Knowing the context of how this movie was made, almost no budget, shot mostly in the directors garage and all VFX was done by one person on one computer over a 10 year period, makes you marvel at the accomplishment even if at times it shows that it's a no budget film. Suriv is my favorite, his performance was excellent. Story was fun to watch and I enjoyed the fight scenes! For sure worth the time to watch this film and appreciate the talent and discipline of a VFX artist/director. Is it as polished as a marvel high budget movie? Obviously not, but it doesn't matter, it's awesome for what it is, excellent film!
10 Reviews
Techno Wizardry at its Finest
cnstanley-5543824 November 2022
Absolutely love the story line of this movie. I won't give any spoilers, but the twist at the end definitely leave the viewer contemplating the intricacies of what they just watched. I've got to say, as others have mentioned, the effects and the performance in the movie definitely exceed the expectations for indie films. I enjoyed the nostalgic, yet modern feel of the game setting. You feel the "age" of the VFX, but I actually enjoyed it... you could tell that immense effort and time was put into producing them, and of course, they're 10-years old, when VFX technology was very young and new. The story arc is classic... with the villain turning out to be the person you didn't expect and the revealing of unforeseen allies the protagonist meets along his journey. Definitely worth sitting down, popping a bag of popcorn, and diving straight in. Can't wait until this is public so I can share with my friends.
Huge undertaking!
artistgp13 December 2022
I've been wanting to check this one out for a while. I knew that the production was several years in the making, given all the animation/graphics that were involved. It's a super fun flick that really shows how much you can accomplish when you're willing to take on piles of work and not stop until you reach the top of the mountain. It's an indie passion project so it's obviously going to be a different experience than watching the next $200 million dollar studio sci-fi movie but if you're up for something different you should check it out. I look forward to seeing what this team comes up with next!
2 hours of my life I'll never get back
dikatkeith27 January 2023
Let me start by saying that I watched the movie and wrote this review as a favor to a friend. I can only imagine that all these 8 and 9 star reviews have been written by the cast members? Or their family and friends? I have seen better films directed by high school students. The acting is so cringe.
It IS impressive that the writer/director/producer created this entire movie in his garage apparently? That's absolutely more than I (or the average person) could accomplish. But I don't feel as though people are reviewing this movie objectively. As an average person's random accomplishment, this is great! It's cool that they learned how to film, edit, etc. As a movie, it is NOT great. It's not like this film is going to win any awards, and if this is what they came up with after ten years of work, I think it would be a while before they created something that I would actually want to watch.
Also, the entire story line seems to be a poorly-made Tron rip-off.
It IS impressive that the writer/director/producer created this entire movie in his garage apparently? That's absolutely more than I (or the average person) could accomplish. But I don't feel as though people are reviewing this movie objectively. As an average person's random accomplishment, this is great! It's cool that they learned how to film, edit, etc. As a movie, it is NOT great. It's not like this film is going to win any awards, and if this is what they came up with after ten years of work, I think it would be a while before they created something that I would actually want to watch.
Also, the entire story line seems to be a poorly-made Tron rip-off.
Rebel Without A Budget
DashGierhart5 January 2023
This film is proof that if you have a dream, a solid work ethic, a willingness to learn new skills, patience, a positive attitude, and a supportive community around you, that you can create worlds out of thin air. You don't need a budget or Hollywood connections. You can make it happen. Jeff Loehrke proves that one man can write, direct, shoot, act in, edit, and create stunning visual effects to make a dream a reality. Gauntlet is a spectacle to see. It goes above and beyond what independent filmmaking can do. And it's so much fun! Make some popcorn, turn down the lights, and enjoy this cinematic feast!
Tron but without any budget or money.
Zyl3thbl0x15 February 2024
This movie has a plot very similar to both tron films including the games, I do appreciate the effort the crew and director did for 10 years in development since 2011 when tron legacy was made in 2010. I watched this movie in Tubi and a little bit in Plex and I had and great time with it, I also noticed almost the film is filmed in green screen but I got a fact for this film that the parts with green screen are filmed in the director's garage. It's pretty impressive to see that the director avoided problems with filming the movie in the garage and made great visual effects. But my little problem with this film is the costumes, the costumes are like made from a high school student or nerd. Thanks for reading this review :)
All things considered
dawnsnora28 December 2022
This is by far the best low-budget & self produced I've ever seen. And trust me...I've seen some BAD ONES.
But to give a more detailed review here are my highs & lows.
Highs: The VFX are great for the film. And for the most part are utilized really well in conjunction with film's storyline. Also the plot itself was intriguing as it played off Tron & Tron Legacy only a bit. At first I was a bit concerned that it may seem like a Tron rip off, but I was pleasantly surprised that there was much more to plot than just retelling a 40 year old story. It also made me want to revisit some video games from my childhood, but that's just an added bonus. Finally, assuming that the actors are not professionals, their dedication to the roles & plot was very clear.
