Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Halo: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 11, 2022

Microsoft's Halo has been the Xbox console's flagship franchise since the original game debuted in November 2001 and forever redefined multiplayer and the first-person shooter genre. The franchise has since spawned a number of sequels and spinoffs, including the latest entry, Halo Infinite, which serves as something of a soft reboot for the franchise. But in the two decades that the game has been dazzling players on their consoles and TV screens with not only first-class gameplay but also compelling narratives, well-drawn characters, and rich Sci-Fi universe building, talk of a feature film has mesmerized fans with the possibilities. Of course, video game film adaptations have a fairly shoddy track record -- even content rich games like Uncharted tend to translate into wholly underwhelming movies -- so it was with great joy, and some trepidation, when it was announced that Halo was skipping the big screen and was instead being developed for television. Finally, here is season one of the live action Halo, with none other than Steven Spielberg executive producing. Halo has everything going for it. The question is whether the show can break trends and actually meet expectations and translate into the incredible content that anyone who has ever played any of the games can so clearly envision.

Official synopsis: After years of human civil war and growing political unrest, mankind's very future is threatened when our outermost colonies intrude upon the sacred worlds of the Covenant – a fanatical powerful alliance of alien species. As the Covenant destroys world after human world – only one soldier slows their advance – a cybernetically enhanced "Spartan" supersoldier, the Master Chief. But as the incredible mystery of the Covenant's true ambition, and the secrets of his own enigmatic past converge, then he will have to decide if humanity is a cause worth saving.

Halo’s narrative is unquestionably complex. There are a lot of moving parts and while the show does well enough to familiarize newcomers with the world while simultaneously building stories, it does assume some baseline understanding, but even just a little of knowledge about how the franchise operates will go a long way to carrying the larger narrative in play. The viewer is dropped into the middle of the larger, complex web of intergalactic politics and war, science and technology, hope and fear. It is well designed, developed, and deployed, and the show generally strikes a fine balance between plot and character development and action. However, there are times when the show can be a bit slow and plodding as it works to build plot, world, and characters in the early episodes. The action is appropriately well staged. The show can be graphically violent and hard hitting with plenty of gunplay, use of the energy swords, and the deployment of heavy weapons and armor. There are scenes that are very reminiscent of the game, right down to seeing the action through the Spartan helmet perspective, but the show doesn’t rely too heavily on trying to replicate the first-person experience and rather builds a capable, more traditional overview presentation.

All of that said, the big question is whether longtime game fans will enjoy it. The answer is Probably. The story is not as rich as that in the games, especially the early ones, and truth be told those stories, especially accompanied by the redone cinematics in the recent remastered versions, make for a better watch. The early game narrative blows this out of the water. This is a little less risky or bold and it lacks the scope and grandeur the games really get at, but there is no denying that this is a very good adaptation of the Halo universe. It’s not perfect and watching an edited string of cutscenes (or just playing the games!) will probably be more rewarding, but the production team has done a good job from the top-down of bringing the franchise to live-action life. One of the more alarming, and perhaps potentially show-breaking, elements is the choice for Master Chief to remove his helmet right out of the gate in episode one, destroying the mystique and lore that the games have held onto for more than two decades now.

The following episodes comprise season one. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging.

Disc One:

• Contact: In the year 2552, humans on the planet Madrigal have been fighting for independence from Earth, but a fatal encounter with the Alien Covenant complicates things. Master Chief John 117 and his super-soldier "Spartans" join the fight. After the battle, Master Chief heads to his home planet of Reach with a Madrigal survivor and a mysterious object he discovered on the planet. But a controversial order has John questioning his mission, and himself.
• Unbound: John takes Kwan to an old friend and learns more about the mystery object, which the Covenant and Makee are determined to steal. With the alien threat growing, Dr. Halsey has a plan to deal with John's unpredictable behavior.

Disc Two:

• Emergence: John meets his new partner, and he discovers secrets inside his own memory. Kwan wants to return to Madrigal to continue her people's fight for independence, but Soren has other plans for her. Makee initiates her plan to retrieve the Madrigal object, with deadly consequences.
• Homecoming: Guided by his visions, John takes Halsey and Cortana back to where it all began, looking for answers from his past. With Soren along for protection, Kwan goes in search of an army. Meanwhile, John's behavior inspires another Spartan to begin a journey of self-discovery. And Miranda discovers a possible link between the artifact and something much larger.

Disc Three:

• Reckoning: On the run and out of options, Kwan and Soren have a difference of opinion. With the possibility of finding the mysterious Halo on everyone's minds, John makes a horrible discovery. And the war rears its ugly head.
• Solace: Survivors from battle return to Reach. John confronts Dr. Halsey, and the lies of his past. The new prisoner seems to know John better than he knows himself. Determined to know more, John turns back to the mystery artifact, which shows him something truly startling.

Disc Four:

• Inheritance: Kwan's journey to uncover her family's "true purpose" takes her deep into the deserts of Madrigal. Soren obsesses over unfinished business.
• Allegiance: John and Makee come to terms with their shared vision. Halsey has one last chance to save her mission, and herself. As things come to a head, everyone must choose a side.

