After nine years in development hell, it feels almost surreal to be watching this live-action Halo TV series. Even with Steven Spielberg originally attached as executive producer, the long-mooted video game adaptation was passed around from network to network with little progress made. Now it’s finally hitting screens – and after Halo Infinite refreshed the iconic gaming franchise last year, there’s a newfound optimism surrounding the project.
Set in the 26th Century, Halo finds humanity’s existence threatened by murderous aliens. Creators Steven Kane and Kyle Killen say they avoided mining plot material from the games, but there’s still plenty of nerdy references for fans to spot. It all opens with an ultra-violent fight scene between the alien Covenant faction (the bad guys) and Spartan super soldiers (the good guys) that’s stuffed with shoot-em-up action and sci-fi sound effects. It’s hard not to think of it as an aggressive pitch to the OG audience.
Beyond this satisfying sequence, Halo translates its intimidating mythos into something surprisingly brisk and digestible. Helmeted hero Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) fits the same character mould as Star Wars’ Mandalorian – an intense, straight-talking warrior who ignores some questionable orders from his boss – and you could namecheck Game Of Thrones for its canny ability to spin multiple narratives at once. There’s even a political element that feels borrowed from recent blockbuster Dune. Yet Halo isn’t quite as good as its inspirations. The impressive space vistas are often spoiled by unconvincing CGI monsters, and a stodgy script struggles with too much jargon. Schreiber makes an appealing effort in the difficult lead role, balancing stoic physicality with an endearing, naive innocence, but the decision to remove his helmet so early is sure to enrage the fan base.
If you can look past the wonky edges though, there’s a promising core to this series. In a TV landscape often influenced by Marvel’s popcorn theatrics, Halo’s serious approach to its grand science fiction concepts is a welcome one. Indeed, outside the blockbuster battle scenes, there’s a stillness to the show which might help it grow into something more cerebral than its origins suggest.
‘Halo’ premieres on Paramount+ on March 24 in the US. A UK release is yet to be confirmed