D&D Movies!

[Iso]

The much hated D&D movies left some bitter feelings with fans, but how did you all feel?

In the first one, I felt Marlon Wayans (Who's playing Ripcord in the upcoming G.I.Joe movie!) was the most skilled actor on the cast and it was dreadful that he had to be kept to the side. Worse still was that they killed him off! Most heroic death evar.

Actor Jeremy Irons was spoken well of by his fellow set mates, but sadly his role was very cheesy.

Bruce Payne, playing the evil warrior (Possibly Blackguard?) Damodar also suffered from a poorly written script, but he was able to much better expand his character in the second movie, "Wrath of the Dragon God."

Most people didn't even know the second movie came out in 2005, but I found it a lot more enjoyable than the first. The only way it could have been better was if Marlon was in it, since his character was resurrected.

Comments and bashings of the movies, gogo!

Quick edit: I didn't get a chance to see any of the computer animated films, has anyone here?

[Product of Void]

I liked them. I had no real expectations so it was easy to met them.

First one. Snails cracks me up.

Second one. The cleric dies I laugh my ass off. The mage decidees they are smarter then the rogue, their familiar dies. I laugh again.

I think the problem with D&D movies is there is so much stuff out there for D&D. So its hard to cover everything and package it as the D&D movie. If they did it for a certian set of books would maybe make it easier.

The other problem is every fan boy out there will be pissed that they are not in it. Then will buy it on DVD and play it often in secert.

Between the two I liked the charactors more in the second one, but the plot better in the first one.

[Xeesheava]

I only saw the first D&D movie and kinda sucked and lost hope in the others.
I truly believe the movie producers doesn't want to involve in the project of portrayal trying to not be checked as NERDS.

So, they mixed all the cliches of fantasy movies and prints "BRAND NAME" in there and voilá!

Remember Dungeon Siege and Super Mario :P

[Iso]

I felt the movies came out pretty much like an acted out gaming session where a group of close friends were having fun. Who doesn't do cliche in their games? D&D tends to be cliche by nature, that's why we've got Clerics and Paladins as base classes.

[Ghostman]

The only two good things about that first movie were (1) I actually like Marlon Wayons, he has potential, and (2) that elven chick's breastplate. Everything else was teh suck.

Only other D&D themed movie I saw was the animated Dragonlance movie and I was bitterly, bitterly disappointed in it. The animation was garbage and the cinematography was crap on a bun. I loved Dragonlance and they destroyed it for me.

[Iso]

Think they've got another digital one out last year or coming this.

[Xeesheava]

I felt the movies came out pretty much like an acted out gaming session where a group of close friends were having fun. Who doesn't do cliche in their games? D&D tends to be cliche by nature, that's why we've got Clerics and Paladins as base classes.

Im just a b*tch about the exactitude how a movie staff will port a movie based on a Game.

The producers saw the film as a way to do money. But they didn't read even a basic manual of D&D to know something about the lore, not even used a Forgotten Realm setting. Was a typical plot of: "We are The Mages vs. The Empress, lololol we call dragons, lololol".
Using a Forgotten Realm Setting they even can recreate some events of the chronicles of Faerun, come on, the Time of Troubles have a lot of magic and epicness to be portrayed.

Being D&D, they were hitting on a dangerous floor, because the fans.
And the fans were not happy, that represents bad critics, less money, and such.

To finish this post, I think the people of Hollywood believes the spectators are stupid and trends to simplify all to fit to the public and destroys the product in the process.

[Zoberraz]

I remember commenting with one of my friends over the first D&D movie and we realized that our main beef with it was that for a Dungeons and Dragons movie, it lacked many things which might have made it recognizable as D&D to those whom played the game.

One thing I recall was how they trivialized beholders and dragons. How they made most of the dragons seem dull and beastly stupid. How very few of the spells used looked like classic D&D arcanery such as Magic Missile, Sleep, Web, Fireball and etc. How the elves shown looked like dumb savages having disbelievingly grand cities along with the elder elf (whom actually looked old rather than just mature) whom healed Ridley showing hairs on his hand silhouetted by firelight (elves have no pillosity aside from hair and eyebrows).

I've never seen the second movie... though the animated feature which shown out to me as something that looked like D&D was a 3d-animated DVD titled Scourge of Worlds. Now that was D&D awesomeness, even though the 3d animation used in it hasn't aged well.

[Arlock Starwind]

Ok I loved damidar in the first one.. but in the second he was my hero..
the lich in the second movie however was a little well. odd. i don't rember any transformation abilities for liches. (maybe a cleric of some kind or new wiz poly spell?)

as for my next fav char.. the thief in the second movie he was always seeming more cool than he was. (look away i have to perform an anciet secret of my talents or whatever) but i had a few major problems with him too. a relly bad writen script.. (In this vial is purple wyrm stomic acid that can eat though anything) then why dosent it eat though the vial? if he had said ( except this magically enchanted vial ) i could have believed it.

ridly was a disapointment.. a rouge/sorcerer with feats in useing a longsword. com'on now.. be serious..

Snails was again.. awesome in every meaning of the word. the dwarf a million lauphs even now. specially when it comes to dwarf weman and his feelings.

[Iso]

I think the majority of us agree, Snails (played by Wayans) was well done. Something tells me Marlon played D&D as a kid.

