I know nothing about the game, but this first episode has me very interested in the series.
The only way it’s good is if you consider it Halo fan fiction. I don’t get everyone’s obsession with ignoring set lore and making a different timeline. Basing it on the Halo lore, this show is utter crap. So many things went wrong that just directly go against what things stand for from the games. Basing it as a “creative” adaptation of Halo. It’s fine so far, I’m interested to see where it will go. I am simply disappointed that it’s an adaptation rather than showing existing lore as live action. Also I don’t know what everyone is talking about but I find the CGI at the beginning utter crap. In 2022 I should not be able to distinguish between CGI and real.
Honestly thought it was pretty good. Had low expectations going in and knew it would be non-cannon to the games which is fine. Some of the acting and costumes are corny and some bad CGI, but overall I was pleasantly surprised.
Mind blowing !
There are not words to describe... Tears in my eyes only !
I knew this show is going to be my favorite and it really did exceed my expectations. Although I feel like there is a prequel or something that needs to be watched, or maybe they will make the story more clear as they go, like Arrow the series, where they give flashbacks to the past to make the story clear for viewers. I haven't played the game and I can't really do that, or seen anything prior to this, so maybe if anyone would suggest something it would be cool?
Will only share a few thoughts about the premiere. Ok, so it feels like there's no distinct vision and there isn't anything that sets it apart from other sci-fi shows like cultural favourite The Mandalorian or says a series with a small following like Foundation. I'm not a fan of the game, however, this project has been in the works for a very long time, since 2012 I believe (I'm speaking of Halo as a series for Showtime, it was being worked on as a film beforehand) so I was hyped to see what they had cooking, can't say I was floored. And this was the first of what will be a huge tidal wave of TV shows tackling video game properties (we're getting The Last of Us on HBO next year, Fallout not long after and many that are currently in the works). Anyways, Paramount or Showtimes should've trusted a sole showrunner, who appears to have been Kyle Killen until he got replaced by Steven Kane whose work ends once this season ends and now David Weiner is the showrunner. This isn't a good sign and it demonstrates how Showtime/Paramount should've entrusted this to someone like David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and the end result feels like a hard PG-13 Mandalorian. The VFX and designs here are impressive, it's great to look at but besides that, I'm not invested in the story and I don't feel connected to the conflict. If word says the show gets better midway, I'll probably tune back in but for the moment, I'm gonna cut the chord on this since there's A LOT of TV out this Spring and knowing that I'll be getting two tentpole shows later in the year (House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power), I'm sure I can manage to wait a bit longer for another big blockbuster show.
Been waiting for this since Esoteria, the foundation of the original Halo PC. Very happy to see what's next. The lighting is even like the game.
Too soon to tell, it could be promising. We'll see what the next couple of episodes will bring.
I love sci-fi and came in with no expectations. I never played the games and only know the franchise by name, so I can’t go on about faithfulness. But on a pure TV show viewpoint: it’s terrible. It feels like things happen because the story needs it to happen, instead of the story just happening on itself. Character X is in trouble? Here is this thing that magically solves the problem for him. Anything else feels like a filler. The acting is average, the characters feel one-dimensional and lacking in interest. Nothing stood out from this pilot. I will not be watching ep2, hard pass.
Holy hell. Have to see how it all pans out in terms of the storyline, but that 15 min intro sequence was damn amazing.
Didn't have high expectations for this but surprisingly this episode was so good. Did enjoy it very much. Some of the CGI's were spectacular and the suits look very realistic. Hope the rest of the series will be good as this one.
I’ve played every HALO game but I’m not fanatical about it. I don’t mind a non-canon show here and there and I enjoy being entertained for entertainment’s sake. I’m not going to get my Master Chief underoos in a bunch if the showrunners get small details of the universe wrong in the service of telling their own story. Honestly, the HALO game storyline is beyond confusing to me at this point, so a show that doesn’t feel the need to adhere to it may be a breath of fresh air. But so far it seems like the showrunners don’t really care about the universe at all and are just using it to their own end. They’ve taken a box of LEGO and are assembling their own object with the bricks provided, without looking at the instructions or even the picture on the box. What they’re building may ultimately be cool, too, but it will be HINO (HALO In Name Only). It would not surprise me if we never see a halo ring at all in this version of HALO, and that’s kind of unfortunate.
