Critical Role The Legend of Vox Machina: Bawdy, Bloody, and Funny

With The Legend of Vox Machina, Critical Role comes full circle from being voice actors playing D&D (first in a private game, then streaming on Geek & Sundry) to an $11 million Kickstarter for an animated special. That success attracted streaming network interest, which then morphed into a 24-episode animated series where they're voicing their own characters.

If you've never watched Critical Role Season 1 or read any of the stories, TLoVM the animated series is easy to jump into. Instead of being exposition heavy or thrusting viewers into a lot of world building, it starts with some classic fantasy – especially fantasy RPG – tropes like a drunken bar brawl and mercenaries being killed (a TPK) by a mysterious force. Those scenes are delivered with hefty dose of humor, a bit of blood, and some nudity.

This isn't the '80s Saturday morning Dungeons & Dragons cartoon for kids. While there is gore, it's less than an episode of Invincible and far less than that show's season 1 finale. Similarly, TLoVM has nudity and a bit of sex in the first few episodes, but far less than Game of Thrones.

Vox Machina is an established group at the start of the series, but one that needs money and has a less than stellar reputation. The land of Emon is being ravaged by a mysterious threat. A bit of desperation on both sides leads to the bickering heroes taking the job.

TLoVM is bawdy, bloody, and funny, but it also has heart. The first two episodes tell a complete story with an obvious hook at the end that leads into the rest of the episodes – and a stinger hinting at new threats.

The animation style has clean lines with some anime influence, but nothing excessively intricate or artsy. At the same, the art direction has style, like a scene that adds interest to the characters walking by showing it through a spider's web dotted with raindrops.

The first episode establishes the eight members of Vox Machina quickly with the following episodes building nicely upon each character's traits. Matthew Mercer voices several of the supporting characters, but in this format he doesn't have to cover all of the NPCs. The guest star talent includes David Tennant, Stephanie Beatriz, Tony Hale. Felica Day is the voice of a bandit.

And if they don't sell a stuffed toy bear version of Trinket at some point, Critical Role is missing out on a merchandise opportunity. TLoVM hits the perfect sweet spot between making Vex's companion bear fierce in battle, amusing when waiting, and adorable the rest of the time.

No critic has been given advance access to the entire first season, let alone all 24 episodes, so it's impossible to say how well the entire story arc plays out, but the first few episodes are entertaining and well made.

You don't have to be a fan of Critical Role to enjoy The Legend of Vox Machina, but if you're a fan of fantasy adventure, TLoVM might turn you into Critter. The Legend of Vox Machina debuts on Amazon Prime on Friday, January 28, with the first three episodes. Critical Role will be holding watch parties on their Twitch channel at 7pm Tuesdays.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

They can probably skip over most of them. There are a few that are really character-driving and those might turn up, but the rest don't need to do so.

That was my thought. For all the drama and tension, most deaths boiled down to a random bit of bad luck with very little ongoing story impact, making them eminently cut-able. You can count all the deaths that had any real consequence on one hand, and still have a finger left for a comedic, pointless Keyfish death (which I think, given enough seasons of this show, would probably get some sort of nod as, despite being completely inconsequential, it's a well remembered incident). In terms of resurrections absolutely integral to to the overall story of Vox Machina, I count two, and only one involving the resurrection rituals.

 

[Gradine]

Binged episodes 4-7, the show gets quite a bit better.

Still don't particularly care for Scanlan though.

 

[Vaalingrade]

One could argue that the much more limited magic seen in Vox Machina (for whatever in-universe reason) done for the sake of drama is evidence that D&D magic really is too much, as some people say.

That, or animation budget and the fact that the primary casters are a druid who has better shapeshifting to do, and a cleric who is having plot related magic issues. And the bard is being intentionally depowered to have a 'useless' subplot.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'd say the magic in the show is limited in frequency and versatility rather than power. (though healing's hard to judge given the ambiguity about what hit points represent). This definitely has advantages for the show, as combat with more spells would be hard to follow in real-time animation, but it could be worth considering for some styles of gameplay too.



I'm curious how the show's going to handle this. The resurrection rituals made excellent dramatic moments in the context of a 400 hour show, but I feel like they'd get a lot more repetitive and less suspenseful if you tried to incorporate all of them in the more condensed animated format.

Frequency and versatility are what I was talking about; I should have been more precise. Since the casters can only magic occasionally, it leaves a lot more narrative room for the noncasters to shine.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That, or animation budget and the fact that the primary casters are a druid who has better shapeshifting to do, and a cleric who is having plot related magic issues. And the bard is being intentionally depowered to have a 'useless' subplot.

As I said, for whatever in-universe or real world reason, the result is that magic is less pervasive on the PC side, far less than is common at most D&D tables. Perhaps a lesson could be gleaned from this if one is inclined to listen.

 

[Seramus]

Can you give an example. Because I’m very skeptical there is anything as bad on R&M as watching feces drop out of someone’s ass on screen. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve seen on screen in 42 years of television.

Personally speaking, watching the shadow of a duece is nasty, but nothing compared to a room full of drunk Rick diarrhea, a literal poo fountain, or the infamous jelly bean scene when it comes to grossing me out.

 

[Zaukrie]

As I said, for whatever in-universe or real world reason, the result is that magic is less pervasive on the PC side, far less than is common at most D&D tables. Perhaps a lesson could be gleaned from this if one is inclined to listen.

That reads like "you are playing the game wrong".......care to elaborate?

 

[OakenHart]

Can you give an example. Because I’m very skeptical there is anything as bad on R&M as watching feces drop out of someone’s ass on screen. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve seen on screen in 42 years of television.

Did you watch Game of Thrones? A silhouette of a turd falling into a toilet doesn't come close to seeing a prostitute tied to a bed and dead from being repeatedly shot with crossbow bolts. Not even remotely close.

If you're a parent, I'm sure you've seen more disgusting things involving feces several times when your child was a baby over a single shot of a turd.

I agree that some of this stuff is a tad too far in the direction of low brow, but it's a far cry from being "most disgusting", at least in my opinion.

 

[billd91]

Personally speaking, watching the shadow of a duece is nasty, but nothing compared to a room full of drunk Rick diarrhea, a literal poo fountain, or the infamous jelly bean scene when it comes to grossing me out.

Yeah, I don't see the dropping turd being any more gross than some of the things on Rick and Morty. But it just shows that people have different thresholds of grossness.

 

[TheSword]

Did you watch Game of Thrones? A silhouette of a turd falling into a toilet doesn't come close to seeing a prostitute tied to a bed and dead from being repeatedly shot with crossbow bolts. Not even remotely close.

If you're a parent, I'm sure you've seen more disgusting things involving feces several times when your child was a baby over a single shot of a turd.

I agree that some of this stuff is a tad too far in the direction of low brow, but it's a far cry from being "most disgusting", at least in my opinion.

Prince Joffrey murdering people has a purpose … it shows how psychotically deranged he is. The diarrhea on the table (after the fact.. static) shows how absolutely drunk Rick was, which sets up the whole following joke that is the premise of the episode.

Pray tell what does watching the character in Vox defecate in a toilet show? Other than the poor judgement of its writers. I have no problem with sex, violence or toilet humor - when it improves the show. I have a problem when it’s gratuitous… literally done without good reason. As most of the frat boy humour in this series.