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The dragon actually was modeled after a cat. Much of D&D is adapting to changing situations. In an early game with the game creators their fat cat jumped on the table and slid across knocking a bunch of the game over. So they said a pudgy dragon suddenly burst forth. And the dragon character became forever enshrined in the game.
@@charleshartley9597 My face when Simon just rolls an Arcana to recognize it at a glance and not, realistically, absolutely blow the critical skill check at a crucial moment. I joked after the movie that the GM was fudging dice the entire time because the PCs are obviously rolling hot fire.
@@Domura Seriously! In one of my games I had to intervene with some creative accounting because the party just *could not* roll over 10. It was so painful to witness…
The pudgy dragon is actually a famous in game one, named Themberchaud, Wyrmsmith of Gracklstugh. He's overweight because the (evil) dwarves he's 'allied' with feed him almost constantly with slaves and criminals, in order to keep him happy and keep their forges lit with his dragonfire. Though an evil red dragon, he's much beloved by nearly all players of the game, simply for his 'Oh lord he comin' chonky boi status, and this movie portrays him awesomely.
Haha that's awesome. I never played D&D but this movie is one of the most fun and adventurous movies I've seen in a while, and now I'm interested in the tabletop game now.
One of the writers is John Francis Daley from Freaks and Geeks. AFAIK, both he and his writing partner were long-time D&D players. Michelle Rodriguez is also a Jersey nerd through and through she's had thousands of hours in campaigns
Holga saying "Don't tell me you wasted it on me" after being revived makes be tear up. After her husband moved on she probably felt like she wasn't deserving of that level of love.
I love how, unlike 99 percent of other fantasy/medieval movies, armor ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING in this film. A bunch of the guys Holga beats on keep getting up because their full plate is actually absorbing hits and deflecting blows, so she keep having to find more creative ways to beat the shit out of them to make them stay down.
I’d like to think so too but in many movies (especially in the action genre), people can simply take a lot of blunt force trauma- with or without armor. It’s just a common action trope, so difficult to say if anything is being subverted here. The message would be clearer if she was actually whaling away with her axe and failing to do more than dent their plate mail, but most of the time she’s unarmed, disarmed, or using improvised blunt weapons (probably to meet a family friendly rating).
I love the detail of Edgin being so good at talking other people up because he's a bard. Bards are basically the buffers in a DnD party. Their whole role is to enhance the abilities of their fellow party members or manipulate people through song and words.
@@abadyr_ Yeah, but it makes sense. They want it to be accessible to non-players, so having one spellcaster, one shapeshifter, one fighter, and one charming bastard, each with their own well-defined niche, helps a lot with that. If he started doing blatant bard magic, non-players would be like, "Wait, is he a wizard, too?"
@@IceMetalPunk I wished they would have labeled him more as a rogue with performance skill than as a bard. Yes, I know, they call him a bard in all their advertising but I always viewed that as more of a profession: bard than class: bard.
I recently found out that when Xenk was leaving the group to let the main characters fight their final battle. The actor walking away couldn't hear the director say cut and he kept walking so Chris Pine added all that commentary. It made it into the movie.
I love that they established from the very beginning that Ed and Holga were like brother and sister. Not every story requires the leads to have a love interest. Platonic love and loyalty are just as, if not more, interesting in my opinion. Also, I loved how funny this movie was. The jokes and gags were actually really clever and not just silly prat falls or lazy body humor. I read on imdb that the writers were going for a Princess Bride, Monty Python kind of humor and I really enjoyed that direction. And all the actors had great comedic delivery which always helps. My personal favorite was the councilwoman who yells "Jarnathan!" at the beginning and end of the movie. I would like to personally thank whoever gave her that direction.
Jarnathan is such a "What's this irrelevant NPC's name?" response from a DM (who then of course becomes the focal point of the players' minds) I could see that whole scene playing out at my table Them: "Who're on the panel of judges?" Me, so that I can do a 2/3 roll behind the screen: "There's usually four, but the fourth is running late" Them: "Can we wait for the fourth?" Me: "Uhh, well th-" Them: "What's the fourth one's name?" Me: "You uh... Oh um Jar...na...than. And you have to plead your case right n-" Them: "JARNATHAN??? The hell kind of name is that?" Me: "Haha, uh... well he from a reclusive town in the mountains. It's a normal name for Aarakocra" Them, thinking in unison: We got you, bastard. We're gonna ride that bird bitch
I’ve read comparisons to the movie being presented like a real campaign, with the main cast being played by people with modern attitudes and some meta knowledge. The NPCs are a little flat in their performances, serving only to move the story forward and not given the emotional depth a fully fledged character would require.