I did like hearing the sound of Master Chief’s shield discharging and recharge. That gave me a smile. And I generally had no issues with the CGI, the acting, etc.
I knew it wasn’t going to be exactly like the Halo video games I played as I kid. I am enjoying this so far. We will see where it’s goes.
hell of an intro for sure. You just gotta look at it like eveybody but the spartans are NPC lol. I love how they had low damage sound. I just don't understand how they didn't use the actual voice of chief form the videogames
he really took his helmet off in the first episode? WTF
Don't know and didn't play the games. But the first episode got me hooked. I really enjoyed it. Even if the "humanity" character development was a little bit fast.
What a stunning pilot! The CGI is top notch. Executive Producer Spielberg - wow! this show along with Raised by Wolves is going to the top
When the first episode gets me to care about the main character, I'm hooked.
I had my doubts about this one .... but man did it deliver. Great pilot...
It was great to see Master chief in real life form.
@alexander - MEGA Ditto's, Fam.... MEGA DITTOS!!!!! But Ahh yes, the nattering naybob's of negativity IMMEDIATELY reared their basement dwelling little heads, (I mean their literal little heads, NOT their "little" heads) to whine about "canon", and how it's "not like the game" and its "utter crap". It seems like some people could be starving and dying of thirst in the desert, and if someone came along and offered them a Double Quarter Pounder with cheese, added bacon, and a 2 liter of ice cold DIET Mountain Dew, they'd vociferously decline, citing their vegan status and start lecturing on the evils of artificial sweeteners.
Give be a freeking break!
I'm willing to forgive Paramount for having the audacity to produce a show that would appeal to a WIDE audience, who may have NEVER PLAYED Halo, or even heard of it, but, by filling it with a cogent storyline that Joe average could get behind, actually enjoy, and want to tune into AGAIN. Perhaps this maximizing on potential return seems offensive to those who seem to think money and capitalism are evil, you know, the "starving artist" types who rail at the "sellouts" who fail to maintain their approved level of purity.
But I digress.....
Personally, I REALLY enjoyed the opener, and, was impressed by the production level, the talent, and the storyline as presented. Whether they can maintain this has yet to be seen, especially if the writers decide, like unfortunately so MANY Sci Fi shows of late, to start mallet ting the audience over their noggins with wokeness, and social justice commentary, rather than simply trying to be entertaining and appealing. Not that I'm opposed to such things. One however needs to temper the conversion attempts, and take what I call the "Rod Serling approach", that is, tell a great story, and make your point allegorically, rather than a full frontal assault. Star Trek TOS, and to a lesser extent, TNG also did this well.
Yet there too, the nabob's complained about sticking to "approved" storylines, while being seemingly unaware that strictly doing so negates any possibility of originality, inventiveness, or flair. "Hey, the Model T was a reliable car, so, why do we need Tesla's?" Because times change, tastes change, technology changes, and sometimes, changing up your Mom's recipe gives you something even tastier and more enjoyable.
Maybe this excerpt from the shows creators will help them get over their phobias:
But in adapting the character for an ongoing TV series, “It was necessary to basically ask the viewer to get rid of that dynamic,” says Schreiber. “You’re no longer a co-creator of this experience. You’re now being asked to put the controller down, sit down on the couch, and join Chief on a journey where he’s going to learn about his humanity in a way he hasn’t before. And through that process, we as an audience will learn things about him that we never knew before.”
https://tvline.com/2022/03/25/halo-tv-series-episode-1-master-chief-removes-helmet/
And I for one found the first course of "Halo" to be very appetizing, and look forward to the rest of the meal.
I don't know anything about Halo except for the Ring, Master Chief and Cortana; so as a futuristic space sci-fi, it's actually a good plot IMO. Looking forward to the next episodes!
Throught this would have ended poorly but I was pleasantly surprised, as a huge halo fan. Small inconsistencies don't bother me, I enjoyed the show in my late twenties and I can't imagine how amazed my teenage self would be if I'd seen it then. Solid first episode.
Amazing. Entertaining. Captivating. Not sure why all the negative reviews. This is not real life or video game. Well worth the hour I invested. Can’t wait to see what the series will bring. Ignore all the haters. Watch it and enjoy.
