It is my pleasure as a writer to occasionally throw the spotlight on exceptional things made by fans for fans. Even when true heart and soul has been put into a piece, fan media rarely gets the credit it deserves. The Baroness' Choice is a weekly column that will feature these labors of love.
This week's choice: There Will be Brawl.
There Will be Brawl is the brainchild of independent film writers Matthew Mercer and Zach Grafton. In this mini series, the world of Super Smash Brothers has taken a twisted downward spiral into corruption and crime. The story revolves around Luigi, and his struggle to keep it together in this downtrodden place. Now washed up heroes, Mario and Luigi try to bring peace back to a kingdom plagued by gang wars. While Princess Peach is in a constant power struggle with Police Chief Link and Zelda over the affection of her people. To make matters worse there is a serial killer on the loose, who is brutally murdering leaders one by one. Our heroes must turn to a cannibalistic Kirby for help on the case.
Heavily inspired by film Noir and True Crime, the story has a very gritty tone to it. Other Brawl characters play key roles as the narrative unfolds. Some play large parts, while others only make brief appearances. Even small trophy assists have cameos, which is where the nature of the fan film comes in. Producers and executives on large movies could never care as much as fans do to put in references of that caliber.
The attention to detail in the costume and prop design are also top notch. Even on a shoe string budget, one can see everything was crafted by someone who truly loves Nintendo and their legacy. The Kirby and Metaknight puppets look and move exceptionally, and are better than most CG doubles. Acting might have a few down points, but overall lines are very well delivered and characters are really brought to life. My absolute favorite is "Godfather" Ganondorf, who is played by Mercer himself. The makeup and Monologue delivery are on par with a Hollywood production. Just watching how everyone in the Brawl universe has degraded makes this series worth watching. I highly recommend viewing them from start to finish.
Check out this fake "news reel" to get a taste of the humor in these films.
These videos contain mature content and language, viewer discretion is advised.
There are currently 5 episodes released out of a 9 part series, with the 6th underway!
You can check out There Will be Brawl on the official website or The Escapist:
Therewillbebrawl.com
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/there-will-be-brawl
Do you have an extraordinary fanfilm or piece of media you'd like featured? Send it to: TheBaroness@StudioWhiteSnow.com
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