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Sirch
Advanced Member
USA
2668 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Feb 2008 : 17:29:01
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Wrong topic Loki.
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Thulcondar
Starting Member
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2008 : 17:48:14
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I actually hadn't heard about this movie coming out, so I was cautiously optimistic when I spotted it in the store and picked it up. I haven't read any of the DL books in nearly 20 years, so my memories of details are necessarily spotty, although I remember the broadest outlines of the characters and plot.
I confess I liked this movie a lot. In fact, it inspired me to go out and pick up a copy of the original trilogy to read again.
I actually liked the animation style, although the interaction of the CGI and more traditional animation was a bit jarring in places. The soundtrack was first-rate, and the voice work was very good on the whole as well (one minor distraction was Tanis; every time he spoke all I could hear was Flash from Justice League). I thought the characterization was extremely well-done; the writing conveyed the idea that these were distinct personalities who had long and involved backstories and shared histories, without falling into over-the-top stereotypes.
I saw this with my wife and 6-year old daughter, neither of whom had ever read anything DL-related, and both enjoyed it quite a bit. I will definitely pick up the next film when it comes out; I would say, though, that the style of the next two should match the style of this one. I would hate to have a similar situation to the LOTR Ralph Bakshi/Rankin Bass debacle from the 1970's... |
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Fizban Who
Moderator
USA
32527 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2008 : 12:59:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Thulcondar
I actually hadn't heard about this movie coming out, so I was cautiously optimistic when I spotted it in the store and picked it up. I haven't read any of the DL books in nearly 20 years, so my memories of details are necessarily spotty, although I remember the broadest outlines of the characters and plot.
I confess I liked this movie a lot. In fact, it inspired me to go out and pick up a copy of the original trilogy to read again.
I actually liked the animation style, although the interaction of the CGI and more traditional animation was a bit jarring in places. The soundtrack was first-rate, and the voice work was very good on the whole as well (one minor distraction was Tanis; every time he spoke all I could hear was Flash from Justice League). I thought the characterization was extremely well-done; the writing conveyed the idea that these were distinct personalities who had long and involved backstories and shared histories, without falling into over-the-top stereotypes.
I saw this with my wife and 6-year old daughter, neither of whom had ever read anything DL-related, and both enjoyed it quite a bit. I will definitely pick up the next film when it comes out; I would say, though, that the style of the next two should match the style of this one. I would hate to have a similar situation to the LOTR Ralph Bakshi/Rankin Bass debacle from the 1970's...
That's why that voice sounded familiar!  
All in all it was still good to see my favorite characters in motion in a movie.
The single most dangerous thing in all of Krynn is to hear a Kender say "oops".
Fizban Who? |
Edited by - Fizban Who on 13 Feb 2008 13:05:05 |
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Gemsamay
Member
Germany
970 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2008 : 13:41:47
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This is sort of off topic but I don't want to start my own thread just for one little question. A few people have said that they saw the Berem in the movie. Can anyone tell me where he is? I keep looking for him but I can't find him..
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and her trusty sidekick!
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Sirch
Advanced Member
USA
2668 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2008 : 13:48:10
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That's fine Gems.
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Jasper_Fireforge
Starting Member
Greece
1 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2008 : 17:20:48
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Hi from Greece (yes we do have a Dragonlance fan base thank you!)
I've been reading the forums for the past year ever since the movie was announced so I thought it was time to drop by and give my 2 cents
So here it goes :
I won't talk about the Animation (not THAT bad) or the 2D/3D blending (its ok I guess and doesn't ruin the movie for me) but I can say the actors do a decent job .Rosenbaum is great as Tanis ,you can see his emotional changes through voice alone.Kiefer delivers a splendid Raistlin and his spell casting is good.Wizards do not have to be dramatic when they cast their spells.They don't "act".They just have to pronounce the words correctly and pretty fast at that when they are involved in combat.Marsden grasps the essence of Tasslehoff and Goldmoon sounds the way I expected her to sound.The soundtrack is great too.
Yes I know the plot seems forced but only after the Darken Wood scene.Up to that it has a pace and it takes time to develop the characters.Just check the amount of pages the writers needed for Xak Tsaroth (about 150) and for the scenes leading to that (about a hundred) We get almost 35 minutes of movie for the first 100 pages and 15 min for the other 150.I think its a good analogy for the first scenes to be developed correctly.Too bad for the Xak Tsaroth and Pax Tharkas section though.An extended version would correct the problems methinks.
As for the characters.Ok they don't get to keep the coolest lines from the book.They don't get to develop much over 90 minutes...but...
they sound like the Heroes of the Lance we all know.The Tanis-Flind friendly bickering is there.How annoying Tasslehof is,is there.Raistlin's sardonic smile IS the way I pictured him to smile. Sturm making it all a point of "everything that happens to me I must align to the code and the measure" which made him annoying but also earned our respect (you can't hate a guy who actually believes his principles,even Raistlin couldn't do that in the end) is there!
