Mythica: La genèse

It isn't awful. If you are pining for more LOTR/Hobbit but know it'll be a long time before someone creates expensive movies like Jackson did, you can settle for Mythica.

Mythica is trying to channel Middle Earth franchise in every possible scene, from Ork's to shots of the party running through open fields. It's all OK, doesn't look bad and mimics LOTR movies just fine. Even the acting is fine, not amazing, but good enough to not make you laugh at people trying to act.

The problem comes with the plot and the action.

The plot is just a cliché-fest of epic proportions. Nothing you haven't seen or heard before in video games (and movies). So good luck getting invested in anything the heroes are doing. That said, the plot gives a good enough excuse to send our heroes on an adventure and that's what will keep you entertained. Until of course, the action shows up..

Why do small Indie movies insist on adding CGI that they KNOW will look bad thanks to the low budget? The Ogre is terribly done, even some houses are CGI in shots and look fake thanks to no shadows or just terrible post processing done to them. The only scene that looks good with CGI is the one where a creature chases them in the forest. That creature blends well with the environment and looks good enough (acceptable). Rest of the "action scenes" with Ogre involve our heroes acting dumb while air (CGI Ogre) hits them and they fall down while a small crippled chick beats the Ogre (cause, she's the hero.. totally believable guyz). Like Gandalf, she refuses to use her powers when they could actually use them.

In the end, movie isn't bad. It just could've been way better without spending more money at CGI (try hiring people who know how to do action scenes).

Take every standard fantasy cliche from popular fiction, role playing game conventions, fantasy cosplay etc and behold you get Mythica! A series of predictable adventures at the fan fiction level of writing, acting and effects. There is a good chance that as you watch this you will find yourself thinking, "this is just like..." or, "this reminds me of..." Ut's not exactly bad though, it's just that there is absolutely zero originality. The creatures, the characters, the quest(s) lack any sense of genuine depth, and are entirely derivative. With that said, I didn't dislike it. I just wish it was more genuinely creative and compelling.

You watch a movie on the SyFy channel, entitled "Mythica: A Quest for Heroes" and your expectations aren't set high. Released this year, and you think "uh-huh". However, Mythica, is a surprising treat.

The opening, pre-credit scene, with clunky cgi leads you to lump what's to come in with the majority of SyFy's home-grown output, but pretty soon you release this is much better.

The plot is decent enough, the script is good, and the actors give a good show, especially the female lead, in a strong, interesting role.

We're in low-budget territory, but the "flash-back/forward" scenes are nicely done, and it's only the larger 'monsters' that suffer from the lack of budget. Fight scenes are so-so, but there's a decent depth to the characters, and the story. It's pleasant, and up-lifting ... just because it's low-budget, they haven't scrimped on the script, and it's nice to see a fantasy tale handled seriously by all concerned.

The first part in three films, it stands fine by itself, whilst leading into the larger story. Some characters are a little thin, but this is 'D&D' territory, so there's a typical collection of characters to expect.

This isn't a Hollywood blockbuster, but for what it is, it does very well. I'd rather watch a movie trying to be something, than one which just pads time, without any originality. Mythica is a good, entertaining watch. Let's hope the sequels live up to this good opening.

Well done to all involved.

I agree that the movie was better than expected. It is patient where it needs to establish mood, the characters are well established and the world feels like an actual world.

There are a few scenes that stick out because of their poor quality. For me those exceptional moments only show that the movie is on a pretty okay level, otherwise ... as long as you do not compare it to big budget Hollywood movies, that is.

The stakes are fine for a first movie of a series, but the storytelling does suffer a little because the focus is mostly on the character interactions. I have hopes for part two and will be one of the people who pledge in the upcoming campaign on Kickstarter for Mythica 2: The Darkspore.

Would be so much better if they focused on character development and less on scenes of them walking around. Overall, it's ok, but could be much better.