Halo (Paramount Plus)

 

I haven't played but a few minutes of the game Halo, so I don't have the backstory of the universe and Master Chief's place in it.

The story begins in a small settlement, with the locals playing cards and complaining about the UNSC (United Nations Space Command) who apparently make life a misery for the colonists.  

The commander's daughter and her friends spot the arrival of hostile aliens from The Covenant (described later as relentless killers whose purpose in attacking is unknown).  These aliens attack and murder everyone in the settlement, even as the Spartans arrive and take out the alien attackers.

There's a single survivor, the commander's daughter.

While searching for the landing site of the Covenant craft, the Spartans find a cave with an artifact that when touched, triggers memories in Master Chief.

He takes the artifact and the teen back towards home in his ship.

When the teen refuses to make a video exclaiming the bravery and value of the Spartans, she's deemed disposable and orders go out to Master Chief to terminate her.

There's a complicated group back home who seem split between the scientists and politicians.  Some of these stand out in a good way as interesting characters, and when Master Chief decides, perhaps under the influence of the artifact, to save the teen, his own termination order is given.

The show does a surprisingly good job of presenting a complex future, and the role and abilities of the Spartans in the society.  I'm certainly rooting for the Spartan and the frightened, but brave girl to get away and sort things out.

The Tomorrow War (Amazon Prime)

 

I'm a huge fan of science fiction/action/adventure movies.  The Tomorrow War has Chris Pratt's Dan Forester joining a large group of untrained draftees in a time jump to the future.

In 30 years, earth is overcome by White Spikes, screeching, tentacled, loping devourers.  A group of soldiers comes back from the future and says they need help fighting these creatures or humanity will disappear.  All nations agree to a draft, and thousands are sent from all over the world each week.  Few return.

Dan Forester's group doesn't stand a chance as some glitch has them mostly falling from tall building height to the ground. The lucky few land in a rooftop swimming pool.  Pratt takes charge as he answers a com message. 

His daughter, grown up, is in charge of the operation. He follows her orders to try to retrieve lab personnel and their work.  Succeeding only in getting the lab test tubes and hard drives, the staff is dead--Forester works with his daughter to try to find a toxin that will kill the creatures before they wipe out humanity.

I thought the film was action packed.  I liked Forester's relationship with his daughter as a child and adult as a backbone of the story.   

All those ordinary people just tossed into the conflict with no training, yikes.  And Forester, a veteran, took as good care of them as he was able.

Good stuff.