Yes, this exists. Someone saw the 2000 Dungeons & Dragons and said, 'Make another one.'
It took 5 years, but whatever.
This is a direct Sequel to the other Film, but is apparently set much, much later. At least, I think so. There's only one connection to that Film here- the lead Villain...'s main Henchman. We can't get Jeremy Irons, so let's go with the next best thing.
I don't want to be too mean to Bruce Payne, even if he is the second-best Warlock. He's one of those guys whose presence can usually elevate a role and the Film around it. Good luck, mate!
The Film involves a Dragon God about to be awoken and a group of Heroes trying to stop it. Will this give us the true D&D feel that the original was lacking? It's got a Cleric, a Rogue and a Wizard (for starters), so that's a plus.
Is this Made for TV/DVD Film (which I haven't seen since last renting in 2006) worth a watch? To find out, read on...
In a big old exposition dump, we learn that Damodar (Payne) was cursed to be an undead, which he apparently was for quite a long time.
Some bad guys- who don't factor into the Plot after this- find the Black Orb and return him to life.
Our Heroes- a Fighter and a Mage- discover that a sleeping, black Dragon is under a nearby Castle.
He's apparently also a God and is slowly waking up.
They try to do a vision spell, but it has disastrous effects long-term.
He assembles a Team- which includes a Cleric, a Wizard, a Barbarian and a Rogue/Thief- to find Damodar and the Orb, which is the key to stopping the Dragon from awakening.
Back at the Castle, the Mages all try to figure out the secrets from the Books. Bob would gladly do this Sidequest!
Unfortunately, Love Interest Mage was cursed by Damodar via that spell and is slowly turning into a Zombie!
Oh, well- back to the Books!
The group in the field runs across a Lich, who chases them off after a brief fight.
He proceeds to report this to Damodar, who's busy up in his own Castle waiting for the Dragon God to arise.
In a move that is both surprising and also not, the former Henchman is basically just that again, doing this whole thing to give him someone new to work in the service of!
He sends an Ice Dragon to kill them and it proves to be 20% successful.
It freezes and kills the Cleric (!!!) before they defeat it.
Who will cast Heroes Feast now?!?
They fight some bad guys- just random guys in Armor- and solve some puzzles.
For better or worse, doing stuff like this IS what happens in D&D Campaigns.
I will say that 'Safe Steps only visible while looking in a mirror' is still pretty silly, even for D&D.
After a series of moments- including Damodar being defeated by a single swing, but then that victory being overturned via trickery-, the titular God is awake and he's...pretty freaky.
It's not amazing CGI, but it is Made for TV and from 2005.
Surprisingly (or not), they have to defeat Damodar AGAIN (via simply knocking him down) to get the other Orb and defeat the God.
It's an odd gambit as he says he's not afraid of death, so they threaten to kill him...and he stands down. Huh?
Oh well, the day is saved...although the Cleric is still very dead. The End.
A fun, if low-budget adventure. Don't get me wrong- I've seen way cheaper.
It's just that they rely so much on CGI- for things that would be hard to do without it, to be fair- that it sometimes looks...janky. The Practical stuff- make-up, masks and costumes- all look alright.
Well, that Lich does, especially the more he just kind of hangs around.
The Film does aim to be something big, so points for that. As noted, it is definitely in the spirit of the game too. Everyone has some sort of Arc- even if it is just being nice to a Barbarian- so that's good too.
Does it rise above the standard Fantasy Fare though? I mean...Lord of the Rings was already a thing, so that's a high hurdle to clear.
Fans of D&D can enjoy this one, provided they know what to expect. Remember that this was 2005, so Amazon was still selling you Books and not spending A BILLION DOLLARS on a TV Show.
As a bonus, they left Damodar around for the Sequels. What do you mean he's not in it? Well...shit. Sorry, champ.
Next up, a silly Film brought to me by Rifftrax. You'll see a lot more of the 'light' from this one over the next few weeks. Stay tuned...
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