Lows: It's hard to be too critical of the talent within the film, but a few characters did leave a something to be desired. As various lines were delivered or battle scenes carried out it felt a bit awkward. The only other low was some of the costumes. There were holes on the sides of the masks that were distracting in scenes & the overall fit of some costumes remind of the budget of the film.
All-in-all, this movie was really good. The story drew me in & the production quality for such a project was very surprising. This project took a handful of people 10+years to complete, with the vast majority of it done by one person. All things considered, it was BRILLIANTLY DONE!
But to give a more detailed review here are my highs & lows.
Highs: The VFX are great for the film. And for the most part are utilized really well in conjunction with film's storyline. Also the plot itself was intriguing as it played off Tron & Tron Legacy only a bit. At first I was a bit concerned that it may seem like a Tron rip off, but I was pleasantly surprised that there was much more to plot than just retelling a 40 year old story. It also made me want to revisit some video games from my childhood, but that's just an added bonus. Finally, assuming that the actors are not professionals, their dedication to the roles & plot was very clear.
Lows: It's hard to be too critical of the talent within the film, but a few characters did leave a something to be desired. As various lines were delivered or battle scenes carried out it felt a bit awkward. The only other low was some of the costumes. There were holes on the sides of the masks that were distracting in scenes & the overall fit of some costumes remind of the budget of the film.
All-in-all, this movie was really good. The story drew me in & the production quality for such a project was very surprising. This project took a handful of people 10+years to complete, with the vast majority of it done by one person. All things considered, it was BRILLIANTLY DONE!
Worth the watch
maycl17 November 2022
After watching this film, there are some high points and some points that could have improvement.
High points: The visual effects were outstanding! It's hard to believe that this wasn't done by a studio where more than one person would have been working on it. The colors chosen throughout the film were intriguing and interesting and set within the 90's time period well. The music composer did an excellent job of helping me to feel the emotion of the movie even more. The story was compelling to watch. Suriv's performance was comical, yet very well done.
The areas that could have some improvement is what would be expected with a very low budget film. Part of it was some of the acting. It was evident it was the early part of some of their careers. Then outside of the visual effects pieces, some of the camera work could have been less grainy, but that was mostly at the very beginning and very end of the film. However, that could have been part of the vision for a film that takes place in the 90's.
Do the high points outweigh the low? Absolutely.
Have I watched it more than once? Yes.
Would I recommend it as an interesting, fun watch for a Friday night? Yes.
High points: The visual effects were outstanding! It's hard to believe that this wasn't done by a studio where more than one person would have been working on it. The colors chosen throughout the film were intriguing and interesting and set within the 90's time period well. The music composer did an excellent job of helping me to feel the emotion of the movie even more. The story was compelling to watch. Suriv's performance was comical, yet very well done.
The areas that could have some improvement is what would be expected with a very low budget film. Part of it was some of the acting. It was evident it was the early part of some of their careers. Then outside of the visual effects pieces, some of the camera work could have been less grainy, but that was mostly at the very beginning and very end of the film. However, that could have been part of the vision for a film that takes place in the 90's.
Do the high points outweigh the low? Absolutely.
Have I watched it more than once? Yes.
Would I recommend it as an interesting, fun watch for a Friday night? Yes.
Huge Undertaking, Impressive Payoff
nyonce9 December 2022
The story behind this movie is amazing: a one man show writing, directing, and editing over the course of a decade. Gauntlet is an incredible showing of VFX and visually beautiful. Many scenes really brought the viewer in due to the amount of detail. I really liked a lot of the character play and interaction throughout. The story was fun and an easy, entertaining watch. Some of the character wardrobe could've been improved, and some of the acting felt amateur at times. But this was a low budget film taken on by essentially one man, so some shortcomings are expected. But Gauntlet is a great watch and a good time.
Loved the film!
jim-6709417 November 2022
Great story and final twist. I was left thinking, "Wait, this story should not be over. Surely, there's a next chapter." Contemplating the storyline after the film and thinking what might be next is my litmus test in determining how well I liked it.
This movie was filmed and set in the 90s, so I could appreciate the non-HD camera and overall feel. The visual effects are definitely modern though (even the retro ones) and worthy of a major motion picture.
As other commentors have mentioned, the actors were a bit green during this time, but they told the story very well. This is one of those films they will be referring to a "remember when" segments on Entertainment Tonight.
Note to the film's creator: Make a next chapter. When it hits the big screen or gets picked up by syndication, consider a post credits scene with a tease of what's to come. I can't wait to see where it goes.
If you're reading this review, find a way to watch it!
This movie was filmed and set in the 90s, so I could appreciate the non-HD camera and overall feel. The visual effects are definitely modern though (even the retro ones) and worthy of a major motion picture.
As other commentors have mentioned, the actors were a bit green during this time, but they told the story very well. This is one of those films they will be referring to a "remember when" segments on Entertainment Tonight.
Note to the film's creator: Make a next chapter. When it hits the big screen or gets picked up by syndication, consider a post credits scene with a tease of what's to come. I can't wait to see where it goes.
If you're reading this review, find a way to watch it!
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