I have recently watched the Dungeons & Dragons - Wrath of the Dragon God. It is way better than the first movie. The production values are better and the story is more interesting. Perhaps its the fact that the actors know what they doing, compared to the some of american actors of the first one.
Although the Damodar is better in this movie, but sorry its had to take a baddie seriously with blue lips.
I have recently watched the Dungeons & Dragons - Wrath of the Dragon God. It is way better than the first movie. The production values are better and the story is more interesting. Perhaps its the fact that the actors know what they doing, compared to the some of american actors of the first one.
Although the Damodar is better in this movie, but sorry its had to take a baddie seriously with blue lips.
Yeah, but did you check out the dungeon module under the DVD bonus features? That's the money right there. :)
I finally rented it this weekend and... It Didn't Suck! Glad to see it was as far from Hollywood as possible and the actors actually took their roles seriously this time. I didn't get to check out the bonus features, but may go ahead and buy it for those.
I have recently watched the Dungeons & Dragons - Wrath of the Dragon God. It is way better than the first movie. The production values are better and the story is more interesting. Perhaps its the fact that the actors know what they doing, compared to the some of american actors of the first one.
Although the Damodar is better in this movie, but sorry its had to take a baddie seriously with blue lips.
I totally agree. I saw this and at the end was immediately thinking TV Series! I really dug the characters, for one thing, enough to want to see their further exploits (unlike the first movie, where I desparately wanted to get as far from the characters as I could...please no)
It's enough that I'm curious about the setting. Strange that they have the Greyhawk pantheon because the second film took I think a bit too much at face value from the Core Rulebook, and then fused it to the rather bland, generic setting of the first movie. Still as a hybrid I'm curious to explore it a bit--see how much Greyhawk is there, how much different stuff. Heck, I'm not unconvinced it would do badly to have a Dragon/Dungeon article add some flesh to it.
|
I have recently watched the Dungeons & Dragons - Wrath of the Dragon God. It is way better than the first movie. The production values are better and the story is more interesting. Perhaps its the fact that the actors know what they doing, compared to the some of american actors of the first one.
Although the Damodar is better in this movie, but sorry its had to take a baddie seriously with blue lips.I totally agree. I saw this and at the end was immediately thinking TV Series! I really dug the characters, for one thing, enough to want to see their further exploits (unlike the first movie, where I desparately wanted to get as far from the characters as I could...please no)
It's enough that I'm curious about the setting. Strange that they have the Greyhawk pantheon because the second film took I think a bit too much at face value from the Core Rulebook, and then fused it to the rather bland, generic setting of the first movie. Still as a hybrid I'm curious to explore it a bit--see how much Greyhawk is there, how much different stuff. Heck, I'm not unconvinced it would do badly to have a Dragon/Dungeon article add some flesh to it.
This too bothered me a little. The idea that Obad-hai was the only god in Izmir and that one god was the only one who can stop the night dragon' rampage (through Melora the mage) seemed a little too 'neat'. Hey i was rooting for Damodar!
But still i can't complain since it was a good film.
Moreso it bothered me that the god they chose to oppose the evil dragon god and be patron of Izmir was Obad-hai, at all--a god who is really pretty apathetic to moral concerns, or really anything that isn't about trees and squirrels. I think Pelor would have been a much better choice.
Though even better they should have made their own gods and cosmology for the movie setting!
|
I know I'm more than a year behind everyone else on this board, but I just got done watching this movie (after the trainwreck of the first one, I wasn't in a hurry to check this one out.) Do ya know what? I really liked it! The CGI could have been better, but the actors did a great job and the storyline was mighty good! I would actually recommend this movie, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
I recently wanted that movie too and here's something I noticed:
When the party arrived at the monument to do their dungeon crawl and the hordes of 1st level warriors attacked, the party leader basicly said, "Women, attack. Men think." So great... give men the one job that they traditionally suck at while the women upstage the men in combat.
I recently wanted that movie too and here's something I noticed:
When the party arrived at the monument to do their dungeon crawl and the hordes of 1st level warriors attacked, the party leader basicly said, "Women, attack. Men think." So great... give men the one job that they traditionally suck at while the women upstage the men in combat.
Considering you're talking about a barbarian in beserker rage and a mage with a staff of lightning that according to the extras does so much damage per use and doesn't run out of charges I imagine they thought Berek wouldn't be needed!
Still I was hoping they'd use this to start up a series too but last I heard there was talk of one by sci fi channel (mini-series) but nothing more has been said.
