Anyone seen it? Is it awful?
NumbersMan 28 points 3 years ago
While it does skirt some game mechanics, probably due to it being a movie and it's a strange medium to adapt, it also does some really cool subtle things with the mechanics. For example, in the final major fight all of the characters attack in the same order. They're in initiative!
phrankygee 13 points 3 years ago
My wife suspected this about that final fight, but it goes by quickly in the theater, and unfortunately it’s streaming on one of the few services we don’t have or want to pay for, so we haven’t re-watched it in a pause-able format.
relative_iterator 5 points 3 years ago
May the seas be friendly to ye matey
Buffalo_Danger 2 points 3 years ago
Yar har and fiddle dee dee
phrankygee 1 point 3 years ago
Meh. If I actually want it bad enough, I’ll buy it. Someone somewhere has to actually pay for the content you salty sea rascals enjoy.
whofearsthenight 4 points 3 years ago
This, pretty much. Pretty hard to be 100% game accurate and make a good movie. Appreciated where they took license, and where they stuck to some (often, obscure) lore.
MrBodyMassage 4 points 3 years ago
They also show one of the characters, the bad guy if I remember, having to use concentration for a spell!
astrsk 12 points 3 years ago
But they do pay attention to a lot of fine detail. Such as the battle sequences where the party always remains in turn order properly.
Such a fun movie that felt just like playing a session or three with friends.
Donjuanme 1 point 3 years ago
Our last two hour session was combat round 2, continuing from combat round 1 from the previous week. The week before that was the end of the puzzle before the combat round.
It's our groups first quest, we've been going for almost a year, and have done a dozen or so combats and 3 "one offs" that 2/3 lasted more than one session. The DM loves it because he gets to fill in a lot of flavor/lore for everything, we love it because we move at our own pace.
phrankygee 2 points 3 years ago
2 hour sessions can be rough. Even just bumping up to 2.5 hours feels like you get a lot more game per week. I do love how unhurried you guys are though. Sounds like everyone in your group is fully engaged and immersed.
DuckCake 9 points 3 years ago
This is the most accurate description, IMO. If you’re looking for something that’s going to incorporate all the game mechanics into the story, and do so accurately, this isn’t it.
If you want a great time at the movies with excellent comedy, action, and characters you care about - while still holding true to the fantasy and adventure spirit of D&D?
Buckle up, baby.
Itty53 9 points 3 years ago
One of the rare movies that starts shaky and then finds its footing and breaks out into a conditioned run by the end of it. Didn't go in expecting much, got a good time.
Rest ye Jarnathan, you deserve a break.
Edit, and the dragon! My wife is obsessed with dragons and she was in love with the one in the movie, it's like her favorite dragon now.
Geek_King 47 points 3 years ago
It was such a fun movie! It was much better then it had any right being! With that said, the things I appreciated was, the world felt lived in, they didn't make a big deal out of races other then humans, just continued on like "Yeah, bird people, that's a thing we all know is real and accept".
With no spoilers, I heavily appreciated the "dragon scene", it was an interesting take that made it fresh but was still an incredibly dangerous situation for the characters.
baronvonj 45 points 3 years ago
First off I mean this in a good way. I thought it felt a lot more like a movie of how real life players would play the campaign, rather than an attempt at a movie adaptation of a book. And having played D&D, I think it made the movie more relatable to the core audience.
So definitely recommend it.
Jagger2097 14 points 3 years ago
Plans that are doomed to fail, improper use of a magic item, overpowered npcs to nudge the players back in track? Yeah they nailed it.
overzeetop -2 points 3 years ago
Definitely go in with exceptionally low expectations if you want to have a good time. I was fairly optimistic based on the reviews rampant shilling on Reddit and was pretty disappointed. If you’d asked me for a score right after I watched it I’d go 4/10. In hindsight it’s more of a 6 if you allow that it’s supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek and the stilted dialog is a feature rather than a bug.
With those caveats it’s a perfectly good way to waste two hours if you have nothing better to do. It has no memorable lines or scenes, and is just an average hot-topic-of-the-moment throwaway action movie.
Smokeless7048 37 points 3 years ago
Recently watched it. As a DND movie I give it 9/10, a nearly perfect DND movie
As a movie, maybe 7/10. It doesn't take too many risks, and it won't make you cry.
It's like a dumb heist movie, and very enjoyable.
Brunbrun6766 9 points 3 years ago
:3 yes please
emptyother 8 points 3 years ago
The best part of that was learning that the chonky dragon is actual canon content. Not made up just for the movie.
emptyother 24 points 3 years ago
It is very good. Feels like DnD as played by players and a dm that has to adapt to their stupid ideas.
whofearsthenight 5 points 3 years ago
Exactly. Lots of house rules at this table.
