How to Watch Lazer Team on YouTube Red
The Internet has revolutionized the way we consume content. It's made it possible for filmmakers to produce high-quality works and to get them in front of audiences who might not otherwise see them.
Rooster Teeth Productions is well-known for its popular Red vs. Blue web series, and now the Austin-based company is aiming to take its entertainment beyond the internet. Their first feature film Lazer Team is a love letter to the best parts of Internet culture.
What is Lazer Team?
Lazer Team is a sci-fi comedy film from Rooster Teeth, the popular YouTube channel that has made its name in machinima, a style of animation where video game characters are mixed with scripted voice-overs. It’s the first feature-length film from Rooster Teeth, and it was the site’s highest-earning Indiegogo campaign ever.
The plot follows a group of former military heroes who have been disbanded, but now want to work together again in an effort to save their planet. Four years have passed since their last mission, and the D.E.T.I.A has mostly lost funding, leaving a few people behind. Hagan (Burnie Burns), Herman Mendoza (Colton Dunn) and Zach Spencer (Michael Jones) are now focusing on their lives, with Herman running a successful marketing company; Hagan suffering from depression; and Zach operating his own 'lazer' hair removal business in an attempt to win back his ex-girlfriend Mindy.
After an attempted rescue ends in a failure, Major Evelyn Kilbourne (Victoria Pratt) becomes head of the D.E.T.I.A. She tries to shut down all projects related to Lazer Team, and when the five finally arrive at her base she fends them off with a turret designed by the D.E.T.I.A.
When the group arrives at the base, they realize they were wrong about not helping Doulos in the previous film. A battle ensues, and Lazer Team acquires upgraded armor.
There are many fantasy action scenes and fighting. The characters use a variety of weapons, including laser guns. The film also includes teen brawling at a party, football clashes, and some strong sexual situations and innuendo.
It isn’t recommended for viewers under the age of 18. While there are no nudity or sex scenes, language is fairly frequent, including references to “s--t,” “bitch,” and “d--k.”
The story begins when a group of four dream team members accidentally shoot down an alien ship with a bottle rocket. Each man wears a piece of the suit, which gives him an enhanced ability. The legs are fast, the Mega Man arm a boost of intelligence, the laser shield a weapon of defense, and the helmet an energy cannon.
The Story
Four small-town losers stumble across an alien crash site containing an incredible battle suit. They soon realize they have each been genetically bonded with a piece of this suit. It’s an unthinkable situation for them, but they’re determined to work together in order to save Earth from a deadly alien force.
The team is thrown into a world where they are not just heroes, but they are the last hope for humanity. They need to learn how to use their new alien supersuit, train for a battle against an omnipotent enemy, and do it all without killing each other. With the government chasing them and desperate to remove their new equipment at any cost, Lazer Team must work as a team if they want to keep their families safe.
While this may seem like a fairly obvious storyline, it’s actually quite original, and Rooster Teeth did a great job making the film feel fresh. They managed to make it all seem fun and exciting, despite the fact that it was very much an action movie.
They also managed to incorporate some sci-fi elements that are a lot more unique than the typical “super hero” genre films out there. The premise of each character being permanently bonded to a part of this suit, is a lot different than most movies with this type of storyline.
Their main arc isn’t really a good one, but it does have a few laughs, especially in the first half of the film when the team is still trying to figure out how to use their suits and what kind of skills they have. There’s even some slapstick silliness that makes it seem more fun than most of the other sci-fi films I’ve watched lately.
But despite this, it’s a shame that Rooster Teeth failed to develop any sort of meaningful thematic underpinning for this film. The idea that the team will come to understand the unintended consequences of their victory, which can be an important lesson for young people, isn’t explored enough here, and it could have made a much more enjoyable film.
The Cast
The cast of Lazer Team includes a number of stars from Rooster Teeth. They include Burnie Burns, Gavin Free, Colton Dunn and Michael Jones.