Take a peek at wikipedia on this movie about that.
Strange given the coming of 4e you'd think they'd realise a d&d tv series whether animated or live action would be a good idea...
casting resurrect on this thread...
Both movies were shown in direct succession a few days ago in german television. I had seen the first movie when it was shown in movie theatres and knew that it was very bad.
The second movie had its moments and was better than the first one - which does not say much, actually. They had an adventuring group, several references to classic D&D material and an acceptable storyline. The acting was so-so, it had some nice ideas overall. The movie was acceptable for me. I liked the references that the cleric "helped in the storming of the ghost tower of Inverness" and that the brother of the barbarian ran into some trouble "in the Barrier Peaks". Of course, the usage of Obad-Hai and his holy symbol even was a cool idea, but as others had mentioned, why on Oerth should Obad-Hai of all gods have an interest in fighting an undead menace? The only explanation was the elemental magic reference throughout the movie, but I guess that it would have been too troublesome to explain a whole pantheon within the timeframe of a movie. The CGI were better than in the first (the first trying to evoke a feeling of overwhelming size a few times and failing miserably IMO).
I would give the movie a D overall. The first movie is somewhere between E and F if I´m generous. (And I still don't understand why Jeremy Irons wasted his time on that one...)
Stefan
|
Agreed. The second movie was better (but not necessarily good) in all areas: acting, SFX, story, dialogue, D&D-ness.
It would be a good primer for anyone getting into D&D, teaching them about magic and how adventurers work.
My favorite part is the sideways glance the lich gives Damodar after he tells him off right before flying away at the end. Classic.
Agreed. The second movie was better (but not necessarily good) in all areas: acting, SFX, story, dialogue, D&D-ness.
It would be a good primer for anyone getting into D&D, teaching them about magic and how adventurers work.
My favorite part is the sideways glance the lich gives Damodar after he tells him off right before flying away at the end. Classic.
Mine was when the rogue went into action inside of the Witch's hut.
"Get back," he says.
"Get back ALL of you!" after a moment as the others thought he was just talking to the barbarian.
Then of course was that ancient knack he used to reveal the mirror that showed the path through a certain room...
After watching the first d&d movie I was relieved they got someone who not only could play a rogue but actually showed up the rest of the group in the process!
You wouldn't believe what I thought of Marlon Wayans during the first movie I don't mind him playing the fool, but there are limits... Jeremy Irons was great as far as I was concerned, all he really needed was a waxed moustache though!
I liked the references to many of the old AD&D modules. I did not like a black dragon dracolitch breathing fire.
According to the documentary they were referring to the Draconomicon.
Anyone care to confirm whether it actually could breath fire or was casting its version of fireball?
By the way the designated sheets for the characters shown during the documentary were based on 3.5 rules and were still wrong or at the very least incomplete such as Luck of Heroes for Sir Berek for example.
Strangely the phb they were referring to during the clips they showed of them reading through said books were all 3.0.
If you have the dvd check for yourself.
|
|
I liked the references to many of the old AD&D modules. I did not like a black dragon dracolitch breathing fire.According to the documentary they were referring to the Draconomicon.
Anyone care to confirm whether it actually could breath fire or was casting its version of fireball?
By the way the designated sheets for the characters shown during the documentary were based on 3.5 rules and were still wrong or at the very least incomplete such as Luck of Heroes for Sir Berek for example.
Strangely the phb they were referring to during the clips they showed of them reading through said books were all 3.0.
If you have the dvd check for yourself.
Unfortunately they were stuck between having Falazur and not being able to affordably animate acidic-breath. Pyrotechnics are much cheaper, so they probably just turned to an alternative that would have some justification. The Night Dragon does "cast" a bunch of fireballs but probably not too many for a dracolich-diety.
It was better than the first movie (which isn't saying much) and the addition of more D&D style references (i.e. the Barrier Peaks, Jubilex, Obad-Hai) was a welcome addition. There was a certain cheesy entertainment factor to it that was absent from the first one. I think my favorite thing was the way they made the half-orc in the movie (Damodar's toady) look like one of the half-orc line drawings in the book.
However, for a party of high level characters, they made some seriously dumb mistakes that shouldn't be made by anyone but neophytes. To lose your cleric in a fight with a (randomly encountered) dragon is pretty dumb, especially when it was his fault for charging into combat without the rest of the party.