A friend of mine watched the film and he knows nothing of Dragonlance and doesn't care for fantasy much,but he loved the characters.He asked me to lend him the books and even teach him D&D ASAP.
In the end the movie has many flaws but its a charming piece of work.I think it shines in small ways and aspects showing there's something more to this tale.I eagerly await for the next film.
P.S.(Yeah I talk too much I know!)
Someone mentioned that Raistlin doesn't have Visions(He even admits it to Laurana in DoWN) but it seems that Tanis does not know he doesn't so he uses it to force him to go to Xak Tsaroth.It is so like Raistlin to do so and it was really smart of the writer to use him this way (That's one more of the lil' things that only we fans can get)
"That I desire you lady I cannot deny...but I can deny my desire!" - Raistlin Majere |
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tw_fester
Senior Member
Canada
1161 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2008 : 18:25:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Gemsamay
This is sort of off topic but I don't want to start my own thread just for one little question. A few people have said that they saw the Berem in the movie. Can anyone tell me where he is? I keep looking for him but I can't find him..
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In the scene in Pax Tharkas when they are trying to convince the slaves to revolt. He is in the very background, slightly left of centre if memory serves. Be careful of the girl with her shirt that is open.
It is a very quick scene, but you can see a green glow.
Cause Rippy the 'gator went chomp, chomp, chomp.
Rippy the Gator went chomp, chomp, chomp
Passin the time by ending children's lives.
Down in the bottom of the swamp, swamp, swamp.
Rippy the Gator - Arrogant worms
Besides... that dagger was Flint's. |
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smax140
Member
USA
621 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2008 : 22:38:20
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No wonder many people missed him.  Its real fun to watch the movie a bunch of times cause you stuff you might miss the first couple of times
"And Tas, Keep out of peoples pockets" Tanis
"Unless they're Bakers or...." Caramon Majere
Long Live Food Analogies |
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Simon Darkshade
New Member
Australia
50 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2008 : 06:08:27
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Overall, I was quite pleased with the film. It lived up to what I had been expecting.
I felt that the plot was conveyed in an appropriate manner, with the exclusions of some scenes such as the White Stag, most of the Sla Mori or the wicker dragon not majorly detracting from the flow of action. The compacted nature of the Xak Tsaroth sequence, whilst probably necessary to fit the story into 90 minutes, was the most striking case of not flowing as smoothly as possible. Pax Tharkas generally worked well. However, as an overall representation of the story, it succeeded.
The extra sequence between Paladine and Takhisis, which does act somewhat as a spoiler for later expositions of the trilogy.
Likewise, the low level profile of a certain bloke in Pax Tharkas does have a certain impact upon any later retelling of the story.
The music was striking, appropriate and very well arranged. The choral pieces were quite moving at times; there was a lack of what could be described as stirring crescendos and rousing marches, but this did not majorly detract from the piece.
The focus on the character development arc of Tanis did provide a centre-point for the tale that worked nicely.
The characterization of Tasslehoff did miss a certain something, and Sturm lacked, for want of a better term, a Solamnic nature to him that was conveyed more overtly in the books.
Raistlin was nicely done, with the magic following appropriate AD&D lines.
The animations has never really bothered me. I was most impressed and happy with the 2D pictures, backgrounds and animation - it is of the style and era that I know of, and provided quite the nostalgic kick.
The fighting and impacts of fighting, including of dragonbreath, were an area where there was some notable difference from the text; this can be perhaps put down to the balances required to get a certain rating. It was good to see some different forms of dragonbreath.
To conclude this installment, I was most pleased with the film. My only issues arose from areas of characterization and the inclusion of some scenes - the former is an area where film makers will always encounter different interpretations and the latter is understandable given the nature of the project and the need to fit a certain amount of time.
And so at last
As chance would have it
The soulforged,
The stainless will rise |
Edited by - Simon Darkshade on 18 Feb 2008 06:11:07 |
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Gemsamay
Member
Germany
970 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2008 : 11:51:32
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OMG how did you guys catch that! I had to watch that spot like 3 times before I actually saw him.. And I was looking for it! I tip my hat to you...
____________________________
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and her trusty sidekick!
Save the Earth, it's the only place with wine and chocolate!
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Sirch
Advanced Member
USA
2668 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2008 : 19:07:21
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I watched this movie last night and I have a few quick thoughts about it that I may elaborate on later.
My expectations for this movie were low. Super low. With the way some of the negative reviews on this board were written I practically expected Raistlin to walk out of the screen and kick me in the balls. I expect that had something to do with my overall feeling after I watched this.
I see lots of people complaining about the animation and while that was a major let down I felt like the real problem was length. Ninety minutes was just too short to jam Autumn Twilight into. It took twenty minutes to get out of the Inn and then after that the movie proceeded on at a breakneck pace.
I thought that the voice acting was decent. I wasn't massively disappointed with any of the characters and I thought a number of them were pretty good. Goldmoon pleasantly surprised me.
