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Post by DungeonDevil on Jul 23, 2022 16:37:18 GMT -6
My apologies if this discussion upset anyone. I merely wanted to share my joy and excitement for the upcoming film. I’m really looking forward to it, but I’ll try and tone it down a bit out of respect for my fellow gamers. Enthusiasm is a good thing to have. I really miss it.  Those of us old enough are also cynical enough to know that Hollywood has a long, long track-record of messing things the eff up -- especially when it comes to Fantasy, Sword-n-Sorcery, and Science Fiction (with precious few exceptions). As long as they don't moralise saying "Roleplaying games are the Devil's Diversion, brethren! Vade retro me, Hasbro!", we will be fine. |
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Post by Piper on Jul 23, 2022 19:11:22 GMT -6
Those of us old enough are also cynical enough to know that … I’m in my mid-60’s. At what age can I expect the cynicism to begin? At any rate, I don’t want to make trouble here. I will ease up on the movie talk for a while. Take care. |
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Post by verhaden on Jul 23, 2022 19:20:20 GMT -6
If they don't want to read about it, they can skip past the thread title that says [Film] Paramount's D&D Reboot.
The trailer has me cautiously optimistic.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2022 6:43:46 GMT -6
Those of us old enough are also cynical enough to know that … I’m in my mid-60’s. At what age can I expect the cynicism to begin? Ha. I know what you mean. My much older co-workers still talk to me about "the kids my age". I'm nearly 40. At what point do people acknowledge your adulthood and your legitimate differences from them? |
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Post by Piper on Jul 24, 2022 9:49:40 GMT -6
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Post by Finarvyn on Jul 25, 2022 5:35:38 GMT -6
I watched the trailer and, like Piper, I liked what I saw. Looked like a fun romp, they were taking pains to make things more D&D like, and it has Chris Pine in it.  I hope I never get to the point in life where a detail such as showing a Harper symbol ruins a movie for me. I guess when I think of D&D there are several things that get the "right feel" (Vancian magic, iconic monsters, stuff like that) and world canon isn't that important to me, but clearly to some that sort of thing determines if the filmmakers "get it right" or not. Maybe the difference is whether it is advertised as "a Forgotten Realms movie" versus "a D&D movie"? This is mostly me thinking out loud. For the naysayers, I'm curious as to what they think would make a D&D movie good. |
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Post by jeffb on Jul 25, 2022 7:39:14 GMT -6
I watched the trailer and, like Piper, I liked what I saw. Looked like a fun romp, they were taking pains to make things more D&D like, and it has Chris Pine in it. I hope I never get to the point in life where a detail such as showing a Harper symbol ruins a movie for me. I guess when I think of D&D there are several things that get the "right feel" (Vancian magic, iconic monsters, stuff like that) and world canon isn't that important to me, but clearly to some that sort of thing determines if the filmmakers "get it right" or not. Maybe the difference is whether it is advertised as "a Forgotten Realms movie" versus "a D&D movie"? This is mostly me thinking out loud. For the naysayers, I'm curious as to what they think would make a D&D movie good. C'mon now Fin- I didn't say it ruined the movie for me, that's unfair. Just stating that's a big detail they screwed up. I had no hope for the movie in the first place, so there was no expectation to be ruined. Would James Bond be parading around with a plainly obvious MI6 pin on his Tux as he enters the Casino? OSR fans are always B&Ming about verisimilitude in their games- why does a movie based on that get a pass? Chris Pine or not* For me, a "D&D movie" would need to take a more serious tone, something that utilizes D&D IP, but is not a "wink wink nudge nudge" to D&D player/metagame silliness. Something like The original story of the Battle of Emridy Meadows and destruction of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Or perhaps a story based on the beginning of the Greyhawk Wars- well done, it would easily set up sequels. Though I've not read them, it seems to me some of the early Drizzt books would make great movies if we want to stay with the Forgotten Realms. The original Dragonlance trilogy would probably be the most solid choice. *His Dad was the best character on CHIPS. |
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Post by Finarvyn on Jul 25, 2022 10:22:03 GMT -6