However, for a party of high level characters, they made some seriously dumb mistakes that shouldn't be made by anyone but neophytes. To lose your cleric in a fight with a (randomly encountered) dragon is pretty dumb, especially when it was his fault for charging into combat without the rest of the party.
That´s what I thought as well in that scene. What was he trying to accomplish by trying to stop the dragons breath with some spell (Fire Shield ?). What´s more, what was the story reason behind the death of the cleric? It was a dumb action from the characters PoV, and did not fulfill any story reason AFAICT. And an experienced cleric should know what his spells are capable of.
Stefan
|
|
What´s more, what was the story reason behind the death of the cleric? It was a dumb action from the characters PoV, and did not fulfill any story reason AFAICT. And an experienced cleric should know what his spells are capable of.
They needed to write out the cleric in order to have the mage find religion and use the new orb to seal Falazur again, otherwise the cleric could have done it.
I found it pretty incongruous that everybody has no idea what the "mysterious power" the Terranian? mages used, yet their is a freaking temple of Obad-Hai with high-level clerics right outside the town. Duh!
Ok, so I'm going to be the odd man out here. I could not stand Wrath of the Dragon God!! Hey, let's put every cliche D&D thing in it we can! Pure blech. I totally prefer the first movie, even Marlon Wayans. Snails was cool.
Really?
I take it you enjoyed the scary movie series he was in too?
Takes another look at both.
No don't see it, I still prefer the second movie, must be the d&d roleplayer in me screaming at how poorly his character was played.
Admittedly I do wonder if he was told what his character could do and wasn't rushing things he might have done a better job... nope I don't claim to see more than a couple of his movies about the only difference I saw was a lack of obsenities.
I wonder if someone had pointed out no rogue would have left their ropes behind and thieves can actually climb and even getting halfway down was better than falling the entire way after being beaten senseless and then stabbed...
Yes it must have been the script.
No I still think the second movie was alot better just as I think Hawk the Slayer kicked the first d&d movie into touch even though its at least how many decades older?
Jack Palance the role model for villains and even Jeremy Irons too!
|
I don't care for the Scary Movie franchise. And what do you mean by, "I do wonder if he was told what his character could do and wasn't rushing things he might have done a better job... ". He was acting out a scripted role, not playing a game. And, "I wonder if someone had pointed out no rogue would have left their ropes behind and thieves can actually climb and even getting halfway down was better than falling the entire way after being beaten senseless and then stabbed...
Yes it must have been the script." It was scripted and I doubt some fanboy was telling him what to do.
Wrath of the Dragon God had horrible effects and a ridiculous story line and the "actors" couldn't act their way out of a wet paper bag.
|
|
I much preferred the first one as well. I'm not sure why, but the second one almost put me to sleep if i remember right. maybe i need to give it another chance, but given that i remember more or less the enitre first movie and nothing (except there was some kind of puzzle at the entrance to the dungeon) from the second, that's a pretty clear indicator given that the second one is more recent.
I don't care for the Scary Movie franchise. And what do you mean by, "I do wonder if he was told what his character could do and wasn't rushing things he might have done a better job... ". He was acting out a scripted role, not playing a game. And, "I wonder if someone had pointed out no rogue would have left their ropes behind and thieves can actually climb and even getting halfway down was better than falling the entire way after being beaten senseless and then stabbed...
Yes it must have been the script." It was scripted and I doubt some fanboy was telling him what to do.
Wrath of the Dragon God had horrible effects and a ridiculous story line and the "actors" couldn't act their way out of a wet paper bag.
There was a part in the documentary where they said Marlon Wayans was only available for a limited time which made me wonder if the unlikely fate was due to that and that was why his part in it came across so unfavourable, he did start well with his shenanigans but I do admit it wasn't his fault alone.
Actually if you compare any fantasy movie to the lord of the rings trilogy your remark is quite accurate however this was comparing it with the first d&d movie which it wasn't, it was quite superior and the fact they didn't have the same kind of budget only highlights it was better.
I much preferred the first one as well. I'm not sure why, but the second one almost put me to sleep if i remember right. maybe i need to give it another chance, but given that i remember more or less the enitre first movie and nothing (except there was some kind of puzzle at the entrance to the dungeon) from the second, that's a pretty clear indicator given that the second one is more recent.
The fencing part at the start did come across as boring.
The statue that hidden by an halluncinatiory terrain effect that a gem the thief found was able to pierce.
Makes me wonder what they could have done if Wrath of the Dragon had been the first movie instead of the Izmer one.
