MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *metaphysical*
Though there aren't many high-mythicity sword-and-sorcery works in the world of live-action movies, there seem to be even fewer in animation. This situation seems counter-intuitive, since animation in theory would allow producers to get around some of the expense of FX in live-action productions. And HEAVENLY SWORD, a CGI adaptation of a 2007 videogame, certainly looks better than the average animated magical-era fantasy. And for once, the characterization is much better than the average sword-fantasy. So why does it fall short?
I don't know what elements in the screenplay might have come from the RPG and which might have come from scripter Todd Farmer. Given that Farmer's career has not been that outstanding, it's not likely that he added much of his own to the mix. Still, unlike a lot of S&S/D&D animated flicks, SWORD actually comes to a decisive conclusion with respect to the main hero's arc, and that's nothing to sneeze at.
There's a novel idea at the core of SWORD, and it relates to the titular object. Thousands of fantasies have been built around the concept of a "miracle weapon" which is the only means by which the good guys can overcome the superior forces of the bad guys. But SWORD at least poses the question as to how even fundamentally good people might make bad choices in seeking to fulfill destiny.
The Heavenly Sword was previously used to rout an evil deity in the fantasy-verse, so there's no doubt as to how powerful the blade is. However, it contains a supernatural power that can burn out an ordinary person seeking to use the sword. The usual dire prophecy asserts that a Chosen One alone can master the weapon, but how does one find-- or make-- such a Chosen One? Lord Shen, whose warrior-clan has custody of the Sword, tries to beget a Chosen One by inseminating various mothers. But since Shen believes that the only possible champion must be male, he's distressed when his only two children are both female. Nariko at least grows up knowing that Shen is his father, even if he deems her a failure, but Nariko doesn't know about Shen's other attempts. She does grow up in the clan alongside a best female buddy, the eccentric Kai-- only to belatedly learn that Kai is her half-sister.
Then Nariko and Kai must go on the run with the magic sword, for the tyrant Bolan invades the clan's stronghold, seeking the powerful weapon. Almost accidentally, the two females get a new mission beyond just keeping the sword safe, for they learn that Shen did beget a son, whom they presume to be the Chosen One. So this time the heroes must make a quest not for the magic weapon but for the only person who can wield it. Further, Nariko never doubts that the prophecy is true, for every time she uses the sword in self-defense, it drains her energy and threatens her life.
I won't reveal the question of just who the Chosen One really is, or further revelations about the Sword's nature. But even in the extroverted context of the story-- which includes a prison-break as well as the central quest-- there are a lot of good character moments for the two heroines. I downgrade SWORD's mythicity a trifle because it doesn't have any concept as to why the Sword's nature is as it is, which might have provided an apt counterpoint to Nariko and Kai's problematic relationships with their father.
Nevertheless, in terms of blade-action alone, SWORD is excellent, particularly a battle in which Nariko takes on a bulky warrior who fights by turning himself into an "armor-dillo." And the aforementioned conclusion is well-handled, demonstrating that there can be costs for even good guys when they mess around with the powers of heaven.
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