“The Legend of Vox Machina” uses a combination of comedy, action, magic and great animation to create an adventurous world that demands to be explored.

Season one of the 12-episode series on Amazon Prime features a magical mercenary group, Vox Machina, whose creed is gold above character, but each other above all. 

The show’s most eye-catching aspect is its detailed and fluid animation. Every movement from a blink to a mad dash is smooth and beautiful to look at.

There is no better example than when the Briarwoods, a vampiric couple, massacre a noble family.

They attack swiftly, but the severity and the state of the corpses are clearly visible. The swiftness and beauty of such a horrifying scene completely immerses and scares the viewer.

“The Legend of Vox Machina” is a world filled with details.

Every member of Vox Machina is given an immaculate style and sense of self, making every character and supporting character feel important and lifelike. 

Unlike the animation, the computer-generated imagery, or CGI, of the show is used sparingly for monsters, such as dragons and giants. The CGI in the show is the perfect example of “a happy accident.”

The CGI is slow and sluggish. The colors are shades of dark blue, green and gray.  

This horrible combination creates a terrifying, fear-inducing creature, such as the show’s dragon, Brimscythe.

Brimscythe is colored with shades of dark blue, black, gray and white. These dull colors allow it to stand out from the rest of the show’s world.

Due to the slow CGI, the dragon is treated like an ethereal yet fear-inducing and exciting beast.

When paired together, the CGI and animation craft quick-paced, exciting action scenes.

The fight scenes are an adrenaline rush, such as the fight between Grog, a half-giant, and Silas Briarwood, a vampire.

The two warriors collided with each other in a herculean fashion, darting around the screen in a flashy yet visible scene.

Although a simple brawl, the show charmingly adds the personalities of the fighters into their fighting styles.

Grog is a reckless but powerful warrior, so his attacks are wider and have a greater impact. He also relies heavily on headbutting, elbowing and punching his enemy in the groin.

Silas, an elegant and intelligent warrior, fights with precise strikes and simple movements. Silas adapts his fighting strategies based on his weapon, a sword that grows the more blood it touches. He changes his fighting stance and style to accommodate the length of his sword, yet still maintains his elegant and cocky disposition.

A combination of unique environments, magic and weapons create an unpredictable but thrilling experience.

However, the action is sometimes undercut and stopped by the show’s comedy.  

The most infamous example is also the fight between Grog and Silas. Although an intense clash between hero and villain, the tension and immersion are broken when Grog strikes Silas in the crotch or plays “ball tag” as Grog calls it.

The moment instantly destroys all the drama and tension that the scene was trying to create. 

Often interrupting fight scenes, the comedy of “Vox Machina” is crude, vulgar and annoying. 

Unlike the comedy, the magic of the show actually serves to raise the level of audience engagement.

“Vox Machina” seems to borrow every spell and potion from every fantasy world that came before it.

This wild mix of magic, including necromancy, potions, holy magic and the elements, allows the show to explain scenes without any exposition.

Similarly, the beings who inhabit the world of “Vox Machina” come from every sort of race and world. There are giants, zombies, elves, dwarves, demons, dragons and gnomes.

“Vox Machina” is a show that can only be described as enchanting. It throws every fantasy element together to create an illuminating and spellbinding world that keeps the audience focused on their screens.

[letsreview]

— By Ishaan Sekhon