HALO: A Brutal "Honest Trailer" For The Paramount+ Series Points Out Its Biggest, Most Irritating Failings

HALO: A Brutal "Honest Trailer" For The Paramount+ Series Points Out Its Biggest, Most Irritating Failings

Fans of the Xbox video game franchise had a lot to find fault with in Paramount+'s small screen adaptation of Halo, and this Honest Trailer does a great job of zeroing in on the show's biggest blunders.

By JoshWilding - Jun 25, 2022 05:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Halo
Source: GameFragger.com

Halo is a property that spent what felt like forever trapped in development hell, so there was a lot of excitement for the Paramount+ series when it finally started taking shape. Unfortunately, a few creative choices revealed early on inevitably didn't sit well with fans, including the decision to remove Master Chief's helmet. 

This became increasingly problematic for gamers throughout the course of the show, but despite what felt like a lot of negativity online, it was recently revealed that Halo is Paramount+'s second-most-watched original series behind only Yellowstone prequel 1883.

Season 2 has already been confirmed, but this Honest Trailer for the first batch of episodes really doesn't pull its punches, regardless of the show's success.

Following a recent run of very good video game adaptations, this trailer reminds us that Halo is proof that they can still disappoint. It's all in good fun, of course, but there's no denying that there were a lot of problems with this small screen adaptation. 

Highlighting many of the issues that fans had with the show, it zeroes in on how the story deviated from the hit Xbox video game series and the baffling decision to show so much of John-117's face. Underwhelming visual effects also come under fire, while the poor quality of storytelling makes up a big chunk of the criticisms here. 

Something we can't fault this Honest Trailer for is the fact that they note how Halo was generic enough to appeal to casual viewers, but not hardcore fans. That might explain those viewership numbers, and it will be interesting to see if the series maintains this level of interest once season 2 drops. On the plus side, they now have time to address the many, many complaints from fans.

Watch this Halo Honest Trailer (via GameFragger.com) in the player below:
 


Halo takes place in the universe that first came to be in 2001 with the launch of Xbox’s first Halo game. Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, the series weaves deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future. 

The show stars Pablo Schreiber (the Master Chief, Spartan John-117), Natascha McElhone (Dr. Halsey), Jen Taylor (Cortana), Bokeem Woodbine (Soren-066), Shabana Azmi (Admiral Margaret Parangosky), Natasha Culzac (Riz-028), Olive Gray (Miranda Keyes), Yerin Ha (Kwan Ha Boo), Bentley Kalu (Vannak-134), Kate Kennedy (Kai-125), Charlie Murphy (Makee) and Danny Sapani (Captain Jacob Keyes).

All episodes of Halo's first season are now streaming on Paramount+. 

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MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 6/25/2022, 5:17 AM
I forgot this came out. Anyone seen it? How's the quality?

I really don't care about it's deviation to the games lol I only played one or two and wasn't a fan. I don't even know the storyline
Kumkani
Kumkani - 6/25/2022, 5:44 AM
@MyCoolYoung - I've never played a Halo game and it was an incredibly boring show. Definitely felt amateurish at times.

Might satisfy you if you like seeing naked butt though (because that happens way too many times than necessary).
HeavyMetal4Life
HeavyMetal4Life - 6/25/2022, 6:27 AM
@MyCoolYoung - I watched it. The action is really well done I'd say for a video game adaptation. And the visuals in general are good. The biggest issue is the writing and the show not really finding its footing until half way through and then still trying to shove in the most boring storyline (about an insurrections, literally the absolute worst character and most boring story possible). The actual Halo stuff I really enjoyed.

I never played the games really so I wasnt too familiar with the lore, but I enjoyed the show overall (even with its pressing issues). I'd give a 3/5. They just have to trim the fat and refine their focus.
SpaceParanoids
SpaceParanoids - 6/25/2022, 10:53 AM
@MyCoolYoung - I was bored halfway through the first episode and they actually lost me when Master Chief took off his helmet and turned against the organization.

That actually happened in the first episode.

Sad because I was a huge fan of the game.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 6/25/2022, 6:01 AM
Now this was funny and hit the mail on the head. One of the most boring shows I’ve ever watched. Something about it just felt empty. I never got past episode 5.

The Makee actress rated looking shocked 24/7 lol
Nanaue
Nanaue - 6/25/2022, 6:24 AM
I haven't watched it yet and not played the games except for the first X-Box game. And been hearing a lot negativity about this show. Isn't this show made for the fans of the games?
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 6/25/2022, 7:26 AM
Whoever thought removing Master Chief's helmet was a good idea...

DTor91
DTor91 - 6/25/2022, 8:31 AM
Now THIS, is a truly awful show. I nearly gave up on the first episode 15 mins in. Ended up finishing the episode anyway but that was it for me. This show misses the entire point and all the red flags were blaring within in the first 15. It was just Halo in name only. One of my friends would tell me how each episode just got progressively worse from there, and when I saw this Honest Trailers, it just confirmed all of that.

They literally took just about every sci-fi trope you can think of, slapped the Halo name on it and called it a day. When the production team admitted to never playing the games, they didn’t have to. It was obvious immediately that they took the Halo name and visuals and made up the rest. I waited on a mainline Halo adaptation since high school. This is the Halo 3 days so we’re talking 2007 here. Watched this thing go from director to director and go through development hell throughout all the years since. I’d rather it still be in development hell than what we ultimately got.
I’m not exaggerating when I say I can’t recall an adaptation I’ve seen miss the mark so badly since the Halle Berry Catwoman.
Blergh
Blergh - 6/25/2022, 8:37 AM
Haven't seen the show for the exact reasons mentioned in that interview published shortly before it came out.
The one that noted that the show wanted to "aim at a broader audience" and implied it took the gamers for granted. The entire piece sounded like a "f***k you" to gamers before the show even came out.
Whatever happened to "we're sticking loyally to the source material" showrunners always play on about when it's about book adaptions? Or does that not count for video game adaptions? Looking at the new Resident Evil show it looks like these video-game adaptions are still afraid of being adaptions.

Either way, seeing some choice scenes makes this look mildly above the visual quality of Battlestar Galactica (a show that visually looked bad but had great writing) and a plot quality of low level SyFy shows.

I could live with Chief taking his helmet off if the actor was big enough or whatever but breaking lore for the ego of that guy from American Gods?
RebelCommander
RebelCommander - 6/25/2022, 11:06 AM
"Brutal Honest Trailer" lmao...HT hasn't been good in 5 years. I used to watch HT and screen junkies religiously every week they came out. But they got soft with their honest trailers, have refused to apologize for the whole Andy Signore controversy and all their good talent has left. I'll still watch an HT or two depending on if it was a movie or show I watched, but couldn't tell you the last time I even cracked a smile while watching it
MrDandy
MrDandy - 6/25/2022, 11:45 AM
I don’t even play the game and this looks like hot trash. Should have adapted the Peter Jackson one when they had the chance.
528491
528491 - 6/26/2022, 6:00 AM
Never really played the game but watched the first episode last night and thought it was pretty decent. Not sure what all the moaning was about.

It's very similar to the Mandalorian quality wise I thought.
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