Dungeons & Dragons 2-Movie Collection
Movie
Dungeons & Dragons: 2.5 out of 5
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God: 1 out of 5
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game franchise, Warner Home Video has released their two Dungeons & Dragons feature films in a 2-disc Blu-ray set. As a disclaimer, I must admit that I’ve never played D&D, so my knowledge of the game and its world are minimal, at best.
First-time director Courtney Solomon somehow convinced the creators of the game to sell him the movie rights when he was 19 years old, and spent the next ten years developing the script, scouting locations, and acquiring financing, finally getting a green light from New Line Cinema after bringing Joel Silver on board as an executive producer. Solomon was also able to cast Jeremy Irons in the lead-villain role of Profion. It’s a shame that, after all the time and talent that went in to developing this film, the result was a convoluted mess of a movie.
As far as I can tell, Profion wants to overthrow the government by acquiring the Rod of Savrille that controls the red dragons, and in turn cause the Empress (Thora Birch) to turn over her Gold Sceptor which controls the Golden Dragons. He dispatches the blue-lipped Damodar (Bruce Payne) to steal a scroll that uncovers the location of the Rod, but mage Marina Pretensa (Zoe McLellan) escapes with the scroll with the assistance of two thieves, Ridley (Justin Whalin) and Snails (Marlon Wyans). They are later joined by a rather all dwarf named Elwood (Lee Arenberg) and an Elvin tracker, Norda (Kristen Wilson). The movie borrows heavily from other films, most notably Star Wars, Willow, Sleeping Beauty, and Raiders of the Lost Ark (even stealing a shot where Ridley scoops up the Dragon Eye from a pedestal). Ridley is a cross between Luke Skywalker and Han Solo (even down to the costume), Marina is very much like Princess Leia, and, sadly, Snails is the sidekick in a role that could easily have been a Wookie. Justin Whalin is adequate as the lead hero, but often comes across as cocky and always flashing a dimply smile. Bruce Payne is actually quite convincing as Profion’s lead henchman, chewing the scenery and obviously having fun with the role, but his bright blue lipstick is a major distraction. Then there is poor Jeremy Irons, who is so over the top that one has to wonder if he forgot he was acting in a movie. His gestures are so over-pronounced (both hands and facial), you would think he was performing on the stage.
The movie is riddled with continuity errors, as well. Marina loses her glasses half-way through her third scene, never having to wear them again for the duration of the film. But many of the continuity problems are due to scenes that were cut due to timing that have a major impact on the plot. For example, at one point our heroes are trapped in the castle with no hope of escape, but in the next scene they are standing outside hiding behind a wagon. One of the included deleted scenes explains the escape. Another problem with the film is the visual effects, relying too often to render the castles and cityscape. Although CG has come a long way in the 10 years since the film’s theatrical release, the effects look like CG effects from 10 years prior to the making of the film. The opening title sequence reminded me of the similar title sequence in Labyrinth.
But the movie is not a total loss. Director Solomon and the cast bring enough fun to the film to make it enjoyable as a guilty pleasure, at the very least.
The same cannot be said of the direct-to-DVD sequel, Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God. Bruce Payne reprises his role as Damodar (sans blue lipstick), who uses the black orb to resurrect himself from the undead, then sits and waits for Berek (Mark Dymond) and four warriors representing Intelligence, Wisdom, Honor, and Strength to travel to Damodar’s hideout and retrieve the orb, only to have it stolen back by a Lich. Damodar then uses the orb to awaken the black dragon Falazure to destroy the town of Ismer. The acting is wooden, at best, and Payne looks rather bored in the few scenes he appears in. The biggest problem with the movie is that it is, well, slow. The action sequences are dull, and the effects are embarrassingly bad. The CG creatures look like something out of a video game, and the rest of the effects look like they could easily be achieved by almost anyone with AfterEffects and a decent computer.
Video
Dungeons & Dragons: 4 out of 5
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God: 4 out of 5
Warner Home Video brings both films to Blu-ray in a 1080p high-definition transfer using the AVC codec, in their original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratios.
Dungeons & Dragons is somewhat soft in appearance, but likely a result in the source material and film stock used during production, as well ans the low-budget visual effects. Film grain is intact, but never distracting. Colors are vibrant, with accurate flesh tones, and contrast is excellent. Compression artifacts are virtually non-existent.
