My personal cartoon drug for years was Mighty Max, a sweeping heroic epic that starred a boy who felt the need to advertise the initial to his first name not only on a hat but also his shirt (to be fair, the hat came with the "M" already on it), a giant man who still uses a sword (effectively), and a talking chicken.
So let's jump right into the action with a visit with Norse Mythology and a sleeping dragon!
The episode opens in an unknown location (I'm going to assume Scandinavia) where a raven flies along a shore line. It lifts up along a cliffside where we get a view of a large dragon-shaped cave on top. You'd think a cave shaped like this would get more national attention, like the Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. Or maybe Mt. Rushmore.
Upon entering the cave's entrance, the raven transforms into an old wizard who consults a pool deep in the
Things are not what they seem, though, and it turns out that "Loki" is a character we've met before.
Tim Curry as Loki. I'd pay to see that.
Meanwhile, at the local Super Quicky Mart-o-Rama, Max is doing some shopping for his mother, and I like the personal grouches they put on the list. The "your choice" next to the cereal is pretty cute. This does, however, have what might be the most outrageous way to get him to the next portal. A voice over the intercom tells him which aisle to go to. Seriously, that's it. "Mighty Max please go to aisle 7, Frozen Foods." They even have a sign advertising portals there. Unless this market is owned by Aperture Science, I just can't believe Virgil arranged that in a grocery store. I worked in a grocery store, they aren't that well organized.
The portal does take Max to the base of the cliff where Virgil explains that the prophecy is rather vague on what they have to do. They just have to stop a cursed necromancer named Ravendark, "last of the viking sorcerers" from casting a spell. I love that name. And that title. "Last of the viking sorcerers" is what I want on my business cards.
Max has a much more human reaction to walking into a giant dragon's mouth ("Suddenly I don't feel so mighty.") Oh, but it appears Norman has met the dragon before, and he gives a pretty good speech to a mighty foe. It gives the whole thing a much bigger epic feeling, even when Max tries to crack a joke at Norman's expense about the song made for his battles with the dragon.
So, how awesome is Norman? Well, he was Thor.
No, not just a guy in a costume, apparently he really was Thor. The man is older than he looks.
They encounter Ravendark creating the runes that will awaken the "Doom Dragon" (this episode just gets more and more epic with every name), and only after he casually blasts back Norman and Virgil with finger lightning do the good guys get a hint of what's happening. "Loki" appears to speak to Ravendark again, and Max recognizes the voice as Skullmaster. He tries to warn Ravendark he's being played, but the last rune is cast and the dragon awakens.
A huge billow of dragon flame starts cascading towards the heroes, and while Norman and Virgil escape, Max leaps into a treasure chest and pulls the lid closed. Things look...bleak.
Oh, and by the way, more evidence to how awesome Norman is: The dragon asks him the following question: "Thunderer, what do they call you now? Lancelot? Little John?" The man gets around through history! He also has the stones to face off against a giant dragon, mano-a-mano, and keep the dragon focused on trying to kill him so it won't be able to take the time to fulfill the prophecy to destroy the world.
I'd like to change my zombie team again. Norman's definitely on it.
Max manages to lure the sorcerer out of the dragon's mouth to prove that it isn't Loki who's acting as the benefactor of this plot (the curse only kicks in when the sorcerer leaves the dragon's body), and when the sorcerer, in bird form, crashes to the ground in shock, Max talks it into trying to get some payback.
How? By confusing me as to how portals work again.
Virgil, Max, and Ravendark head off after Virgil comes up with a plan, and Norman starts counting down. The idea is that the good guys will travel through portals to wind up back at the store, and when Norman lures the dragon into place where the exit portal is, they'll pop into his stomach and the sorcerer can cast his spell. And strangely enough, it works.
Oh, but there's a cost to casting a spell like that...apparently it requires blood. The spellcaster's blood.
Max and Virgil are launched from the dragon by the sorcerer's magic as Ravendark draws a dagger. Skullmaster, from the pit, does a classic "NoooooooOOOOOOOOO", and then fire explodes from the dragon's throat.
Current Casualties: 4
The dragon collapses and turns back to stone, the heroes celebrate their victory, and as the sun sets on the new landscape decoration, we see a lone bird fly aw- ...huh.
Current Casualties: 3
Considering Ravendark in his cursed form was the only bird in the area, I'm not going to dismiss the idea he's still alive.
Maybe one day he'll get in touch with Tom Hiddleston and get this whole "curse" deal worked out.
The Good:
What's not to love about this story? Ancient dragons, a hero through time, Nordic sorcerers with great names, this is everything a boy wants in an action story. Norman proves just how epic he is in this story as he (nearly) solo-faces a dragon, and even has a few great lines of dialogue.
Max seems to be taking the job a bit more seriously in this episode, appreciating just how much danger they're all in from early in the episode. The threat, both the sorcerer and the dragon, were both great, since the sorcerer alone was able to hold the heroes back as he unleashed his spells, and the dragon's scale against Norman fighting it made it pretty clear that he was extremely outclassed in weight, and the dragon would need only one hit to end the fight.
The Bad:
The only real thing I can think of is the terrible accent Ravendark was using. I realize children' don't really look to cartoons for accuracy when it comes to other cultures, but I kept expecting Ravendark to end a sentence with "bork bork bork!"
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