What do you get when you get a bunch of D&D fans who have some rudimentary knowledge of the middle ages, and get their hands on some pro movie gear? You get this film.
It's okay for what it is, and to be honest this is probably what the much vaunted official D&D film from a couple decades back should have been, instead of the tragic affair that it turned out to be.
The basic story is okay; bad guy with secret (aerial or airborne) weapon terrorizes the local castle and townspeople, all the while his minions (including a couple of scantily clad sorceresses) dish out bad vibes to the would be king.
The problem with a lot of fantasy, and specifically the old original D&D film, is that in Hollywood agenda film making the fantasy focuses on delusional disorder kind of stuff; i.e. stuff that can't be or isn't so like dragons, vampires, ghosts, magic this, magic that, and so forth. And typically the message is to not revel in your fantasy because there's better stuff to do with your life than playing a harmless game; i.e. make kids who may or may not carry your delusional genetic code when they reach puberty.
But this movie has none of that. It eschews the Hollywood condescension and just tells its story. Eh, the problem isn't the story so much as the lack of a professional gloss that would have developed the characters more. As it stands now you have B or lower list talent doing what might have been A-quality roles. There's a lot of heart in the film, but it strikes me as coming from so many wannabe directors who want to give us the next great Boormanesque Excalibur quality fantasy film.
Well, this ain't it, but it's not a bad effort, it's just kind of okay. The shots are basic, there's not much in the way of trying to add ambience nor atmosphere, just kind of the visual gist of a medieval fantasy like land. To be honest I shrug my shoulders at it.
A quality film maker would have added dramatic shots, reflective moments, and not just keep it a plot driven fantasy. And, to be honest, he would have invested time and money into the Griffin. Oh well.
It's not a movie I would recommend unless you're heavily into the D&D thing and are forgiving of some lack luster production values.
And I think that's about as kind as I can be.
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john oram J.R.Oram
interactual made it impossible to watch
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2013
