Film genres have formulas and rules, but how well do High Fantasy films follow their formula?
Fire and Ice
(1983) is an animated sword & sorcery film, with moderate magic and not child-friendly.
(1983) is an animated sword & sorcery film, with moderate magic and not child-friendly.
RULE #1 - The Secondary World.
"All matter in our world is from the natural bases... which are earth, air, fire and water; the four elements from which all things are created." ~ Tutor.
"How can you talk about elements when the war draws nearer to us every hour?" ~ Teegra.
"How can you talk about elements when the war draws nearer to us every hour?" ~ Teegra.
1a. Type: Seems to be an unconnected world, although the opening text tries to suggest it's a faux-past.
1b. Faux-medieval - An older period.
1c. Panoramic landscapes - Yes.
1d. Impossible buildings and landmarks - Yes.
1e. Archaic spelling/strange names - Yes.
1f. Hyper-real - Animated.
RULE #2 - There may be sex and nudity.
"Next time you present me with one of your little sluts, Mother dear... I'll squash you like a bug." ~ Nekron.
2a. Nudity - Since this is an animated film there's no actual nudity, but...
i. Female Nudity - Very skimpy clothes, especially the Princess whose "clothing" exposes most of her breast and butt.
ii. Male Nudity - Also skimpy clothing. A lot of exposed thigh.
2b. Sex - No sex...
3a. The Hero - Larn, last survivor of his tribe.
3j. King - King Jarol.
3k. The Hag - A beautiful example in Roleil.
i. Death - Roleil is killed soon after drugging and possibly planing to rape Teegra.
ii. Random Sex - None.
ii. Relationship Sex - None. Larn and Princess Teegra kiss at the end of the film.
iii. Rape - The sub-humans do seem like they want to rape unnamed survivor from Larn's people, but Larn awakes soon afer and becomes the focus of the story, leaving the woman's fate unknown. The sub-humans also seem to want to rape Teegra, but they don't (possibly on orders from Princess Juliana). Roleil drugs and kisses Teegra when she falls unconscious, but becomes destracted and doesn't go any further.
RULE #3 - Characters.
"Well if you want it, take it." ~ Larn.
"I am not... a thief" ~ Teegra.
"I am not... a thief" ~ Teegra.
3b. The Hero's Parents - Everyone in his tribe was killed, although it is his brother specifically mentioned not his parents.
3c - 3i. The Party of Adventurers - No real party. Larn briefly travels with Teegra and Darkworlf at different times.
3c. The Mentor - Teegra had a tutor but it was killed pretty quickly. Doesn't really fit the mold, though. Darkwolf may have also been considered Larn's mentor.
3d. The Heroine - Teegra, the princess. She is captured at least 3 times, but frees herself most of them.
3d. The Heroine - Teegra, the princess. She is captured at least 3 times, but frees herself most of them.
3e. A Warrior - Darkwolf. He mostly turns up to save Larn.
3f. A Warrior Woman - None.
3f. A Warrior Woman - None.
3g. A User of Magic - None join the party.
3h. A Thief - None.
3i. A pet or other animal - Teegra had a pet black panther but it was killed pretty quickly.
3j. King - King Jarol.
3k. The Hag - A beautiful example in Roleil.
3l. The Dark Lord - Nekron.
3m. An evil female
3m. An evil female
i. Female Henchman - Doesn't have one.
ii. Member of Harem - Doesn't have one.
iii. Dark Lord's Daughter - Not the Dark Lord's daughter, his mother, Queen Juliana.
3n. Male Henchmen - Doesn't have one.
3o. Minions - The subhumans.
3o. Minions - The subhumans.
3o - 3q. An Evil Person.
3o. Grand Vizier - N/A.
3p. Evil relative - N/A.
3q. The Priest - N/A.
3o. Grand Vizier - N/A.
3p. Evil relative - N/A.
3q. The Priest - N/A.
RULE #4 - Races & Cultures.
"If you peacefully surrender, my Lord Nekron will cease the destruction of..." ~ Subhuman.
"This is your message of peace? A demand for our total and unconditional surrender?" ~ King Jarol.
