More than a year passed before I posted another movie review to the group. This one was exactly the sort of thing the group was created to discuss. Posted October 8, 2005:
I just watched the latest D&D movie, a sequel to the disaster of 2000. To my surprise, it was actually watchable (I mostly cringed
through the other one). It had a heavy D&D feel to it with
references to arcane vs. divine magic, a passing mention of the Tower
of Inverness, a variety of monsters straight out of the Monster Manual,
recognizable spells, inclusion of a cleric of Obad-Hai (Greyhawk
nature god), dungeon delving with traps that the rogue gets to
find/disarm, and of course some dragons. It is a movie clearly
targeted at D&D players, which felt clunky. It wasn't Lord of the
Rings, but it was so far above my expectations that I was impressed.
Only one character returned from the original, that being Damodar. This was something of a surprise since he took a sword through the gut (rogue backstab, no less) and was then tossed from a wizard tower as tall as the Empire State Building. Last we saw him, he was plummeting to earth where he would be greeted by 20d6 of damage. But his return works within D&D rules. Better still, his lips are no longer blue and his acting has improved.
The adventuring party is led by a fighter. There is a cleric, a rogue (played by a short actor but not a Halfling, just a short human), an elf wizard, and a female barbarian. Each got to do the stuff from their class. I was impressed when the characters were running and, though they started as a pack, the barbarian was soon way out in front. Yes, she really does move faster than the others.
The end obviously allows for yet another sequel though not in the asinine manner of the last film. What was with the characters turning into sparklers and flying off anyway? Are they back to character generation for the next campaign? Bah.
Only one character returned from the original, that being Damodar. This was something of a surprise since he took a sword through the gut (rogue backstab, no less) and was then tossed from a wizard tower as tall as the Empire State Building. Last we saw him, he was plummeting to earth where he would be greeted by 20d6 of damage. But his return works within D&D rules. Better still, his lips are no longer blue and his acting has improved.
The adventuring party is led by a fighter. There is a cleric, a rogue (played by a short actor but not a Halfling, just a short human), an elf wizard, and a female barbarian. Each got to do the stuff from their class. I was impressed when the characters were running and, though they started as a pack, the barbarian was soon way out in front. Yes, she really does move faster than the others.
The end obviously allows for yet another sequel though not in the asinine manner of the last film. What was with the characters turning into sparklers and flying off anyway? Are they back to character generation for the next campaign? Bah.
Not so much a review as a discussion of how well game mechanics translated into the film. Though I remember some scenes, I don't recall the overall story and plot. The cast were all unknowns and, looking at the names today, they remain unknown. Maybe if I watch it again I will provide a proper review that discusses story arc, character personalities, and cinematography. :)
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