I wasn’t really sure how I would feel about Warner’s new Bluray release for “Halo Legends.” I mean, after all I’m not a gamer by any stretch of the imagination. I still get killed playing ‘Pong,’ let alone trying my hand at any of the first person shooters or racing games out on the market. Every time I play “Call of Duty”, I stand out in the open looking up, then down, then try to figure out how to run, jump and shoot at the same time. If I ever created a character, “Dead Meat” would be an appropriate moniker. My stepson has even tried to introduce me to “Halo”, only when I play I die every five seconds. Even if he doesn’t shoot me or blow me up, I slip on a banana peel and impale myself on something. Again, I just can’t get the hang of it. Quite honestly, the only exposure to “Halo” that I’ve gotten into is the “Red Vs Blue” web series, which is a stroke of genius by the guys at Rooster Teeth.

They use the game to create storylines and adventures, then dub in voices and make everything work. It’s a hysterically funny series that has to be seen to be believed.

But fans of “Halo” don’t have to be content anymore with just playing the game or watching this awesome parody. “Halo Legends” brings together the talents of five different Japanese animation studios who have created a total of seven animated shorts. Similar to the “Animatrix”, each of these shorts has a different look and tone, but all are based in the “Halo” universe. What I found most interested is that even though I know little of “Halo”, the stories were constructed in such a way that it wasn’t difficult for me to get into them and quickly understand what was happening. This might be the case for all viewers, but if you have a sharp, non drug addled mind, they are all pretty clear.

It helped quite a bit that the two-part opening short, “Origins”, is what it purports to be… a highly detailed history of the ‘Halo’ conflict. It’s not so much action packed as it is knowledge packed, and I definitely enjoyed the history lesson. I also very much agreed with the underlying tone that war is bad, and only mental midgets find glory in it. This lesson is followed by “The Duel”, which is easily the most beautiful of the animated shorts. The style is very much like watching a painter paint, as brush strokes replace the hard edged lines of traditional animation. The marriage of style and substance sets “The Duel” very much apart from the rest of the pieces.

“Homecoming” offers a strong thematic element about war for war’s sake and the lengths that our government is willing to go to make the perfect soldier and is probably my second favorite of the film. “Odd One Out” lives up to its name in that it is the one ‘light’ piece of the film. It was created by “Dragonball Z” alumni and is very silly both in its writing and execution. It has quite a few laughs and comes as kind of a breath of fresh air in the otherwise somber film. Of the final three, “Protoype”, “The Babysitter” and “The Package”, only the latter seems a bit out of place from the film. The animation is pretty good, but it looks too much like the animation you see on videogames and doesn’t really stand out like the others.

The Bluray release of “Halo Legends” gives viewers an awesome blend of sight and sound as the film moves from piece to piece. With each having its own style, the visuals are especially stunning with only a handful of mars showing up here and there. 99% of the time, the picture is perfect and colors sharp and clear. The audio, while excellently mixed in both 2.0 and 5.1 for some reason is not offered in TrueHD. This is a misfire I feel for the studio, still the sound as it is given is very good.

As for extra features, franchise delevelopment director Frank O’Connor and film producer Joseph Chou join forces to talk about every facet of the “Halo” Universe in a commentary that spans all of the shorts. The overall commentary is pretty forthright and full of great tidbits of information for the gamer in you. There is also a lengthy eight-part documentary about the making of “Halo Legends” which focuses on every minute detail of the making of each short. You’ll also find a feature on the game of “Halo” itself, which shows how it has evolved over the years. Finally, there is an overview of the “Halo” story.

Like “The Animatrix”, “Halo: Legends” might not appeal to everyone. Those who play the game until all hours of the night will both love and loathe it, depending on their level of love for the series. Hardcore fans are more likely to pick things apart. If you love animation as a whole, then there is a lot here for you to take in.

Directed by: Frank O’Connor & Joseph Chou
Extras: The Making of Halo Legends; Halo The Story So Far; Commentary by Directors Frank O’Connor & Joseph Chou
Specification: 1080p High Definition (1.78:1); 5.1 Dolby Digital
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 2/16/2010
MPAA Rating: PG-13
http://www.halolegendsdvd.com

We'll give Halo Legends (Bluray) an A.