Mythica : La Couronne de fer

First off, the first three were light-hearted in a charming but serious way, this fourth is a comedy of a less serious nature, from a different director.

Whilst they therefore don't match well in terms of continuity of feeling, if you can put that behind you and feel this as separate from the others, yet connected, it will work and can be enjoyed, so long as you don't actually mind a sillier version of the genre. Perhaps for some that may mean allowing a little time to elapse between seeing 3 and 4, and for others just entering with the right expectations about it, much as one may appreciate seeing how an artist can paint a subject in more than one interesting way.

So I enjoyed it, maybe you will too. I did prefer the more serious charming form of the earlier episodes, but appreciated the variety this gave too.

I love fantasy genre films, there simply aren't enough of them. When Hollywood make them they're often pants and when indie developers try they usually swing above their weight and simply can't make a movie of that type on such a limited budget.

Along came Mythica back in 2014, a crowd funded fantasy effort that though flawed had a real charm about it and developed a real following and a flock of sequels.

4 movies in, with the same cast and following the same story, Mythica is holding ground and though nothing special in the grand scheme of things they are perfectly watchable.

Here our party of heroes return minus Teela who fell in the last film, with a returning Kevin "Atheists are bad derp-de-derp" Sorbo and arch villain Necromancer.

As with the previous three I enjoyed every hokey minute of it and was left wondering what the Mythica series could have been with a bit more money behind it.

With a delightful recurring cast and a real light hearted charm Mythica scores with a win again even if it isn't a big one.

The Good:

Fantastic cast as usual

Some great ideas

The Bad:

Kevin Sorbo

Not the best story

The fourth installment and a new director. Almost the entire film is set on a huge Mad Max-ish wagon. The visual effects are better than the previous films, but unfortunately the film is more comical. I enjoyed Dagen's comical remarks in the previous films and him being the film's comic relief, but it is taken to an entirely different level in this film - from all the characters. I must be honest it doesn't suit Marek's character. Eve Mauro was very bad as antagonist Admiral Borlund Hess and turned the film into a slapstick spectacle. I also missed the awesome music of the previous films.

Nevertheless, it was still an entertaining fantasy adventure.

This fourth film, continuing a grand saga, immediately impresses upon us that the heroes grow in their capabilities as the stakes and dangers escalate. The movie rather quickly launches into an action sequence with shinier outfits, prettier special effects, and overtly fantastical set pieces.

'Mythica: The iron crown' improves further upon the technical craft of its predecessors, while also angling for a more over the top presentation replete with some overacting by the supporting cast, vehicles that strain our suspension of disbelief, and a heightened sense of humor. Even with the more outlandish tone of a romp, though, varying somewhat from its predecessors, this remains great fun, and a worthwhile addition to the journey.

Despite the more garrish aspects of this entry, the production design is certainly another step up in the 'Mythica' mythos. Wardrobe and costume design is superb, ever more refined, and other such less commonly celebrated elements - filming locations, set design and decoration, props, hair, makeup, fight choreography - are just as fetching in our sight. The special effects, typically considered lesser in any feature lacking the support of a major Hollywood studio, have similarly advanced compared to 'The Necromancer,' 'Darkspore,' or especially 'A quest for heroes.' It's clear that great effort was poured into elevating the series further, and I for one think it's paid off.

Of course, writing is also historically a sticking point for features outside the studio system. As has been true previously in this series, the screenplay is direct and fast-paced, seeking to keep things moving and advance the plot. It's so fast-paced that it was two-thirds over before I knew it. There may not be a great deal of subtlety in the screenwriting, but story beats are enjoyable as they build the epic, and the narrative flow is cohesive and believable. Characterizations continue to show more depth and complexity than is generally true in movies of this sort, dialogue is suitable, and the marginally greater attention to humor provides no small amount of amusement.

While somewhat limited by the writing, the cast once again shows their capabilities. Star Melanie Stone continues to demonstrate great range and force of personality as protagonist Marek, and her co-stars handily inhabit their roles. Matthew Mercer is given still more screen time as chief antagonist Szorlok, and it's as much a delight to watch him in a feature film as in Critical Role. Given a small supporting part as a zombified girl, Paris Warner gets to have a good time while literally chewing scenery.

'The Iron Crown' notably leans away a bit from the commonality of its antecedents, feeling less like the realization of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign on film. This is perhaps attributable to the increasingly high levels at which the characters operate in the narrative - and maybe even the strengthened writing and production values that allow the feature to stand taller on its own merits. Then, too - while this entry remains a piece of a larger whole, the grand overall quest feels less prominent, deemphasized as the party's current task differs a little from their mission in the prior movies. And it's also worth considering that as the grand saga approaches its finale, this chapter perhaps works as much as anything to set up the conclusion.

This fourth films feels the most distinct yet in the 'Mythica' series, but absolutely maintains the same broad qualities of fantasy, adventure, action, and fun. It's worth mentioning that at this point there's little to be gleaned from the movie if one hasn't already committed to viewing the saga in its entirety - one would hardly watch the second film of a trilogy, let alone the third, without first having knowledge of its origin. Still, for anyone interested in these niche genres, 'Mythica: The Iron Crown' is an unexpectedly well-made picture that contributes substantially to an even bigger engrossing tale.

Worth watching? I sure think so - with the caveat that you should watch three other movies first.

The story is really compelling. I thought most of the acting was really good. It's a really ambitious project and this one actually looks really slick.

I like this so much because a bunch of indies decided to try to make a cool fantasy film series and they've really pulled it off. The project itself gives me hope.

(You need to watch them all in order.)