Has anyone heard of a follow up movie to this one? I thought it was a lot better than the first one.
Mike
At first there was talk about Joel Silver doing the third movie but nothing has been heard about that since.
Then there was talk of a series or movie based on the Forgotten Realms, but that was with the same company who did Mutant X and ditto nothing has been heard about that since.
Then there was talk on the sci fi forums about a mini series based on the 2nd d&d movie which involved the cast from Wrath of the Dragon God however nothing more has been said about it.
Personally I'd love to see a remake of the d&d cartoon series especially if they based it this time on Eberron but I wouldn't say no to a Golarion based one either (although I suspect they'd be in even more trouble considering those darn goblins!)
I always like to put my two cents in on this issue.
All filmed versions of D&D, live action or animated, make me want to tear my eyes out in horror at what I just saw. It boggles my mind that there hasn't been a good movie made out of one of D&D's many properties. People are loving themselves some fantasy movies right now, and D&D puts out crap like the animated Dragonlance direct to video DVD.
Here's some things I would do:
- Make your own production company. Make sure that people who understand what D&D actually is run it.
- Have a budget that allows you to at least create some decent special effects. The movie should look better than, for instance, the Dungeon Siege movie.
- Not have the words 'D&D' appear anywhere in the title of the movie, or even in the marketing of the movie. I really think you need to ambush people with this stuff.
- Pick one of the real D&D worlds to portray. As much as I love Greyhawk, FR or Eberron are the natural choices. I would have said just adapt Dragonlance Chronicles, but they did that and it was terrible.
- If you're going to make up your own story, and not adapt one of the hundred(s) of novels or modules you've put out over the years, then at least make it as good as the story of one of those novels/modules.
- Make multiple films, and release them every two or three years. It can be one long story (1st level to 30th) or just a bunch of stories set in the same world, but build it into a franchise. I mean, you've already got a franchise, right? Why not exploit it?
There's always the option of webisodes and I don't mean the teifling and the gnome and the foul mouthed beholder, the illithid was actually not bad though.
Did you know Amanda Tapping of stargate fame did a number of webisodes that I've seen the first of on youtube which seem to be a pilot for a new potential series called Sanctuary?
To me this seems an ideal medium to field test just such a new series and there are clips on you tube that have the potential to do a series even if its strictly on you tube.
Give it a look and reply here if you agree or even if you don't discussion will at least improve things.
There's always the option of webisodes and I don't mean the teifling and the gnome and the foul mouthed beholder, the illithid was actually not bad though.
Did you know Amanda Tapping of stargate fame did a number of webisodes that I've seen the first of on youtube which seem to be a pilot for a new potential series called Sanctuary?
To me this seems an ideal medium to field test just such a new series and there are clips on you tube that have the potential to do a series even if its strictly on you tube.
Give it a look and reply here if you agree or even if you don't discussion will at least improve things.
Got a link?
I liked the second film, but it was still a wait for video movie. My favorite part was when the mage pulls her familiar out-- dear lifelong friend since childhood--two third of the way through the movie and uses it to spring a trap. Priceless commentary on what so many players have done...
IMHO a Crystal Shard adaption would most likely succeed.
[quote=]Got a link?
I liked the second film, but it was still a wait for video movie. My favorite part was when the mage pulls her familiar out-- dear lifelong friend since childhood--two third of the way through the movie and uses it to spring a trap. Priceless commentary on what so many players have done...
IMHO a Crystal Shard adaption would most likely succeed.
It was a Wondrous Figurine, will look into the link
|
|
There's always the option of webisodes and I don't mean the teifling and the gnome and the foul mouthed beholder, the illithid was actually not bad though.
Did you know Amanda Tapping of stargate fame did a number of webisodes that I've seen the first of on youtube which seem to be a pilot for a new potential series called Sanctuary?
To me this seems an ideal medium to field test just such a new series and there are clips on you tube that have the potential to do a series even if its strictly on you tube.
Give it a look and reply here if you agree or even if you don't discussion will at least improve things.
Actually, Sanctuary was intended as a web-only series. I'm not sure how it has fared, but I think they recognized it was a risky concept.
|
|
SCI FI ENTERS ‘SANCTUARY’
Production Begins on 13-Episodes of Live Action/CGI Scripted Drama
Starring Amanda Tapping
New York, NY – April 1, 2008 – Production begins this month on SCI FI Channel’s groundbreaking new original series
Sanctuary. Shot in the style of the feature films 300 and Sin City, Sanctuary is the first television series to feature liveaction
actors against primarily virtual sets. The 13-episode season of this one-hour drama is slated to debut this fall.
