The second in a pair of films spun off from the Dragon Nest online role-playing game, Chinese-made animated fantasy Throne of Elves is quite a curiosity.
For non-gamers, the mythical setting is a surprise for a start, giving more than a nod to The Lord of the Rings and Roger Dean album covers, as well as European folklore. And the heroine, Liya (voiced in the English dub by Ashley Boettcher), couldn't be more Nordic in her looks.
Rip-roaring action and cliff-hanging suspense
A blonde-haired, pointy-eared elf princess, she could be Legolas's sister. Here, her love interest is the story's scrappy, dark-haired young human hero, Lambert. And together they strive to defeat the slinky, surprisingly curvaceous villainess, who is wreaking havoc in the elf world with the aid of an all-powerful floating magical gem. Along the way, a pair of little-and-large sidekicks provide comic relief, as do the hero’s oddly spherical canine companions.
It’s all very derivative, but the duo’s adventures contain enough rip-roaring action and cliff-hanging suspense to make this an entertaining romp.
Certificate PG. Runtime 90 mins. Directors Yi Ge, Yuefeng Song
Throne of Elves debuts on Sky Cinema Premiere on Saturday 20 May.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc2mYQayFfQ
