfect experience but because of what it has accomplished. With a small budget, 343i was able to pull off a well told and exciting live action movie in the Halo universe. This is not some fan service that only the Halo devotees can enjoy, this a great movie with great acting, a compelling narrative and solid action. Forward Unto Dawn follows a group of cadets in a top tier military academy, particularly Private Lasky (who we see in Halo 4). Lasky brings to the forefront some major themes of the Halo-verse that have only seen much consideration in some of the books. The uncertainty of war, the complication of the civil war preceding the Covenant-Human war and the fear and bravery that accompany any conflict. It's very exciting to see the Covenant War begin and get to see how frightening it was to all of the personnel and troops who weren't Spartans. The Covenant are mysterious, scary and portrayed in a visceral way. And of course, we get the larger-than-life awesomeness of seeing a real life master chief in action. Don't write this off as something only for the hardcore Halo fans, this is a film that a casual fan, or even just a movie fan, can enjoy. Great action, great characters and great story, all done with a tiny budget that never feels tiny.

I don't know why this movie got so many negative reviews. I, personally, LOVE this movie! My mom is in her late 50s, knows nothing about the Halo universe and has managed only in shooting clouds and her own feet in Combat Evolved, and she loves this movie! (I only had to pause a few times to explain random things; like what the 'tall, skyscraper thingy' is. LOL) My brother, who has only played Reach and is 'intimidated' when he watches me play the first games, fell in love with this movie as well! Both of them had the same reaction when John-117 (Master Chief) came onscreen, and the only negative thing they had to say was that he should have been in it for more than just the final half hour. Overall, if I could give this movie any higher a rating, I would do so. I hope to see more positive reviews for this movie. To me, I never once thought that it started slow. I love getting to know Lasky (who appears in Halo 4 & 5!), and the rest of Hastati Squad. I was intrigued by Lasky's personal development (in the beginning, he speaks out against the war and cannot envision himself as a soldier; yet after the loss of his friend--or girlfriend, if you will--he begins to see himself as a soldier at last); this last bit being driven home at the end when Master Chief addresses him as "soldier". Now I'm going to finish this review with a little twist for all you non-Halo-playing peeps out there: Master Chief (and the rest of Blue Team) are only 15 years old in this movie! XD

For a low-budget movie this was remarkably well done. If you were a fan of the Battlestar Galactica series then you should like this movie. The movie had the same "feel" as far as the scenery, the props, the acting and the action shots were concerned. Even some of the actors from Battlestar Galactica starred in this movie. The basic storyline is fairly simple to follow although there are a few spots where they could have done better (Like Cortana's borderline insane ramblings at the very beginning of the movie). The producers of the movie obviously make the assumption that anyone watching this movie would be familiar with the games and therefore they don't make much of an attempt to explain some things. With just a few minor 'tweaks' this movie could very easily have stood on its own merit as a sci-fi movie. Whether you've ever played the Halo video games or not, this is an entertaining sci-fi movie. There are plenty of examples of successful movie series that were based on video games. With a few slight adjustments to this storyline (drop the assumptions that everyone who is watching this has played Halo before), then they could make an excellent series of movies on this character. There is a sad lack of quality sci-fi movies out there. This could (and should) be made into a series.

It has been a very long time since a show i watched actually gave me goosebumps. Halo 4 Forward Unto Dawn is a instant masterpiece. With a game like halo being put into a movie format you worry if its just going to turn into a Michael Bay explosion fest. Which there is nothing wrong with that but it's over done. It was a pleasant surprise to see it not be focused the whole time on Master Chief. To anyone a fan of the series of Halo it is a must. If you never cared for the Halo games you need to step aside and still watch this movie because it's what needs to be done with all movies. This same high level of quality the only complaint that i had about it was sometimes too much slowmo segments. Glad to see they used the same voice actor from the original Halo games. So if you have not watched it on Youtube yet why you still reading this? Go watch them. I will wait for your return............................................................... AWESOME RIGHT!? Totally amazing! Now Pre-order it go on. Go ahead no one is judging you for liking a Halo movie. There you go good job. High Five!

If you're looking for 'Halo: the movie' that got canned long ago. Halo: Forward Unto Dawn, is a side story focusing on Tom Lasky, a character of importance in Halo 4. Taking place shortly after first contact with the Covenant, the focus of the movie is the characters (Lasky and the other cadets in his squad) and the bonds they make as they train to become soldiers -It is very similar to the Halo graphic novels in this respect. Forward Unto Dawn, is surprisingly good (special effects, art, direction, acting) considering this is an indie movie. The movie is available to view on Halo Waypoint (and youtube), however if you want a hard copy, the Blu-ray is the one to get. Also, it also comes with a decent amount of bonus features. If you are a Halo fan this movie was made for you.

This is a great movie whether or not you are familiar with the Halo mythos. If you are familiar, the added depth makes it even better. As a warning, it was initially released as several ~20min webisodes, so the transition from one episode to the next is sometimes obvious but that is no big deal. This release ties them all together into one 90 minute movie length feature with some extra content added in. It really is top notch. Forward Unto Dawn gives me great hope that other video games can get proper movie adaptations. Just as comic adaptations went through the growing pains of horrible cash grab, crapfests before becoming one of the dominant (at least in popular opinion) genres of the day, I believe that this is the first step in that direction for video games (okay, maybe Super Mario Bros. the movie was the first step. J/K)

The first time I watched this was on Netflix, but I liked it enough to buy it so I can watch it again. H4:FUD is back story, and I know a lot of people get bent out of shape when the story doesn't involved a certain Spartan. However, as an amateur writer myself, I really appreciate when a piece of a fictional universe expands on the norm, and this movie delivers. I did have fairly low expectations, and I've read that other prior-military people think this movie is stupid, but personally I think the point is how the events changed the main character, not how good a soldier he was in the beginning. Not to mention, enlisted personnel receive very different training from officers, so... knowing a lot about [modern] enlisted life, and a bit about commissioned, I have to say one's perspective may be very different from mine going into this movie. Take a step back, watch it once or twice, and think about it for a few days before you come to your final opinion. Taken as a piece of Halo back-story, I personally feel this film deserves some regard, even though it has just a little relation to the main storyline.