Yet the latest in a growing line of viral videos to grab Hollywood's attention, Azureus Rising is a 6-minute "Proof of Concept" short written and directed by former ILM'er David Weinstein, whose visual effects work can be found in such films as Cloverfield, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones along with a few films that really don't bear mentioning (but I will!) like Meet Dave, The Happening and Valkyrie.

As a "Proof of Concept" film, it's not surprising that Azureus Rising feels unfinished, a visually awesome yet incomplete film with a far too simple storyline involving a freedom fighter known as Azureus who breaks into an interstellar city colony to shut down the computer-controlled military drones that dominate the city.

Rumored to be the seeds for a desired feature film trilogy involving the life journey of a young man named Eric who turns into a powerful freedom fighter, Azureus Rising is beautifully shot with CGI and the visuals are, indeed, absolutely mesmerizing with a sort of Burtonesque aura. Here's hoping that Weinstein, who most assuredly will at least get the first feature film greenlighted, puts as much emphasis on a satisfying story as he has on creating unforgettable images. Otherwise, Azureus Rising could end up being another debacle like the promising but disappointing Terra.