For me, a "D&D movie" would need to take a more serious tone, something that utilizes D&D IP, but is not a "wink wink nudge nudge" to D&D player/metagame silliness. Something like The original story of the Battle of Emridy Meadows and destruction of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Or perhaps a story based on the beginning of the Greyhawk Wars- well done, it would easily set up sequels. Though I've not read them, it seems to me some of the early Drizzt books would make great movies if we want to stay with the Forgotten Realms. The original Dragonlance trilogy would probably be the most solid choice. Those are great examples, and exactly the kind of thing I wanted to see. I wasn't trying to pick on you, and sorry if my post sounded like an attack.  I'm getting a little bit fed up with the feeling that life is becoming an episode of Seinfeld, where everyone just sits back and says "what's with that?" instead of enjoying things around them. I disliked parts of the Hobbit movies (crappy CGI, etc) but still had a good time watching them until I got on the interwebs and saw posts from a bunch of nay-sayers who cut them to shreds to the point where I don't enjoy them much anymore. Same thing with the Star Wars prequels (even JarJar), which I enjoyed with my kids but then found them tarnished by legions of posters who hated everything about them. Doesn't matter what the topic might be, seems like we're all surrounded by folks who are self-appointed experts or critics or could have done it better than the folks who actually did stuff. Just grumpy today, I guess. Apologies for the rant. I'm looking forward to the D&D movie.  |
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Post by rredmond on Jul 25, 2022 10:47:20 GMT -6
Just throwing out encouragement for Piper's enthusiasm and jeffb's caution. We've been burned too much by D&D media, so I get it. I want to watch it and enjoy it, but I'm fully expecting a disaster of a movie. And that makes me a little sad that I do! Also that commercial based on the D&D cartoon frikkin' rocked so hard! Best D&D movie I've seen in decades  |
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Post by jeffb on Jul 25, 2022 12:41:29 GMT -6
Just throwing out encouragement for Piper's enthusiasm and jeffb's caution. We've been burned too much by D&D media, so I get it. I want to watch it and enjoy it, but I'm fully expecting a disaster of a movie. And that makes me a little sad that I do! Also that commercial based on the D&D cartoon frikkin' rocked so hard! Best D&D movie I've seen in decades With care, I believe the premise of the D&D cartoon would make a great movie, and also a great set up for sequels. Appendix N literature- the backbone of D&D lore- is full of "earthling transported to another time/plane/world/existence". |
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Post by flailsnail75 on Aug 2, 2022 17:45:40 GMT -6
To me, the trailer makes it look like it’s going to be like a Brendan Frazier silly-goofy type of tone.
I don’t understand why they can’t get this right, Game of Thrones was hugely successful because they took the subject matter seriously, the Lord of the rings movies were really great for the same reason. But for some reason some people in Hollywood make things like this D&D movie, the other D&D movies, the Shannara series etc. they just seem to not take it seriously and I feel like it’s not going to be very good. It’s just my opinion but I don’t think really great the NFC movies can be made with a silly carefree tone. Just my opinion and personal taste and I hope you all watch it and really enjoy it.
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Post by asaki on Aug 3, 2022 8:32:00 GMT -6
To me, the trailer makes it look like it’s going to be like a Brendan Frazier silly-goofy type of tone. Yeah, I mean a serious movie would be cool, but we live in a Joss Whedon world now, and tickets must be sold.
But real D&D (at least every game I've ever played) is full of oddball humor, and the cartoons certainly weren't 100% serious.
It looks like they're taking a few pages from Sonic the Hedgehog, another Paramount product, and me and my friends all thought those movies were pretty fun...but YMMV.
BTW, it could also be one of those movies where the trailers are edited to make the movie look more like a comedy than it really is, but I kind of doubt that is the case here.
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Post by Mushgnome on Aug 3, 2022 9:05:26 GMT -6
FYI Joss Whedon hasn't directed a movie since 2015, while Brendan Fraser has the lead role in the new A24 Darren Aronofsky film, and is appearing in the upcoming Martin Scorsese western. I've been a huge Brendan Fraser fan since 1998's Gods & Monsters with Sir Gandalf himself, Ian McKellan. I'm ready for the Brenaissance!