"This is your message of peace? A demand for our total and unconditional surrender?" ~ King Jarol.
4a. Homogeneous Races
i. Good/Evil - Although the sub-humans are protrayed as brutish and evil, once the evil lords controling them are killed Teegra asks Larn not to murder one, suggesting that she believes they aren't evil at all. There was also a ship's captain who appeared to be a sub-human. He was brash, but nothing was shown to say he was evil.
ii. Magic - Four users of magic are shown.
iii. Habitat - No clear delination.
4b. Races.
i. Humans - Most of the characters are human or seem human.
ii. Elves - Although there's nothing saying they aren't human, Nekron and Queen Juliana look a lot like Dark Elves, with very pale skin. It could be a side effect of being a magic-user as Roleil has a slight discolouration, too.
iii. Dwarfs - N/A.
iii. Halflings - N/A.
iv. Fairies - N/A.
v. Centaurs/part animals - N/A.
vi. Giants - N/A.
vii. Trolls - Great Otwa, looks trollish, but is the child of Roleil who mostly looks human.
viii. Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins - Sub-humans sort of a orc/neanderthal cross.
4d. Societies - A barbarian castle, people in a fire castle and primate sub-humans.
4e. Homogeneous Culture - Not much of the cultures shown.
4f. Rival cultures - The town main castles are called Firekeep and Icepeak. They don't get along.
ii. Magic - Four users of magic are shown.
iii. Habitat - No clear delination.
i. Humans - Most of the characters are human or seem human.
ii. Elves - Although there's nothing saying they aren't human, Nekron and Queen Juliana look a lot like Dark Elves, with very pale skin. It could be a side effect of being a magic-user as Roleil has a slight discolouration, too.
iii. Dwarfs - N/A.
iii. Halflings - N/A.
iv. Fairies - N/A.
v. Centaurs/part animals - N/A.
vi. Giants - N/A.
vii. Trolls - Great Otwa, looks trollish, but is the child of Roleil who mostly looks human.
viii. Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins - Sub-humans sort of a orc/neanderthal cross.
ii. Elves - Although there's nothing saying they aren't human, Nekron and Queen Juliana look a lot like Dark Elves, with very pale skin. It could be a side effect of being a magic-user as Roleil has a slight discolouration, too.
iii. Dwarfs - N/A.
iii. Halflings - N/A.
iv. Fairies - N/A.
v. Centaurs/part animals - N/A.
vi. Giants - N/A.
vii. Trolls - Great Otwa, looks trollish, but is the child of Roleil who mostly looks human.
viii. Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins - Sub-humans sort of a orc/neanderthal cross.
RULE #5 - Magic & Monsters
"Man the dragonhawks!" ~ King Jarol.
5a. Magical Past - There are ruins and great towers but no claims of a higher magic past.
5b. Low Magic Present - Few have magical powers.
5c. Magical laws - No laws present.
5d. Good vs Evil - Evil magic users (Nekron and Juliana) and a neutral-ish (but certainly not good) user of magic (Roleil).
5e. Gendered - Females Juliana and Roleil have some powers. Nekron seems to have more, even though it's pointed out he was taught by his mother. It is a very small sample size.
5f. Hereditary - Maybe with Juliana and Nekron. Roleil's son is deformed and probably not able to use magic.
5g. Spells & Powers - Both Darkwolf and Nekron have some sort of shielding.
i. Healing - Darkwolf may have healed Larn. It's not clear if Nekron healed after Larn put an arrow through him or if he just dodged the arrow. Another injury Nekron gets from Larn disappears later.
ii. Remote Viewing - No quite, but Roleil had uses a similar power.
iii. Obfuscation - Nekron makes people kill each other, but they seem aware of what they are doing.
iv. Shape changing - No.
v. Necromancy - Roleil's skeleton comes back to life.
5k. Items of Magic - None shown.
5l. Artifacts of Great Power - No.
5m. Religion - None mentioned.
