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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

What the boys were doing is really something very old - playing make-believe. Really just a more organized version of playing "House," role playing games are group story telling exercises in which players control the actions of a given character, interacting with other characters and reacting to set circumstances (with dice used as an element of fate). The most popular of these games has always been Dungeons & Dragons, set within a world admittedly borrowed from the works of Tolkien and other fantasy authors. Now those boys have grown up to become heads of movie studios, doctors, and sex offenders - just like the "normal" boys who were on the basketball team.

The idea of turning DUNGEONS & DRAGONS into a movie is something of an anachronism. The whole point of these games is player interaction, something a movie is short on. Perhaps D & D would have made the perfect subject for one of those experimental interactive movies, in which the viewer has some say as to what direction the plot will take. Also, the games are built on generic character types that the players are meant to fill out, while good movies are built on strong characters. Testimony to the generic nature of D&D is the fact that many similar fantasy films were made to cash in on the game's popularity at its height, while no studio bothered to base a film on the actual license.

However, novels based on RPGs have become very popular with players and non-players alike, allowing the reader to experience the world of the game without taking an active part, enjoying what the mind of a professional writer has dreamed up in it. The movie can be taken as the dramatization of such a novel, allowing viewers to enjoy the adventure without having to read a 1200 page instruction manual.

The movie's plot closely resembles one an average group of players would concoct - one that borrows heavily from their favorite movies, comics and TV shows. Evil sorcerer Profion (Jeremy Irons, chewing scenery like a starving man) is out to overthrow the rule of sweet teen Empress Savina (Thora Birch from AMERICAN BEAUTY), but can only do so by matching her power to control golden dragons. He sends his stooge Damodar (Bruce Payne from SOLARBABIES and WARLOCK III), a mighty warrior with blue lipstick, out to get the magic Ruby Rod, which can control red dragons. While Damodar and his goons are raiding the mage school to get directions, they're interrupted by a pair of thieves (Justin Whalin and Marlon Wayans), who help a young mage (Zoe McLellan) snatch the map away from the bad guys. The trio goes out to get the Rod themselves, quickly joined by other players on their quest, and keeping one step ahead of Damodar. It all ends in a truly spectacular magical war between hundreds of dragons high over the kingdom.

Courtney Solomon, the son of TV and movie (POPCORN) production coordinator Fran Solomon, does an impressive job directing his first feature, handling the complex effects and dialogue scenes like an old pro. The special effects and sets are terrific - though the film had a relatively low budget, every dollar is well spent. However, the characters and plot are forgettable, except when both are very bad. Marlon Wayans' comedy relief role as Snails, the cowardly thief, should put him at the front of the line when it comes time to cast THE STEPPIN' FETCHIT STORY.

Nevertheless, New Line gets behind their movie, giving it the Platinum Series treatment on DVD - including trailers, a section that shows the effects scenes at various stages of development, and two documentary featurettes. One piece covers the "making of...," while the other deals with the history of the game itself (interviews here fail to shed the RPG nerd image). Solomon sits for two commentraks - one with Whalin and D & D co-creator Dave Arneson, and another with cinematographer Doug Milsome, which deals more specifically with the problems of shooting epic sword & sorcery flicks on a tight budget.

Solomon stays in his chair to comment on eleven deleted scenes, mostly repeating how each was cut for time and money reasons.

The disc also comes with DVD-ROM content far beyond the usual web links, courtesy of Interactual 2.0 software (a welcome upgrade from the awful PC-Friendly). The disc has the entire film website on it, a D & D "Fastplay" game that you can print out, and a full demo of the BALDUR'S GATE PC game.