Movies That're Better Than You'd Think, Episode One
“Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God“.
Yeah, you heard me.
The first D&D movie was hilariously awful, and this one’s still no Citizen Kane, but it works quite well if you do one vital thing.
Don’t think of it as an attempt to chronicle actual events that happened in an actual world.
Think of it, instead, as a fifteen-million-dollar depiction of an actual game of D&D, being played by actual gamers, and overseen by an actual Dungeon Master.
Now it all makes sense. Monsters that come from nowhere when they’re needed to hurry the players along, continuity errors, crappy dialogue, you name it.
That still wouldn’t be enough if the story had not a shred of wit or pace, but the script is actually not so bad. Stuff happens, there are a few good lines, the villains are aware that they’re the comic relief (comic actors make the best villains in action movies), and the big bad dragon’s not a bad special effect at all.
So if films featuring swords and dragons and people in olden tymes who all have great teeth appeal to you, get hold of D&D II by whatever means is acceptable to your conscience, and make some popcorn.
If you want a movie that captures the essence of playing D&D, check out The Gamers by Dead Gentlemen Productions.
Comment by darnon — October 23, 2006 @ 5:40 am
Die Hard is good, but how can you overlook Alan Rickman's role in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (OK, easy. It's a Kevin Costner movie. It'll hurt more you idiot!)
Comment by Dave@ — October 23, 2006 @ 9:40 am
Whoops - I actaully meant to link to Alan Rickman's personal page as well as John Lithgow's :-).
Comment by Daniel Rutter — October 23, 2006 @ 6:46 pm