DVD Review: Mythica 2: The Darkspore

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Independent film was given a great help with the introduction of crowdfunding movies. No longer did producers have to spend months and years begging various people to invest in their dream projects only to have them turn into nightmares with newbie executive producers dreaming their Scott Rudin Jr. More importantly, it simplified what a film’s producer had to do to payback to the Instead of having to hire accountants who would have to keep track of paying back various people, crowd funding merely meant sending out cool gifts when the budget goal had been reached. Ultimately through, using crowdfunding to fund a film enables you to have a core audience that is passionate about seeing the film succeed. They’ll be promoting the film on various social medias since they helped make the movie. They’re in the end credits. Mythica: A Quest For Heroes went the Kickstarter route to gather up part of the budget and get a following from an audience eager for a fantasy film. The big plus of the movie was Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) was part of the cast. The movie did well enough that it has become part of a series even though the producers haven’t forgotten their Kickstarter past. Mythica: The Darkspore once more allowed fans to support the series.

The movie starts with the cast feeling the after effects of A Quest For Heroes. But there’s no time to fully heal. Magician Marek (Waffle Street‘s Melanie Stone) and priestess Teela (The Ice Cream Wars‘ Nicola Posener) are back on the trail. Gojun Pye (Sorbo) warns Marek that a necromancer is looking for the four pieces of the Darkspore. The guy has an army of orcs so it’s not going to be an easy race to the relics. The ladies have to put together their own team including an intimidating elf and few guys from the first film. But will that really be enough to survive the competition and the wilderness?

Director Anne Black and her crew do a fine job creating a big movie on a small scale. There’s plenty of large scale effects including a dragon creature and a big battle scene. The outdoor Utah locations give a bump to the production values with the snowcapped mountain ranges adding to the fantasy feel. The atmosphere is just right for a quest into the wilderness. The acting plays to the strengths of the characters. The tone of the second film is less glib that the first. Stone plays Marek with a little more tension since her character battles the desire to give into evil forces and make life just a little bit easier. Mythica: The Darkspore is an enthralling second step in a four film series.

The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The transfer look very film-like on the screen. The effects mix well with the live action footage. The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. The mix keeps the orcs snarling. The movie is subtitled.

Behind the Scenes is a seven part series about creating “the ultimate Dungeons and Dragons movie.” Cast and crew have tales of Kevin Sorbo. There’s also exploration of the CGI effects team.

Music video (3:45) is for “Tell Me.”

Trailers are provided for all four films. This is a series that will be finished. The Necromancer and The Iron Crown are coming.

Mythica: The Darkspore is the second entry in the series and keeps up the quest.

SunWorld Pictures and Arrowstorm Entertainment present Mythica: The Darkspore. Directed by: Anne Black. Screenplay by: Anne K. Black, Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin. Starring: Melanie Stone, Adam Johnson, Jake Stormoen and Nicola Posener. Rated: Unrated. Running Time: 108 minutes. Released: February 9, 2016.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.