The series is set on Circinius IV at the Corbulo Academy where the Hastadi squad train. In this squad is cadet Lasky, suffering with burns from cryogenic training and disobeying orders Lasky is given the chance to leave the academy due to illness. However that would mean leaving his maybe maybe not lover Cadet Chyler Silva played by Narnia star Anna Popplewell. Along with a few other interesting cast members the cadets are training to fight against insurrectionists that fight against the UNSC little do they know the year... 2525, the year mankind comes into contact with the covenant. Crazed religious extremists the covenant come from planets far beyond and are searching for artefacts that they believe to be left behind by gods (Forerunners). The Covenant attack Circinius IV, the cadets are unprepared and so are the tutors, thousands die in seconds as the space elevator evacuating cadets is shot down. After a tense scene lifted more from horror films than from the action genre the pinned down Hastadi squad are about to fall prey to an energy sword wielding elite when Master Chief, one of the last Spartan II's steps in to save them. One of the most brilliant things about the series is the cadets dont have a clue what the Covenant or the Spartans are therefore any noob viewers get to learn along with the cadets!
More stuff happens in the last few issues and there are a lot of little hinted subplots for fans, books, games and all sorts of spin off media to fixate on but if you want to know more I suggest you watch the damn thing, I promise you will enjoy it thoroughly.
I know practically nothing about Machinima Prime except that this cinematic venture is awesome, their, and 343's, attention to the detail in sticking to the games will keep the fans happy and gave the opportunity for some awesome visuals. The covenant weaponry is some of what amazed me most, the needler, plasma pistol and energy sword all looked perfect and deadly, you really feel like you are with Lasky, a vulnerable cadet unlike the games in which you are near invincible Spartans. Not that there is anything wrong with the Spartans, Chief lives up to his epic reputation head shotting jackals left right and centre with his magnum in a true display of Halo genius. Finally we come to the cadets themselves and principally Thomas Lasky, what a legend! Its brilliant to see him set up as he features in Halo 4 as an NPC in such a way that the title expects you to know why Chief and him are so familiar and if you dont its not hard to discover. Lasky is one of the coolest human characters of the Halo series so far and is for sure one of the less over the top, he is believable, realistic and heroic... no wait Legendary.
One of my very small gripes with the series, apart from it not lasting forever, is the music, I really love the track towards the end but feel like it could have been delicately woven in earlier on to give it more impact at the end. I can't really fault it for much else, it is well paced and balanced episode by episode, well acted, well shot and is true to the Halo legend. It is a true success for Halo, 343, Machinima Prime and all those involved. It is to be released on DVD and I will be buying it. If you have any taste or Halo fandom PLEASE buy it too. Its my hope that with enough support and profit this kind of thing can happen more often, and who wouldnt want that?
9.5/10
AXIOS
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