The Kickstarter campaign for the latest Mythica film has concluded on December 9th so it is time to go back to the beginning with Mythica: A Quest For Heroes (2014)! This is a fine fantasy movie series that will continue with Mythica: Stormbound. It is directed by Anne K. Black who also directed the Arrowstorm film, Dawn of the Dragonslayer (2011). Black is also the co-writer along with Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin, the duo went on to create The Outpost show. The movie is currently streaming on Amazon Prime through FreeVee with ads. We immediately pan into a cave with sunlight streaming on one spot, the bearded priest (Jay Beacham) finds a stone that he gives to Caeryn (Natalie Devine Riskas). Outside is chaos, a raid. He tells her to run and she tries to find her sister Teela (Nicola Posener) who runs along with her. Posener currently stars in the Amazon Prime horror series, Age of the Living Dead.
The priest is met by the raiders dressed in black. Their leader with yellow eyes, Kishkumen (Ryan Palmer) draws out the Temple Elder’s memories and kills him. The sisters run out of the burning cave to find raiders and giant troll so they return to the cave! The troll strikes down Teela and Caeryn wants her to get help. We see at an apothecary, the clubfoot of a woman who shuffles as she collects ingredients to grind and mash in a bowl. This is Marek played by Melanie Stone who previously was in fantasy film, The Christmas Dragon (2014) with co-stars Jake Stormoen and Adam Johnson. Marek is dedicated and innocent in this the story. Entering the room is a young man, Egan (Sebastian Michael Barr), and she hands him a bowl. He nervously makes the potion and it sends out a smoke like a snake at Marek before exploding! This angers their master, Vagamal (Michael Flynn). The actor played General Calkussar in The Outpost. Egan tries to clear the table as Marek blocks the doorway with a basket of clothes.
The angry Vagamal lashes at Marek and throws a package to Egan to get money from the wizard. Marek takes the package even though Egan is worried that she won’t be able to get back before the guards mark her as a runaway. She hobbles into the snow with her crutch leaving the village for crowded city streets. The wizard in question, Gojun Pye (Kevin Sorbo) is at work at his table. Sorbo, controversial now, is known for Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Marek enters and says she used his Vision spell. She wants to learn more spells and he gives a parchment page for a Displacement spell. The magic feels very like the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game (RPG). He says he has to leave since he may have raised suspicions about himself. Marek wants to go with him and Gojun Pye mentions an inn and to ask for Hammerhead. He gives her coins for the Hog’s Root and says it is getting late.
There is a cheering crowd and Marek finds from a passing child that it is because of dragon eggs brought by adventurers! The sun is setting and Marek scrambles with her crutch running into three men, one man with a fur coat paws her, and she hits him. A large, drunken man (Johnson) in armor and shield stops the bully. He later introduces himself as Thane. Johnson starred in The Outpost as Munt. He throws his sword killing one soldier. Thane duels with a soldier while Marek is able to slip away from the leader. Marek sees more soldiers and slips into a wagon of hay. She finds there a half-elf man (Stormoen) next to her. The Outpost’s Captain Garret Spears was played by Stormoen. Here, he plays Dagen. A guard checks the wagon and Dagen covers Marek’s mouth while dodging sword strikes. The guard allows the wagon to pass. The clever man leaves, Marek finds her coins missing, and the guards chase after Dagen.
Then, she is grabbed by a soldier! Night, the guard rides into the village with Marek tossed across his horse like a blanket. He calls out Vagamal who throws a pouch to the guard. Marek is dropped in the snow. She confesses that she was robbed and Vagamal starts to thrash her with a belt. Egan hears the punishment inside the apothecary. Suddenly, Marek’s face magically turns blue and she takes hold of the belt. Her hand draws out Vagamal’s life force like the priest. Then, the cruel man is sent hurtling back! Egan tells her that her magic didn’t use powders or words. The angry townspeople are gathering. Marek tells him that she has to leave and he takes out a makeshift leg brace for her. She leaves before the mob can find her. Marek attaches Egan’s brace on her leg. Her handicap is unique for a fantasy character, a physical flaw that she more than makes up with her resolve. Later, she finds Thane in a cage, it is the drunken man who helped her. Then, Marek finds her way to Hammerhead’s inn.
A fight is ended by a thrown blade of the Dwarf owner, Hammerhead (Christopher Robin Miller). An interesting veteran Dwarf, still deadly, but more interested in organizing adventurers. She makes her way to the bar to Hammerhead. Marek asks for a bounty and says she knows magic. He takes Marek to be thrown out. Teela enters the inn in the name of her goddess, Ana-Sett, and wants to see Oren Tuck. Hammerhead says that was his old name. She says her temple was raided and the people were taken away. Marek hears this underneath a table. Hammerhead announces to the room about her quest, but they all laugh. Teela leaves and Marek says to Hammerhead she will take the bounty. She is thrown out of the inn again! Marek catches up with Teela and says she has a team. Teela touches her brow and sees visions of Marek. She returns to the cage and says she will free Thane if he helps with the bounty.
He recognizes her from the alley and says he has worked for the Vitalion Empire. There is hints of world building here that is expanded on with later films. She starts to say magic words that draw the attention of two guards. Suddenly, the cage’s lock ignites, and Thane takes care of his former guards. Afterwards, Marek says they need a thief and Thane knows one busy with a commander’s wife. They reach the home and find Dagen, of course, throwing down his clothes and leaping down. I sense a little Madmartigan in him. Thane punches Dagen and steps on his neck while Marek has her foot on his hand. Dagen kicks both of them and they run off before the guards arrive. In the morning, the trio meet with Teela on a hill. She explains that they have to travel 10 leagues to find her sister, a prisoner at an Orc camp. The group, not entirely working together yet, is formed and the adventure begins! Mythica: A Quest for Heroes has fun characters, RPG adventure, all within a budget, but just a fun, fantasy adventure driven by the conviction of the filmmakers!
Four out of Five!
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