What would make a Good *D&D* Movie?

[Eldragon]

I never saw the two D&D movies that were made. I was told they were beyond horrible, so I skipped them.

Having said that, if a D&D movie were to be made, I think to make it stand out it will have to use the more unique settings. e.g. Eberron or Planescape. Forgotten Realms/Greyhawk/Dragonlance is too similar to other generic fantasy settings. While such settings are fun in an RPG, they will translate into a movie that looked like all the others.

Eberron has many aspects that are not unique to scifi/fantasy, but when combined into a coherent plot its quite unique. Best example would be the Heirs of Ash series of novels. I think those could make a pretty good movie (mostly because they are written like one).

And Planescape, well its not just unique, its messed up! It contains concepts and ideas that no one has ever considered putting on the big screen. Modrons, the blood war, Sigil, could all lend themselves to some serious "wow" factor, and hopefully would allow fantasy movie writers to come up with a plot other than "Take this magic bracelet of power, and Save our people from the dark lord!" Heck, Planescape Torment by itself would make a good movie. Since main character never die in movies anyway, you may as well take advantage of it.

 

[smootrk]

I would go for Story First... using only the vaguest references to D&D rules. A good plot that uses only a rough outline that matches a renowned module would be ideal... something like Against the Giants or Keep on the Borderlands as a basic backdrop, then insert some characters but don't try to make them too iconic. Make them flawed, such as a warrior with a phobia (much like Indiana Jones & Snakes), and make sure you do not try to 'show' what their particular class is... in fact, try to make it difficult in some characters to figure out their class (something to fuel the 'how would you stat this character' kind of discussions).

Basically, try very hard not to 'telegraph' the D&D aspect, possibly even leaving off the D&D label.

 

[WayneLigon]

I think one of the things that would make a fantasy movie into a D&D movie is the magic. In most fantasy movies, magic is this rare and precious thing that you only pull out for emergencies because the SFX budget has to come in under a certain amount.

In D&D you're not going to have that. You're going to have a more over-the-top magical environment where the main characters are concerned. You're going to have your wizard, certainly, but you also need to show a cleric in there healing wounds or even ressurecting someone. I don't think we've ever seen that in a movie, period. You need to show the ranger all of a sudden throwing down an entangle spell, or something like that.

Some classic recognizable D&D spells: Sleep, Magic Missle, Knock, Web, Lightning Bolt, Fireball, etc.

People need to use wands, potions, magic swords that cleave through shields like paper.

Show at least a few good recognizable D&D monsters. A mind flayer, a gorgon, a wyvern, a swarm of stirges, bugbears, goblins, ghouls, a displacer beast.

If you're going to do an actual D&D movie, the D&D aspect needs to be upfront. There are several 'classic bits'. The second D&D movie had a lot of these: lock picking and trap finding in particular. Even a teleport accident.

Don'y pussy out with with 'oh, the audience wouldn't understand it'. The audience that's going to come see this will understand it very well. Go full on Live Free and Die Hard-level with the action and magic and monsters.

 

[sniffles]

I would go for Story First... using only the vaguest references to D&D rules. A good plot that uses only a rough outline that matches a renowned module would be ideal... something like Against the Giants or Keep on the Borderlands as a basic backdrop, then insert some characters but don't try to make them too iconic. Make them flawed, such as a warrior with a phobia (much like Indiana Jones & Snakes), and make sure you do not try to 'show' what their particular class is... in fact, try to make it difficult in some characters to figure out their class (something to fuel the 'how would you stat this character' kind of discussions).

Basically, try very hard not to 'telegraph' the D&D aspect, possibly even leaving off the D&D label.

I think this would be an ideal way to present a "D&D" movie. I don't know that I'd leave off the D&D label entirely, but it wouldn't need to be in the title.

Taking the second D&D movie as an example, here are some of the things they did right, IMHO:
Having the elf sorceress use a Ring of the Ram against some bad guys was good. It just showed a magical force effect in the shape of a ram's head hitting the villains and knocking them over. The rogue was also shown peering through what was obviously a Gem of True Seeing, but the writers didn't feel the need to have him explain what it was. This pleased me as a D&D fan, but it also pleased me that they didn't try to overexplain it, so non-D&D players could simply enjoy these things as the magic of the film.

But what they did wrong: The rogue and barbarian kept calling each other by their class names. There was too much expository dialogue about the differences between arcane and divine magic. They didn't spend enough time developing the characters and giving them distinctive personalities because the action kept cutting back to the wizards council or what the villain was doing - especially the entirely unnecessary and nonsensical scene about his "dining" habits. They should have kept the focus on the adventuring party and their quest.

The things they did wrong were things I've seen done wrong in other, non-D&D-related movies as well. They're just general flaws in a movie script and have little to do with the fact that it was a D&D movie.

 

[rkwoodard]

lotr template, some yes some no

1) Keep the world simple, LOTR is the exception not the rule.

2) Keep the main characters to a managable number, LOTR is the exception not the Rule

3) Keep fights quick (no drawn out one on one fights), LOTR is the Rule here. Big battles, ok, short one on one are ok. LOTR did this perfect

4) The movie must take itself serious. Humor is good, but not at the expense of the move. LOTR is the rule.

Story and Character are paramount.

just some quick thoughts.
RK

 

[sniffles]

Oh, I forgot the most important ways to make a good D&D movie:

Get a screenwriter with a good track record, an experienced director who doesn't have any misconceptions about the source material, and a cast of talented actors who aren't there just to be popular names on the marquee.

 

[Kunimatyu]

I think an Eberron movie could be a real hit -- most audience members would probably never realize it was a Dungeons and Dragons setting. Plus, I want to see a warforged on-screen.

 

[Doug McCrae]

So, what would you add to a D&D movie to make sure that it has the D&D stamp on it?

Endless combat. Weird monster after weird monster*. Protagonists use lots of magic items.

*Include a few distinctively D&D ones such as the beholder, gelatinous cube, rust monster, umber hulk, githyanki or colored dragon.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Put a thin veneer on paint on the script of that ageless original The Magnificent Seven.

 

[Krilia]

What about taking a D&D based novel and turning it into a movie? I mean, one of the good ones, not the ones that keep using spell names with capital letters. I can certainly see, say, Azure Bonds making a decent movie without having all the Realms background.

In fact, I can attest that it can make sense - that's the first Realms book I read, and I had yet to play any actual D&D at that point in my life. Granted, I was a serious SF&F freak already, but wouldn't many of the viewers of the movie?