Like far too many Americans my age when I’m not at my desk looking busy while hammering away at the keyboard I have an unhealthy late night obsession with dodging bullets. That is to say that I like to play a many First Person Shooting games in which close and dear friends are often bloodthirsty and bitter enemies. It’s fun! As such it caught my attention when my inbox was highlighted with this trailer to an upcoming mini-film created to help promote the release of the latest Tom Clancy related shooter as there are usually far too few videogame-movie tie-ins that are of any appreciable quality. Let’s watch:
…follows elite U.S. Army team the Ghosts as they are dropped deep behind enemy lines in order to eliminate one of the world’s most sought-after war criminals, and sets the stage for the game which will be released later this month. Ghost Recon Alpha boasts a line-up of top Hollywood talent that pushes the film beyond a standard commercial into a larger cinematic endeavor, and could have only been pulled together by the likes of producer Rhea Scott and Little Minx. In addition to directors Herve & Francois, who won an Oscar in 2010 for Logorama with the support of Rhea Scott who was integral to the success of the film, the script was written by Tim Sexton, 2010 Academy Award nominee for Children of Men, and Gregory Pruss, longtime writing collaborator with David Fincher. The film was shot by District 9 cinematographer Trent Opaloch; edited by Pietro Scalia, two-time Academy Award winner for Black Hawk Down and JFK. Each element of the film was expertly crafted by some of the best creative minds in the entertainment industry, resulting in a film that simultaneously stands alone and supports the long-awaited video game release.
This doesn’t give too much insight into story or quality but it does raise the question of when movies who derive their source from a video game will eventually be given proper attention and deliver the masses with a quality film. This clip does make one want to believe that it’s possible and I’d be more optimistic for it if it my heart hadn’t been broken far too many times in the past. When the ‘Resident Evil’ film series is the basis of an argument for a game to film transition done successfully one has to wonder the credibility of the speaker. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy Milla Jovovich and the Resident Evil movies for what they are but the trail by a large distance to some of my true favorite films in cinema. I want to be optimistic toward this short film in particular as it has direct involvement from Academy Award-winning directors Herve & Francois and is produced by Rhea Scott for Little Minx, a Ridley Scott & Associates company. Those are some uncommonly quality names to associate with a film genre that so frequently lacks quality that it begs for my interest.
The film mini-film will make it debut on G4TV this week and will be made viewable on various locations online – including G4TV.com, Vice, Ghost Recon’s YouTube page, IGN, GameSpot and Complex – beginning Monday, May 14 and continuing for two weeks.