There are creatures that live among us, abnormal offshoots of evolution that live in the fringes, unseen by most. Some are
dangerous, but most are benign, becoming violent only because they are threatened by an ever-encroaching world. We
consider them monstrous figments of our imagination, but the beautiful, enigmatic Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping)
knows that they are real. She has dedicated her life to tracking these mysterious creatures: harboring the benign ones,
and protecting the world from the dangerous ones. She is joined in this quest by her fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie
Ullerup), quirky tech-whiz Henry, and new recruit Will (Robin Dunne) – a brilliant young psychiatrist/profiler with a knack
for finding the strange and unusual. Using their unique combination of instinct, medicine and cutting edge technology, this
eclectic team must take on the creatures that lurk in the corners of our civilization.
Sanctuary, which began online as the world’s first high-definition sci-fi Web series, is a live-action production shot entirely
against a green screen. In this revolutionary approach to television, 90% of the sets are CGI, allowing the writers to create
an expansive world un-tethered from the normal television budget restrictions.
Series creator Damian Kindler (Stargate SG-1) and producer/director Martin Wood (Stargate Atlantis) are Executive
Producers and showrunners on Sanctuary. Sam Egan (Jeremiah, The Outer Limits, Masters of Science Fiction) and
Tapping also serve as Executive Producers.
Sanctuary will be produced by Stage 3 Media, in association with SCI FI Channel. Tricon Films and Television are
worldwide distributors of the series.
Founded in 2006, Stage 3 Media™ is a new media company boasting more than 70 years collective experience in
television and film production, video game design and information technology. Stage 3 Media is based in Vancouver,
British Columbia.
|
Thanks to insomnia I caught the second half of this on SciFi early Sunday morning. My take: not as horrifically bad as the first movie; but still not very good.
Setting aside the acting and production values, and looking at it from a D&D standpoint; it appeared that the writers were adding details from the game mythology (such as the Ring of the Ram) while not actually adhering to the game conventions -- such as having a person teleport partially inside a solid object. Also, I'm pretty sure they referred to Juiblex as "Jubilex".
I didn't completely follow the deus ex machina at the end involving Obad-Hai and the second orb -- maybe it would have made more sense if I'd seen the first half but I'm guessing not.
Thanks to insomnia I caught the second half of this on SciFi early Sunday morning. My take: not as horrifically bad as the first movie; but still not very good.
Setting aside the acting and production values, and looking at it from a D&D standpoint; it appeared that the writers were adding details from the game mythology (such as the Ring of the Ram) while not actually adhering to the game conventions -- such as having a person teleport partially inside a solid object. Also, I'm pretty sure they referred to Juiblex as "Jubilex".
I didn't completely follow the deus ex machina at the end involving Obad-Hai and the second orb -- maybe it would have made more sense if I'd seen the first half but I'm guessing not.
She had to be able to see the location or had seen it to be able to teleport there, the scrying pool is cursed so there's a chance the user teleports into a solid wall or a brick one in the case of the creator of that pool's case.
Yes I was wondering why they were going overboard on Obad Hai, I guess it would have worked better if they explained it was because of the elemental aspect but I guess they could only work with what they had available.
There was talk of a mini series on the sci fi channel even bringing back the cleric however it doesn't seem to have come to anything however there is rumoured talk of Scott Rouse talking to Time Warner about an animated series to be shown on Cartoon Network but until something definite is released this is as far as its gone.
|
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
|
Setting aside the acting and production values, and looking at it from a D&D standpoint; it appeared that the writers were adding details from the game mythology (such as the Ring of the Ram) while not actually adhering to the game conventions -- such as having a person teleport partially inside a solid object. Also, I'm pretty sure they referred to Juiblex as "Jubilex".
The teleport fit a mishap for me, if somewhat brutally.
"Jubilex" is a really common mistake :)
Just watched this the other night, with low expectations, and ...
I kinda liked it.
Maybe it was that I wasn't expecting anything good from it, but it was a decent way to spend a couple of hours. It isn't LotR, but better done than a lot of movies I could name. Some of the stuff was clunky, but I think any transition to screen of a game like D&D is going to be a bit forced.
Unless the tv guide is wrong this movie is being shown tonight on ITV4 over here in the Uk at about 10pm.
Since its freeview would that prevent it not being seen overseas?