HermitFromPluto wrote:Only one mention of Jeremy Irons' Dungeons and Dragons

Don't the intrepid adventurers have to get past some flaoting rubber beholders in this movie? It has orcs, mages, dragons - what else could you ask for?

A nice example of the disrespect Hollywood and television have for the fantasy audience.   

I swear, sometimes it seems like if you are too big of an asshole, even for a reporter, then they hire you for Hollywood.

As soon as I read about a Wayans brother being in the movie...well...I knew.  

Back at the time, a friend of ours who was new to D&D suggested that we all go see the movie together.  She couldn't figure out why no one in our group was even planning to see it at all.  We knew what was coming.

A good movie about D&D themes would not focus on a struggle about taking over or saving the world.  

Instead, it would be a much smaller story, told about a set of characters on some sort of personal quest...for treasure or some sort of personal destiny.  

In the end...after the Temple of Gubbins collapses...as the characters run for their lives...and the Great Gubbins falls to dust in their hands...the characters are left with a bit more gold, a few experiences and the determination to set out on yet another journey/quest.  The conflicts and triumphs would have more emotional impact than yet another impossibly stupid evil overlord overthrown by the power of Gubbins X.

There would be no comedy character.  Instead, there would be humorous situations and a small amount of romance.

The writers and director would understand that the ability to make an animated dragon look impressive (Reign of Fire) is not the same thing as a believable story built around that dragon (Dragonslayer).

And...by the way...I may have mentioned this before but did anyone else notice that the movie Eragon was basically Star Wars told with essentially all the same characters and situations in a slightly different setting?

Mark  

The problem with the D&D movie is that it's too accurate. It's like the experience of sitting through an actual grueling six-hour gaming session. Although the film itself is much shorter than that, the dramatic flair of the actors is such that you really feel like you've spent all day waiting for it to end.

In fact it might even inspire a bit of nostalgia for that time in your past, perhaps ripe with young adulthood, when you decided to abandon gaming for the first time. Was it that special girl, or a favorite rock 'n roll combo, or just the realization that you were hanging out with a bunch of losers?

Whatever the reason, Jeremy Irons' masterful 2000 performance is guaranteed to remind you of that feeling again. There's a whole big wide world out there- surely you must have something better to do.

Kingofpain89 wrote:First Knight

First Knight was a low-quality film made to appeal to a very limited 13-year-old audience. It was historically significant however in that it marked the return of medieval fantasy to pop culture.

Another milestone of this period: finding Thomas Keightly's Fairy Mythology in the 'Hot Topic' outlet of a suburban mall in late 2001, as merchants rushed to fill their stores with anything related to the new decade's fashions.

Throughout most of the 90s, kids didn't read Tolkien much & were only vaguely aware that D&D had ever been something other than a video game. When Jerry Seinfeld wore a pirate shirt, the audience is supposed to know right away that it signifies out-of-style.

sauromatian wrote:In fact it might even inspire a bit of nostalgia for that time in your past, perhaps ripe with young adulthood, when you decided to abandon gaming for the first time. Was it that special girl, or a favorite rock 'n roll combo, or just the realization that you were hanging out with a bunch of losers?

Whatever the reason, Jeremy Irons' masterful 2000 performance is guaranteed to remind you of that feeling again. There's a whole big wide world out there- surely you must have something better to do.

What are you doing here then, sauromatian?

I'll have to call all the engineers, officers, executives and professionals I played D&D with and let them know I won't be at this year's party because they are losers.

Don't blame everyone else just cause you couldn't get a girlfriend.

First Knight! Ha Har! That had to be one of the worst Medieval themed movies ever made.Sean Connery aside alarm bells started ringing for me when i first learned Richard Gere (yawn) was in it. Now i have  a particular love for fantasy and Medieval themed movies.The worst thing for me in that abomination of a movie was the rediculous costumes and wardrobe.It was like versace designed the Armour! Poncey little shields on their silk robes as decoration? Please! Enough said.

