Vlarion 2 - Darkness Gathering

If flawed, Vlarion 2 represents the key to the success of the Vlarion saga, and critically it stands as being not only fantatical but groundbreaking, for it's time changing not only the way we make the Fantasy genre but also the way we make 3dmm movies. Coupled with a fantastic story circling around some very detailed mythology makes the sequel to the original, although inconsistent, innovative and emotive. At times the film is in danger of losing the audience, largely down to some cheesily scripted dialogue and the sudden atmospheric changes, for example the pressure point chapter crosscutting with the movie's climax is, while incessantly dark, often ill-placed in terms of narrative. The characters are interesting but it sometimes feels difficult to care for them. However I would put this down simply to the old school style of the film, but like the first Vlarion, it feels like a movie made before its time. The subheading sums up the feel of the movie incredibly well, and the cliffhangar works wonders for capturing the audience drawn into the events of the character's fate and the seriousness of the war to come. Look beyond the dated form of the movie and you can see just how much of an epic task Aaron Haynes took on to tell this awesome tale.

More entertaining than the first not only for the sheer weight of the ending but also the profound effect it has on you. By the end of the continuation the stories to these characters unravel and its at this point that Aaron shines as a director, never once losing sight of where the saga is heading.