I feel sorry for Dungeons and Dragons fans. I really do.These poor souls have suffered through some of the worst adaptations in movie history, namely the "Dungeons and Dragons" movie -nonsensical, horribly produced, and filled with abysmal acting and writing. In fact, it's so bad that the SyFy sequel "Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God" was a huge step up.
In "Dungeons and Dragons," the evil mage Profion (Jeremy Irons) wants to overthrow the pure-hearted Empress (Thora Birch), and her only chance is to get the Rod of Savrille (it's French?) which controls red dragons. But the secret location of the Rod has fallen into the hands of an apprentice mage, a pair of idiot thieves, a drunken dwarf and a snotty elf.
Honestly, that movie is so bad that it makes you want to impale yourself on a barbecue fork -it's actually watchable only in a MST3K way. With that in mind, the sequel literally cannot get any worse... and it doesn't.
In "Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God," the dragon god Falazure is waking in his mountain prison, because a hammy baddie from the first movie has captured a magical orb with his power. Ex-knight Berek (Mark Dymond) assembles the usual crew -an elf wizard, a thief, a barbarian warrior, and a cleric -and sets out to capture the orb before the world is destroyed (and his wife turns into a zombie... don't ask).
Anyone who has heard of THE WORST fantasy movies in existence will hear of the original "Dungeons and Dragons," right alongside such gems as Eragon and In the Name of the King A Dungeon Siege Tale. And honestly, it deserves all the scorn heaped upon it -exactly ten seconds into this movie, you can see the despairing look in Jeremy Irons' eyes right before he gives up even trying.
There is NOTHING that works in this movie. Leaden direction, silly action scenes (how many times can Marina club someone with a torch?!), goofy CGI, silly costumes (shoulderpads of DOOM!) and a story that meanders along with random side-trips (Ridley has to run through a ridiculously easy maze), and dialogue that makes you want to set your own brain on fire (the Empress' "rousing" speech to the Council).
As for the actors, they have exactly two decent actors in this movie -Thora Birch and Jeremy Irons -both of whom are obviously not trying. The other actors are dismal at best, and Marlon Wayans plays a borderline racist character whom even the WRITERS got tired of.
So is "Wrath of the Dragon God" any better? Yes! It was obviously written and made with real affection, and it's kind of likable in its earnest attempt to, if not make an epic classic fantasy movie, then at least make a movie worth watching. Sadly it's still a mess, mainly because of the weird pacing, thin plot, and a literal deus ex machina.
But the characters are much better than in the original movie, mainly because they TRY SO HARD -especially the wonderfully dry-witted Stern and the wholehearted woman-warrior Chidzey, who sadly gets some of the worst dialogue ("Come, villainy. Death awaits you"). The problem is that one dead guy and two critically-injured people are... just forgotten at the end of the movie. Weird.
"Dungeons & Dragons 2-Movie Collection" is distinctive mainly for having one of the worst movies to never get roasted by MST3K, and a lackluster BUT TRYING REALLY HARD sequel.
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Once upon a time in a land not so far away, a callow youth named Courtney Solomon had a dream. So he saved his pennies and at the tender age of 20, secured the film rights to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and thence pursued his Holy Grail: a big-screen version of the much-loved neo-medieval role-playing game. For 10 long years he wandered in the Holly Wood in search of the all-important Green Light, until one day he chanced upon the Lord of High Concepts (Sir Joel of the Silver). A meeting was taken and thence, "a Courtney Solomon film" was born.Talented actors signed on for big paychecks, but now, so close to his dream, the novice filmmaker refused to allow his vision to pass into the hands of those more experienced, and he himself assumed the director's chair. Some $43 million later, he had his tale of the fair Empress of Izmer, whose rule is threatened by an evil mage, or magician. With the help of a dwarf, an elf, an apprentice mage and two thieves, disaster was averted . . . in Izmer. (Alas, the same can not be said of the tale itself, which stinketh like the breath of a dyspeptic dragon.) But for we collectors of BAD MOVIES WE LOVE, there is a happier ending.
Laboriously expository and defiantly incomprehensible, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS seems to involve the hunt for an enchanted "rod," a threat to the prevailing "fabric of magic," the fight for democracy in the kingdom of Izmer, and the ritual humiliation of actors. In ascending order of ignominy: haughty apprentice mage bland Zoe McLellan; Skywalkerish commoner Justin Whalin (the new Sean Patrick Flanery or the new Robert Sean Leonard? Discuss); his bumbling sidekick Marlon Wayans (a black character straight out of Hollywood's 1938 playbook); Glenn Close-channeling Jeremy Irons; and fair-minded empress Thora Birch, (who models a series of headpieces cribbed from '70s disco album sleeves and throughout sustains the impression of having learned her lines phonetically.)
Those schooled in the arcana of the phenomenally successful fantasy role playing game can best rule on whether Solomon's live action adaptation is a faithful depiction of its obsessive world of elves, dwarfs, and winged things, but even a babe in dungeonland can see that the leading fire breather in this malty brew of heroics and minutiae isn't a computer generated creature, but Jeremy Irons as the archvillain Profion. All goggle-eyes, exaggerated double takes and full-throated oratory, Irons howls, whispers and rages, as he struts about in Olivier's 'Hamlet' eyeliner. Luxuriously bellowing immortal lines like ''You! Are! Mine! Now!', he attacks and guzzles every shred of scenery as if he were playing King Lear at a suburban community theater. "With a dragon army at my command I can crush the empress!" he cries joyfully, bending at the waist and making little claws out of his hands. (It's Bad Movie Nirvana!)
As Irons henchman Damodar, Bruce Payne runs a close second. A bald and burly centurion, Payne goes through the movie wearing metallic blue lipstick, (an obvious but puzzling reference to Petula Clark), terrorizing heroes Whalin and Wayans, whose destiny is to save the world or whatever. Aided by a lissome elf and a grumpy dwarf, our heroes embark on a quest involving glowing rubies and secret scrolls. With his long, chestnut lashes, cherubic cheeks and silky complexion, Justin Whalen is significantly prettier than his female love interest Zoe McLellan the wholesome, magic-wielding librarian. Despite this obvious fact, McLellan decides to join them, and luckily, after she kisses Whalen her glasses disappear and her backswept math-girl hairdo is magically transformed into a hipper center-part. Our heroic group must battle Payne for possession of a powerful thingummy that can control red dragons, which may or may not be bigger and meaner than the regular green kind. The thingummy itself is called a "rod," but strongly resembles my friend's old Dragon Bong. (A connection to the true Dungeons & Dragons universe at last!)
Watch for an imitation STAR WARS bar scene and ex-'Doctor Who', Tom Baker, as a wise elf.
Read Best Reviews of Dungeons & Dragons 2-Movie Collection (2011) Here
great fantasy .a good old collection to while away a few hours.its not a great movie collection but like i said its not badWant Dungeons & Dragons 2-Movie Collection (2011) Discount?
These are good, I had them long time ago and glad to see them appear on blu ray. Came in mail very fast as well.Save 37% Off
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