The "six-legged panther with crazy tentacles" is a displacer beast. They can make themselves appear to be 1-3 feet away from their actual position; they are also very, very fast.
"He has a Portal gun!" Exactly. Also the group of adventurers in the cage next to them (The wizard, short barbarian, "cavalier" wearing the yellow and blue...) were an Easter Egg to the 80's Saturday morning cartoon Dungeons and Dragons characters.
This movie surprised us by how funny and awesome it was!! For us kids of the 80s, we recognized one of the teams in the arena challenge at the end are the characters from the 80s D&D Saturday morning cartoon!!
The "fat" dragon its called Themberchaud and he appears for the first time in D&D in Drizz't Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark in 1999 which was a 2nd Edition supplement for the Forgotten Realms setting, but in 2015 an adventure called "Out of the Abyss" came out and it was where he got well knowned in D&D in general. And he was basically raised as a living furnace, sitting in place using his breath to heat up metal while being given endless food. That's why he's a lazy chonker! It was really cool seeing him on screen. And a fun fact that Themberchaud was first conceptualized when Gary Gygax (Co-creator of D&D) was running a game and a cat jumped onto the table during the session and started knocking things over, he improvised and used the cat as a fat dragon, who later had their lore expanded to become Themberchaud. God i grew up playing D&D and i love this movie hope it gets a sequel.
Now that this movie has set the hook, let's get you two onto "The Legend of Vox Machina"! It's an animated series of the actual D&D game a bunch of very talented voice actors started to celebrate one of their friend's birthdays. It's straight up your alleys, I promise!
This movie is really well done. Not only is it accessible to those who are unfamiliar with D&D, but they were tremendously faithful to the setting and there's plenty of references and Easter eggs for those who are familiar with D&D.
It's like I told a non-D&D friend of mine "You see two mages fighting with magic hands, I see a Sorcerer fighting a Wizard with Maximilian's Earthen Grasp against Bixby's Hand, AND THAT'S WHY IT WORKS!"
Sofina, the primary villain after Forge, was played by Daisy Head. Who you may recognize from 'Sandman'. As Judy Talbot. One of the patrons in the diner.
One of the things that really makes this movie so good is that it balances everything so well between fan service and story. All the little D&D Easter eggs and lore drops serve mainly to enhance the world rather than being integral to the story in such a way that only insiders would get it. Instead of being just a good D&D movie, it is a good movie built upon D&D and that makes all the difference. They also did a fantastic job on capturing the experience of sitting around a table with a group of friends and actually playing the game.
Michelle Rodriquez as Holga was a perfect fit for her. She brought Holga to life, and it looked like she really enjoyed playing her. I hope if another D&D movie is made that she reprises her role as Holga Killgore!
I doubt it with how much this movie underperformed. I really fucking loved the movie and every reaction to it I've seen has been positive - but studios are all about money and this movie was definitely not profitable enough to afford them a sequel.
I played D&D as a teen. The hobbit like little people are called halflings, 6 legged panthers with two tentacles, displacer beasts, the cube- gelatinous cube digests things it traps because it’s acidic. Black dragons- poison/toxic sludge, red dragons- fire. The chest that tried to eat people is a Mimic, & they often take the shape of something people want to reach into or investigate. You two would have a lot of fun playing
"Chaos" is a very good term for Simon and his magic. One of the sub-classes in D&D is called Wild Magic, it was mentioned in the movie. Any time a sorcerer uses a big spell they run the risk of setting off their wild magic, and having to roll on a chart that ranges from amusing to terrifying :D
They did an astonishing amount with practical effects! If you get a chance, look up the special features where they talk about it but so many of the creatures were makeup, prosthetics, and animatronics. The graveyard scene was all practical. All in all, you can tell - whether a fan of D&D coming in or not - that a HUGE amount of love and care went into this film. Directors, cast, crew, all of them made something to be proud of! Oh, and if you liked Sophia Lillis in this (and IT), check out "I Am Not Okay With This" where she is equally (if not more) fantastic. Though, fair warning - it ends on a cliffhanger so you have to accept a lack of resolution. But the fact that I recommend it anyway should say something! Thanks for this review in any case. Loved it!