Kerred 24 points 3 years ago
As far as franchised products based films it's very rewatchable and I imagine will be a comfort movie on the future.
Id put it just a little below the Lego Movie for quality for what's essentially an advertisement movie. No complaints however.
As a D&D fan it hits the sweet spots of references but not to feel like it's pandering (see Super Mario Movie). What they add is at least relevant somehow. For a die hard D&D fan you can feel the die rolls going on in the movie.
I imagine Hasbro will kill or ruin Studio One somehow which is a shame I would want more of these kind of D&D movies
FaceDeer 11 points 3 years ago
Not just feeling the die rolls, I could also feel the DM going "oh crap, the bridge is gone now, how will they get across? I know, I'll give them a portal gun." And then for the rest of the movie the DM going "oh crap, they have a portal gun now, how am I going to stop them from bypassing every challenge with it?"
Kerred 5 points 3 years ago
In my campaign the dwarf decided to nose dive dive into a mosh pit full of thousands of kobolds. The ranger failed to pull him up and went down with him.
The only reason they got out was I had planted hints an eldritch god needed them which was the hail Mary In case them or I did something so stupid and needed a way out 😂
FaceDeer 5 points 3 years ago
I had a campaign where the climactic key moment to "win" involved the party fighting their way up to a portal to hell and then casting a gate spell from a scroll to permanently close it. Gate is 9th level, though, which was above the level the party wizard was capable of reliably casting. Rather than let the resolution of the campaign hinge on random chance, I provided the party with an NPC who was capable of casting 9th level spells, but who had various reasons for being incapable of simply blowing through enemies for the party. I thought of him as my "Gandalf" character.
In the final battle the party wizard managed to reach the portal, and walled himself in with a resilient sphere so that he'd be able to use the scroll in his next turn without being disturbed. Fortunately my Gandalf still had a teleport spell available to him and teleported into the sphere next to the party wizard, offering to take the scroll and use it to save the world.
On the party wizard's next turn he used telekinetic shove as a bonus action to shove my Gandalf through the portal to hell, and then once the Gandalf was through he tried casting gate to permanently seal the world off from hell. Turns out he'd never trusted my Gandalf, suspecting him all along of being secretly evil, and so he backstabbed him at that crucial moment before my Gandalf could backstab him. There was literally nothing in my Gandalf's repertoire of remaining abilities that would have allowed him to overcome this, so off to hell he went.
And then the party wizard flubbed his attempt to cast gate, using up the scroll in the process. :)
Fortunately I'd prepared a backup cinematic for that outcome, the flubbed casting was still able to collapse the portal to hell and ruin the bad guys' plans. It just left the world in a much more "interesting" situation than the party had been aiming for. I frankly preferred that outcome anyway, so I'm not even mad. Though my Gandalf was rather peeved.
Chetzemoka 9 points 3 years ago
As a D&D player, that was my favorite part. The times when the party was getting creative and you could see the DM say, "Ok, roll for xyz to see if that works."
So many times when I thought, "Yeah, I could see us coming up with that." Followed by, "Oh yeah, our DM would definitely do that." And yet it managed to have enough heart and be generally entertaining enough that your non-D&D friends will enjoy it too.
Xathonn 8 points 3 years ago
Especially the very beginning, where they come up with the crazy plan to escape, somehow manage to actually pass the persuasion check they didn't think they would pass, then go through with the plan anyway because they worked hard on it.
wwaxwork 22 points 3 years ago
It's something we haven't seen at the the movies for a while. A nice fun action romp. Think what Marvel films used to be at the start when they were self contained stories and not just set up for the next movie. It somehow manages to be exactly like a D&D game while also being completely enjoyable even if you don't know what D&D is.
escaped_cruzader 5 points 3 years ago
As not a player I liked it. Light viewing, funny and they managed to show low rolls pretty well
marius 18 points 3 years ago
There would have been so many ways to make this movie suck. IMO they avoided all of them. I loved it.
Many people are saying that it was faithful to DND mechanics, but I personally don't care about that so much. I loved how it captured the feel of an evening of dnd at the table with my friends. The lightheartedness, the nonsensical stunts, the banter. It even makes fun of insane DM puzzles at some point. You can really tell the writers have some love for DND.
Tavarin 18 points 3 years ago
It's a good fun time. The stakes aren't massive so it feels real. The characters are a lot of fun, and have a good variety to their personalities.
I really liked the visualization of magic, it looks great, and really breathes life into the spells we've played with for years.
