Directed by: Jonathan Brooks Written by: Jonathan Brooks / Alex Vrettos Genre: Science fiction |
Gun Metal Max
With a booming opening a-la 1980's weekend cartoon format, Gun Metal Max pounded it's way onto my screen. Pretty cool, although I've never been a fanboy of that particular decade. Then, we enter into the real world and meet Ben. He's got the lights down low and is playing with his toys. Gun Metal Max is the hero, just like in the show and he's taking on and destroying the shadows amid a brilliant set built be Ben himself.
The battle is a great one but the hero always wins, so with a flashlight hand representing Gun Metal Max's weapon the battle is over. And then it happens. Strange things begin taking place in Ben's room until they arrive. A scout, the Shadows. The real life version. Questions need to be asked and answered and a scared Ben is full of information but just as things seem impossible a hero arrives. It's Gun Metal Max, the real version. As Ben cowers, he catches quick glimpses of the action and finally, with only the real hero standing, Ben finally gets to meet the robot of his dreams. But with this meeting comes a dangerous truth. This is all real and as Gun Metal Max says, the battle is coming because Earth is special. It's here a weapon may be founf that can truly defeat the shadows. Queue credits. This film especially works as an introduction to a larger planned world. Although technically a full film, complete with a resolution, it felt like a proof of concept title. The music is pretty good, if you're into the style and the entire introduction felt like it really could have come out of the '80's. I also give props to - well - the props. Even though Gun Metal Max is a pretty dark film, by dark I mean poorly lit, the costumes; especially Gun Metal Max are pretty sick for a micro budget production. I also want to say that poorly lit doesn't mean bad lighting. I mean it's designed to be like that. All the lights are off or low. The camera does it's thing showing whoever is watching exactly what needs to be seen to create an exciting, and sometimes creepy room a kid would play in. It's all done very well and Ben himself manages to pull off a performance that feels true. If you're a fan of this kind of entertainment you'll love watching this. You'll also hate that there's nothing, yet, to follow it up with. Gun Metal Max is a stylish production with a bright future ahead of it, if Brooks and Vrettos plan to expand the concept. Well done from script to screen. |
