Marlon Wayans is simply annoying in a Jar-Jar Binks kind of way, while Bruce Payne is a poor man’s Darth Maul. Jeremy Irons and Thora Birch, both of whom should have been able to do better, are horribly over-the-top and horribly wooden respectively. The second is the acting ranges from fair to awful. The first is that the dialogue is often cliched and/or cheesy.
There are three major problems with the movie. Many reviewers seemed to think it was unspeakably bad, but I’ve seen some unspeakably bad fantasy movies, and this was not one of them.
#DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS 2000 MOVIE#
Given that the overall consensus of both movie critics and the general public is that this movie is pathetic, I almost feel ashamed to admit that I enjoyed it. Although you don’t have to be familiar with the D&D game to understand the movie, you’re not likely to get much out of it if you don’t have at least some appreciation for “swords and sorcery” in general. In fact, you’re not the sort of person who would enjoy this kind of movie anyway, so you may as well stop reading now. However, if magical elements of any kind make you feel uncomfortable, then you shouldn’t touch this movie with a ten foot pole. It has no more connection to real occultism than Homer’s Odyssey, or for that matter, Stephen Lawhead’s novels or many fairy tales. If you can accept the fact that this is purely fantasy, that it’s set in a make-believe world, and is not trying to make a statement about spiritual truths in the real world, then the magical elements shouldn’t be a problem. Both good and evil characters cast spells. The biggest concern about the movie from a Christian perspective is the presence of sorcery. They are joined by Mage Apprentice Marina, a feisty Dwarf named Elwood, and helped by the Empress’s expert tracker, the Elf Norda, as they outrace Profion’s chief henchman Damodar to find the magical Rod that will set their Kingdom free.” Fantasy it is. Enter two thieves, Ridley and Snails, who unwittingly become instrumental in the search for the Rod. In order to prevent Profion from taking over her kingdom, the Empress must find the legendary Rod of Savrille that controls the powerful Red Dragons. Izmer’s young Empress, Savina, wants equality and prosperity for all, but the evil Mage Profion is plotting to depose her, and establish his own rule.
The Mages-an elite group of magic users-rule whilst the lowly commoners are powerless. I bring it up only to make the point that the movie’s connection to the game should not be counted as a strike against it.Ī quick synopsis, provided by the producers, states “The Empire of Izmer has long been a divided land. I could go on at length about this (in fact, I wrote a term paper on it a few years ago), but that really isn’t the point of the review. The other 1% comes from the fact that any demographic group is bound to include some people that are mentally unbalanced. I’ve done some research into the crimes and suicides supposedly motivated by D&D, and I can say with all confidence that 99% of any rumors you may have heard are misinformation, exaggeration or outright fiction. I love role-playing games, and my greatest concern about the Dungeons and Dragons movie was that it would rekindle another spate of misguided attacks against its namesake and RPGs in general.