Voyage of the Chimera

This is a barely tolerable fan-film quality movie, that without any warning is the first part of a series. I give a film two stars merely for that insufferable stunt.

Whoever wrote and directed this film is obviously a major naval ship battle fan who decided to conduct such in deep space. The Captain reminds me of Wil Wheaton. His crew... I'm not sure whether they're actual actors, investors, or friends and neighbors making a very low-budget film.

The story is somewhat intriguing (mainly because there's a mystery involved), that mystery isn't solved in this film. The special effects and battle scenes are admirable considering the tiny budget. So kudos for that. But it's pretty obvious with a $20k budget that the actors were working for potential take rather than a direct paycheck. Still, the film is more than I would expect for that kind of money. But when a movie is continued without any prior notice, it will be the last of the the series I watch, whether it's continued or not.

If you enjoy the idea of spending 75% of the film in a mock-up ancient-tech submarine control center listening to military commands being thrown back and forth, boy is this the film for you. For the average viewer... you'll likely want to watch something else.

Now, let's see how many family / friends / actors and others involved with this film decide to neg-rate this review. ; )

There isn't much to this, it appears to be the pilot to some TV show maybe ? As someone else has pointed out it's all talk and no action. I was bored except the cast is attractive. Not enough reason to watch this though. Even good-looking guys standing around talking aren't enough to rate this more than a 2.

This film was apparently made on a budget of $20,000, and shot entirely on green screen which is itself a remarkable achievement. It's a 2021 independent film directed by Michael Gates, co-written with his brother Patrick, and co-produced with his wife, Laura.

"Civilian aristocrat Marcus De Vol enters military service on a purchased commission as captain of Chimera - a battered and hybridized old destroyer spacecraft with a bottom-dollar crew. Initially given the relatively safe job of running down pirates and blacklisted vessels for prize money, a change of orders sends Marcus and his crew far from home and into very real danger. Marcus must become a leader despite his youth, inexperience, and self-doubt."

This film was clearly made by a fan of military science fiction so if you like David Weber, John Ringo and the like you'll probably appreciate this. Most of the film takes place in the submarine-like bridge and cabins of the ship but the occasional exernal space scenes are really pretty decent. The climactic scene is a pretty good 'naval-warfare-style' battle which you don't often see in science fiction films.

The sheer movie-making achievements herein are nothing short of amazing. That said, the movie itself is a big, fat turd. Excellent premise, but not nearly enough detail, horrible acting, and a weird Jules Verne take on what space ships will be like in 300+ years. This movie is like a bunch of high school whiz kidz made Das Boot in Space -- with about 5% of Das Boot's impact and character.

Combine the technical achievement displayed with the rest of a real movie and you will have something special -- special beyond an amazing technical, low-budget success.

You have been warned.

With a cast of many, there isn't one actor aboard this space adventure. Low budget is no excuse for being a bad film. El Mariachi proved that. They probably spent more on this and it doesn't show. Watching it now I ask myself, should I even finish this crap or just watch Seinfeld repeats? It's just so awful I beg you not to even start it. I would bet my life saving that the "10" reviews are from the cast and crew or their friends. There is no way any sane person would watch five minutes of this dreck without shutting it off. Or maybe hate watch it with friends. It does kinda scream for MST3k viewing.