This was the only movie that I have seen where even honest trailers gave it a glowing review with no real bad comments. This movie literally had it all in spades. The comedy was hilarious, the action amazing, the drama suspenseful, and the plot intricate. A++ in my book. Thanks for reacting to this movie.
" the only movie that I have seen where even honest trailers gave it a glowing review" the only other movie I know this is true off, too, is Die Hard. 😄
@@paulmccloud9395 I agree, this movie definitely deserves it. I could absolutely see this as a cult classic that as time goes by, keeps gaining momentum.
@@fireradfieritis8953 Which honestly kind of sucks, because all the people who decided not to see the movie to spite Wizards actually screwed over the passionate filmmakers much more than they did Wizards.
I love you guys clocked Simon as pure chaos because that is the type of sorcerer he is! A wild magic sorcerer. In the game there is a chance his spells backfire and have another effect. A lot of effects can be beneficial like recovering magic others funny like becoming a potted plant and some not so fun like exploding!
There's a D&D reason Holga keeps fighting with bricks, potatoes, etc. Every 4 level-ups, you get to take a "feat", which is just a special ability. There's a ton to choose from, and one, which Holga has, is called Tavern Brawler. It gives you a bonus when you attack with improvised weapons, meaning she's actually better at using what's around her to fight than she is at fighting with actual weapons. (Obviously she can still wield a real weapon, like an axe, too; but she's better with improvised ones than most players would be who don't have the Tavern Brawler feat.) "This dude's total chaos!" EXACTLY! In D&D, you have classes (wizard, warlock, fighter, etc.) and then you have subclasses, which are like specialties. Simon is a Wild Magic sorcerer, which in game terms means that every time he casts a spell, there's a 1 in 20 chance that random magic just happens to him without his control. The benefit of picking that class as a player (besides being fun) is that, since the magic comes directly from the forces of chaos, it also lets you manipulate probability/luck, by giving you some extra dice rolls, or letting you change the results of a dice roll, etc. I don't think we see Simon use those luck abilities in the movie, but he could if he wanted to. The Hither-Thither Staff isn't an official thing in the game. However, there are plenty of magic items that can let you cast a limited number of spells, and there is a spell called Dimension Door that has a similar effect (but with a range of 500 feet). I can absolutely see a DM going, "you fucked up the puzzle I had planned, and now there's no way for you to progress, so... here's a magic item to McGuffin your way forward, you dicks." 😂 "Aw, don't kill him, he's just hungry!" That's exactly the reaction I had to Themberchaud (the fat dragon) in the theater 😂 Just because he's a little peckish, and they're full of delicious meat, everyone wants to hurt the poor baby 🐲
Well, I'm sorry neither of you have ever played D&D, but as someone who has played that and many other games for over 35 years...yeah, it's pretty much like this all the time. It was good to see a movie that understands what Dungeons and Dragons is about.
When Steven said, "I love this world," I just wanted to say that despite how great this movie is, it didn't even scratch the surface of the lore and world of D&D. It's been ever-expanding for four decades, and it just keeps getting bigger.
Don't worry about the Dragon! One that size is categorized as "Ancient" which means they are REALLY hard to kill. Getting stabbed in the head and having a cave collapse on them is nothing. Chubby will be fine
I love how they note the subtle difference between Edgin's wife and Kira's mother even though they are description the same woman. That is good writing.
The scene with Zenk walking away was partly improvised. The plan was to cut away before he got to the rock, but when they were filming Rege couldn't hear the person telling him to stop so he kept going, for 12 minutes apparently before a crew member caught up to him to stop him. Edit: That spell Simon used to summon the fake Edgin is "Conjure: Major Image" Edit 2: The "Six-legged Panther with tentacles" is a Displacer Beast.
The reason the scene where Xenk is walking away on the beach is so weird is because when the actor turned and walked away, no one called cut. So he just kept walking, and Chris Pine improved the little voiceover.
Unfortunately most of those actors were miscast, "Bobby" in particular is way too old. I would love to see a live action movie adaptation of that cartoon series though.
The are way more practical effects here than you might think! I'm pretty sure all of the reanimated corpses in the graveyard were done through old-school makeup.
