Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is a French–American adult animated television series produced by Ubisoft Film & Television, Bobbypills, and Bootleg Universe.[1] It is inspired by the 2013 video game Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, while amalgamating elements and characters from several other Ubisoft franchises. Created by Adi Shankar, the series was released on October 19, 2023 on Netflix and received generally positive reviews from critics.
| Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Created by | Adi Shankar |
| Inspired by | Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon by Ubisoft |
| Written by |
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| Story by | Adi Shankar |
| Directed by | Mehdi Leffad |
| Creative director | Balak |
| Voices of |
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| Composer | Oscillian |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 20–25 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | October 19, 2023 |
Premise
editThe series is set in 1992, in an alternate history in which the United States has become Eden, a dystopian technocracy controlled by the megacorporation of the same name and populated by humans and artificially created anthropomorphic animals called "Hybrids". Dolph Laserhawk, a supersoldier modified by Eden Tech Military, escapes and becomes a fugitive alongside his boyfriend Alex Taylor. During a final heist, Taylor betrays Laserhawk, who is captured and incarcerated in Eden's black site prison, Supermaxx.
Under the direction of Supermaxx's warden, who has implanted an explosive device inside him, Laserhawk is selected to lead a team of other captive rebels, known as the Ghosts, on a series of covert operations to undermine Taylor's plans.[2]
Voice cast and characters
edit- Captain Dolph Laserhawk
- Voiced by: Nathaniel Curtis[3]
- A fugitive supersoldier and leader of the Ghosts.
- Sarah Fisher / Sigma ("Σ")
- Voiced by: Caroline Ford[2]
- The warden of the Supermaxx prison, who gives the Ghosts their orders. Based on the character of the same name from the Splinter Cell franchise.
- Bullfrog
- Voiced by: Balak[3]
- A frog hybrid and French assassin who is recruited to the Ghosts. Inspired by the assassins of the Assassin's Creed franchise.
- Alex Taylor
- Voiced by: Boris Hiestand[3]
- An anti-Eden revolutionary and Dolph's ex-boyfriend, who becomes his enemy after betraying him during a heist. Based on the character of the same name from The Crew.[4]
- Rayman / Ramon
- Voiced by: David Menkin[2]
- An alien from the parallel world of Dimension X who becomes an Eden newscaster and media personality. Based on the eponymous character from the franchise of the same name.
- Voiced by: Mark Ebulue[3]
- The leader of the anti-Eden resistance movement DedSec. Based on the character of the same name from Watch Dogs 2.
- Voiced by: Nigel Barber
- A former United States soldier and Sarah's father. Based on the character of the same name from the Splinter Cell franchise.
- Red
- Voiced by: Adi Shankar[3]
- The leader of the Niji 6, a team of Power Rangers-inspired superheroes that serve Eden. Inspired by the operators of Rainbow Six Siege.
- Voiced by: Courtney Mae-Briggs[2]
- A photojournalist who is recruited to the Ghosts. Based on the character of the same name from Beyond Good & Evil.
- Pey'j
- Voiced by: Glenn Wrage[2]
- A pig hybrid and Jade's adoptive uncle who is recruited to the Ghosts. Based on the character of the same name from Beyond Good & Evil.
- Voiced by: Daniel York Loh[2]
- A crime lord in Eden. Based on the character of the same name from Far Cry 4.
- Voiced by: Himself
- A professional wrestler for the Eden Wrestling Federation. Based on Omega's likeness as an AEW wrestler.
- Voiced by: Himself
- A professional wrestler for the Eden Wrestling Federation who is recruited to the Ghosts. Based on Rhodes' likeness as a WWE superstar.