5n. Mythical creatures
i. Dragon - No dragons. (The "Dragonhawks" appear to be pteranodon or something similar to a Pterosaur.
ii. Unicorns - N/A.
iii. Griffins, Rocs, Sphinx - A number of dinosaurs.
iv. Giant Things - A giant-lizard creatures.
v. Supernatural Creatures - None.
vi. Raised creatures - Just Roleil's corpse.
vii. Nameless Beast - The thing in the water that grabs Larn counts, all tenticles, a single eye and mandibled mouth which bleeds green when cut. Certainly counts.
5a. Magical Past - There are ruins and great towers but no claims of a higher magic past.
5b. Low Magic Present - Few have magical powers.
5c. Magical laws - No laws present.
5c. Magical laws - No laws present.
5d. Good vs Evil - Evil magic users (Nekron and Juliana) and a neutral-ish (but certainly not good) user of magic (Roleil).
5e. Gendered - Females Juliana and Roleil have some powers. Nekron seems to have more, even though it's pointed out he was taught by his mother. It is a very small sample size.
5f. Hereditary - Maybe with Juliana and Nekron. Roleil's son is deformed and probably not able to use magic.
5g. Spells & Powers - Both Darkwolf and Nekron have some sort of shielding.i. Healing - Darkwolf may have healed Larn. It's not clear if Nekron healed after Larn put an arrow through him or if he just dodged the arrow. Another injury Nekron gets from Larn disappears later.
ii. Remote Viewing - No quite, but Roleil had uses a similar power.
iii. Obfuscation - Nekron makes people kill each other, but they seem aware of what they are doing.
iv. Shape changing - No.
v. Necromancy - Roleil's skeleton comes back to life.
5k. Items of Magic - None shown.
5l. Artifacts of Great Power - No.
5l. Artifacts of Great Power - No.
i. Dragon - No dragons. (The "Dragonhawks" appear to be pteranodon or something similar to a Pterosaur.
ii. Unicorns - N/A.
iii. Griffins, Rocs, Sphinx - A number of dinosaurs.
iv. Giant Things - A giant-lizard creatures.
v. Supernatural Creatures - None.
vi. Raised creatures - Just Roleil's corpse.
vii. Nameless Beast - The thing in the water that grabs Larn counts, all tenticles, a single eye and mandibled mouth which bleeds green when cut. Certainly counts.
RULE #6 - The Quest
"Nekron? Akatar. They take her to Akatar. And from there to the Icy King's realm. Avenge me. Avenge me!" ~ Roleil.
6a. The Artifact - No artifact.
6b. Destroy the Dark Lord - Darkwolf's quest is specifically this.
6c. Save the Heroine - Larn's quest becomes this.
6d. Unite the races/Raise an army - Doesn't happen, but Larn and Darkwolf use King Jarol's air force..
6e. Prophecy - None.
6f. Other events:
i. Win a Contest - Doesn't happen.ii. Stop an Execution - Larn doesn't arrive soon enough to stop Taro's death.iii. Stop a Wedding - Nekron isn't even interested in one, although it's what his mother wants.
6g. The Hero's Journey - See below.
RULE #7 - The Hero's Journey: Departure
"Why have you come seeking me?" ~ Nekron.
"You killed my people." ~ Larn.
"We've had to dispose of so many undesirables of late." ~ Nekron.
"You killed my people." ~ Larn.
"We've had to dispose of so many undesirables of late." ~ Nekron.
7a. Secret Origin
i. The Chosen One - No.
ii. Orphaned - Yes, when the North Village is destroyed.
iii. Revenge - Yes.
7b. Ordinary World
i. From Earth - No.
ii. Peaceful Lands - May have been, but Icepeak is already attacking when the film begins.
7c. Initial Tests - No.
7d. The Call to Adventure - Larn starts the film joining the defense of North Village.
7e. Refusal of the Call - Doesn't happen.
7f. Supernatural Aid
i. Meeting with the Mentor - Darkwolf
ii. A supernatural guide - None.
iii. May be given a magic item or artifact - Doesn't happen.
iv. The Party will begin to form - Not really. Larn meets up with Teegra and Darkwolf a couple of time.
7g. Crossing the Threshold - Happens almost immediately.
7h. Belly of the Whale - Happens almost immediately.
7a. Secret Origin
i. The Chosen One - No.
ii. Orphaned - Yes, when the North Village is destroyed.
iii. Revenge - Yes.
