'The Prototype' Teaser: 'Act Of Valor' Company Does Sci-Fi

It's legit at this point to wonder what things can be done better in video games than they can be in films. It is quite obvious, for example, that the story of an Italian plumber trying to rescue his love from a demon turtle is probably better off in gaming.

What about tales of government projects that result in humans that are altered, through technology or mutation, into some super-soldier that is then hunted by other soldiers? Games like inFamous and the Prototype series, whether fully satisfying or not, make the case that gaming is a better home for that type of story.

Just don't tell the Bandito Brothers, aka the company behind the 'real Navy SEALs' movie Act of Valor. One of the Banditos, Andrew Will, is writing and directing a film called (ahem) The Prototype, and now a proof of concept trailer for the project has 'leaked.' Check it out below, especially if you're a fan of the action game series mentioned above.

Two things, since maybe it wasn't clear before:

  • This has nothing to do with the game Prototype. Poor title choice on the part of the people who made this.
  • This is a proof of concept trailer, a fundraiser. Nothing here is meant to be footage of the final film, assuming that ever happens.
  • For anyone who has played the inFamous or Prototype series, some of that teaser should look really familiar. The tone is certainly one common point, as is the general sense of design and the urgency of the protagonist/anti-hero. Where does it go from here? We don't know specifically what might happen to the humanoid robot, but gamers probably have a vague map already drawn in their heads after those few minutes of concept footage.

    Incidentally, Deadline provides the video, and it's pretty cute how the site tries to play off the thing as if this leaked, when they instead seem to be doing a promo favor for a company they like. No harm in the latter, but the thin layer of subterfuge is adorable. The site also says the movie is 'in the vein of District 9,' but there are only a couple of common threads: that this is an ambitiously low-budget effects-heavy film, and the intersection of humans and advanced technology. Is that enough to warrant the comparison?