Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012)

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6.5 Overall Score
Story: 7/10
Acting: 6/10
Visuals: 7/10

Surprising decision for the ending

Many won't care about the movie if they didn't care about the game

Movie Info

Movie Name:  Mass Effect:  Paragon Lost

Studio:  Production I. G.

Genre(s):  Animated/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action/Adventure

Release Date(s):  December 14, 2012

MPAA Rating:  Not Rated

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So I’m thinkin’ you want to do me bodily harm….

Fehl Prime has been colonized, and Delta Squad has been assigned to protect the colonists.  When Fehl Prime comes under attack from a Collector Swarm, Vega and Delta Prime must battle to save the colonists from the Collectors that seem bent on consuming and destroying.  As Vega finds himself falling in love with Treeya, he discovers he will have to team with an enemy named Brood to battle the Collectors and that he could be forced to make a hard decision between lives of thousands and one person.

Directed by Atsushi Takeuchi, Mass Effect:  Paragon Lost is a feature length animated film tying in to the popular Mass Effect series of games.  The movie did have a brief, limited theatrical release and was available for purchase and download.

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Look, I’ve got me a person shield…+10 Defense!!!

Honestly, I hadn’t played much of Mass Effect when this movie came out, but the movie doesn’t need much background in game.  Despite this, I could follow the movie and it did have some moments make it stand out from the standard animated spin-offs.

The story for the film is pretty solid though it does drag at points.  The movie’s opening sequence runs a bit too long and some of the ending is a bit drawn out and overly dramatic.  What did impress me about this movie is the ending which had the characters actually making the decision you didn’t expect (though I did feel the flashback after the reveal was a bit confusing…it gave the impression that it was what was going through Vega’s mind for a moment).

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Smooth move, bro…you saved your girlfriend

The movie looks quite good.  A series of these animated tie-ins have been released for games like Dead Space and Dante’s Inferno among others.  The films for the most part are rather solid animation, and I’m glad that it was decided not to use weird computer animation.  It looks a bit classier, but people who don’t like anime might not enjoy the style of the film.

Mass Effect:  Paragon Lost does make me want to pop in Mass Effect on the old Xbox 360.  It isn’t the best movie you’ll see, but you will probably enjoy it if you are a fan of the games.  There has been talk about a real Mass Effect movie, but as of yet, there is no live-action film released.  I could see a follow-up to this film someday and wouldn’t be upset about it.

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Author: JPRoscoe View all posts by
Follow me on Twitter/Instagram/Letterboxd @JPRoscoe76! Loves all things pop-culture especially if it has a bit of a counter-culture twist. Plays video games (basically from the start when a neighbor brought home an Atari 2600), comic loving (for almost 30 years), and a true critic of movies. Enjoys the art house but also isn't afraid to let in one or two popular movies at the same time.

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