7b. Ordinary World
i. From Earth - No.
ii. Peaceful Lands - May have been, but Icepeak is already attacking when the film begins.
7c. Initial Tests - No.
7d. The Call to Adventure - Larn starts the film joining the defense of North Village.
7e. Refusal of the Call - Doesn't happen.
7f. Supernatural Aid
i. Meeting with the Mentor - Darkwolf
ii. A supernatural guide - None.
iii. May be given a magic item or artifact - Doesn't happen.
iv. The Party will begin to form - Not really. Larn meets up with Teegra and Darkwolf a couple of time.
7g. Crossing the Threshold - Happens almost immediately.
7h. Belly of the Whale - Happens almost immediately.
RULE #8 - The Hero's Journey: Initiation
"You've caught me, but you'll never hand me over to Nekron. You'll have to kill me first." ~ Larn.
"Don't hunt for death, boy. It finds us all soon enough." ~ Darkwolf.
"Don't hunt for death, boy. It finds us all soon enough." ~ Darkwolf.
8a. The Road of Trials - Larn is constantly attacked random creatures and sub-humans.
8b. The Vision Quest - None.
8c. The Meeting with the Goddess - His quest becomes more about helping Teegra once his meets her. Fortunately, there is overlap with vengeance.
8d. Lure away from Journey - Doesn't really happen.
8e. A Greater Power - Nekron, obviously.
8f. The Ordeal - Apotheosis/Death - Possibly when he fights the nameless horror then and passes out.
8g. The Ordeal - Descent into the underworld - Doesn't really happen.
8h. The Ultimate Boon - Not really.
8b. The Vision Quest - None.
8c. The Meeting with the Goddess - His quest becomes more about helping Teegra once his meets her. Fortunately, there is overlap with vengeance.
8d. Lure away from Journey - Doesn't really happen.
8e. A Greater Power - Nekron, obviously.
8f. The Ordeal - Apotheosis/Death - Possibly when he fights the nameless horror then and passes out.
8g. The Ordeal - Descent into the underworld - Doesn't really happen.
8h. The Ultimate Boon - Not really.
RULE #9 - The Hero's Journey: Return.
"...there is one thing you lack. One gift that only you can bestow
between our people.
"Peace.
"This is the gift that heals the heart
of the giver." ~ Princess Teegra.
between our people.
"Peace.
"This is the gift that heals the heart
of the giver." ~ Princess Teegra.
9a. Refusal of the Return - Doesn't happen.
9b. The Magic Flight - A literal flight on Dragonhawks.
9c. Rescue from Without - Darkwolf rescues Larn a few times.
9d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold - Vaguely.
9e. Master of Two Worlds - Vaguely.
9f. Freedom to Live - Yes.
9a. Refusal of the Return - Doesn't happen.
9b. The Magic Flight - A literal flight on Dragonhawks.
9c. Rescue from Without - Darkwolf rescues Larn a few times.
9d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold - Vaguely.
9e. Master of Two Worlds - Vaguely.
9f. Freedom to Live - Yes.
9b. The Magic Flight - A literal flight on Dragonhawks.
9c. Rescue from Without - Darkwolf rescues Larn a few times.
9d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold - Vaguely.
9e. Master of Two Worlds - Vaguely.
9f. Freedom to Live - Yes.
RULE #10 - Sequels/Remakes/Adaptations
"No, Larn! No, it's over, don't you see? We have to start over." ~ Princess Teegra.
"No, Larn! No, it's over, don't you see? We have to start over." ~ Princess Teegra.
10a. Adaptation - An adaptation of Frank Frazetta's artwork.
10b. Sequels - No sequels.
10c. Remakes - Robert Rodriguez is planning a live action remake.
10a. Adaptation - An adaptation of Frank Frazetta's artwork.
10b. Sequels - No sequels.
10c. Remakes - Robert Rodriguez is planning a live action remake.
10b. Sequels - No sequels.
10c. Remakes - Robert Rodriguez is planning a live action remake.
RESULTS
- Rules that are followed in this film: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7.
- Rules that are partially followed, or not clear, in this film: 3, 6, 8, 9, 10.
~ DUG.
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