Metroid (2004 film)

Metroid is a 2004 computer-animated science fiction action-adventure comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson, Conrad Vernon and George Miller, and based on the video game franchise of the same name by Nintendo. Produced by Aron Warner, Bill Miller, George Miller and Doug Mitchell and based on a screenplay by Joe Stillman, Roger S. H. Schulman, Steven Spielberg, Shigeru Miyamoto and George Miller, and a story by Ted Elliott. The fourth film in the Nintendo Cinematic Series (NCS), it features the voice and motion capture performances of Charlize Theron, Tyrese Gibson, Michael Douglas, Ralph Fiennes, and Glenn Close. The plot follows Samus Aran and her mission to retrieve the parasitic Metroid organisms that were stolen by Space Pirates, who plan to replicate the Metroids by exposing them to beta rays and then use them as biological weapons to destroy Samus and all who oppose them.

Metroid was originally envisioned as a live-action project, with a concept script by Tom Cruise. However, it was abandoned and left in development hell for several years. In 2001, Warner Bros. Pictures acquired the project after a negotiation with Nintendo General Manager Shigeru Miyamoto. Andrew Adamson and Conrad Vernon were assigned to direct the film for a Thanksgiving 2004 release. George Miller joined the project as director, screenwriter and producer. Bill Miller and Doug Mitchell served as the producers of the film alongside Aron Warner. The main characters were cast in 2002. The animation was produced between winter 2002 and summer 2004, with the animation produced by Alias Maya. The film also utilized facial motion capture, similar to that of The Polar Express, released in the same year. A joint venture co-production between the United States, Japan and Australia, the film was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Nintendo Films, Digital Frontier and Kennedy Miller Productions.

Metroid premiered in Los Angeles on November 11, 2004, before it was theatrically released on November 26, 2004 in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures, as part of Phase One of the Nintendo Cinematic Series. It later had a release on December 23, 2004 by Roadshow Films in Australia, and later in Japan on March 22, 2005 by Toho. It received acclaim from critics, with praise for its voice cast, animation, style, cinematography, musical score by Hans Zimmer, visual effects, and motion capture performances of Theron, Douglas and Fiennes. Grossing $428 million against a budget of $75 million, Metroid became the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2004, and the third-highest-grossing animated film of 2004. At the time, it was considered the highest-grossing film based on a video game. A sequel, Metroid Prime, was released on April 6, 2007.

Plot
The film begins in space, as a research vessel flies in space, where scientists from the Galactic Federation are researching a Metroid. The scientists begin to ask questions about: the species, the Chozos' history, and their abilities. While testing, the ship is invaded by space pirates and fire a volley of shots, killing everyone. A purple giant dragon named Ridley enters the hull, and spots the Metroid. He bares his teeth, resembling a smile, as his shadow covers the Metroid.

In the K-2L Research Colony, a young Samus Aran, along with her friends, Hip and Gunpei, have fun at a hill valley, and slide down Gunpei's sled, knocking into a building. The boys run away, when Samus' mother, Virginia Aran, comes out sternly, but then laughs it off. They go to Rodney Aran, Samus' father, as a colleague tells them that "Mother" is online. They rush to the main room, where Mother Brain is sitting there, a biochemical supercomputer, that can benefit the Federation's databases. As they begin to test her, and explain to Samus about the Aurora program, a young researcher rushes back to tell them that "they're here". The Chozos, consisting of the Old Bird, Grey Voice, and Spring Wind emerge from the spacecraft. The two adult Arans welcome them and tell the news, which pleases Grey Voice and Spring Wind, but the Old Bird is distracted by the presence of Samus. He forgives the Arans, and tells Samus about the story of the Chozos: telling her about the lessons of youth and their help into Mother Brain. Samus begins to cry, but he comforts her. As the Chozos board their ship, Samus waves farewell.

Meanwhile, in Ridley's ship, they've gained possession of the baby Metroid. A pirate escapes, but gets killed by the Metroid. While amused by its energy and potential, another pirate is concerned, but Ridley assures their spies have everything under control. Days later, the colony is invaded by space pirates, and Samus rushes to find her parents. She sees her father dead, and finds Ridley with Mother Brain. Samus and Virginia hide, as Ridley interrogates the Brain and reveals the Baby Metroid. Virginia retaliates and freezes the Metroid, angering Ridley, who pierces her, scaring off Samus. Ridley then suffocates Samus and impales her, while everyone else is killed. After a while, the Chozos find her unconscious, who've answered a distress call. As they bring her in, she's in critical condition, so the Elder decides to infuse her with his DNA, making her their legacy.

After a decade, Samus is training with Anthony Higgs, RX-7, a battle robot with human emotions, her new friend Ellen, and other federation soldiers. It goes well, until Ellen becomes inactive which worries Samus, causing her to defy Anthony's commands and saves her friend, but ends up failing the training. It turns out Ellen had it planned all along and becomes angry at Samus for disrupting her, but Samus tries to apologize and defend herself through her battles with the Space Pirates. Higgs attempts to break it up, until squad leader Ian Malkovich comes in to resent Samus' actions and demands her to see his brother, Adam Malkovich. Flashback to a few years ago, Samus is training with the Chozos on Planet Zebes. They teach her about firepower being vital, but the ways of using it is essential. Grey Voice tests Samus' strength but she fails and collapses; seeing this, he tells her about the Power Suit, but when he mentions the "Morph Ball", Samus becomes frightened. Samus gets angry and says she wants to go out into space to fight the pirates and join the federation, and how she is done being stuck on Zebes. Grey Voice comforts her, saying that they have their own problems and she's not ready yet.