People complained about the writing but I thought it was decent for the length of the film that had to be worked with. There were a few thigns that were jammed in there that I enjoyed as a fan of the books.
The music was awesome in my opinion, it just clicked with what I think Dragonlance should sound like. I really liked it.
I thought the movie was decent. Not great, not bad, just decent. There were some good action sequences and I was entertained the entire time I watched it and they did an ok job keeping the story together. If they make another movie I hope they can improve some of these things.
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“I with Homer and Fill. We special KGB group, me and Homey and Fill. We have European style, jump in and everybody shoot. Ask later, who still alive."
-Pavel Datsyuk
If you have a problem with a user send me an email in my profile. |
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tw_fester
Senior Member
Canada
1161 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2008 : 22:33:23
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I have just got my film back from some friends that I lent it to and I want to see it again when I have some spare time. They told me (two different friends, both with kids) that it was decent and their kids liked it. I guess that is the main power of this first offering, to get the next generation interested so we can get another chance at seeing more.
I am surprised that Sirch, you watched it. I thought for the longest while there that our all mighty mod with the Rod of Smiting and Banning would abstain (). Welcome to the watchers club and I am glad that you did not get overly disappointed. Good on ya, mano!
I have said before that it will not be the blockbuster of the year , but it is a decent start that will hopefully lead to bigger and better budgets.
I'm the Cellphone Vigilante,
and you won't be here long.
If you make you're ring tone
out of annoying hip-hop song
Cellphone Vigilante
-Arrogant worms
Besides... that dagger was Flint's. |
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Sirch
Advanced Member
USA
2668 Posts |
Posted - 16 May 2008 : 03:04:00
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It just takes me a long time to get around to buying things. I'll see something I really want and then get it a month later and I wasn't feeling that much pressure to see this movie.
I really do think that the thing problem a lot of people had with this movie was expectations. When it wasn't that good they felt crushed.
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“I with Homer and Fill. We special KGB group, me and Homey and Fill. We have European style, jump in and everybody shoot. Ask later, who still alive."
-Pavel Datsyuk
If you have a problem with a user send me an email in my profile. |
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SteelWarrior
Starting Member
3 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2008 : 15:26:12
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copied by request from my other thread
Hey all, just signed up.
I rented the movie last night, watched it today, wanted to check out this site for news on the 2nd and 3rd movies. ALOT of negative feedback on here. I own every dragonlance book ever made, I also casually play WoW and my screen names Raistlin :D
Im a pretty big fan, but im not really a sci fi junkie haha. AKA i dont like go to comic conventions and such
and yea, just wanted to jump in here and post my thoughts and give you all some food for thought.
Since dragonlance is always compaired to LOTR, lets use it as a starting ground. Has anyone here actually SEEN the 2 attempts LOTR made at turning the books into movies? It was a JOKE! and then someone comes along and makes the block buster series that was released a few years ago. For a cartoon, the DL movie wasnt bad, i rented it expecting the worst, i loaded it up and was pretty shocked that it followed the story line pretty decently, they missed some sections of it, but shit, were talking aobut a smaller company on a LIMITED budget. I for one am glad they gave the characters some reference to the books, granted the animation was sketchy at parts, but alot of the original dialog was used and taht scored points for me. The music was great, it did flood out some of the vocals at times. but honestly people, what do you think there budget was? lol. LOTR was a HELL of a gamble, the past attempts in the 80s and early 90s to bring the lovable series to video FAILED, to the point where the 2nd one made ran out of budget mid way through the 2 towers and just added text sub script to finish the story.
While the critism on this forum is legit and I do agree on some points, the overall negative hate floating on this forums is going to hurt the series more then anything. You really have to appreciate the efforts of someone trying something new and moving into an uncharted area instead of repeating the same bullshit done all the time (*cough new rambo movies cough*).
I for one would personally like to shake the hands with the people who made this movie, because i was so excited just seeing the beloved series in a box on the wall at blockbuster! i was like im renting that right now and i dont give a shit if it sucks or rocks, Im going to support the attempt to share the story we all love with the world.
they may not have got it perfect. but HELL it could be ALOT worst! Who knows, maybe down the road sometime, someone will take a risk and make that 100 million dollar block buster :D
And the LOTR movies were pretty far from the actual story, and while it recieved critism over it, the fans stood by the attempt and made it what it is. I think this fourm needs to show more loving :D
EDIT :
I wanted ot add that im glad it didnt follow the book 100%, because when you read a novel, your mind creates its own images, personaly i get annoyed when theres pictures of the character on the cover of the book, because i picture them differently in my mind. so a movie will NEVER match what your imagination conjures up, and i like seeing what little twists and changes they add into the story, if it followed the story 100% i probably would have fallen asleep. |
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Slorg
Moderator
Australia
996 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2008 : 20:27:57
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Re-Stickied because of the recent release of the movie in Australia and the UK.
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Official Review Thread: POSITIVE
