While not a masterpiece of any kind (the film barely exceeds mere competence) I didn't find D&D to be as bad as the negative reviews claimed. I put off watching it for so long for this reason, but it was enjoyable enough.
Comparisons to the LOTR trilogy are inevitable, so I'm not going to avoid it. I didn't really like the LOTR trilogy. It just seemed to be a bunch of movies that everyone was forced to like and if you didn't then there must be something wrong with you. Yes, they are much, much better made than the rather quaint D&D, but if you want a smaller, unassuming fantasy ride then don't completely rule this movie out.
The visual effects and production design of D&D are very similar to Paul Anderson's Mortal Kombat. Yes, it looks fake, but with just a little bit of suspension of disbelief you'll not even notice. I have a feeling that Courtney Solomon tried really hard to make it a good film but his talent doesn't extend as far as his enthusiasm.
In terms of character and story it is all pretty bland and generic. There's nothing in this movie that you haven't seen somewhere else. The actors do their best with the tepid dialogue and almost manage to not look embarrassed. The best thing about the film is it's surprisingly ferocious (maybe a bit too OTT) sound design. And the Dragon fight at the end was impressive for a medium budget film.
I was actually surprised to find Joel Silver's name on the closing credits. I will assume that without him the film would have been a REAL stinker. And what's with that ending?
Either way, I am still interested in the sequel.
Comparisons to the LOTR trilogy are inevitable, so I'm not going to avoid it. I didn't really like the LOTR trilogy. It just seemed to be a bunch of movies that everyone was forced to like and if you didn't then there must be something wrong with you. Yes, they are much, much better made than the rather quaint D&D, but if you want a smaller, unassuming fantasy ride then don't completely rule this movie out.
The visual effects and production design of D&D are very similar to Paul Anderson's Mortal Kombat. Yes, it looks fake, but with just a little bit of suspension of disbelief you'll not even notice. I have a feeling that Courtney Solomon tried really hard to make it a good film but his talent doesn't extend as far as his enthusiasm.
In terms of character and story it is all pretty bland and generic. There's nothing in this movie that you haven't seen somewhere else. The actors do their best with the tepid dialogue and almost manage to not look embarrassed. The best thing about the film is it's surprisingly ferocious (maybe a bit too OTT) sound design. And the Dragon fight at the end was impressive for a medium budget film.
I was actually surprised to find Joel Silver's name on the closing credits. I will assume that without him the film would have been a REAL stinker. And what's with that ending?
Either way, I am still interested in the sequel.