credit: Dungeons and Dragons
Given the depth of skill that exists in Hollywood and the supposed elite writers that it employs so often, one has to wonder why it’s so tough to come up with a decent storyline at times, especially with such rich treasure troves of ideas that are lying around waiting to be used.
Dungeons and Dragons, born in the 70s, ridiculed for many years as a Satan-worshiping game and misunderstood by many, is a tale that branches out in more ways than one can easily count and is the type of story that relies heavily on the imagination of those who run the game and who play it. But when it comes to the movies, no one feature has yet to lay a finger on what it really means to create a valid tale that can be called a definitive Dungeons and Dragons story.
Let me dial that back just a bit and say that no one has yet to create a successful D&D movie since the truth is that the concept is great and the idea is fun to think about, but so far, it would appear that no one has really made it work the way it needs to.
credit: Dungeons and Dragons
To be fair, going by the books and the stories that have been told would be more interesting, but every director has a vision of how they want things to go.
When taking a look at the many different stories that have been rolled out, one has to remember that there are many books, game books, and a lot of personal experiences that are likely taken into account when creating a D&D movie. This is the type of idea that could be concocted over a weekend of playing the game or by remembering what happened during a session years before. But the gist of it is that there is a great deal of material to think about and sift through when it comes to deciding what should go into a D&D movie.
Even then, one has to remember that directors, many of them at least, will want to put their own stamp on the story. D&D is an open concept that covers a lot of ground, and the number of ideas that are there and waiting to be developed is simply too big to pick one out at random and hope it will resonate with the audience.
Sticking to one idea is a little difficult.
Even after selecting an idea to run with, one has to think of the characters, the settings, the reason behind the campaign, the effects that will be needed, the dialogue, and the action sequences. There’s so much to consider that it’s fair to state that getting something wrong is going to happen.
The thing about this is that a lot of people who play D&D are going to notice upon watching or are going to remember one of the earlier failed attempts and not even consider watching the next movie in line. There is a reason why this happens, and it has a lot to do with the fact that while filmmakers might think that they’re playing it smart and might even know something about D&D, the movies that have come out at this point make it feel as though they’ve read the synopsis of the game and not much else.
credit: Dungeons and Dragons
Even the best actors might have a tough time making the roles work.
If anyone remembers, Jeremy Irons and Thora Birch have been a part of this genre as they appeared in the 2000 version of Dungeons and Dragons on opposing sides, as Irons was an evil wizard bent on dominating dragons, while Birch was a good-aligned queen seeking to keep the dragons safe.
The movie was a rolling dumpster fire from the word go, even with Marlon Wayans as part of the cast, and a comedic part at that. The feel of the movie was off, the acting was horrible, as was the dialogue, and overall, this movie could have easily been a straight-to-DVD release, but because of its novelty, the movie found its way onto the big screen. There were two movies that came after this, but they were both pretty horrible, as the effects never managed to get any better, and the acting was just as bad.
There is a lot of debate over which characters are needed the most in a D&D group.
This is where a lot of people might feel that it gets a little nerdy, but a good D&D campaign does need a few characters, not only to make a better story but to help the characters survive. Anyone who’s played the game knows that a cleric and a rogue are needed since they bring very needed skills to the game, while a fighter or a paladin is like a walking tank that can serve as the forefront of the party. Barbarians, bards, and wizards are often a lot of help since they bring their own special skills to the fight, but when it comes to a movie, it depends on what will be more cinematic and what might be easier when it comes to the overall effects.