Fans of adventure and fantasy genres will love Wizards: Tales of Arcadia because it is all they could want and much more!
Billed as the third and final installment in the Tales of Arcadia trilogy, this animated Netflix show from DreamWorks is a powerful tale of the wonders of magic and the power of unity against overwhelming darkness.
The good thing about Wizard: Tales of Arcadia is that one doesn’t necessarily have to watch its predecessors before catching up to the events in its plot.
From the moment I saw the trailer, I was instantly hooked, as a die-hard fan of animation, I couldn’t afford to miss this series from the makers of Shrek.
As the first episode started, I confess that I struggled (albeit for a very brief moment) to catch up with the numerous characters on screen. But as I adjusted to the fast pacing, enjoying this phenomenal series became inevitable.
This time around, the reluctant hero known as Douxie (voiced by Colin O’Donoghue) rallies his friends and legendary master, the renowned magician Merlin (David Bradley of Game of Thrones) to fight an ancient evil that goes back through time in the Arthurian legend.
The protagonist travels back in time in his quest, bearing witness to the intense rivalry between King Arthur (James Faulkner) and his sister, the powerful sorceress Morgana (Lena Headey, again from Game of Thrones).
Bent on his proving to his headstrong master that he is more than capable of being the great wizard that he intends to be, Douxie (with the help of his faithful friends) takes a spot on the frontlines of a war that threatens to wipe out the world as they know it.
Let me point out that despite the obvious fact that the show is animated, the action is intense and parental discretion is advised.
The animation is impressive, the character designs more so, and the plot one of the most engaging in a series I have seen recently. Never have I cared so much for animated characters than I did here. That is due to them being fully fleshed out with relatable arcs that are touching and inspiring.
Fans of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy will totally geek out when seeing Wizards: Tales of Arcadia because it is in the critic’s opinion, one of the best adventure series ever made.
Let me go back to the action for a minute. From the very first episode, the viewer is treated to non-stop action that rival the best adventure/fantasy movies ever made. Also, the suspense and plot advancement made it so that there was not a second where I could take my eyes off the screen.
The hero’s journey and that of his friend will stir up lots of feelings in the viewer as themes of love, friendship, and bravery are treated in a way that almost brought tears to my eyes on several occasions.
Two other things that blew me away were the visual effects and the voice acting. One expects a lot of magic when watching something like this and I would dare say that what I saw exceeded my expectations.
As for the voice acting, it is easily the best I have ever seen in an animated series. All the actors give committed performances that it became easy to forget that the characters are animated. This is the stuff that great shows are made of.
I could go on and on about the positives of this series but I believe that would only lead to spoilers as I try to avoid those in my reviews.
So, in conclusion, let me give a big shout out to the team at DreamWorks for making an animated masterpiece worthy of envy from every filmmaker out there. I can’t imagine the amount of work that went into the flawless execution I saw unfold!
Then special commendation to acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, the visionary behind this amazing series. I tip my hat to you, sir. I expect greater things from you.
Rating: 9/10.
