Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 live-action film directed by Courtney Solomon and ostensibly based on the role-playing game of the same name. Among the more notable features of the otherwise poorly received film are cameo appearances by Richard O'Brien (in a parody of his TV programme The Crystal Maze) and Tom Baker.
Despite its mediocre box-office performance, the film was profitable and a made-for-DVD sequel, Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God was released in 2005. It did not directly continue on the storyline of the previous film, though Bruce Payne's character, Damodar, makes a return.
Plot
The Empire of Izmer has long been a divided land. The Mages - an elite group of magic users - rule whilst the lowly commoners are powerless. Izmer's idealistic young Empress, Savina (Thora Birch), wants equality and prosperity for all, but the evil Mage Profion (played by Jeremy Irons) is plotting to depose her, and establish his own rule. The Empress possesses a scepter which controls Izmer's Golden Dragons. To challenge her rule, Profion must have the scepter, and tricks the Council of Mages into believing Savina is unfit to hold it. Knowing that Profion will bring death and destruction to Izmer, Savina must find the legendary Rod of Savrille, a mythical rod that has the power to control Red Dragons, a species even mightier than the Gold. Enter two thieves, Ridley Freeborn and Snails,(Justin Whalin and Marlon Wayans), who unwittingly become instrumental in Savina's search for the Rod. Joined by a feisty Dwarf named Elwood (Lee Arenberg), an eager but inept apprentice wizard named Marina Pretensa (Zoe McLellan), and helped by the Empress's expert tracker, the Elf Norda (Kristen Wilson), the young heroes go in search of the Rod of Savrille. From the deadly maze of the Thieves Guild at Antius to an Elven Village, secret grotto and abandoned castles, Ridley and his band must outwit Profion's chief henchman Damodar at every turn while back in Izmer, Profion prepares to do battle with the Empress. All depends on the Rod, but outcome of the race to reach it first is far from certain, and Izmar's very survival hangs in the balance.
Reactions
Critical reaction to the film is largely negative. The film has a score of 10% at Rottentomatoes.com and is rated poorly on the Internet Movie Database. Reasons given for this include the writing, direction, script, and camerawork of its producer/director, Courtney Solomon, and the acting of Marlon Wayans, Jeremy Irons, and Thora Birch.
The movie was also not embraced by fans of the original role-playing game. In addition to general disappointment with the film's quality, the film contains very few uniquely Dungeons & Dragons elements, and those it does contain are neither integral to the plot nor faithful translations from the game. For example, the beholders in the movie play a minor role as watchdogs for the main villains, rather than being the extremely powerful masterminds in their own right that the game usually depicts. In the eyes of many fans,[original research?] this was not so much a Dungeons & Dragons movie as a generic sword and sorcery story with a famous brand name tacked on.
Solomon blamed the quality of the film on its investors and license-holders' interference, as well as his own inexperience in filmmaking. He states that he had only intended to produce the film, but was forced to direct by his investors after nearly a decade of complications dealing with TSR and Wizards of the Coast. He also claims that he was forced to use an older script despite having written an updated version that fit the Dungeons and Dragons license better.[1]
References
- ^ CHUD
See also
External links