I've played all the games, spin offs, read the books and I knew going into the show this would not follow the video game storyline and I'm cool with that. I enjoyed this first episode. That opening 15 minutes was pretty, pretty pretty good
At my first view I was second-screening because of low expectations, was i wrong. Second view I was totally engaged. No teabaggin’ though :(
it was intriguing and I'll definitely watch more but I understand why long time fans of Halo (games, books comics, etc) would be royally pissed off It felt like a SW tale with Halo asstherics modded in
also the CGI was a bit sus at times
I really liked this episode, it doesn't beat around the bush and starts with the action that is characteristic of this franchise. Perhaps those who enjoy it the most are those who are not so attached to the official canon.
Very solid season premier. Quite excited to see how this pans out!
9/10
Holy-smokes now that was super frickin awesome amazing, what a superb start to a spectacular show.
Yes I'm getting strong Mando vibes but that's even better because that show is a successful proven formula that totally works and do you know what...the magic has happened once again with this Masterpiece of a show. Quality absolute quality and the production is off the charts, like the second best for vfx with
Star Trek Discovery being number 1 at a million dollars spent an episode but being number 2 for special effects is bloody brilliant because I thought it looked outstanding.
Loved that John took his Helmet off, let's connect with him as a person not a weapon, so for me I'm glad that happened sooner rather than later, now I'm completely invested in John and his safety and he must be protected at all costs.
One of the strongest starts I've seen to a show in a very very long time and I'm definitely all in for the rest of the season and beyond.
"LETS GO"
Damn that was amazing! Was not expecting it to be that good. Elements of continuum, robocop, expanse, doom
54 | The production and costume design was marvelous. It helps to create the world that was introduced in Halo. So far film or series elements quality in general increased, except for the writing and acting. The first episode was not impressive as it should be, because of meh acting especially Kwan Ha. Some of the writing decisions also not landed perfectly in the story or the character who delivered it. Let's forget about that bad elements. Master Chief was the coolest person in the room.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Rating: 53.46
Plot
P1: 1.1
P2: 0.9
P3: 1.0
P4: 0.9
Director: Otto Bathurst
Favorite Characters
1.4: Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief
1.0: Danny Sapani as Captain Jacob Keyes
1.0: Olive Gray as Dr. Miranda Keyes
0.9: Natascha McElhone as Dr. Catherine Halsey
0.8: Shabana Azmi as Admiral Margaret Parangosky
0.7: Yerin Ha as Kwan Ha
Written by Kornelius Harda Wicaksana
They broke the cardinal rule. Chief never takes his helmet off where we can see it. Let alone showing his face. Also Pablo sounds like someone trying way too hard to do a Chief impression while constipated. If you're going to do a Halo show, make it canon, and actually put some effort into it.
Master Chief is generic military action hero now. Great.
I don't play the Video Game but wanted to watch because of Pablo after seeing him in American Gods. With the First episode I'm hooked. Great start and story. CG could be better hopefully its just the pilot.
As someone who has never even powered up a HALO game in his life, I liked it very much. Stunning effects, decent story, and a nice Sci-Fi edge to it. I liked it very much and will continue to watch weekly.
I'll go against the grain and say it follows the games a little too close. A video game can get away with weak writing and low attention to cinematic detail, but a TV adaptation needs to be a lot better. An elite special ops unit would not land in the middle of a battlefield striking a dramatic pose, pausing a few seconds to take in the environment, without taking heavy fire from surrounding hostiles—that part was stupid enough, but there was no shortage of highly questionable decisions and interactions in that battle.
The unit would also make sure an area is actually clear before announcing it's clear or holstering their weapon, or touching an unknown, possibly life-threatening artifact before quarantining and analyzing it. Speaking of which, a magical item that unlocks memories and turns a highly trained soldier mutinous is a plot device fit for a Saturday morning cartoon. I expected better for some reason.
Kinda excited for the next episode.
This is more "Hell no" than "Halo."
The characters in the movie didn’t feel consistent, like Kwan, sometimes she acts like a smart girl, but most time pretty dummy. And 117 got some humanity in just 1st episode?! I know the TV version wanna telling a different story, that’s fine, John got more humanity, that’s fine. But first, let audiences understand he is a kill machine in first season, then think about war and humanity in second season, so the struggle of John will be more profoundly.