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djeryv
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Post by djeryv on Aug 3, 2022 9:13:46 GMT -6
I think this is just the signs of us getting older...and thus not really getting what the trends are today. There are various threads in various (similar) forums where people complain about a new movie...and how they ruined something we love...and what happened to the way they used to do it. If you noticed grandparents...who insistently watch old black and white movies with John Wayne or Cary Grant, instead of newer stuff, I think we can now understand why we feel this way about newer movies. Someday, our kids will visit us in our higher years...and wonder why in the hell we are watching Meatballs, Krull, or American Werewolf in London...instead of some modern twisted version of whatever childhood character we remember. To me, the trailer makes it look like it’s going to be like a Brendan Frazier silly-goofy type of tone. Yeah, I mean a serious movie would be cool, but we live in a Joss Whedon world now, and tickets must be sold. But real D&D (at least every game I've ever played) is full of oddball humor, and the cartoons certainly weren't 100% serious.
It looks like they're taking a few pages from Sonic the Hedgehog, another Paramount product, and me and my friends all thought those movies were pretty fun...but YMMV.
BTW, it could also be one of those movies where the trailers are edited to make the movie look more like a comedy than it really is, but I kind of doubt that is the case here.
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Post by jeffb on Aug 3, 2022 11:50:20 GMT -6
Interesting- I'm a huge fan of Brendan Fraser's first two Mummy movies. I don't find the humor there to be overbearing, mostly because the movies were very well done* , and they were sort of a homage to Indiana Jones style adventure and old school horror.
I think one big difference with the D&D movie is that only D&D players will get most of the nerd humor and inside jokes as the movie is written with that audience in mind. I foresee going to this to be like an episode of Big Bang theory: The guys will be laughing at the THACO jokes and arguing about how that one scene could never happen in real life because in the rules a Fireball can't go around corners. Meanwhile Penny and her cheerleader friends don't get it, and are off to the dance club.
Conversely the Mummy (and IJ) films were written for and relatable to a general audience.
*and we know that has never been the case for D&D even with acclaimed actors in the film. Did Jeremy Irons ever do anything of note again after the 1st D&D movie?
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Post by Mushgnome on Aug 3, 2022 13:09:59 GMT -6
Did Jeremy Irons ever do anything of note again after the 1st D&D movie? Jeremy Irons was recently Emmy-nominated for his role as Adrian Veidt in Watchmen. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2022 13:20:30 GMT -6
I think the adventurers should have a drink in the tavern in order to discuss their plans. So that's a plus.
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Post by jeffb on Aug 3, 2022 16:45:42 GMT -6
Did Jeremy Irons ever do anything of note again after the 1st D&D movie? Jeremy Irons was recently Emmy-nominated for his role as Adrian Veidt in Watchmen. I'm not familiar with the title, but glad his career recovered!  |
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ThrorII
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Post by ThrorII on Aug 3, 2022 21:13:16 GMT -6
I had no expectations for this movie. The previous D&D films were crud. Hollywood can't usually make a decent S&S movie (in 40 years, there's only a handful I liked).
This trailer has me cautiously optimistic. Iconic monsters, iconic spells, costumes and sets look like something out of the 3.5 era. It LOOKS like modern D&D.
They're going for the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' vibe, obviously. While you can argue whether it should be serious or not, I see their mindset. First, Marvel-type movies are the "Thing" right now, so studios say "people want Marvel-type movies". Second, it is based on a GAME. A GAME that Hasbro wants you to think is FUN to play. And in reality, many many games devolve in to what I saw on the trailer...
I'm not 100% sold, but I'm a lot more excited than I was a year ago.
