Of Myth and Monsters: A Review of “Mythica”
What are some of the things that you look for in the quintessential movie of your chosen genre? Do you look for how the characters come together? Plot? Venue?
As an avid player of Dungeons and Dragons for almost 15 years, I look for all of the above before I add a movie to my must-see list. For the fantasy genre, I kept Lord of the Rings on the list for quite some time. It is still one of the most influential films of the fantasy genre and nothing to this day has come close for me.
Until Mythica.
You haven’t heard of Mythica. I can almost guarantee that, but Arrowstorm Entertainment is hoping to change that by releasing five films in the collection. Two of the films (“Mythica: A Quest for Heroes” and “Mythica: The Darkspore”) have already been released and are available for purchase. “Mythica 3”, more aptly entitled “Mythica: The Necromancer”, has been successfully funded through Kickstarter and I look forward to notifying you when 4 and 5 are up as well. The film’s star Melanie Stone, Jake Stormoen, Kevin Sorbo, Nicola Posener, Adamn Johnson, and a slew of other extremely talented actors. That stellar cast is only amplified in the sequel and onward with folk such as Matthew Mercer and Rocky Myers. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the level of talent involved.
Mythica at its core is your standard sword-and-sorcery film. There’s a dark ramshackle kingdom held together by sheer willpower with a smattering of magic folk living within its borders. Marek (Melanie Stone) is a young slave girl who seeks to free herself from her bonds through the use of magic under the tutelage of Gojun (Kevin Sorbo). She runs away and takes up the role of your standard adventurer. She begins to uncover a sinister force at work both in the world and within herself and picks up allies as she investigates further these dark forces.
Each ally brings with them a unique skill set that helps round out her party. Dagen is the quintessential thief with Jake Stormoen’s own charisma shining through his character brilliantly. Adam Johnson portrays Thane, the fighter with a heart of gold, looking to just live a life of dignity. Finally there’s Nicola Posener whose Teela gives cause to the party members to work together. The quest comes from her after all. Soon they’re on their way to saving the world from the evil of Matthew Mercer’s Szorlock and his dark forces. Whether they want to or not, whether they’re getting paid or not, the team perseveres.
The arc of the first two movies compliment perfectly. While the first movie seeking to bring the party together and unite them against a common enemy, the second movie is where the pentalogy really begins to shine, explaining in vivid detail what’s really going on behind the backs of our intrepid adventurers. It’s what a D&D movie should feel like and I found myself taking small notes for items I could use in my own campaign (should I ever get a group – seriously, call me if you want to RPG.) and for things I’d just never thought of before.
I highly recommend this film and its sequels, even before seeing 3-5, to all fans of the fantasy genre. For me, it’s up there with Lord of the Rings now and I can’t wait for the rest of the collection to come.
Keep up the good work, adventurers.
Vox Machina.