Jun 20, 20222 min read

The Legend of Vox Machina: Ethics are a Luxury We Currently Can’t Afford

Updated: Feb 11, 2023

Reviews by:

@the_owlseyes

RATE THIS SERIES

"This is our purpose. Fighting for justice, for glory, protecting the kingdom and stuff. Most importantly, lots of money!”

Scanlan Shorthalt

PLOT

"In a desperate attempt to pay off a mounting bar tab, a band of misfits end up on a quest to save the realm of Exandria from dark, magical forces" or "D&D brought to life".

SCRIPT

This is a show which is inspired by D&D and it feels exactly like it. There're a lot of different and interesting characters in Vox Machina but I want to single out Percy, Vax and Pike, because they're the one who get the best characterization. Scanlon is a fan favourite but we'll see if in the next season he will get some kind of development or not. Vex, Grog and Keyleth aren't utilized much and unfortunately are the most forgettable.

The villains are interesting too. The Briarwoods seem like an evil couple without a reason but Delilah has one of the noblest reason you can think about, which makes her particularly compelling.

In this word every species is well integrated and the show is able to use it at its advantage. Worldbuilding isn't a strength of this series but, fortunately, it makes up for it by focusing on the characters.

Here themes like Loss, Vengeance, Justice, Sexuality, Love, Loyalty and Knowledge are well managed to create an interesting plot made of twists and turns.

Script: 8/10

ACTING

The voice actors do a remarkable job and each actor fit the characters to perfection. I liked the one who dubbed Vax'ildan, Scanlan and Percy. Overall all the actors deliver a performance which is between good and impressive. I liked the fact that they chose a bunch of newcomers to voice the main characters in order to make them more iconic.

Acting: 7/10

PHOTOGRAPHY

Lights and shadows aren't used well because they're both flat for most of the time. Colours are better because they have a symbolic meaning and they're what gives life to this show. Sometimes they're too oversaturated but overall I find photography pleasant.

Photography: 7/10

EDITING

Not much to say about it because it isn't impressive. Only the fight scenes stand out but the rest is just boring to watch.

Editing: 6/10

SPECIAL EFFECTS

I don't consider the animation particularly remarkable because the show uses a style which is becoming kind of trite. Some scene feature full CGI monstrosities which I hoped not to see because these are not good and they kinda ruin the experience. Overall I think that this section is just decent.

Special Effects: 6/10

SOUNDTRACK

The soundtrack itself is plain and unoriginal but the singed parts are gold. Yeah, sometimes Scanlen's songs are a bit out of place but I find them enjoyable.

Soundtrack: 6/10

COSTUMES

Even though they respect the source material, I think that they don't bring anything new to the genre. I consider them acceptable but it hardly goes beyond that.

Costumes: 6/10

CONCLUSION