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The Legend of Vox Machina has rolled a natural 20.īut the first two episodes deliver a brand-new story, with Vox Machina taking on a deadly threat to Emon at the behest of the Tal’Dorei council which, in addition to Lady Allura, includes General Krieg (David Tennant), Sovereign Uriel Tal’Dorei (Khary Payton), and Lady Kima of Vord (Stephanie Beatriz.) By Episode 3, and after more than a few battles that test their friendship as well as their talents, Vox Machina has warmed to the idea that they might actually be decent at this hero thing. That means that there’s potential to set them up as long-lasting antagonists, especially given that Amazon has already renewed the show for a second season. (The Briarwoods - Lady Delilah, voiced by Grey Griffin, and Lord Silas, voiced by Matthew Mercer - killed Percy’s family when he was young, leaving the exiled diplomat with a dark past.) Adapting this particular storyline is another smart move, as the Briarwoods are one of Critical Role’s signature villains who have ramifications across its gameplay universe. The Legend of Vox Machina’s base story follows what’s known as the “Briarwood arc,” the second part of Critical Role’s original campaign that puts fan-favorite Percy front and center. And it absolutely delivers on that promise. The company behind hits like Big Mouth and Beavis and Butt-Head is a perfect choice for the kind of adult-oriented animated content that Legend of Vox Machina is producing the cast has maintained that like its table game, the show won’t stray away from things like lewd language, sexual innuendos, and violence.
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This “trial by fire” approach is a smart move for a show that’s adapting a multi-year, 400+-hours-long campaign into 12 episodes of user-friendly story, as is the series enlisting Titmouse as its animation studio. The first three episodes waste no time diving into the action, drawing us into a world where, whether you like it or not, you’re forced to root for this found family. (And longtime Critical Role fans, or “Critters,” will delight in one of the many character in-jokes that happens during this particular segment.) Still, the writers are aware that we need to understand at least the basics of who these characters are, which is why, after the group travels to Tal’Dorei’s capital of Emon to accept that new job from Lady Allura Vysoren (Game of Thrones’ Indira Varma), we get a cleverly timed song from Scanlan. That’s why, instead of a history of Exandria (the universe where the show takes place) or Tal’Dorei (the continent where Vox Machina has their adventures), we’re introduced to Vox Machina when they’re already a band of reluctant friends - if not slightly questionable mercenaries - playing drinking games and looking for their next job. But part of that show’s charm has always been the easy relatability of the characters, and the minds behind The Legend of Vox Machina realize that’s something that works just as well in animation as it does around a table. For years, it was simply a group of friends who also happened to be skilled voice actors from properties like The Last of Us, Avengers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Overwatch, coming together to play a game of Dungeons & Dragons each week. Within 45 days, it raised more than $11 million, turning it into an episodic series and breaking several Kickstarter records.Ĭritical Role, now an internationally known sensation that boasts its own company, tie-in merchandise, and Twitch and YouTube channels, has humble beginnings.
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Fans quickly, however, pushed it far beyond its original $75,000 goal. In March 2019, Critical Role started a Kickstarter to fund a 22-minute animated special based on the campaign. The Legend of Vox Machina's road to the big screen is one that's all about the fervor of its Critters. Stunning animation and dazzling score aside, the true strength of the three-episode premiere lies in the characters and voice actors behind them. It’s also the basis of what makes The Legend of Vox Machina, the new animated show based on the first campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series, so much fun. This kind of exchange - sarcastic, funny, blunt, but also somehow endearing - is what Critical Role has built most of its success on.