Back in the present, Adam and Samus continue to argue, with Adam remaining calm and professional and Samus becoming even more upset and frustrated at his actions, who just repeats nonsense. He then asks why she's wearing the Zero Suit, which could hurt her. The argument ends with her fuming out whilst Ellen tries to calm her down. Outside, they walk past the bounty hunter Sylux, making Ellen worry for Samus more on her safety. They relax on the rooftop, with Samus reminiscing on her being the last of the Chozos; Ellen comforts her as Samus talks about her past. 5 years ago on Zebes, Samus is training in her Power Suit, but gets recoiled enough for it to destabilise. The Old Bird asks Grey Voice on her abilities, to which the only thing he gives is that Samus is still scared of the Morph Ball, making her more frightened when Spring Wind curls up to show her. After training ends, Samus wanders around Zebes and watches shooting stars, until noticing one heading towards the planet. The space pirates have invaded the planet and started battling the Chozos. Samus wants to save them, but they tell her to leave, to which she sadly agrees to. Escaping to the life pod, she blasts off and escape, watching her family die again to Ridley and a new monster, Kraid.

Back in the present, she concludes that the federation found her and notes that her family has died twice, and continues her vow to kill Ridley and the pirates. Ellen says nothing, and just hugs her, whilst Samus looks at the sky. Adam watches the sky, as a recording of his first encounter with Samus plays. She was shown to be sobbing and angered by the recording, and is otherwise reclusive. Days later, Adam begins to talk with each other and starts a story of how his parents were killed, and he had to take care of his brother for a long time. He assures her that with the Galactic Federation, she won't be alone. Ian comes in and apologises for her actions, but Adam says not to worry, and discusses the problems and contradictions between Samus and the federation. At the end, Adam gives Ian a new mission; then cutting to a few weeks later, where it has been discovered that the space pirates attacked another vessel and she rushes to Adam. It's revealed that Ian was killed in the vessel and Samus wants every force to come after them, but Adam explodes and shouts that he can't do that, and sent out a force of soldiers to attack, including Ellen.

Arriving at Zebes, Samus frantically searches for the squad, but disgustingly starts to find corpses of hunters and soldiers. She tries to find Ellen, but is too late, as Ellen is already dead; Samus swears revenge to kill the pirates, sacrificing a life with others, for a lonely life to protect others. Heading towards Brinstar as pirates attack, she manages to escape in a cavern until there's nothing but a small space. Samus decides to conquer her fears of the Morph Ball and traverses the gap carefully and successfully. She discovers the enemy Kraid but fails to attack it, hesitating as it grabs her. Samus manages to shoot its eye and mouth that releases her, eventually defeating it and tiring herself out. Samus arrives in Norfair, now a lava-filled pool. She accesses a nearby outpost computer for research, and discovers the truth about the Metroids. Samus is then tackled by Ridley, fighting each other in a brutal battle, damaging her suit to a more critical condition. Ridley taunts and cackles at her for her being the weakest of the Chozos, as she has flashbacks of her parents' death and the Chozos' death. Samus makes one last move to enact her revenge, she activates the self-destruct and ejects, sending her towards the lava and the unphased Ridley back to the facility.

Her Chozo DNA allows her to heal quickly, and she ventures on with just a Zero Suit and a paralyser on her. She sneaks by the Space Pirates until she discovers a Chozo mural that has the mighty Power Suit: the Varia Suit. In the past, the Old Bird told Samus that their memory lives on eternally; she cuts back to reality as the Space Pirates infiltrate the room, but suddenly the Varia Suit reforms around her in a bright light. With the new suit, she takes out the pirates and runs towards Ridley's location: Tourian. There, she's greeted by a hostile Metroid but is able to freeze it and uses the core to create an Ice Beam in here arm cannon, with the Metroid escaping. She suddenly hears the echoed voice of Mother Brain and follows it to find her; Samus begs for Brain to betray the pirates, but Brain refuses, being adamant that she'll lead the pirates to glory, by gaining complete control and becoming the greatest life form. Mother Brain sends out Metroids to attack Samus while Ridley battles her from behind. Their battle goes back and forth, but Samus tricks the Metroids into attacking Ridley, knocking him out. As a last resort, Mother Brain activates self-destruct which causes Samus to escape; she enters her ship and barely escapes.

Samus barely escapes and calls to Adam, who is relieved that she's alive and updates about the Federation scouts on Zebes' explosion. Samus, however, is still heartbroken about the death of Ellen, and is determined to help others throughout the galaxy. However, Adam begs her to stay with the Federation which would make her a hero. But with Samus, she can protect others and the Federation at once as a bounty hunter, but is able to cherish their friendship. She calls off the communicator and makes the hyperjump into space. In the mid-credits scene, Samus reaches an unknown planet that shows unusual scans that intrigue her. In the post-credits scene, Adam is talking to another general about Samus' mission; the figure is shown to be General Pepper, who ponders on forming his own division.

Voice cast

 * Charlize Theron as Samus Aran, an intergalactic bounty hunter and former child soldier who his called upon by her former colleagues to aid them on a mission.
 * Tyrese Gibson as Anthony Higgs, Samus' old soldier buddy who acts as an older brother and is her close confidant.
 * Michael Douglas as Adam Malkovich, the strict leader of the troop and Samus' former commander who has faith in her former colleague.
 * Jesse McCartney as Ian Malkovich, Adam's younger brother.
 * Ralph Fiennes as Ridley, the leader of the Space Pirates and a fearsome dragon-like alien.
 * Glenn Close as Mother Brain
 * James Earl Jones as RX-7, a battle robot with human emotions.