I'm sure someone's already said it in the comments but FUN FACT! All the actors for the main cast got together with the Directors and a Dungeon Master to play a game as their movie characters. This way they'd get used to acting as them, as well as get more familiar with the lore and setting. Jarnathan the Aaracokra was the character the Directors John and Johnathan played together. If I'm remembering right he had two heads, one for each of them, but they scrapped that part for the movie.
I've only ever played D&D once, but I'm a fan of "The Order of the Stick" - an online comic that's based on D&D characters - so I was able to recognize the Paladin, and guess that Holga is a Barbarian ... just little things like that. This movie was epic! So glad you guys reacted to it!
Another great watch for anyone who likes the mix of chaotic idiocy and dead-serious drama that DnD can provide is The Legend of Vox Machina. And, just like this movie, you don't have to know a thing about DnD in order to enjoy it
8:31 "Cuz you're acting like it's not your fault." Steven: *cringe* then immediately looks to Nikki. Nikki: * no reaction=knowledge* Yep....just.....*as a single parent*.....YEP!!!
Those dead bodies were all make-up, puppet or animatronic x3c I love this movie so much. I am a huge fan of D&D and this setting in particular. Me and my friends play at least once a week. I'm so happy to see a D&D movie that looks like how it feels in our heads yknow and I also love seeing all of the people completely new, like yourselves, enjoying it as well! Welcome to the wide world(s) of Dungeons and Dragons :D!
The prospect of more Forgotten Realms movies is particularly promising. Neverwinter. Baldur’s Gate. Thay. The Underdark. The entirety of Faerun is now fair game for cinematic adaptation. That Drizzt Do’Urden/Icewind Dale movie seems closer to reality now. And so do adaptations of the Time of Troubles and the Bhaalspawn Saga. The tones of those stories would be much less comedic though, so they would require an adjustment of expectations. But above all, I am hoping for a live action Dragonlance adaptation.
@@wyomingsioux Yesss! I would love that! There *has* been a Dragonlance cartoon movie that I love dearly in a “so bad it’s good” way xD not something Dragonlance deserves though x3c
I think you two would have a BLAST playing D&D!!! The Paladin Xenk is thought to be what we call a DM (Dungeon Master, they run the game) controlled NPC (Non Player Character). He was put there to move the plot along, hence why he is so rigid and walks the way he does. Great review you guys, keep em coming!
If you guys love this, the same directors other movie, Game Night, is one of the absolute funniest movies I've ever seen. This brand of comedy, but R rated
we demand a sequel to this, with Edgin restored to his former post and kicking ass *AS* a Harper. he'd be the equivalent of D&D FBI. and who knows what kind of shit Simon and Doric would be able to pull off when they get THEIR shit straight.
The Pudgy dragon (named Themberchaud) is my favorite part 😂that and the three questions if you ever have played dnd; you would know just how typical that moment can happen I still remember asking an ancient golem whether or not a sacred item can pour me a pint of beer (since I'm a chaotic neutral dwarf barbarian named Kelfinball) But more to the point -- this film does a great job at keeping audiences entertained while also not going too ham on the dnd stuff; the cast was great, the visuals and just the reek and oozing of fantasy energy is through the roof here. I honestly cannot wait to see where future dnd movie projects go. Because man, first The Legend Vox Machina and now this film?! Goodness gracious i definitely got my dnd fix for the year haha.
I know this is part of the D&D "character sheet" troupe, but the movie is made all the better by the consistency of the characters. They do exactly what a person of their skills and motivations would do...which, bizarrely, makes a D&D movie somehow more realistic than most things coming out of Hollywood these days. Loved it.
I feel like that’s a big plus of this movie is that it’s a fun fantasy action/adventure movie that’s entertaining for almost any audience, but if you’re familiar with the game, it just adds a level of appreciation for parts of the film.
Really enjoyed this one. My only D&D experience comes from the video games like Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale. This movie was very newcomer friendly as well as a treat for those more familiar with the world and systems. They even included the 6 second turn and 6 second round seamlessly.
I love that you guys liked this movie so much that it makes you want to learn more about the game! I've been a D&D player for most of my adult life and getting new people into the hobby for the first time is always a good time. Hopefully you guys can find a game either locally or online and get to play sometime!
I've played D&D on and off since the 80s, and this movie was everything I ever wanted a D&D movie to be. I'm really happy to see people who've never played loving the movie as much as I did. There were a ton of easter eggs for D&D players in the movie, and I think they did a great job of making it feel distinctly like D&D as opposed to feeling like a generic fantasy movie, while at the same time making it really accessible for people who don't know anything about D&D. FYI, Bradley Cooper's character wasn't a hobbit, he was a halfling. Halfings are basically hobbits. In fact, they are so very much like hobbits that in the earliest editions of D&D they were actually called hobbits, until the estate of J.R.R. Tolkein came along and said "Hey wait, that's our trademark!" And so the D&D hobbits became the effectively identical, but legally distinct, halflings.
15:52 "So we'll keep your share then" is totally something a player character would say. :) I love this movie because it reminds me so much of the D&D campaigns I played in my youth. If you can find yourselves a decent Dungeon Master I recommend you try it out I think you'd love it. :)
One of my friends in my current campaign's party is a chaotic goblin rogue of very gray morality, named Gree'jhit. He has a peculiar way of speaking, so he wouldn't quite say that... but he'd 100% say "Gree'jhit keep animal lady's money!" 😂
The one time adding new characters and acting like they were always there would actually work. And if anyone doesn't come back, they can just say "they had a thing."
There's so many sly D&D references in this movie. Not just the creatures or the Nat 20/Crit Fail story progression or even the infamous DM ass-pulls, but just the tiny things. For example, when Edgin gets an important item, he tosses it to Simon and says, "Hold this." If you've never played the game, it just sounds like he's being irreverent. In actuality, Simon probably has a Bag of Holding (a D&D item that is basically a mini pocket dimension.) The line could be interpreted as 'hold onto this' or 'stick it in the Bag of Holding'
28:53 It was Hook, with Robin Williams, where we were introduced to Dante Basco's Rufio. Who went on to play, Zuko in the Avatar: The Last Airbender and Jake from Disney's Jake Long the American Dragon.
This movie not only works for those who haven't played D&D, but there are so many in-jokes for long-time players, too. For instance, just in the Jarnathon scene, you have: 1. The name "Jarnathon" itself, which is such an ass-pull by the DM when the party suddenly asks for the minor NPC's name. 2. Jarnathon's race, Aaracokra, are made extremely uncomfortable by confinement (yes, the birdfolk hate cages), so it makes it seem like he wanted him there as Jarny would be the easiest to convince to approve the pardon. And 3. The party has a completely unhinged escape plan when the easiest way (getting the actual pardon) would have actually worked.
The opening escape scene is a classic case of an instance where the Dungeon Master is trying to give the players a break and move the game along but the players have their own plan and the DM is just along for the ride!
The group of characters in the maze (the barbarian, magician etc) that are caught in the cage are from the actual 80s cartoon called Dungeon & Dragons. A nice easter egg!
I watched this movie already 3 times. I freaking love it ! I wish we could get more D&D movie with them ! I agree with you both very much! great reaction !
A cool little detail that isn't explained but it seen on screen... Simon has a bag of holding, a little purse basically on his side. A couple times you see him put things in or pulls things out of it, usually in the background. It has effectively infinite space inside, as long as you can fit the object through its opening. That is why Edgin keeps handing him things for him to hold onto, because he has a little purse that can hold everything. That's where he keeps producing all these items from, like the staff, the helmet, the book, the sending stones, etc. All of them are in there while they are not being used.
For some reason I thought y'all had already reacted to The Legend Of Vox Machina, but y'all absolutely should. It's an actual d&d campaign played by a bunch of voice actors who managed to turn it into an animated series. It's got dragons, dick jokes, sexy vampires, graphic violence, an a stacked cast.
The exploding volcano represents the area they're in - it's called the city of Neverwinter because it's never winter there - thanks to the heat from the river which is heated by fire elementals. It's actually fairly far north. The start of the movie's prison scene shows what the region would look like otherwise. You even get a transition from a polar climate to tundra to temperate during their travel.
The Forgotten Realms is such a great D&D world... Both to play PnP games and video games in.. The novels are also sooo great... Ed Greenwood is my favorite.. He's the guy who created the Forgotten Realms world (the world this movie takes place in).. and I also love books by Scott Ciencin, Troy Denning, James Lowder, Elaine Cunningham, and of course R. A. Salvatore.. Highly recommend the Novels Spellfire by Ed Greenwood (I was 13 when I first read this book, and it's what got me into D&D), the The Avatar Trilogy (Titles Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep written by Scott Ciencin, Troy Denning, James Lowder) and Evermeet: Island of Elves by Elaine Cunningham...
This movie was so much fun,I really like these characters and CGI was pretty good too,I'm glad I watched this movie in theaters,hope we get a sequel :)
I loved, loved this movie. It actually felt like a real D&D game on the screen. The spells were obvious. It was funny without being obnoxious. The fights were good. So many in-gags too. It really, really needs a sequel.
Watching you guys genuinely laugh out of joy at a movie is just as good as watching you cry and weep at a movie (Train to Busan is what comes to mind). Love you guys and your reactions. This movie was such a joy for D&D and I hope it brought new fans and players to the tabletop game.
I went into this movie thinking that it couldn't possibly be good and was stunned by legitimately good it was. I laughed out loud at a few of the jokes, i shed a tear at the end and most importantly i just had fun watching it. What more could you want from a movie? Thanks for watching it :)
I know what you mean. When I saw the previews, I was actually surprised that it was going to cinemas rather than straight to streaming. But I wanted to see it anyway because I like D&D (not that I've played all that much.) This movie knew exactly what it was and what it wanted to do, and stuck the landing. Top marks.
30:25 Themburchaud here is actually housed and raised by a clan of underdark dwarves called duergar, with the purpose of using his fire to keep their forges lit at all times. In return for this service, they feed him seemingly endless amounts of food to hold his hunger at bay and keep him so damn chonk that he can’t even leave, let alone pose a threat to the duergar if he were to get tired of the arrangement.
The best thing when I saw this movie was the fact we had just fought Owlbears and Displacer Beasts (the panther with tentacles) literally the DnD session before seeing this
I once ran a one-shot for my friends based on twisted Disney movies, and gave each of them a Disney DMPC escort while they were separated. Elsa was, of course, a Wild Magic sorcerer with Elemental Adept. I built a whole custom wild magic table to fit her ice powers, and a system beyond the usual "1 in 20 chance random shit happens". And then, because of the luck of the dice... it only triggered once. The entire one-shot, ONE little thing happened, and the rest of the table was never used. I wanted chaos, dammit! 😂
On one hand I would have loved to see him, on the other I'm kinda glad they didn't use him. He's such a well established character, one wrong line and you've fumbled it
As others have said, this movie absolutely NAILED D&D. The Hither-Thither staff is something a DM would break out to help players who screwed up etc, it's a great damn touch. The oddly specific jokes about Jarnathan etc are all something a really close-knit D&D group would do along with the random stuff they throw in here from a session. The writers obviously played D&D and ALL the actors were perfect. Michelle Rodriguiz was great as Holga, and Chris Pine as a Bard, yeah chef's kiss. Everyone else nailed it also, just great stuff. The music, cinematography, costume design, special effects, and overall feel of the movie nailed it all. I am SO happy this movie turned out to be as good as it is, I just hope we get a sequel. It didn't do er, great box office numbers so the only hope now is streaming wise for people to buy it or stream it etc. And yes, the producers have talked about ideas for a sequel and I want it right now!
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It is so much like so many other things, because almost all of those other things were inspired by D&D, or created by folks who play D&D. :)
You guys actuallywant to play DnD now, right?
I need to see you two watch Game Night, if you havent seen it yet.
In case you missed it, Simon's Fresh Cut Grass line is a reference to a character from Critical Role
The dragon actually was modeled after a cat. Much of D&D is adapting to changing situations. In an early game with the game creators their fat cat jumped on the table and slid across knocking a bunch of the game over. So they said a pudgy dragon suddenly burst forth. And the dragon character became forever enshrined in the game.
The Hither-Thither staff is such an ass-pull and 100% something that you’d see in a D&D game because the players screwed up. I love it.
Absolutely. As a DM I can definitely see having to pull something like this out of my dice bag…
@@charleshartley9597 My face when Simon just rolls an Arcana to recognize it at a glance and not, realistically, absolutely blow the critical skill check at a crucial moment. I joked after the movie that the GM was fudging dice the entire time because the PCs are obviously rolling hot fire.
And the DM came up with a way to try and stop them from using it in place of the helm. The picture falls on the floor, face down.
@@Domura Seriously! In one of my games I had to intervene with some creative accounting because the party just *could not* roll over 10. It was so painful to witness…
cept they were playing pathfinder not dnd haha but yea
many actors and directors play in large dnd groups with each other in hollyweird
The pudgy dragon is actually a famous in game one, named Themberchaud, Wyrmsmith of Gracklstugh. He's overweight because the (evil) dwarves he's 'allied' with feed him almost constantly with slaves and criminals, in order to keep him happy and keep their forges lit with his dragonfire.
Though an evil red dragon, he's much beloved by nearly all players of the game, simply for his 'Oh lord he comin' chonky boi status, and this movie portrays him awesomely.
Haha that's awesome. I never played D&D but this movie is one of the most fun and adventurous movies I've seen in a while, and now I'm interested in the tabletop game now.
@@lukaszzylik4437 DEW IT!!
@@lukaszzylik4437 If you loved the vibe of this movie, definitely do it. This movie epitomizes what DnD is.
This movie is brilliant in having references and callouts that are still amazing and fun even if you have no idea that's what they are.
he a chonky boi
I'm convinced the guys who wrote this recorded themselves playing a D&D campaign and just turned it into a script. I absolutely loved this movie!
It feels EXACTLY like how a campaign plays out. It's brilliant
One of the writers is John Francis Daley from Freaks and Geeks. AFAIK, both he and his writing partner were long-time D&D players. Michelle Rodriguez is also a Jersey nerd through and through she's had thousands of hours in campaigns
Exactly
This is the kind of movie that honestly should get a best pic Oscar nod if they are doing ten, but never will.
Actually, the Director had them play the movie in a DND campaign using thier characters with a certified WoTC DM.
Holga saying "Don't tell me you wasted it on me" after being revived makes be tear up. After her husband moved on she probably felt like she wasn't deserving of that level of love.
I love how, unlike 99 percent of other fantasy/medieval movies, armor ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING in this film. A bunch of the guys Holga beats on keep getting up because their full plate is actually absorbing hits and deflecting blows, so she keep having to find more creative ways to beat the shit out of them to make them stay down.
agreed :D
I’d like to think so too but in many movies (especially in the action genre), people can simply take a lot of blunt force trauma- with or without armor. It’s just a common action trope, so difficult to say if anything is being subverted here.
The message would be clearer if she was actually whaling away with her axe and failing to do more than dent their plate mail, but most of the time she’s unarmed, disarmed, or using improvised blunt weapons (probably to meet a family friendly rating).
@wyomingsioux you need piercing weapons to get through plate. Axes and swords usually do little more than dent plate.
@Christopher Fields bludgeoning would be best. Hammers and maces and the like.
@@patrickwaldeck6681 if you have no skill...lol
I love the detail of Edgin being so good at talking other people up because he's a bard. Bards are basically the buffers in a DnD party. Their whole role is to enhance the abilities of their fellow party members or manipulate people through song and words.
Handing out inspiration dice all day.
I regretted that his bard abilities weren't played up a bit more.
Eh, he was in prison for a couple years. He's rusty.
@@abadyr_ Yeah, but it makes sense. They want it to be accessible to non-players, so having one spellcaster, one shapeshifter, one fighter, and one charming bastard, each with their own well-defined niche, helps a lot with that. If he started doing blatant bard magic, non-players would be like, "Wait, is he a wizard, too?"
@@IceMetalPunk I wished they would have labeled him more as a rogue with performance skill than as a bard. Yes, I know, they call him a bard in all their advertising but I always viewed that as more of a profession: bard than class: bard.
I recently found out that when Xenk was leaving the group to let the main characters fight their final battle. The actor walking away couldn't hear the director say cut and he kept walking so Chris Pine added all that commentary. It made it into the movie.
It's also a reference to NPC pathing.
That actually makes that soo much better.
Not that he didnt hear it. supposedly they wanted to know what he would do if they kept rolling. So that the whole bit is improvised.
No fucking way.
"he is just hungry let him eat the lead character"-Nikki's love for dragon is awesome
I love that they established from the very beginning that Ed and Holga were like brother and sister. Not every story requires the leads to have a love interest. Platonic love and loyalty are just as, if not more, interesting in my opinion. Also, I loved how funny this movie was. The jokes and gags were actually really clever and not just silly prat falls or lazy body humor. I read on imdb that the writers were going for a Princess Bride, Monty Python kind of humor and I really enjoyed that direction. And all the actors had great comedic delivery which always helps. My personal favorite was the councilwoman who yells "Jarnathan!" at the beginning and end of the movie. I would like to personally thank whoever gave her that direction.
