PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *metaphysical, sociological*
This apparent feature film is actually a compilation of cheaply-but-adequately shot "webisodes" derived from the 2009 DRAGON AGE RPG. REDEMPTION shares roughly the same universe as an animated DTV film, DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER, which like REDEMPTION also emphasizes conflicts between various heroes on the trail of an evil mage.
SEEKER didn't have much to say about the status of elves in this fantasy-world, but REDEMPTION makes clearer that they've become a marginalized outgroup, victimized and sometimes enslaved by both human beings and a humanoid species, the "Qunari." The first protagonist one encounters is Tallis (Felicia Day), who's liberated from prison by her Quanari masters to hunt down a renegade sorcerer. The sorcerer Saarebas (whose name sounds like that of the comics-character Cerebus) plans to perform a dangerous incantation. In tracking down one of the mage's henchmen, Tallis encounters a human knight, Cairn (Adam Rayner), and after some squabbling over their common quarry the mage, Tallis persuades Cairn to join forces with her, even if they may end dueling over custody.
In their progress, Tallis and Cairn come to an elf-village from which Saaerebas has stolen a young girl for sacrifice. The girl's boyfriend Josmael (Masam Holden) announces his intent to go after the raiders, so the two more experienced fighters reluctantly allow him to go along. The trio encounter the wizard's forces, which include a gang of fighters called "Reavers." Saarebas escapes again, but leaves behind one Reaver, Nyree (Marcia Battise), and Tallis talks Nyree into joining their force for a greater payoff when the four of them take on the sorcerer's forces.
Naturally REDEMPTION doesn't devote much of its short run-time to world-building, but there's more attention to character conflict than in SEEKER, and the fight-scenes are decent if unexceptional. As D&D flicks go, it's an okay timekiller.
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