The
lowdown: 'Dungeons and Dragons' is the first feature
film to based on the fantasy role-playing game that
has been played by high
school and college students since the 1970s. It stars Jeremy Irons as a
power-hungry
Mage called Profion, who
plots to overthrow Empress Savina (Thora Birch), and become the ruler of
the Empire
of Izmer. Savina fears that
Profion will destroy the Empire if he becomes ruler, but knows she can
stop him by
getting hold of the lengendary
Rod of Savrille, which can be used to control the famed red dragons. Two
thieves,
Ridley Freeborn (Justin
Whalin) and Snails (Marlon Wayans) become caught up in the quest to locate
the Rod,
while being pursued by Profion's
henchman, Damodar (Bruce Payne).
Ridley and Snails are joined
in their quest by a motley group of individuals, including Elwood the dwarf
(played
by Lee Arenburg) and Marina
Pretensa (Zoe McLellan), an apprentice wizard. They face many challenges
and
perils, such as retrieving
the priceless Eye of the Dragon from the deadly Antius Guild Maze, while
constantly
pursued by Damodar. Tom
Baker has a very brief role as Halvarth, an elven healer who comes to Ridley's
aid
after he is wounded in a
battle with Damodar, and warns of the dire consequences if they succeed
in locating
the rod. Tom Baker
is only on screen for a few minutes, but given the generally scathing reviews
this film has
received, he may well be
glad to have had such a small role...
The
verdict: The low budget of the film
shows, as the special effects are not all that special (even for the time),
and
the script leaves a lot to be desired. The acting is also largely forgottable,
despite the presence of some top
actors.
Empress Savina is far too reminiscent of Queen Amidala in the first Star
Wars prequel (both in terms of
her
costumes and look, and even the way she portrays the character), while
Damodar's costume and bald head
make him look remarkably
like Shinzon in Star Trek: Nemesis. The final battle between Ridley
and Profion at the
end is probably the highlight,
even though it simply feels like elements of several Star Wars films
were combined
(one could not help expecting
Profion to say "I am your father, Ridley". Die-hard fans of the Dungeons
& Dragons
game must have been very
disappointed by this film, while non-fans of the RPG will probably prefer
to watch the
Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Video
Clip: Halvarth the healer
3.7mb |
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