A while ago I watched The Hero of Time, and I was severely disappointed by the film. It was obvious that The Hero of Time was a fan film, with its over use of green screen, CGI, poor acting and a story that took major liberties with the game it was based upon. However, one day, I stumbled upon this fan film directed by Josh Dixon and written by his friend Dan Hogan. To my surprise, it was actually quite good.
What set this movie apart from The Hero of Time is its story telling. Sage of Darkness decided to tell an original story, but at the same time reference the video game franchise of which it was based. Such as the use of lines, "It's dangerous to go alone, take this," or when Ganondorf welcomes Link to Hyrule castle, "Welcome to my castle." It was little things like that, that set this film apart.
Though the references were a nice touch, and nod to the franchise. The story is what keeps me coming back. The reason for Link to get involved initially is because he needs money, so he goes to the castle to see what the deal is. Which is great, because Link has something to lose. He is not in it because he is the chosen one, he is in it because of a family member, and when he loses that, it drives him even more to accomplish the task set before him.
Which brings me to the characters, despite the acting just being sub par, and actually pretty laughable at how over the top and bland they could be. To the films credit though these are high schoolers, at the time, acting these parts. Despite all that, the characters are quite good and a decent representation of the characters from the game. Link is noble and heroic, however he is human and vulnerable to human emotions, which is a great addition to the character and makes him that much easier to relate to. Zelda is wise and stays at the castle not because she has too, for the safety of her people.
Beyond that though, some characters are forgettable. The main antagonist is okay, he is just your standard antagonist. Ganondorf is in the movie for only the third act, so he doesn't leave that much of an impression. The trainer is the trainer, the village elder is the wise old man who guides Link, and Link's brother is just there to die so Link will continue to have motivation for the rest of the movie. It is worth mentioning though that the Sage of Darkness is a cool character, and his voice is awesome. That is until it is reveal of who he is, and then he becomes boring and almost fades into the background.
All this to say, if you are a huge Zelda fan, then check this movie out, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised at this little film. It has a good story, with pretty good characters, give or take a few. And if I was to choose between The Hero of Time and Sage of Darkness as to which movie I would want to be made into a big budget Hollywood film, it would be Sage of Darkness. As this movie shows that story should take priority over flashy effects and 2D characters. The Legend of Zelda: The Sage of Darkness is a step in the right direction for movies based off of video games, and if only Hollywood can manage to do what Josh Dixon and Dan Hogan did.
What set this movie apart from The Hero of Time is its story telling. Sage of Darkness decided to tell an original story, but at the same time reference the video game franchise of which it was based. Such as the use of lines, "It's dangerous to go alone, take this," or when Ganondorf welcomes Link to Hyrule castle, "Welcome to my castle." It was little things like that, that set this film apart.
Though the references were a nice touch, and nod to the franchise. The story is what keeps me coming back. The reason for Link to get involved initially is because he needs money, so he goes to the castle to see what the deal is. Which is great, because Link has something to lose. He is not in it because he is the chosen one, he is in it because of a family member, and when he loses that, it drives him even more to accomplish the task set before him.
Which brings me to the characters, despite the acting just being sub par, and actually pretty laughable at how over the top and bland they could be. To the films credit though these are high schoolers, at the time, acting these parts. Despite all that, the characters are quite good and a decent representation of the characters from the game. Link is noble and heroic, however he is human and vulnerable to human emotions, which is a great addition to the character and makes him that much easier to relate to. Zelda is wise and stays at the castle not because she has too, for the safety of her people.
Beyond that though, some characters are forgettable. The main antagonist is okay, he is just your standard antagonist. Ganondorf is in the movie for only the third act, so he doesn't leave that much of an impression. The trainer is the trainer, the village elder is the wise old man who guides Link, and Link's brother is just there to die so Link will continue to have motivation for the rest of the movie. It is worth mentioning though that the Sage of Darkness is a cool character, and his voice is awesome. That is until it is reveal of who he is, and then he becomes boring and almost fades into the background.
All this to say, if you are a huge Zelda fan, then check this movie out, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised at this little film. It has a good story, with pretty good characters, give or take a few. And if I was to choose between The Hero of Time and Sage of Darkness as to which movie I would want to be made into a big budget Hollywood film, it would be Sage of Darkness. As this movie shows that story should take priority over flashy effects and 2D characters. The Legend of Zelda: The Sage of Darkness is a step in the right direction for movies based off of video games, and if only Hollywood can manage to do what Josh Dixon and Dan Hogan did.