Episodes
edit| No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Mehdi Leffad | Story by : Adi Shankar Teleplay by : Alex Larsen | October 19, 2023 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Mehdi Leffad | Story by : Adi Shankar Teleplay by : Samuel Laskey | October 19, 2023 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Mehdi Leffad | Story by : Adi Shankar Teleplay by : Samuel Laskey | October 19, 2023 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Mehdi Leffad | Story by : Adi Shankar Teleplay by : Alex Larsen | October 19, 2023 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Mehdi Leffad | Story by : Adi Shankar Teleplay by : Craig Coyne | October 19, 2023 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Mehdi Leffad | Story by : Adi Shankar Teleplay by : Alex Larsen | October 19, 2023 |
Production
editThe show was first unveiled by Ubisoft in October 2019, by its former title Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Vibe, with Castlevania showrunner Adi Shankar helming the project albeit no distributor was announced.[5] In June 2021, during Netflix's "Geeked Week" virtual event, Shankar revealed that he is producing the series based on the vibe of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon under the title Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.[6] The show is being helmed by Shankar with Paris-based animation studio Bobbypills handling the production.[6] Balak serves as creative director with Mehdi Leffad as director.[7] Gérard Guillemot, Hélène Juguet and Hugo Revon, serve as producers from Ubisoft Film & Television.[7]
In addition to the Far Cry franchise, the series features characters and elements from several other Ubisoft intellectual properties, such as Assassin's Creed, Beyond Good and Evil, The Crew, Rainbow Six, Rayman, Splinter Cell and Watch Dogs.[8][2]
Release
editCaptain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix was released worldwide in October 2023 on Netflix with six episodes.[9][10]
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 89% based on 9 reviews, and an average rating of 6.70/10. Hayden Mears of IGN gave the show a 9.0 out of 10 'Amazing' score, stating that it is "as brutal as it is heartfelt, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix never feels robbed of clever ways to mesh an eclectic group of Ubisoft favorites into a single madcap story."[11] The Verge's Charles Pulliam-Moore states that the show "plays like a joyride through Ubisoft's vast library of classic video game IP".[12]
Other media
editA hardcover art book, titled Captain Laserhawk: Blood Dragon Remix – The Art of the Animated Series, published by Dark Horse Books was released on October 24, 2023.[13]
A yaoi manga prequel adaptation by Ben Kahn, and published by Tokyopop, was released on January 23, 2024.[14] It features the relationship between Dolph Laserhawk and Alex Taylor.[14]
Captain Laserhawk: the G.A.M.E.
editA web3 sequel game, [15] Captain Laserhawk: the G.A.M.E. launched in December 2024. The game is a top down shooter which requires connection to a cryptocurrency wallet and the purchase of one of the character NFTs. Rayman is the announcer for death matches.[16]
The game received overwhelmingly negative reception. Time Extension described it as "painfully basic", and lamented the use of Rayman to promote the game.[17] Polygon journalist Stephen Totlio found that he was the tenth highest ranked player globally after playing only three matches; this was due to extremely low player uptake. As of the time of publication only 94 players had played the game. It launched with many limited-run NFTs; these sold poorly and were still available in large quantities.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Geeked Week 2021 Day 5 Recap: All the News and Sneak Peeks" (Press release). Netflix. June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Bankhurst, Adam (September 27, 2023). "Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix Gets Official Release Date, New Cast Members". IGN. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Sarto, Debbie (June 14, 2023). "Netflix Teases 'Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix'". Animation World Network. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Nguyen, John (June 22, 2023). "Adi Shankar on Metal Gear, Assassin's Creed, Gaming Influences in Netflix's Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix". Nerd Reactor. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Cripe, Michael (October 10, 2019). "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Spinoff Show Coming, Castlevania Producer Attached". The Escapist. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Goslin, Austin; Patches, Matt (June 11, 2021). "The Ubisoft universe collides in Netflix's Captain Laserhawk". Polygon. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (June 12, 2023). "'Captain Laserhawk' Teaser Unleashes Netflix's Retro Game Anime Revolution". Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ Wales, Matt (September 27, 2023). "Geeked Week 2021 Day 5 Recap: All the News and Sneak Peeks". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (September 27, 2023). "Netflix Slates 'Devil May Cry' Anime, Teases 'Blue Eye Samurai,' 'Captain Laserhawk' & 'Sonic Prime' S3". Animation Magazine. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Stedman, Alex (October 13, 2023). "How Adi Shankar Went From Netflix's Castlevania to Captain Laserhawk, a Wild Remix of Ubisoft IP". IGN. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ Mears, Hayden (October 18, 2023). "Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix – Review". IGN. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (October 19, 2023). "Netflix's Captain Laserhawk is a postmodern acid trip through Ubisoft history". The Verge. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ Babb, Tiffany (July 11, 2023). "Captain Laserhawk: Blood Dragon Remix to get a hardcover behind-the-scenes art book". The PopVerse. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Marston, George (October 17, 2023). "Netflix's Captain Laserhawk, which features neon-soaked versions of Ubisoft characters, is getting a boys' love manga". GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (August 6, 2024). "Ubisoft teams up with Web3's Arbitrum and Sequence on Captain Laserhawk: the G.A.M.E." VentureBeat. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Totilo, Stephen (19 December 2024). "Did you know Ubisoft just released a new game… with Rayman and NFTs?". Polygon.
- ^ Extension, Time (20 December 2024). "Ubisoft Defrosts Rayman For Cynical Blockchain Outing, Captain Laserhawk: The G.A.M.E." Time Extension.