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Post by asaki on Aug 4, 2022 6:52:19 GMT -6
FYI Joss Whedon hasn't directed a movie since 2015... I was referring to Hollywood's current trend of trying to emulate Whedon's style of "humor", it's kind of become a meme in recent years: knowyourmeme.com/memes/if-it-was-written-by-joss-whedonAnd yeah, it sucks that Brendan Frasier was blacklisted for so long =( Really sad story. |
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Post by Mushgnome on Aug 4, 2022 7:42:41 GMT -6
Jeremy Irons was recently Emmy-nominated for his role as Adrian Veidt in Watchmen. I'm not familiar with the title, but glad his career recovered! is great! It was originally a DC Comics series in the 1980s by Alan Moore (author of V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell). The 2019 HBO sequel series catches up with the characters, decades after the original story. Alan Moore wasn't involved with the HBO series, so his hardcore fans were dismissive of it, but I really enjoyed it. Jeremy Irons is perfectly cast as the arrogant, self-professed smartest man in the world. British actors have the uncanny ability to do cheesy movies for a paycheck, without it harming their reputation. Look at some of the crappy movies that actors like Christopher Lee, Judi Dench, or Anthony Hopkins have been in through the decades. Whether the new D&D movie is a hit or a bomb, I think Hugh Grant will land on his feet. FYI Joss Whedon hasn't directed a movie since 2015... I was referring to Hollywood's current trend of trying to emulate Whedon's style of "humor", it's kind of become a meme in recent years: knowyourmeme.com/memes/if-it-was-written-by-joss-whedonAnd yeah, it sucks that Brendan Frasier was blacklisted for so long =( Really sad story. That was a funny read, thanks! I see your point. Sophia Lillis' character in particular (the tiefling druid) gives off that Whedon-character snarkiness. (I will confess to being a Buffy watcher back in the day.) |
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Post by DungeonDevil on Aug 4, 2022 10:45:45 GMT -6
Not to violate any board rules, but...
why exactly was Brendan Frasier blacklisted? This is new to me.
On Whedon. I was a big fan of BtVS (the TV programme), but his signature quirky humour is now deemed 20+ years out of date. It was fun in the peri-Millennial era, but the entertainment industry has moved on to other prodigies.
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Post by asaki on Aug 4, 2022 11:44:39 GMT -6
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Post by Vile Traveller on Aug 6, 2022 3:16:19 GMT -6
I don't think disliking silly fantasy movies is an age thing, if anything I'm more tolerant now - I remember us all being annoyed at how 70s and 80s fantasy was either cheesy B-movies or jokey, or both. Conan and Beastmaster were a breath of fresh air. And I note that serious fantasy does way better at the box office, so it's not about profit either. I strongly suspect it's down to the entertainment industry being ignorant of their market and/or deliberately producing tax write-offs.
Nowadays I lap up stuff like Galavant and Wizards & Warriors (I hated the latter as a teen).
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Post by Piper on Nov 6, 2022 9:19:16 GMT -6
The D&D movie has now been officially pushed back four weeks, from March 2023 to April. We’re getting close to two years from the original scheduled release of July 2021.
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Post by Piper on Dec 6, 2022 9:43:06 GMT -6
2+ minute BTS look at the D&D film.
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 10, 2023 13:43:13 GMT -6
Good news! Paramount has also ordered a D&D streaming series. They haven't announced casting yet (it's unlikely to be the same cast as the film) but the writer/director will be Rawson Marshall Thurber of "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" fame!! |
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Dohojar
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Post by Dohojar on Jan 12, 2023 13:27:06 GMT -6
I hope they do it justice. And at least it isn't Amazon or Disney trying to do it.
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Post by soundchaser on Jan 12, 2023 18:39:25 GMT -6
Streaming series. Interesting. And Hasbro is selling its film division.
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Post by Punkrabbitt on Jan 19, 2023 19:48:20 GMT -6
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Those of us old enough are also cynical enough to know that Hollywood has a long, long track-record of messing things the eff up -- especially when it comes to Fantasy, Sword-n-Sorcery, and Science Fiction (with precious few exceptions). As long as they don't moralise saying "Roleplaying games are the Devil's Diversion, brethren! Vade retro me, Hasbro!", we will be fine. 