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God was shot in high definition video , giving it a sterile image compared to the previous film. Grain is non-existent, as are compression artifacts. Colors are a bit more muted this time, but flesh tones are accurate, and detail is excellent.
Audio
Dungeons & Dragons: 4 out of 5
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God: 3.5 out of 5
Both films have been graced with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks in English.
Dungeons & Dragons has a more aggressive mix, likely because it was intended for a worldwide theatrical release. Dialogue is clear, with exceptional fidelity and excellent use of surrounds and LFE. I wouldn’t call it reference material, but it will give your sound system a decent workout.
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God is not as aggressive, perhaps due to its budget and being destined for television and the home video market. It is not a bad mix, and works well for the film, but is very front-heavy with some panning surround effects and occasional LFE. Dialogue is clear, and fidelity is very good.
Special Features: 3 out of 5
Most, if not all, of the Special Features from the DVD releases of both films have been ported over in standard definition.
Dungeons & Dragons:
Audio Commentary by Director/Producer Courtney Solomon, actor Justin Whalin, and Game Co-Creator Dave Arneson: Solomon and Whailn were obviously recorded together, and discuss the making of the film, while Arneson was recorded separately, discussing how Solomon used elements from the game to create a new and original world for the movie. One of the problems with this and the following commentary are that they were recorded during the final stages of post production, before the completed film was shown to an audience, and quite often their pride for the film and hope for the film’s success cloud their judgement.
Audio Commentary by Director/Producer Courtney Solomon, Director of Photography Doug Milsome, and Game Co-Creator Dave Arneson: This is a more technical commentary on the making of the film. Like the first commentary, Arneson seems to have been recorded seperately, with his comments edited in.
Let the Games Begin: A Profile and History of Adventure Gaming (15:29): Courtney Solomon, Justin Whalin, Peter Adikson, Jonathan Tweet, Mark Ordesky, and Ryan Dancey discuss that legacy of D&D and what they enjoyed most about the game and why it has gained so much popularity.
The Making of Dungeons & Dragons (20:39): Solomon, Whalin, and the film’s effects artists discuss the making of the film, focusing mainly on the visual effects.
Special Effects Deconstruction: Four scenes are provided, allowing you to toggle through three of the stages using the angle button on your remote.
Deleted Scenes (19:18): A collection of 11 scenes, with optional commentary by director Solomon, revealing some of the continuity problems with the finished film. An alternate ending is also included.
Theatrical Trailer (2:32): The trailer is somewhat laughable, with titles proclaiming “Just when you think you’re safe, you’re in more danger,” and “Just when you think you’ve figured it out, everything changes,” which pretty much sums up the movie. The trailer uses some music from the actual score, but also includes segments from Stargate and ends with Carmina Burana.
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God:
Audio Commentary by Edward Stark, Dawn Akemi, and John Frank Rosenblum: Warner Home Video should have placed a disclaimer on this commentary track, as it not your typical commentary. The three contributors assume the identity of D&D characters, then riff on the movie, much like MST3K. It gets old real fast, as it is not as inspired or intelligent as MST3K. Avoid this at all costs.
Rolling the Dice - Adapting the Game to the Screen (22:03): The cast and crew discuss the challenges of making the film enjoyable for fans but also making it accessible for non-fans, the choice of characters for the story, the casting process, shooting in Lithuania, and the creation of the visual effects.
The Arc - A Conversation with Gary Gygax (16:48): The co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons game, with help from the cast, discusses the characters and the story arcs that often appear in the game and in the movie.
DDO Store 750 Point Gift Card: Printed on an insert is a code that can be redeemed online for 750 points in the Dungeons & Dragons Online Store.
Overall: 2.5 out of 5
Two rather forgettable movies with very good video and audio presentations and a decent set of extras will likely please fans of either film, and the $19.95 suggested retail for this double-feature makes it a bit of a bargain. But as a 25th anniversary tie-in for a ground-breaking game, this is a bit of an embarrassment.
Studio: Warner Home Video
US DVD Release Date: February 15, 2011
Original Release Year: 2000/2005
Rated: PG-13/Not Rated
Running Time: 107 minutes/105 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French-D&D only)
Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish
