Film Review - Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is by far the best first year film student project I have ever seen. (Mom said I should start saying nice things about the films. This is what I came up with.)

Student Courtney Solomon has bitten off quit a lot for a new director. His flirtation with the Odyssey hero's quest is horribly un-even, and at times makes no sense. But as I said, this is a big film for a college freshman. I am sure with time he will surprise us.

These too are my feelings about the actors. They're young and stupid, but they'll improve as their life experiences accumulate. All but perhaps Jeremy Irons. I thought I had seen Irons in other films, but I was wrong. The Jeremy Irons in the other films was a great actor. The Jeremy Irons in this film shows no hope of ever having a serious career in the movie business. He almost plays right into the camera saying, "Look at me! I'm on film, Mom!" Irons should probably pursue a career in craft services. The film's credits claim that Irons had an assistant. This was probably his drama teacher who continuously yelled, "Stop looking into the lens! Act for God's sake!" The only professional actor who appears in the film is Tom (the fourth Doctor) Baker. However, Baker was so good that the other actors demanded that the rest of his scenes be cut and he be thrown off the set.

I do want to say a big hooray for the people at Guide Dogs for the Blind. Their dog helped the film editor keep most of the pieces of the movie emulsion side down, and only allowed the editor to play one scene out of sequence. This is a tremendous feat for a blind film editor. Well done Fido!

Also big kudos for the writer who did a splendid job of ripping of Homer. However, if you did pay attention to the main plot, you'd have noticed that all would have been better off if the hero did not go on his quest. Fewer people would have died, and the result would have been the same. Really, there is absolutely no reason for the main plotline to exist. Next time, try ripping of Hitchcock. His stuff made sense.

Finally, I did want to applaud the decision to hire a professional camera operator. The film stayed in crisp focus for the entire presentation. This is often the mistake in student films.

All in all I am compelled to give this film my lowest rating. There are few dungeons, lots of dragons (but they are all extras) and no real reason for this film to have been made, unless it was Courtney Solomon's Film 001-A film project.

Sucks and Blows!

Film Facts

Directed by Courtney Solomon

Released in 2000

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Reviewed by Mongo