Let me just get this out of the way right now and say that "D&D" was an entertaining film, but nothing more than that. Instead of making its own mark and leading the pack in this kind of a fantasy picture, the writers and director relied a little too heavily on other films to steer their own.
Jeremy Irons is the baddie who wants all the power and to rule the fantasy kingdom. Why Irons accepted this role I'll never know. Bruce Payne aids the baddie and appears to still be in character mode from "Highlander: Endgame". Payne is definitely much more fun to watch than Irons, though. There's just something about his intensity...
Some have said that the Empress is reminiscent of the one in "Star Wars--The Phantom Mess", but I was reminded a bit more of "The Neverending Story" minus her riding a dragon in battle. Whatever. It's really unimportant. I have to say that Justin Whalin makes a dashing hero and plays his part rather well. He's a cutie and it's easy to see why Zoe McLellan stays so close to him on their quest to find some scepter that controls the red dragons...and will save their kingdom or something like that. That plotpoint ends up taking a back seat anyway, so just enjoy the visuals. Marlon Wayons does his best as the wimpy sidekick who screams a lot, way too much like Chris Tucker did in "The Fifth Element".
Beyond the cast, one would have hoped for a little bit more magic to be seen on screen from mage-in-training McLellan. Instead, she gets to fume and scream a bit herself as well as take on a few henchmen. Whalin gets to appear heroic by having sword fights and going through a death maze (ala "Spacehunter" or "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"). There was one particular point in the middle of the film when Payne is advancing on Wayans and the music changes and I swear that I thought Darth Vader was going to make a cameo. Still, while eye and ear-candy, it doesn't amount to a whole lot and everything the main characters do becomes somewhat pointless by the end of the film.
Speaking of the end of the film, I had to listen to the commentary track on the DVD just to understand what the heck happened. I rather liked the element of tragedy in the story only to be let during the last few seconds with the promise of a sequel (that's what the commentary said) that probably won't see the light of day. If they do, however, I hope they take a good long look at what was bland and borrowed in this film and not repeat those mistakes in the next.
I'll be watching.
Jeremy Irons is the baddie who wants all the power and to rule the fantasy kingdom. Why Irons accepted this role I'll never know. Bruce Payne aids the baddie and appears to still be in character mode from "Highlander: Endgame". Payne is definitely much more fun to watch than Irons, though. There's just something about his intensity...
Some have said that the Empress is reminiscent of the one in "Star Wars--The Phantom Mess", but I was reminded a bit more of "The Neverending Story" minus her riding a dragon in battle. Whatever. It's really unimportant. I have to say that Justin Whalin makes a dashing hero and plays his part rather well. He's a cutie and it's easy to see why Zoe McLellan stays so close to him on their quest to find some scepter that controls the red dragons...and will save their kingdom or something like that. That plotpoint ends up taking a back seat anyway, so just enjoy the visuals. Marlon Wayons does his best as the wimpy sidekick who screams a lot, way too much like Chris Tucker did in "The Fifth Element".
Beyond the cast, one would have hoped for a little bit more magic to be seen on screen from mage-in-training McLellan. Instead, she gets to fume and scream a bit herself as well as take on a few henchmen. Whalin gets to appear heroic by having sword fights and going through a death maze (ala "Spacehunter" or "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"). There was one particular point in the middle of the film when Payne is advancing on Wayans and the music changes and I swear that I thought Darth Vader was going to make a cameo. Still, while eye and ear-candy, it doesn't amount to a whole lot and everything the main characters do becomes somewhat pointless by the end of the film.
Speaking of the end of the film, I had to listen to the commentary track on the DVD just to understand what the heck happened. I rather liked the element of tragedy in the story only to be let during the last few seconds with the promise of a sequel (that's what the commentary said) that probably won't see the light of day. If they do, however, I hope they take a good long look at what was bland and borrowed in this film and not repeat those mistakes in the next.
I'll be watching.