DVD Review: Mythica: The Darkspore

The Mythica series seems to be custom-made for people like me who played Dungeons & Dragons when growing up (and I’m talking about the real roleplaying game, not the video games). This is a series that understands the difference between clerics and wizards, a series that understands adventuring party dynamics, a series that is fun without making fun. It is about a group led by a young runaway slave named Marek, who has some magical training and some inherent abilities, and perhaps a much darker element to her powers. The first movie, Mythica: A Quest For Heroes, was really about gathering the party together and going on its initial, somewhat simple, adventure, rescuing Teela’s sister from an ogre. At the end of that movie, the sister was to take a powerful stone to a paladin.

But as the second film, Mythica: The Darkspore, opens, we learn that the sister was killed, the stone stolen. Marek (Melanie Stone) is having nightmares about a dark figure. Her magic teacher, Gojun (Kevin Sorbo), returns to tell her she’s a necromancer, and that the man in her dreams is a powerful and evil necromancer named Szorlok who is searching for the four pieces of the darkspore, the heart of a lich king, which will give him unstoppable power. Szorlok must be kept from gaining all four pieces.  For Marek, it is a journey of self-discovery as well as a quest to help save the world. Gojun tells her: “You have potential, Marek, for real good and for real evil. But you need to learn to control your power, or that choice will be made for you.”

Marek, Thane (Adam Johnson) and Dagen (Jake Stormoen) find a map which will lead to one of the four pieces of the darkspore. Teela (Nicola Posener), still grieving for the death of her sister, agrees to accompany them, but mainly to keep an eye on Marek and to make sure she doesn’t use the darkspore for evil herself. Teela senses an evil power within Marek. And the scene where she agrees to go is really good. When Teela tells her the dark power within her will eventually claim her, Marek doesn’t deny it. It’s exciting, because you sense that Marek herself is excited by this power and isn’t ready to say unequivocally that she will work for the forces of good. She’s not sure if she can control the power, a power which both frightens and thrills her.

Along the way, they encounter a dark elf named Qole (Rocky Myers) and of course a number of dangerous adversaries. There are plenty of action and fight sequences, but the film doesn’t rely on those scenes to hold your interest. There are also some nice humorous moments, like when Qole doesn’t vote for his own suggested course of action. Marek says, “This was your idea.” Qole reponds, “Yes, but it’s not a good idea.”

The only thing I was wondering at the end was how Dagen’s fingers were healed. At one point his fingers turn black, and Teela says she doesn’t have the power to heal him. Did the healing potion do the trick? Because at the end we can see in one shot that his fingers are fine. It’s a minor point, but I am curious about it. There are three more Mythica films in the works, and I am looking forward to enjoying those as well. If you’re a fan of fantasy films and of roleplaying games, you should check out this series.

Special Features

The DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette, which is divided into several segments. These segments feature interviews with producer/writer Jason Faller, director/writer Anne Black and producer/writer Kynan Griffin. Interestingly, the story for this second movie was written first. They talk about changes in the script. There is also material about shooting on location in Utah, and there is a section on the special effects, with interviews with a few of the special effects crew. There is also a section on the music, with an interview with composer Nathaniel Drew.

Also, the special features include a music video, as well as trailers for the first four Mythica films.

Mythica: The Darkspore was directed by Anne Black, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on February 9, 2016 through SunWorld Pictures.