When I backed the project months (years?) ago I had no idea what it would look like.
Well the result is a very decent action short film with a lot of heart. You can see the limit compared to a full scale studio production, but it's very promising.
It's very fun to see Ryan Drake characters coming to life. I have read the first 3 of the Ryan Drake series so let's say I am familar with the characters.
About the cast, Kiera and the bad guys (especially Volkov) are top notch. I'm less convinced about Ryan's british accent (is it legit?) and Anya, well, she looks the part but could she be a main character in the long run? It's too bad there is not enough time for Anya and Ryan to interact properly.
Will makes a very good extra, but we all knew that.
Regarding direction, the shaky camera bothered me a bit, but I liked the effort on the lights (night, sunrise, the red lights in the warehouse). Combat scenes were more than ok regarding the timeframe they had to train the actors and to setup the choregraphy. Kudos for the Anya appearance sequence in the warehouse, well shot. Gunshots sound a bit fake sometimes, but this is also something easily fixed with more time and budget.
In the "making of" featurettes, this film is refered to as a "pilot", and I think it shows that there is good material for a series. Action/espionnage is always a good bet, and the Ryan Drake series has a lot to pick from. And Will approach to script writing is everything we have been missing from a TV show since the 90s.
And please consider that this is an original production, not a sequel/prequel/spin-off like we have been fed for the past 10 years. This was made with heart, passion and love, and despite some shortcomings, this is well worth your time.
Well done team!
