"Now THIS is how you turn a video game into a movie!"
Forget the moronic conceit of lengthening a virtually plotless video game like 'Tomb Raider' into a feature length movie...or two, actually. Most "video game movies" are conceived with little more than 'brand name recognition' in mind and succeed financially thanks to 14-year-olds hoping to see their digital adventures brought to life...regardless of how turgid the adaptation may be realized. 'Red vs. Blue' is something entirely new and completely cool: the movie was MADE using nothing but footage from Xbox's 'Halo' and the voice-over work of some particularly clever vidiots.If you're a fan of Halo (which means: if you've ever PLAYED Halo for more than an hour or two), you'll have an absolute ball with Red vs. Blue. Comprised of 19 shorts that were originally conceived for internet entertainment, Red vs. Blue is silly and profane and altogether goofy...but even those with a cursory knowledge of Microsoft's insanely popular video game will by suitably impressed with just how 'cinematic' Halo can be. Obviously Burnie Burns and his cadre of game addicts saw something of a narrative goldmine in Halo's fantastic visual design, and you can just picture these loons sitting down with a few beers and coming up with a suitably silly narrative to go along with Halo's addictively cool visual presentation.
The plot is all but meaningless. Indeed, even the SXSW website synopsizes Red vs. Blue thusly:
"In the distant future, two groups of soldiers from opposing factions (red and blue) are stationed on a remote planet. In their spare time, they fight for control of the universe because they really don't have much else to do."
The pleasure of the movie comes from seeing the ways in which Burns & Co. have turned an addictively slick video game into such a foul-mouthed and witty little action-adventure. What this also means, unfortunately, is that those unfamiliar with Halo will most likely be scratching their heads through the length and breadth of Red vs. Blue.
Bah, but who cares? This flick wasn't made for those folks!
If Microsoft and the fine folks at "Bunjie" deserve effusive praise for delivering one universally adored video game (with a long-delayed sequel on the way!), then Burnie Burns and his pals deserve an ice cold beer and a pat on the back for taking their group obsession and turning it into something truly and cleverly entertaining.You can wait for the full-length compilation of "Red vs. Blue" to hit DVD eventually, or you can bop on over to http://www.redvsblue.com and see precisely what I'm talking about. If you're down with 'Halo' I can pretty much promise that you'll find a healthy dose of chuckles for your efforts.
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