Where its potential lies
Prime Video
The animation might struggle with heftier action sequences. The elements are on the table for “Vox Machina” to play with. For example, in “Scanbo” (the weakest episode that forgoes the power of the ensemble and instead focuses on a rather hit-or-miss comedy relief), Scanlan (Sam Riegel) experiments with a roulette of potions with unpredictable powers — shrinking to dodge the blade, teleportation, and sudden fire breath. The idea is fun in outlines, but only amusing in execution when the animation can’t be as shifty and dynamic as justified.
The fight choreography finds its groove in the final three episodes. A lot will be discussed about the duel between the astrally projected Pike Trickfoot and Briarwood to the rapid swirl of the “camera.” Rightfully so. But this fight doesn’t demonstrate the show’s potential as much as the climatic escapade in episode 10, “Depth of Deceit.” Several instances of character-driven humor and heart-pounding suspense co-mingle: Scanlan’s ripping on his magical strings like an electric guitar, Percy’s problem solving, Keyleth’s insecurities, our barbarian Grog recklessly plunging into corrosive acid, and Pike’s simultaneously healing Grog from disintegration as he’s submerged. It’s a spectacular and ludicrous sequence that stirs up someone else’s smartness with another’s on-the-fly recklessness, squeezing all these character multitudes like a muscled fist closing an orange.
Something that is sorely missing in the world-building of “Vox Machina” is a rich immersion. Its map so far consists of perfunctory kingdom authority and plot-relevant set pieces, such as the Whitestone tree and the temple that houses the mysterious dark orb. There is barely any historic and emotional context given to the fantasy world template. But, character-wise, I suspect it would be crowd-pleasing enough for fans of the Critical Role source material. The highs are still there — even as the season ends in a cliffhanger of conspicuous CGI dragons swooping to ruin the visages of temporary peace. Keep the faith. “Vox Machina” is streaming on Prime Video.
The Legend Of Vox Machina Spoiler Review: Finding Strength In Faith And Friendship
Prime Video
By Caroline Cao/Feb. 19, 2022 9:00 am EST
I have to wonder if the debut season of “Vox Machina” would have been more fruitful if it was willing to produce stand-alone adventures to tune out the psychological journeys that happen as the Briarwood arc kicks off in episode 3. Glancing at the Kickstarter profile that funded the show, which promised the structure as mapped out, the 12-episode outline was inevitable. But I couldn’t help but imagine a “Vox Machina” that provided more.
Character arcs
Faith, in oneself and in others, is a running theme. Having loved ones who believe in her, the arc of insecure plant druid Keyleth (Marisha Ray) unlocking her inner lifesaving light is the strongest next to Percy’s arc. However, the pious cleric Pike Trickfoot (a heartfelt Ashley Johnson) exists as an emotionally-loaded character, underserved by the plot’s impulse to get the ball rolling with her split from her team. Her epiphany that she’s afraid that hanging with her debauched, drunken, and profane friends has compromised her faith to the Everlight is one of the most sobering confessions — leading to a reunion in astral projection — yet remains underdeveloped because we didn’t spend enough time with her doubts with integrating Vox Machina before her temporary split. Grog (Travis Willingham) and (Travis Willingham) are more-or-less dutiful contributors to the action, the latter involved in a mind-control fight with his sister, Vex.
Other characters outside of the main party lay wasted as unattended concepts, such as Whitestone’s religious leader (Gina Torres), who preaches the arc theme of faith; and rebel leader Archibald Desnay (Dominic Monaghan), whose death is a tool to drag Percy into a darker place rather than live and die as a fully realized soul. In one case, the fault is the developing animation. Percy’s sister Cassandra (Esmé Creed-Miles) holds weight, especially with the script’s attention and care to illustrate her trauma and her final action (her shooting the final Briarwood is a compelling unspoken message about unforgiveness as necessary to find inner peace), though her facial performance is often stuck with an unreadable plasticity, rather than intended trauma-infused stoicism, that conveys little information.
Where its potential lies
The animation might struggle with heftier action sequences. The elements are on the table for “Vox Machina” to play with. For example, in “Scanbo” (the weakest episode that forgoes the power of the ensemble and instead focuses on a rather hit-or-miss comedy relief), Scanlan (Sam Riegel) experiments with a roulette of potions with unpredictable powers — shrinking to dodge the blade, teleportation, and sudden fire breath. The idea is fun in outlines, but only amusing in execution when the animation can’t be as shifty and dynamic as justified.
The fight choreography finds its groove in the final three episodes. A lot will be discussed about the duel between the astrally projected Pike Trickfoot and Briarwood to the rapid swirl of the “camera.” Rightfully so. But this fight doesn’t demonstrate the show’s potential as much as the climatic escapade in episode 10, “Depth of Deceit.” Several instances of character-driven humor and heart-pounding suspense co-mingle: Scanlan’s ripping on his magical strings like an electric guitar, Percy’s problem solving, Keyleth’s insecurities, our barbarian Grog recklessly plunging into corrosive acid, and Pike’s simultaneously healing Grog from disintegration as he’s submerged. It’s a spectacular and ludicrous sequence that stirs up someone else’s smartness with another’s on-the-fly recklessness, squeezing all these character multitudes like a muscled fist closing an orange.
Something that is sorely missing in the world-building of “Vox Machina” is a rich immersion. Its map so far consists of perfunctory kingdom authority and plot-relevant set pieces, such as the Whitestone tree and the temple that houses the mysterious dark orb. There is barely any historic and emotional context given to the fantasy world template. But, character-wise, I suspect it would be crowd-pleasing enough for fans of the Critical Role source material. The highs are still there — even as the season ends in a cliffhanger of conspicuous CGI dragons swooping to ruin the visages of temporary peace. Keep the faith. “Vox Machina” is streaming on Prime Video.
The fight choreography finds its groove in the final three episodes. A lot will be discussed about the duel between the astrally projected Pike Trickfoot and Briarwood to the rapid swirl of the “camera.” Rightfully so. But this fight doesn’t demonstrate the show’s potential as much as the climatic escapade in episode 10, “Depth of Deceit.” Several instances of character-driven humor and heart-pounding suspense co-mingle: Scanlan’s ripping on his magical strings like an electric guitar, Percy’s problem solving, Keyleth’s insecurities, our barbarian Grog recklessly plunging into corrosive acid, and Pike’s simultaneously healing Grog from disintegration as he’s submerged. It’s a spectacular and ludicrous sequence that stirs up someone else’s smartness with another’s on-the-fly recklessness, squeezing all these character multitudes like a muscled fist closing an orange.
Something that is sorely missing in the world-building of “Vox Machina” is a rich immersion. Its map so far consists of perfunctory kingdom authority and plot-relevant set pieces, such as the Whitestone tree and the temple that houses the mysterious dark orb. There is barely any historic and emotional context given to the fantasy world template. But, character-wise, I suspect it would be crowd-pleasing enough for fans of the Critical Role source material. The highs are still there — even as the season ends in a cliffhanger of conspicuous CGI dragons swooping to ruin the visages of temporary peace. Keep the faith.
“Vox Machina” is streaming on Prime Video.
