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Rating:  -
Like some of the other reviewers, I read the books when they came out (wow, about 20+ years ago!) when I was in high school. As I was a big fan of AD&D, it was an easy sell. I liked them well emough to recommend to my younger cousins as great introductions to "D&D type fantasy" and the Dragonlance books became their introductions to the world of gaming by sparking further interest. Suffice it to say, the books themselves are great, so the DVD had a lot to live up to.
That said, unlike the Lord of the Rings and similar fantasy (Elric saga, Amber Chronicles) inspirations for D&D products, material, and plots, the Dragonlance Chronicles are not books I have gotten around to re-reading as an experienced adult (eight year military career behind me, five kids, years as an engineer, researcher, etc.) to see how my take on it has changed. Despite that, I do remember how interesting I found the books as a kid, and how interesting two of my older boys found the chronicles too. I bought this DVD with my younger son (3.5 years) in mind, hoping it wouldn't be too dumbed down or "Disneyfied" to take away the various violent acts inherent in real fantasy genre material, but also that as a cartoon, it wasn't made to be super violent and adult themed like the 1980 movie "Heavy Metal" (unlikely given the book, but you never know).
I wasn't disappointed. There is plenty of violence to demonstrate the consequences of failure and the nature of the stuggle, but it isn't glorified or graphic. Unlike the D&D cartoon of the 80s (which my friends and I all watched Saturday AM, typically before a day of playing AD&D), the Dragonlance DVD showed that swords, arrows, fireballs, daggers, dragons, etc. did more than knock people down and scare people out of the way. Characters died, and there is cost to glory. Even kids (well, my friends, me as a kid, my own kids at least) can be pretty cynical about a fantasy cartoon where no one really ever gets killed or even really hurt in an all out battle (and we watched the D&D and Thundar cartoons DESPITE this, not because of it, making more and more jokes about the non-lethality of the evil spells, sun swords, werewolves, Beholders, etc. as we got older).
To me, this makes it a cut above and beyond most fantasy cartoons (D&D, Thundarr, etc.), and something I am still OK with my younger kids seeing. Also, because it is the way it is, it appeals to my older kids who are happy to sit through it with their youngest sibling. Though there is some blood and death, the way it is integrated in the story line and not gratuitously focused on prevents it from being something disturbing to a younger child. Maybe I am not in synch with the mainstream, but I think the "GI Joe culture" inherent in most kids cartoons where there is lots of shooting, violence, spells, stabbing, summoning, explosions, etc., but no injuries or death is more likely to give them warped views on the consequences than a cartoon that shows death and injuries are likely consequences of such acts (except in cases of Roadrunner, Daffy Duck, Pink Panther etc., where it is obviously a contrived a comical situation).
From what I could remember, the DVD is a very accurate rendition of the Dragonlance storyline in the original book (remember my memories are 20+ years old though), and that is part of the appeal. While circumstance prevents me from playing role playing games anymore, it is my hope that this stimulates interest in the fantasy genre for my youngest children so that they too can find enjoyment in the books and some of the games that have come to be based on it.
As such, the five stars are because I am reviewing it for being what it was bought for...a fantasy cartoon that accurately sums up an excellent book, capturing the spirit and appealing to the non "techno afficianado" fan. It may have little problems, perhaps the technical execution of every animated frame wasn't perfect like the super high budget Pixar movies, but it isn't that kind of movie, and it doesn't have to be. It is a good movie with broad D&D fan appeal and good for kids of all ages. Bearing in mind thatI paid £13 (pounds), which equates to over $25, |I got screwed on the price paying as much as possible for it it really. That said, I am not disappointed and think (based on replay value for my various kids) that it STILL is good value for money.
It is my hope that the other Dragonlance books in the series are adapted to a similar DVD. I will buy every one for my kids (and can be convinced to watch it through one sitting with them without arm twisting).
Hope my review helps most of you who are considering the movie. I can see why some of the die hards don't rate it five stars, but really, I think the expectations are unrealistically high. For the most part, the DVD rated by an adult is unfairly compared to the impression the book made as a kid (when one was less jaded and cynical). As an adult, one sees a lot of the flaws, that are never observed as a kid, and as such, it becomes an impossible standard to live up to.
Rating: -
I watched this movie and really liked it. If you know the characters in the movie and there personalities then you should like this movie. You just have to be able to appreciate it for what it is. If you haven't read up on Dragon Lance books and do not know these characters most likely you will not like this movie. I just thought it was cool to see these characters in which I've been reading about for years brought to life. There actions were played out perfectly in the movie. The only flaw I found was in Tasselhoff. I felt that his voice was off and that kender tend to babble on much more then was shown in this movie. All around like I said it's a good movie you just have to accept it for what it is.
Rating:  -
I will make this quick as many have already clearly stated many of the flaws. As many of you, I loved the books - grew up with them and D&D, and was extatic to hear about the movie.
Long story short, the animation is way sub-par for todays standards (truth be told, sub-par for 20 years ago). Great call in some of the actors for voices, but it may have been better to spend the money on quality animation and got some lesser known actors.
I sat through it just to see the story told, but will not buy the video and will not see the rest of the series if done. I will stick with the images in my imagination from reading the novels rather than have my memory scared more by this disappointment.
Rating:  -
Where to begin? They butchered the story, left out key characters, the animation is of such low quality that the 1980s GIJOE cartoon looks like animation masterwork by comparison, the CG characters are poorly animated. The list goes on and on.
If there was a zero star rating -id give this movie that. A complete bastardization of the novel with iconic moments happening in the wrong location, major characters being left out of the story and even a romance that makes no sense between two formerly unrelated characters.
This movie takes the heart and soul of Dragonlance - the characters of the Heroes of the Lance - and spits in their face. What a tagic disapointment at all levels.
The voice acting here is wasted - Keifer Sutherlans, Lucy Lawless et al - so hard to emote when your characters facial expression never changes.
Avoid this one at all costs
Rating:  -
Although the animation is pretty unimpressive and low budget, the script, voice casting, and pacing of the film was perfect! I was very pleasantly surprised. A very short film for a very long book, they really captured the essence of the story, without making it feel rushed. Films like this generally feel like a weirdly paced summation, but at no time did I feel like that was the case with Dragonlance.
They got the hardest part right. Now they just need to put a little more money into making it not look like crap. Take a cue from the Marvel and DC straight to DVD films for the action sequences, and the Dragonlance series could be pretty amazing.
Overall, I'm very happy with this film, and recommend it to all Dragonlance fans. I truly hope they make more. Keep up the good work!
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