Makes me wonder what would happen if a new movie was done by Vin Diesel, who attributes one of his main inspirations for becoming an actor to playing D&D as a child. With Marlon coming on cast again. And Christopher Walken as a wizard, because he can be.

[Zoberraz]

Here's a link to a gameplay clip of Scourge of Worlds on Spike.
http://www.spike.com/video/dungeons-dragons/2665507

[Jai_V]

Ok, let me break the trend.

The D&D movie was exactly what I expected it to be. And, furthermore, it wasn't that bad. They tried to make a D&D movie that everyone could understand, follow, and enjoy (whether you played D&D before or not), because let's face it: fan-boys don't make box-office smashes.

You think all the Spiderman fan-boys loved the very-popular 2001 movie? I still have friends to this day that criticize every aspect of it.

You have to hook the moderately-tempered fans who are going their to see a movie and enjoy it, along with the rest of the unenlightened masses.

My complaint list is small.

1. They could've used a better writer (or, even better, a team of writers)
2. It should have been casted with actors who enjoy these kinds of roles.
3. Thora Birch's boobs should have been more visible. (American Beauty spoiled me)

As for the second D&D movie...well, for the low-budget rehash that it was, I think I can safely say, "Nicely done."

The only animated D&D I've seen was a Dragonlance story. It had awesome actors voicing the characters(Keifer Southerland as Raistlin? <3 <3 <3 ), but that's about the best I can say for it.

[Iso]

Here's a link to a gameplay clip of Scourge of Worlds on Spike.
http://www.spike.com/video/dungeons-dragons/2665507

And the Elf scores a critical hit.

"You see, that's exactly what you said when we robbed that little Halfling's house, and who did he catch? Me. And who did he beat from the waist down? Me." -Snails

Re-watching the first movie right now and I can see some details about their setting - There's only one deity, Snails is obviously a Thief/Rogue and Ridley could possibly have been a Bard.

Lol and the old wizard in the college failed his Read Magic spell.

"So there I was... and this orc is stabbing me with his spear like this, you see! *jabs turkey leg into the air* And I said, what have I got to lose? So I bit that spear! An' I started chewin! Gmuff! Ruffuf hahh! *stuffs face with the leg*" -That Silly Dwarf

Snails: *spies elf tracker* Idol of idols!
Dwarf: With an elf!? Oh, you've gotta' be kiddin'! The problem with elves is they ain't got no meat on their bones! *pushes Snails* What you've gotta get is a nice 250lb dwarf, hah!? Hair on their chin you can hang on to!! Hah! HAH!? *tugs beard and makes lewd gestures at Snails*

[c2k]

I thought Jeremy Irons was ok in the first one, because she does evil so well, but the movie as a whole sucked.

Wrath of the Dragon God, however, was as dead on as a movie could be about DnD. It had so many quirks that pop up in the game(I don't want to spoil) and it was an enjoyable watch. I recommend it.

[TheBrogueadier]

Good lord, where to start on the utter, utter abomonation of a film that was the first D&D movie?

As previously said it had the feeling of a plot lifted directly from a gaming session, acting lifted from a cess pit and more cliche's than a pot full of 'Godfather' rip-offs. Fan made godfather rips offs.

The only high points of the film were:
A: The dwarf's line about having a beard to hang on to.
B: When it ended.

I'd try and list the various cliche's but I'd probably wear my fingers out listing them all, so have a short sample:
Cockney theives, in a guild, being all happy and cheerful in a 'wrraa, we don't know if we're pirates or vaganbonds or cockney urchins but we've got a pointless maze full or tricks and traps' Seriously, it was like a fantasy version of whatever steaming pile Guy Ritchie's managed to squeeze out recently.

Rod of red dragons, rod of gold dragons. Just a shame their was no rod of acting.

Plate breastplate with breasts. Does no-one understand metalurgy? Does no-one think, 'hang on, it might make her tits look better but it'll increase the chances of stabby death by quite some margin'?

Good hearted theives (again), that'd be like taking a pretty good book about the reversal of roles between human and vampire and humanitys ability to adapt and survive, and turning it into a 'I can't be a bad guy and a monster, let's just poo on the authers lap and bastardise the entire film with a vision by god' smugfest staring Will Smith.. Oh.. hang on.

Even thinking about that film has numbed my brain enough to stop me from writing much more.

The two (not in the film but happened around it) other highpoints of seeing it in the cinema were:
The chap how bravely stood up while the audiance was laughing very loudly at the sheer badness of the film and yelled out: "Will you all stop laughing, this is a serious film!"

Two people overheard talking in the toilets afterwards:
P1: Man, I can't beleive how bad that film was.
P2: I know.. I mean a wizard using a sword, how bad is that?

It made me want to steralise people with hammers.

As much as I'd love to see a decent D&D based film I honestly don't think one will ever be made, the first 'proper' D&D film, Krull, was a bit dire (though I'll admit to enjoying it as a kid) and the more recent ones not much better.

If I could assemble a crew to do one I think I'd go with FS:CFC on vfx, Guillermo del Toro as director, not sure about script; China Miéville with a decent writing team maybe..


Edit:

Oh, the reason for the beholders not doing much in the first film is that the vfx budget still had a lot of cash left in it so they went through various parts of the film and added more creatures. *insider knowledge*