Rooster Teeth is an Austin-based company that produces animation, gaming and other fan-oriented projects. Their most successful project is their YouTube channel. The group's first feature-length movie, Lazer Team, was released in 2015 and is directed by Matt Hullum.
In Lazer Team, four small-town losers stumble upon an alien crash site containing an incredible battle suit. After a brief scuffle, each of the jerks finds themselves wearing a piece of the armour. They now must learn to work as a unit in order to save the world from an extraterrestrial threat.
The film was directed by Matt Hullum, with screenplays written by Burnie Burns and Chris DeMarais. The film was also produced by Rooster Teeth. It was funded by a crowdfund campaign, which raised over $2.4 million.
This movie is a spoof of sci-fi action films. It features a number of cheesy jokes and a few moments of genuinely funny dialogue. The movie isn't a masterpiece, but it's still a fun watch.
The characters in the movie aren't very smart or even very good at their jobs, but they're not stupid either. They're also very sympathetic and easy to like.
Woody, the only member of the team who's a bit of a jerk, is also the only one to actually be a "nice guy." He's a bit goofy at first, and his intelligence spikes when he puts on the armour. He also starts to talk with a British accent, which is kind of hilarious considering how dumb he is at the beginning.
Hagan is a bit more brave than the other three, but he's not a genius. He does his best to protect his teammates from the Worg-posssed soldiers, but he's slow on the uptake that Kilbourne is actually aiming at him. He also fails to notice that the Worg-posssed Mindy is calling him on Skype, which causes him to panic when she tries to kill him.
The cast of Lazer Team is quite diverse, with a variety of actors playing each of the characters. They include Burnie Burns, who plays Hagan; Colton Dunn, who plays Herman; Gavin Free, who plays Woody; and Michael Jones, who plays Zach. The other characters include Nichole Bloom, who plays scientist Maggie; and Victoria Pratt, who plays Kilbourne.
The Trailer
Rooster Teeth's first feature-length film, Lazer Team, smashed crowdfunding records and earned more than $1 million in theatrical ticket sales. The Austin-based studio followed up with a sequel, which is now available on YouTube Red.
The sequel picks up with Woody Johnson (Gavin Free) working on a project that ends in his abduction by an alien. After the incident, Major Evelyn Kilbourne (Victoria Pratt) halts all projects associated with Lazer Team, and Maggie tries to reunite the group.
But when a new threat is revealed, the heroes must re-team to save their friend. Colton Dunn (NBC's "Superstore"), Burnie Burns (Rooster Teeth), Michael Jones (RWBY) and Gavin Free (The Slow Mo Guys) return for this follow-up, along with Nichole Bloom (Superstore) and Victoria Pratt ("Heartland").
As the trailer suggests, Lazer Team 2 begins with Woody and Maggie working together on a secret research project that eventually leads to his abduction by an alien. After the team's failed attempt to rescue him, Kilbourne shuts down their work and demands that they never reunite, leaving Maggie to go searching for her missing partner.
This time around, the gang faces an Antarean invasion of Earth, which requires them to work together as a unit to stop them. However, their petty rifts are apparent and they must put aside their differences if they want to survive the ordeal.
While Lazer Team 2 isn't for everyone, it's a solid piece of sci-fi comedy with a strong foundation in the conflicts among its title characters. It's sporadically funny throughout, pumps up the action and features some great moments of surprise humor.
In the end, Lazer Team 2 is a welcome addition to the growing library of original content from digital platforms like YouTube Red. It isn't without its faults, but it's a surprisingly entertaining watch that's worth checking out if you're a Rooster Teeth fan.
The sequel to Rooster Teeth's sci-fi comedy, Lazer Team 2, arrives on YouTube Red on November 22nd. It's the latest to join the service, which launched earlier this year and costs $9.99 a month. Subscribers can also enjoy other original shows from Roster Teeth, including Scare PewDiePie and A Trip To Unicorn Island.