Now thirteenth warrior was a movie! Excellent in every respect!

The main problem with any Dungeons & Dragons movies is they make them for kids and they turn out like a bad version of Hercules(ooerr).
You know the movies when you have a sword but instead punch or kick someone instead of stabbing/mutilating/decapitating or dismembering them.Dungeons & Dragons purists know well that D&D is far removed from a light hearted romp within the confines of the game.Your characters are constantly exposed to great dangers and possible horrid death at every turn.We want a proper adult D&D movie (cant see it happening though).All the light hearted kids D&D movies do is adversely effect the proper D&D game, as it puts off new interest in the game because young people then judge it like the silly movies!

FormCritic wrote: What are you doing here then, sauromatian? I'll have to call all the engineers, officers, executives and professionals I played D&D with and let them know I won't be at this year's party because they are losers. Don't blame everyone else just cause you couldn't get a girlfriend.

Oh yeah, & school-yard bullies, that brings back a lot of nostalgia too. 1981 forever!

Every fantasy novel and movie follows the concept of leveling.

The heroes start out tentative and then do things like stab the Witch King of Angmar or gut a troll.

5 pages and not a single mention of

Robin Hood....

That adventure has been made and remade so many times as to make it seem common. Personally, I always liked the ancient Errol Flynn version best. Sure the story is missing fantastical monsters and magic, but it has all the medieval themes in their entirety. It features a young warrior type whose family was done wrong by a villainous system, a damsel in distress, villains galore with one truly powerful evil villain, thieving from the rich, giving to the poor (and the robbers keep some too of course).

Another oldie…. What about Chuck Heston in the Ten Commandments?
Sure it was a highly religious movie based on the bible (King James Version of course), but who can deny that he played a high level Priest? Do you remember the scene when he defeated several other priests in the famous Throne Room Battle of Sticks to Snakes (Using Staves)? Chucks snake ate the other priest's snakes.

There were many other magical actions as well. Almost by himself, with Gods help of course; he freed an entire nation from slavery, while his people were still slaves he helped them make bricks without straw (Transmutation: earth or mud to stone), he turned the river into blood, created an Insect Swarm, a plague of Frogs, the death of all first born with a seeping moving fog of death (some form of selective Cloudkill?), boils on the Egyptians skin (Cause Disease) (Along with many other plagues).

He parted the Seas and then drowned an entire army of Egyptians by canceling the spell after his people made it across, he even created an earthquake near the end when he brought the tablets down from the mountain and saw the people worshiping a false idol.

Appocalypto is a well done flick with many aspects of D&D, but do NOT allow kids to watch.

Several have mentioned 13th Warrior and I must add my agreement. That movie is Classic D&D throughout and was well acted, well directed, and well written.

A new movie came out that is most excellent IMO: Pathfinder.

It has shamonistic magic and fighting action along with some romance; it features a hunter gatherer nomadic people (American Indians) being sorely abused by villainous invading barbarian warriors (Vikings). There are swords, bows and arrows, daggers, knives, axes, and maces, traps and pitfalls and plenty of action.
OH MY!!!!!!!

The first 15 miutes or so is a bit slow; but it sets up the story background and is actually needed. Hang onto your seats for the rest of the film and dont go to the restroom. This movie is far better than the critics say.

Been meaning to pick up Pathfinder myself.  I was originally going to rent it but now I may just buy it and be done with it.

And although it has little to do with D&D I had to mention Dino de Laurentiis' epic masterpiece Flash Gordon with the incomparable acting skills of Timothy Dalton, Max Von Sydow, and Sam J. Jones.  Galactic amounts of swashbucking action, magic mimicking technology, and high octane adventure enough to quench even the most die-hard action fans thirst.  The movie coupled with the unforgettable soundtrack by the band Queen is a classic.

Damn...I should be a movie critic.     I did however pick the dvd up last week and it is still as fun a movie to watch as I remember it to be.