And the practical effects are great. The movie uses costumes, props, and setpieces for a lot of creatures and spells which gives it a very real look.
Thefancyyeller 18 points 3 years ago
You people don't understand how grateful I am that this movie wasn't shit. It was very 'safe' sure but I don't care. This movie was good enough to warrant a sequel and that's all I ever wanted I am ecstatic about this movie.
It is funny, charming, and ISNT HORRIBLE! We might get sequels! Shows! I don't care! It just isn't a shitshow most game-movies are
phx 11 points 3 years ago
I loved how it referenced a ton of things from D&D in terms of both tabletop stuff and TSR novels etc, but didn't try to cinematize the plot of any book in particular nor really focus on any particular book storyline etc.
I honestly loved it. I felt it was a decent movie with lots of easter eggs and iconic lore/characters in it, that was made by somebody who appreciated the source material. This is as opposed to say, the Mario movie which felt more low "let's toss in as many game characters and references as we can, then add some plot to that". D&D was a savory soup with just about the right amount of spices, meat, and vegetables.
Mario was still an ok soup, but it had less broth/base and an almost overwhelming number of chunks of stuff in it.
samus12345 17 points 3 years ago
It's quite good. Far better than I expected it to be.
FlaxPicker 15 points 3 years ago
I really enjoyed it. Its very self aware and a fun silly adventure story.
RQG 13 points 3 years ago
It's an absolutely fine action fantasy movie. Expect a middle of the pack Marvel movie but it's D&D. Lot's of fun lore for newer and older Forgotten Realms nerds.
We had fun at the movies when I watched it with both my DnD and Pathfinder group.
joel_feila 12 points 3 years ago
it is great I actually went to see more then once
HidingCat 11 points 3 years ago
It was a really fun movie, and while not top-tier cinema I'd definitely rate it as good. The actors did well, the dialogue was great, and there were so many easter eggs.
And you definitely felt in parts that it was a D&D game. The characters doing stupid things, the GM throwing a lifeline here and there, the sequence of combat in some of the battles...
I'm sad it came out at a bad time, I think it could've done better.
TheDailyChase 10 points 3 years ago
I enjoyed the movie. Watching it felt like a DND campaign.
Rhaedas 10 points 3 years ago
It's been out long enough that it's starting to get some opinions that hate or nitpick it to death, but I think the fact it got so much overall good reception from the DnD crowd when it first came out says something. And once you realize it's a visualization of a session between players and the DM, a rewatch to catch the little details that were missed before makes it even more enjoyable.
nomadjoanne 9 points 3 years ago
I thought it was a lot of fun. Not a D&D fan though, so I'm not sure what the hardcore fans thought.
ghariksforge 9 points 3 years ago
I enjoyed it a lot. It has just the right amount of humour, and it was suprisingly loyal to D&D lore.
Donjuanme 9 points 3 years ago
It was so much better than we (wife and myself) expected it to be. Strongly recommend it to casual d&d enjoyers (such as we are), there was one or two things that didn't work, and the writing was cliche at a couple points, but the acting was superb and the visuals were awesome. more hardcore people will probably find more nits to pick, but I think it'll be appealing to a broad audience, d&d fans included. I hope it earns the studio enough to try to make another one, especially if they can bring back the main cast, they had really good chemistry.
Peacecraft535 9 points 3 years ago
Great movie
Brunbrun6766 7 points 3 years ago
Haven't seen it yet but looking forward to it, I've heard lots of good things
Stanley_Pain 6 points 3 years ago
As others have said. It's a very fun movie. Try to spot all the Easter Eggs ;)
TragicMagic 6 points 3 years ago
I didn't think it was. I'd definitely be down for more movies in the dnd universe though if this was an example of what they'd be doing if that helps at all. Probably not a theater level movie but a good home movie or fun with friends watching for sure.
HectorBarbossa99 5 points 3 years ago
as someone who casually plays D&D, I loved it. It seemed chock full of references and was genuinely funny
Lauchs 1 point 3 years ago
I might be too dumb to understand, you really enjoyed it and it was very good in almost every way, but it burned you?
Is this a DnD reference my novice self is missing? (Or, in movie joke I was too high to remember?)
KazuyaDarklight 4 points 3 years ago
My wife and I really liked it!
ApeCavalryArt 4 points 3 years ago
Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter is about intelligent nobility and mostly rich guys doing good things whereas D&D has always been about dirtbags trying to scam a buck. It has more in common with Conan, Jack Vance's Dying Earth, Fafhrd and Grey Mouser, Elric of Melniboné (and outright stolen concepts from everywhere).
