The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Review: Episode 1-3 Greater Balance for A Better Product

Cast: Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson

Director: Young Heller

Streaming Platform: Prime Video 

Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

The Legend of Vox Machina, a title, a certainty. The animated series based on Critical Role’s online companions returns to Prime Video with an even more explosive and entertaining second season. It’s rare in the world of serials to raise the bar after the first year, but the creators have fully succeeded. From the very first episodes, it is clear how productive investment has increased, as indeed the quality of the writing. The first season had exceeded all our expectations, yet here we are at other levels. Even more D&D, more action and hilarity. The bizarre group of adventurers is back with great fanfare, and we can only be happy about it. About a year after its enchanting debut on the Amazon Prime Video platform, The Legend Of Vox Machina is ready to conquer viewers all over the world again. The animated series that has managed to bring the fantasy of the small screen to new heights arrives this time as a real flagship product among the Amazon Prime Video releases of January 2023: as told in our review of The Legend of Vox Machina.

The show born from the world’s most popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign was one of the biggest hits of last season’s television for more than one reason. America’s most popular group of voice actors and role players, Critical Role, has not only undermined preconceptions about RPG in the eyes of the public but has even demonstrated that collective storytelling born around a table can give life to wonders worthy of today’s great mediums – especially when the production is supported and supported by a cohesive and passionate community. Having obtained greater awareness of one’s means and greater security about the future within the platform, this second season shows a decisive step forward in narrative and qualitative terms, net of slight excesses in the exposition of its themes.

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Review: The Story

Picking up the course of the narrative exactly where it left off (and from the cliffhanger that ended last season), the show by Matthew Mercer and his companions brings the observer back to the center of the action: during the proclamation called by the ruler Uriel Tal’Dorei, Vox Machina are proclaimed protectors of the realm. However, while the king declares his intention to abdicate in favor of the State Council, an incredibly organized group of Dragons (which is extremely rare, given their renowned greed) pounce on the city of Emon wreaking havoc and panic.

Leaving aside the motivations behind the draconic retaliation for viewing the series, it would be clear to imagine that the focus of the new episodes will be focused on this terrible threat. Yet, as already happened in the past season, it is precisely in dealing with elements potentially already seen elsewhere that this epic story acquires a completely different depth and coherence compared to other works of the genre. While maintaining their lightness as much as possible, the protagonists of the series understand that they are unable to face an enemy that is too powerful for them.

But that’s not all: the first episode fearlessly faces the horror of an unprecedented catastrophe, making many of the aspects authentic and surprisingly original. With desperation alone driving them to a potential solution, Vax, Vex, Scanlan, and the company will need unimaginable strength to fight back against the Dragons’ oppression and save Exandria. After the debut, the narrator then embarks on a path in which the characters will have to face pain, remorse and numerous vicissitudes to grow and truly become heroes.

Fans who followed and loved the original campaign will be pleased to recognize a fairly faithful adaptation of many of the subplots presented in Vox Machina’s densest and longest-running story arc but will also be surprised to find numerous detours. Whether it is a question of leaving more space for the origins of the characters or even separating them from the group to contextualize particularly significant moments for each of them, the variations concerning the reference material manage to improve the plot compared to the previous installments, perfecting the rhythm and pathos for the television context.

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Review and Analysis

The changes made to the show already show in the first episodes of Titmouse’s extreme attention to animations and scenic rendering: although the 3D digital effects have not yet reached the general artistic level, the visual impact and the enormous quantity of elements present in the screen highlight the step forward also made by the studio in charge of the design. The first episode alone is enough to notice an obsessive attention to some details that will prove to be crucial for the narrative, but also in representing the protagonist creatures of the events in a unique way. The Dragons aesthetic is probably the most fascinating in recent years and winks at many of the characteristics described in Dungeons & Dragons. However, what makes each of them interesting is their attitude in the presentation phase: in addition to the color, the type of breath and the physical form, each Dragon also has a predominant character trait that exasperates to the extreme.

Moving away from the chaos of Emon, however, the Critical Role series surprisingly manages to captivate the viewer even more: skillfully alternating spectacularity and introspection, the protagonists of the Vox Machina group acquire a thickness and depth never seen before. Although the first season has provided more than a few details on characters like Percy, the idea of ​​being able to dilute the insights even in a third season has allowed the development team to give everyone their space, facing the past or facing the best in the present. Thus, mixing action, entertainment, adventure and drama with extreme mastery, The Legend of Vox Machina proves to have reached a full stylistic maturity that will undoubtedly make its fortunes in the weeks to come. As for the management of the rhythm, the amalgam appears more balanced and favors a narrative that is certainly more satisfying from a thematic point of view. Perhaps this is where the crew still needs some break-in, learning to better handle the sheer number of elements they intend to present without confusing new viewers.

In this second season, every element, every scene seems to have a specific purpose: the fast pace with which the events alternate allows the episodes to flow with ease, stimulating the imagination but above all the heart. There is a risk of overloading oneself with excessive elements, falling into clichés, or giving in to the rhythm, but these first episodes undoubtedly leave more than a positive feeling. Following these extremely multifaceted characters, brought to life by their creators on screen with unrivaled passion, makes for compelling and engaging viewing in almost every way.

Without going too far about the continuation of the season, we can certainly confirm that The Legend of Vox Machina is very close to setting a standard for fantasy-themed television representations. Supported by an unprecedented love, whether it’s the story, the protagonists, or the side characters, Critical Role’s magnum opus seriously risks repeating last year’s triumph. The quality of the interpretations by the best voice actors in the American industry, supported by faithful writing but ready to take the right risks, elevates the whole operation to very high levels, even by the standards of the television industry.

With a revolutionary operation in terms of production, the creators and interpreters of these delightfully imperfect characters have managed to create an intimate bond with their fans and could seriously repeat themselves also with fans of the small screen. The greatness of a Critical Role, the engine of global success, lies in the ardent passion of those directly involved and of all those who, in their small way, has personally contributed to making a dream come true. The Legend of Vox Machina, entertaining and exciting even in the early stages of this season, has the ambition to rise from an act of love to an absolute reference.

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Review: The Last Words

The second season of The Legend of Vox Machina immediately demonstrates a greater maturity in the treatment of the themes and a greater awareness of one’s means. After a success like that of last season, Critical Role no longer intends to hide its great ambitions: despite some excesses in the presentation of the numerous subplots, the characters and the passion profuse in the narration make the show even more compelling than last year’s and trace the road to great success. Certainly, we are not at those levels, but the intention remains the same, albeit seasoned with profanity and sexual allusions. With The Legend of Vox Machina, it’s all or nothing, the complete package with lots of free samples.