Disc Five:

• Transcendence: Beaten, battered, and betrayed, John 117 leads the Spartans on a suicide mission to find the Halo and save humanity. But at what price?

Halo: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Halo's season one Blu-ray release delivers a generally excellent watch. The digital source does push with pumped-up colors and a scorching hot picture during the opening battle, but tones seem to settle down thereafter, with incredibly impressive and game-true golds and greens making up the Master Chief's famous armor, for example. There is also plenty of cool blues, especially around Cortana, and awesome pinch to fireballs. The color palette is very even and well saturated, whether practical colors or digital workmanship. Detail is sharp. Viewers will see every skin detail with great intimacy, all of the fine points and wear on the Spartan armor, and plenty of intensive alien VFX on digital constructs. Overall clarity is exceptional. Some light noise does creep in from time to time, even in well-lit shots (look at the 9:55 mark of episode 2). However, the source and encode are otherwise in very good condition.

Halo: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount brings Halo's first season to Blu-ray with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, and the presentation is a little uneven. The track sometimes feels stunted at the low end. There could be more depth and engagement, especially when intense action calls for it. It's a little low at reference volume as well. At times, there's just very little sense of the grand sonic spectacle that demands to be front-and-center. Material can be timid, offering lessened dynamics and oomph. Certainly, there is no want for greater surround content, but the subwoofer seems held back and volume in general sometimes stifled. There are exceptions, of course, when things seem to muscle up, but overall listeners will find the track wanting. Music is rich and clear and nicely engaged and dialogue is true. Overall, however, this one needs more.

Halo: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Halo: Season One includes hours of bonus content scattered throughout the set, with episode-specific content on each disc and the more general overview extras all appearing on disc five. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does ship with a non-embossed slipcover. This set also includes several collectible character cards. Disc One:

• Halo The Series: Declassified (1080p): Host Sydnee Goodman explores all of the "buzz-worthy moments" from each episode. essentially, these offer lengthy episode recaps, cast and crew interviews, fan reactions, behind-the-scenes content, franchise lore, and more. Included are 101 (19:49) and 102 (20:37).

Disc Two:

• Halo The Series: Declassified (1080p): Host Sydnee Goodman explores all of the "buzz-worthy moments" from each episode. essentially, these offer lengthy episode recaps, cast and crew interviews, fan reactions, behind-the-scenes content, franchise lore, and more. Included are 103 (22:36) and 104 (27:01).

Disc Three:

• Halo The Series: Declassified (1080p): Host Sydnee Goodman explores all of the "buzz-worthy moments" from each episode. essentially, these offer lengthy episode recaps, cast and crew interviews, fan reactions, behind-the-scenes content, franchise lore, and more. Included are 105 (27:47) and 106 (24:55).

Disc Four:

• Halo The Series: Declassified (1080p): Host Sydnee Goodman explores all of the "buzz-worthy moments" from each episode. essentially, these offer lengthy episode recaps, cast and crew interviews, fan reactions, behind-the-scenes content, franchise lore, and more. Included are 107 (26:38) and 108 (32:10).

Disc Five:

• Halo The Series: Declassified (1080p): Host Sydnee Goodman explores all of the "buzz-worthy moments" from each episode. essentially, these offer lengthy episode recaps, cast and crew interviews, fan reactions, behind-the-scenes content, franchise lore, and more. Included is 109 (36:36).
• Dissecting the Battle of Madrigal (1080p, 10:01): A closer look at building the stunning battle sequence that is seen in the first episode's opening minutes. It also looks at surrounding plot elements and characters.
• The World of Halo (1080p, 8:49): Looking back at the franchise's video game roots and the lore that has been built over the decades. This is a good primer piece for viewers who don't know much about the series.
• The Culture of the Covenant (1080p, 9:43): Looking at the new character, Makee, and her place in the show. It also looks at translating character models from the games to the series, Covenant language, production design, and more.
• Adapting Halo (1080p, 13:08): Exploring key production design elements from throughout the season.
• Becoming Spartans (1080p, 8:06): Exploring the cast who play the Spartan characters.
• Creating the Costumes of Halo (1080p, 9:20): As the title suggests, this piece explores various costumes, designs, and purposes throughout the series.
• Weapons and Vehicles of Halo (1080p, 10:20): Again, a self-explanatory supplement that looks at the fun stuff: guns and vehicles used in and designed for the show, based on the video game.
• The Making of Cortana (1080p, 4:56): Bringing the crucial and fan-favorite character to the screen. It looks at performance, character qualities, and VFX.
• The Lake of Eternal Life: A Song from Halo's Score (1080p, 2:44): Discussing a key piece of music from episode three.

Halo: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Halo's first season may not reach the level of "compelling" that its video game series reaches, but this is a solidly produced and generally engaging Sci-Fi TV show that whets the appetite for even better things to come. It's nice to see it finally realized to some level of success. Here's hoping that the recently announced Gears of War series coming to Netflix and also based on a flagship Xbox franchise, will also at least reach this level, if not higher. Paramount's five-disc Blu-ray set delivers excellent video but slightly tepid audio. Tons of extras are included. Recommended.