I hope I will be able to understand everything moving forward as I don't know anything about this franchise.
Yes!
Very very well done.
A great start to what appears to be an amazing show, lots of action, lots of great acting, really cool tech, the lore of the whole HALO universe to play with.
I was worrying that this show would be chocked full of “wokisms” like pretty much everything new these days is. Didn’t spot anything blazingly obviously. Just great actors doing great tv. Keep this up and you’ll have a massively popular show.
Oh. The network making it, would be wise to let other services stream it. If it only streams on one platform they’re going to be a victim of obscurity.
I suggest they stream it on their platform first after production. Then after a week or so, let other services stream it.
Watch the show. It’s very well done, im already seeing visions of 10 seasons.
Never got into the Halo games so i came into this with new eyes and its still kind of bad.
Cgi on the guns is off somehow
The dad shoots the automatic cannon and didn’t hurt them then the Spartan picks up the same gun and kill the Creature? Huh? Ok then, unless their suits give normal weapons more power that I don’t know about, if not then that should be impossible
The Spartans thought all the creatures was dead? They didn’t hear the dad shooting his gun at the last Creature? All that tech and you ignore gunshots lol. Unnecessary death just so he could do a redemption kill.
Can't believe years of waiting for live action Halo and this is what we get. This feels like a Halo show made for people that have never engaged with the Halo franchise. Gutted
Incredible graphics, weird plot, and not at all respectful of the Halo franchise.
If you are a fan of television science fiction, action and adventure you will probably enjoy it. If you are a hardcore fan of the game you will probably be raging over the various changes to the lore. Probably takes a bit of the mystery away from the lore in the very first episode but entertaining. Hooked me enough to continue on with it.
Just a bunch of woke garbage
A lot better than I thought it would be. I've played almost all the games and I couldn't even tell you what the story is all about in the games. It doesn't really bother me that they're straying from the cannon because I can't even remember any of it. I'm just enjoying all the nods to the game. Thought they did it in a non cheesy way.
Great first episode kept me watching
Watched half of one episode. It was crap.
Ok, unpopular opinion incoming:
I see that a lot of Halo fans are not happy with what they consider to be violations of the lore, and feel it has ruined this show. Viewing as an FPS fan, though not as one of the Halo franchise itself (I was a PlayStation and COD kid), my initial opinion is that there is too much fan service here. Perhaps not to fans of the Halo franchise in particular, but certainly to fans of the FPS genre as a whole. And, unfortunately, it's more than I feel we needed or even wanted to see.
The first person POVs, with the God-awful and downright ugly HUD overlays; the guns magnetically sticking to backs and hips; the incoming damage sounds and low health indicators - it all just screams "look, we made a show about an FPS!" and it doesn't have the intended affect on me.
Some of you may have watched the abysmal Hardcore Henry (2015) and you would think that a big fish like Paramount was intelligent enough to deduce from that films poor performance that if the live action FPS concept didn't succeed on the big screen, was it ever going to work for the tube? They've used it for one simple reason - to tug at the nostalgia and familiarity of you aforementioned Halo fans (though it will obviously also resonate with the wider FPS fanbase as well). Unfortunately, it seems to have blown right by the eaves of said Halo fans because they have messed with your coveted lore as well, and surely everyone knows by now that this is a big no-no when trying to appeal so directly.
Admittedly, these are small, isolated segments of the overall episode, but I fear they will be a recurring nuisance throughout the series, and I may even see further additions to the method. I hope not. Ironically, it appears that the Halo fans will not like that the fan service to them is a hit-and-miss, and I foresee in the long run that the more generic fans will feel the fan service towards FPS games of the wider spectrum is just too much.
It's a shame, because even someone who has never played Halo (perhaps even someone who is not into video gaming at all, but science fiction as a whole) will know that there was some great source material and stories to be told in this universe. Just not in this way.
I liked the Robocop (original movie) influences in this episode.
Shout by Carlos TeranBlockedParent2022-03-24T21:53:19Z
It's like a very bad Halo fan-fiction. The first 16 minutes had potential, but that was lost by the episode's end.