Amazon has a new original series called Secret Level. It is an anthology of 15 stories - each about 10 to 15 minutes long - that are based on various video games. The tone varies widely from one to another. Some are quite dark while others are light and funny. Arnold Schwarzeneggar has a role as a conquering king who repeatedly resurrects each time he dies. His repeated efforts and failures are quite funny. "And yet Aelstrom lives," he proudly states each time he finds himself alive again, always posing to display his muscular physique. Such a great role for Arnie. In another, Keanu Reeves is a mercenary pilot of a battlemech on a mission against a mysterious band who are almost as skilled as him, maybe even more skilled. There is a Dungeons and Dragons story, a martial arts adventure, a modern day shoot 'em up between competing mercenary teams, a chase through space at lightspeed where the pursed and the pursuer age at different rates, a game of Go in a fantastical AI city, Warhammer 40,000, and even a bizarre take on Pac-Man. Much of the animation was done with screen capture. It gives the characters more vitality than typical CGI animation. I hope some of these stories get another chapter next season.
Great popcorn fun and highly recommended.
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