D&D General Survivor Thread: Best D&D Movie

[billd91]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 18
LotR 23
Willow 12
Krull 9

 

[billd91]

Does anyone remember actually watching Krull? Even as a kid, I thought it stunk. And the fact that it outlasted other great movies that should still be on this list (and fairing better than some that still are) is an atrocity.

Let's face it, Conan the Destroyer isn't a much better film. But, this isn't about high quality, critic pleasing cinema. It's about movies that are a good fit to D&D.

 

[payn]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 18+1=19
LotR 23-2=21
Willow 12
Krull 9

 

[OB1]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 19
LotR 21
Willow 12-2=10
Krull 9+1=10

 

[Jacob Lewis]

But, this isn't about high quality, critic pleasing cinema. It's about movies that are a good fit to D&D.

Really? So what happened to the actual D&D movies from the list? I can't imagine a better fit than a script utilizing the actual source material.

 

[RuinousPowers]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 17
LotR 21
Willow 12-2=10
Krull 11

 

[Weird Dave]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 17-2 = 15
LotR 21
Willow 10
Krull 11+1 = 12

Is Krull an awesome movie? Yes, yes it is But for this poll, I think it's one of the best D&D movies - band of heroes of varying skill and competence go on a quest to save their kingdom/princess from an overlord who came from outer space. Lots of fun effects, cheesy dialogue, evocative sets. If you haven't seen it in awhile, give it another go - this is one that I didn't grow up watching and only discovered personally in the last 5 years or so.

 

[payn]

Really? So what happened to the actual D&D movies from the list? I can't imagine a better fit than a script utilizing the actual source material.

So, Book of Vile Darkness was swept off the list after a day or two. It's an awful movie, but probably the best D&D movie ever made. A band of evil PCs going around killing villagers for stuff until they descend on each other. Classic.

 

[Deset Gled]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 15 - 2 = 13
LotR 21
Willow 10
Krull 12 + 1 = 13

If loving Krull is wrong I don't want to be right.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 13
LotR 21-2=19
Willow 10+1=11
Krull 13

 

[Sacrosanct]

Conan the Barbarian 9
Conan the Destroyer 13+1=14
LotR 19-2=17
Willow 11
Krull 13

The fact there is a very real chance neither Conan movie makes top 3 is just wrong.

 

[toucanbuzz]

Conan the Barbarian 9 - 2 = 7
Conan the Destroyer 14
LotR 17
Willow 11 + 1 = 12
Krull 13

Tough calls as they'd all be great choices, but I'm still a fan of the "halfling" wizard as it screams 5E. Conan Barbarian had a few ancillary characters with the most classic backstory of "BBEG killed my family," while Destroyer had a party and Wilt Chamberlain swinging a mace. That's worth something. LOTR has few weaknesses as it includes nearly everything that inspired the D&D world, and Krull is a dark horse in this race for being pure, outlandish, epic fantasy.

 

[Legatus Legionis]

.

 

[JoeyD473]

Conan the Barbarian 8
Conan the Destroyer 14 - 2 = 12
LotR 17
Willow 12 + 1 = 13
Krull 11

 

[CleverNickName]

The fact there is a very real chance neither Conan movie makes top 3 is just wrong.

Agree. I think there's been too much in-fighting about which Conan movie should be The One^TM

 

[Deset Gled]

The fact there is a very real chance neither Conan movie makes top 3 is just wrong.

It may be worth noting that there have been extremely few cases of someone upvoting one Conan while downvoting the other. I understand the logic behind having them separate, but it's definitely creating an interesting skew in the voting as we get towards the end. It also has an effect on LotR for me; I could downvote any one movie in the trilogy easier than the whole thing.

Maybe in the future there could be some sort of a pre-fight to pick the top one in a series?

 

[CleverNickName]

It may be worth noting that there have been extremely few cases of someone upvoting one Conan while downvoting the other. I understand the logic behind having them separate, but it's definitely creating an interesting skew in the voting as we get towards the end.

Yep, I agree. I think the issue is that downvotes are already twice as "strong" as upvotes, and the Conan fans are splitting their upvotes. They aren't upvoting one and downvoting the other, but they are just diluting their upvotes.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It may be worth noting that there have been extremely few cases of someone upvoting one Conan while downvoting the other. I understand the logic behind having them separate, but it's definitely creating an interesting skew in the voting as we get towards the end. It also has an effect on LotR for me; I could downvote any one movie in the trilogy easier than the whole thing.

Maybe in the future there could be some sort of a pre-fight to pick the top one in a series?

There isn't really a "top one" in this sense. Barbarian is the better movie by a long shot, but Destroyer is far more like a D&D adventure.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

We're really down to the top picks where no one should feel good about downvoting any of them. But from my perspective, Conan the Destroyer stands head and shoulders (literally?) above Krull. Yeah, Krull had some neat stuff in it. Looking back almost 40 years, however, we just seem to be more forgiving about its shortcomings. But the plot was weak, the acting was weak, and the whole thing had trouble coming together as something cohesive and thought out. Mostly, I just remember it being disappointing. They made such a big deal about the Glaive, and it ended up being underused. The lack of emotional connection between the two characters who were supposed to be married made the whole thing feel forced. Campy, cheesy, and plot holes, I can forgive. Bad scripts and forced attachments, not so much.

So how is Conan any better? I'm so glad you asked.

Conan is approached by Queen Taramis with a quest: to escort her young, headstrong niece (Princess Jehnna) on a dangerous journey on behalf of their patron god, Dagoth. "Approached" is a loose term as Taramis first tries to capture the barbarian and his companion, Malak, instead of just offering them a quest. So the adventure opens with some action (i.e. light combat) rather than just an obligatory hook to join whatever quest the DM throws on the table (+1). That tactic fails, obviously, as Conan takes down four horsed soldiers on his own (Malak offered minimal assistance). But Taramis has a backup plan.

Taramis is not only Queen, but apparently, a priestess as well. Using a combination of suggestion, hypnosis, and illusion, she compels Conan to reveal to her what would motivate him to do what she wanted. Ultimately, the barbarian reveals the one thing he truly cares about: his beloved Valeria, who died in the previous movie. Still under the effects of the mind-affecting powers, Taramis convinces Conan that she can bring back the dead. This becomes the single motivation for Conan, and the quest is accepted without question.

During the entire quest, Conan's friends suspect Taramis has bad intentions. They try to convince him of the dangers, and what consequences may befall if they succeed. But Conan is blind to their warnings, fixating only on the reward of having Valeria restored to life. His friends remain loyal, staying with him throughout the adventure until he finally realizes the Queen's betrayal. In the end, he decides to save the young girl, not out of affection but because she is an innocent pawn also being betrayed by Taramis. He also has a score to settle with Bombaata, as well as Taramis, and also to stop the monstrous demigod that will bring destruction into the world.

 

[payn]

Yep, I agree. I think the issue is that downvotes are already twice as "strong" as upvotes, and the Conan fans are splitting their upvotes. They aren't upvoting one and downvoting the other, but they are just diluting their upvotes.

A shame we wont see LotR films broke out and how that would have shaken out.