Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina - Animated D'&'D on Amazon - Now on Season 3

ianh

ianh

ianh

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Hi all,

A bit left-field for some maybe (eugh, Dungens and Dragons, NERD!!!) but, even as a non-D'&'D fan, I've fallen in love with this livestreamed show due to the fantastic cast and amazing stories they tell, so this has me excited.

So what is this, well from the following Variety story - https://variety.com/2021/digital/ne...-vox-machina-premiere-date-amazon-1235084056/ -

The show follows Vox Machina, a band of seven unlikely heroes who — in a desperate attempt to pay off their mounting bar tab — find themselves on a quest to save the realm of Exandria from dark magical forces.

Critical Role, which began livestreaming the Vox Machina campaign (on Twitch - also available on YT) in March 2015 (and concluded in November 2017), was formed by a group of friends who met as voiceover actors and began playing D&D role-playing games together.
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So this is a compressed re-telling (in animated form) of the 400hr long Campaign 1 (there's 3 campaigns so far with each taking years to complete - No3 just started a few weeks ago) with all the casts favourite bits of Campaign 1 blended into a 2 season, 24 episode arc (so far).

My favourite part is that this was a kickerstarter which aimed to raise just $750k over a 45 day campaign to make a one-off animated special yet, such is the fan base enthusiasm, it smashed through that $750k making not only over $4 million in a day but to eventually reach over $11 MILLION, still within that 45 days, setting the record for the most-funded film and video project in Kickstarter history.

Here's a few YT videos to give you a small understanding of what to expect -

Cast introductions, small snippet of film etc -


Animated Intro -

 
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So the first episode date has been moved forward (unusual I know) to the 28th January - here's another small clip of Vox Machina meeting their greatest enemy :D


One thing I've noticed so far which I'm not sure I like TBH but it's too soon really - From the 2 little clips so far they've all brought their best "Professional Voice Over" voices so listening to them talk sounds very "scripted & produced" (understandably) vs listening to them live and I think that the added production polish ends up losing something over the more "raw" Live performances if I'm honest.
 
With about a week to go the actors playing some of the NPC's have been announced, not bad for something based on a game played around a kitchen table 8 years ago!

David Tennant, Stephanie Beatriz, Dominic Monaghan, Rory McCann, Gina Torres, Kelly Hu, Felicia Day, Stephen Root etc

 
Looking forward to it.
I hadn't heard of Critical Roll until a couple of years ago and then finding out how much there would be to catch up put me off. Still not done it due to the epic amount of time it would take.
We did play Honey Heist which they did as a one off which was very amusing.
 
Understandably the first two episodes feel a little rushed in their effort to introduce a large cast, settings, history etc but with Ep3 and the start of the Briarwoods arc it seemed to settle down. As a fairly new-ish critter I enjoyed spotting all the little Easter eggs but I feel that the production "polish", which is great, takes away a little something which you get during the Live sessions. I'm particularly enjoying everything Scanlan does at the moment but the rest all seem like they need a little more time to really shine.

I do think it's weird that Amazon are releasing these in 4 sets of 3 episodes though.
 
Just watched Ep7-9, really getting into its stride now with the narrative but I find that the CGI still sticks out a bit vs the traditional art style which is a bit jarring at times. There's a quite a few continuity issues (all fairly minor) and I still prefer the "Live" cast voices over the studio versions (which all sound "odd" to me) but all my issues are pretty much niff naff TBF.

Disappointed that Scanbo was made to look like an accidental joke rather than the "Live" version which was a well planned deal by Sam TBH, as it felt like it took away some of Sam cleverness with "Live" Scanlan to keep Cartoon Scanlan the buffoon of the group.
 
Only just finished this, and really enjoyed it.

Never followed Critical Role, so have been watching the fan voted highlights of Campaign 1, certainly seems like an awesome journey to have originally gone on, even some of the tear jerkers got to me, and my character investment is only from the tv show, lol.
 
I liked it. Gf loved it.
But shewatches CR too.

I was disappointed no wizard/sorcerer classes.

We play a lot of DnD. So classes/races etc I do know.

Without any other info or seeing CR content. Before...


And I only liked a few of the characters.

Pike - not keen, not really sure why they had her part the way it was. Seems a bit weak, self pity.
Grog - not keen, but I don't like the dumb but boring characters.
Scanlan - overbearing in first few episodes, more balanced over time.
Percy - good character. Only real backstory addressed. Nice and dark. Obviously the key character. And felt clear that he was only one with any real attempt to build strong feelings towards watching.
Keyleth - liked her character. Did cool stuff! Druids are cool. Shame her dialogue wasn't a bit more akin to her power. Wanted her to be more significant vs a battle pawn.
Vax and vex. Grouped as liked them both. Nothing stand out but a decent addition. Added more value than others.

Story was OK. Wasn't blown away. Wasn't bad.
Animation style I liked.
Liked the adult theme.

A good first Go. But if there's more. I do expect better. Especially character development and feeling less passive about the main characters.
 
@413x The first season is only about 1/5th of the total length of the first campaign so there's still lots of growing to do in the story but to address a few of the points you made-

Pike - Ashley Johnson was filming the Blindspot TV show in NY and had to disappear from the Live show for months at a time so, to match her IRL disappearance with the animated show (and Live on CR) they gave her a reason to leave, although the reason given was different between animation and Live. If we ever get a Campaign 2 animated show then the same will happen again as she missed lots of Live shows due to her filming schedule.

Grog - I agree, the animated show has really let him down so far as he's been fantastic in the Live show and is probably the biggest comic relief alongside Scanlan.

Keyleth - She's a teenager out to prove herself so that lack of confidence in the animated show matches her lack of power initially but as she grows in power later on in the Live show her confidence also grows too.
 
ianh said:
@413x The first season is only about 1/5th of the total length of the first campaign so there's still lots of growing to do in the story but to address a few of the points you made-

Pike - Ashley Johnson was filming the Blindspot TV show in NY and had to disappear from the Live show for months at a time so, to match her IRL disappearance with the animated show (and Live on CR) they gave her a reason to leave, although the reason given was different between animation and Live. If we ever get a Campaign 2 animated show then the same will happen again as she missed lots of Live shows due to her filming schedule.

Grog - I agree, the animated show has really let him down so far as he's been fantastic in the Live show and is probably the biggest comic relief alongside Scanlan.

Keyleth - She's a teenager out to prove herself so that lack of confidence in the animated show matches her lack of power initially but as she grows in power later on in the Live show her confidence also grows too.
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I think it's a shame we didn't see more of her back story. Most of her on screen time was her lack of confidence. Just would have rather a bit more about her rather than very short snips. To be fair. Apart from Percy that is common for all characters.

Definitely room to grow. And up for watching more.
 
I've started watching Campaign 3 from the start, and it has been fantastic, their characters are so entertaining.

Also watched the Vox Machina vs Mighty Nein one-shot, and it has been amazing, Battle Royale done right! (Monks OP)
 
Hijacking this as a general CR thread. The new short series Exandria Unlimited: Calamity is AMAZING. It's set in the far, far past before the calamity and DM'd by the incredible Brennan Lee Mulligan
 
Only just got around to watching this. Very funny, nicely made and a pretty compelling story. On Episode 10 and have to say this better than the vast majority of live action TV shows these days.
 
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