Yeah the new one is great, I was afraid they'd water-down any violence or horror too much. Didn't make a lot of money :(
Kerred 2 points 3 years ago
The saddest part is since it didn't do spectacular nor did it blow away sales like Stranger Things or Critical Role did I imagine some scumbag executive will say movies like this aren't profitable and resort to some cookie cutter structure if there ever is a future reboot.
Best case scenario is it becomes cult status like Scott Pilgrim or something and becomes a long term return to prove it's worth.
I used to have Chris Cox's business card I wish I still had it to call and ask to keep Studio One (he is the new CEO)
Kerred 1 point 3 years ago
From what I understand franchise movies are not so much about doing and selling well but their merchandise selling well.
To quote Spaceballs "merchandising where the real money from da movie is made"
Or to quote Krusty after losing t-shirt sales "that's the sweetest plum!"
Alex Hirsch tweeted to fans if they want more of his work to ask the Disney Store for his merch, saying Disney tracks demand.
Hell we even got another Suicide Squad, where any reasonable movie studio wouldnt have risked it if it weren't for how much freaking money a certain Halloween costume made.
If D&D Handbooks increased by say Stranger Things levels I would guarantee Hasbro would have stopped looking to sell Studio One and green lot another D&D movie 😭
HidingCat 1 point 3 years ago
D&D is about anything really, the GM has the creative license after all.
It didn't do well because it came out at a bad time. Just before the Super Mario movie, and also I think another movie that I can't remember. It was basically sandwiched.
Ace_Addams 3 points 3 years ago
It's so good, fun, funny and exciting. Loved it.
NetHandle 3 points 3 years ago
The druid uses a sword. Made of metal.
Other than that it was entertaining, however from a critical standpoint it seems like they tried to fit too many storylines into a movie that wasn't long enough to support them. Could have easily been 2, or 3 movies worth of content.
fleabomber 3 points 3 years ago
Is it high art? No. Enjoyable? Very much.
TooMuchDog 2 points 3 years ago
While it might not be high art, and while it was clearly never trying to be, I'd argue that it does have more nuance and clever writing than many other action/fantasy movies recently.
Tldr: It's not high art, but it's still art.
fleabomber 1 point 3 years ago
I'm talkin godfather here, but yeah, spot on.
entropicshart 3 points 3 years ago
I thought it was great! It was enjoyable for me (D&D player) and family/friends who have never played D&D.
Prasaedonium 2 points 3 years ago
I'd say it's okay, not bad and not particularly good.
Zeragamba 2 points 3 years ago
The movie was actually really well made, and with a crew and writing team that clearly have played DnD or are familiar enough with TTRPGs. In fact, the fight scenes are choreographed so that each character does something every 6 seconds, in the same order
Donjuanme 1 point 3 years ago
Have you seen "the gamers dorkness rising"? It's on YouTube and I consider it the most rewatchable d&d flick before honor amongst thieves (which is rewatchable for the high budget stunts and visuals alone imo)
FreeBooteR69 2 points 3 years ago
I loved it and thought it was worth the price of admission.
CurlyWurlies4All 1 point 3 years ago
I saw it last week and I think it's brilliant.
TooMuchDog 1 point 3 years ago
To be fair I understand why they did that and I'm very happy with how they handled a spell-less bard. The writers have stated that they wanted to make each character feel distinct and needed, even from the eyes of someone who doesn't know anything about DnD. The way they handled that was to make the sorcerer the only spell caster so that no other protagonist could cast spells and weaken his importance to the group dynamic. To remedy that they leaned hard into bardic inspiration. While it's never said and never made explicit, it'sso clear to me as a long time DnD fan that the bard is constantly rolling bardic inspiration die. Honestly I think it brings out the unique strengths of his class more than if he was also casting spells, which is what I think the writers were going for.
tempestuousknave 1 point 3 years ago
It's not awful, but not the kind of movie I like. Most of the community seems to view it positively. I think marvel movies are a fair analogue in terms of quality, although my markers for quality might differ from yours.
muppetjones 1 point 3 years ago
It was fun, but the CGI was dated in parts. Overall, glad I streamed it instead of seeing it in theaters
Brunbrun6766 0 points 3 years ago
Please no links to streaming sites or downloads please.
electriccars 0 points 3 years ago
It's amazing. Highly recommend it!
ilikemoney 0 points 3 years ago
It was ok. Had it's moments
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It’s a great fun movie. The plot’s great, the pacing is great, the references are great, the comedy is great. It’s a fun adventure with a relatable team of misfit heroes.
It takes some liberties with the game mechanics to accomplish this. If you can’t forgive that, you’ll have a rough time, especially if you like wildshaping druids and spellcasting bards.
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