Yeah, I liked the flashbacks of Ed realizing Holga is Kira's mother, regardless of his relationship with her
Saammee, they are absolute besties and I love that. And it's such a bard thing for Edgin to be like, 'i'd kiss you rn' to her.
We yell "Jarnathan!" at our house all the time now :)
I love it! @@apctest8359
Jarnathan is such a "What's this irrelevant NPC's name?" response from a DM (who then of course becomes the focal point of the players' minds)
I could see that whole scene playing out at my table
Them: "Who're on the panel of judges?"
Me, so that I can do a 2/3 roll behind the screen: "There's usually four, but the fourth is running late"
Them: "Can we wait for the fourth?"
Me: "Uhh, well th-"
Them: "What's the fourth one's name?"
Me: "You uh... Oh um Jar...na...than. And you have to plead your case right n-"
Them: "JARNATHAN??? The hell kind of name is that?"
Me: "Haha, uh... well he from a reclusive town in the mountains. It's a normal name for Aarakocra"
Them, thinking in unison: We got you, bastard. We're gonna ride that bird bitch
Loved this movie ALOT. Really felt like a group of friends playing in a d&d campaign.
I’ve read comparisons to the movie being presented like a real campaign, with the main cast being played by people with modern attitudes and some meta knowledge. The NPCs are a little flat in their performances, serving only to move the story forward and not given the emotional depth a fully fledged character would require.
For me it self like some of the 80s adventure movies
You know who would LOVE this movie? Jarnathan.
The "six-legged panther with crazy tentacles" is a displacer beast. They can make themselves appear to be 1-3 feet away from their actual position; they are also very, very fast.
Their arrival in the movie threw me back to Expedition to the Barrier Peaks campaign.
I LOVED how the displacer beasts were done here!
In one of my games, my group picked up some displacer beast kittens. My fairy character was extremely unimpressed by the giant cats.
@@knowledge-girl In one of the games I was in, the DM allowed us to find and adopt a baby red dragon.
"He has a Portal gun!"
Exactly.
Also the group of adventurers in the cage next to them (The wizard, short barbarian, "cavalier" wearing the yellow and blue...) were an Easter Egg to the 80's Saturday morning cartoon Dungeons and Dragons characters.
This movie surprised us by how funny and awesome it was!! For us kids of the 80s, we recognized one of the teams in the arena challenge at the end are the characters from the 80s D&D Saturday morning cartoon!!
But where was Uni?
This is one of my favorite parts of the movie!
90s kid here, and still, when I saw the group I screamed so much. Best place best chameo, everything my d&deing person didnt new I needed
The "fat" dragon its called Themberchaud and he appears for the first time in D&D in Drizz't Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark in 1999 which was a 2nd Edition supplement for the Forgotten Realms setting, but in 2015 an adventure called "Out of the Abyss" came out and it was where he got well knowned in D&D in general. And he was basically raised as a living furnace, sitting in place using his breath to heat up metal while being given endless food. That's why he's a lazy chonker! It was really cool seeing him on screen. And a fun fact that Themberchaud was first conceptualized when Gary Gygax (Co-creator of D&D) was running a game and a cat jumped onto the table during the session and started knocking things over, he improvised and used the cat as a fat dragon, who later had their lore expanded to become Themberchaud. God i grew up playing D&D and i love this movie hope it gets a sequel.
Now that this movie has set the hook, let's get you two onto "The Legend of Vox Machina"!
It's an animated series of the actual D&D game a bunch of very talented voice actors started to celebrate one of their friend's birthdays. It's straight up your alleys, I promise!
Yes!
Agreed! It’s absolutely worth a try!
It is! Unfortunately I believe Nikki and Steven have ruled out watching any animated shows on their channel. :(
Absolutely!
Oh my god YES!!
This movie is really well done. Not only is it accessible to those who are unfamiliar with D&D, but they were tremendously faithful to the setting and there's plenty of references and Easter eggs for those who are familiar with D&D.
It's like I told a non-D&D friend of mine "You see two mages fighting with magic hands, I see a Sorcerer fighting a Wizard with Maximilian's Earthen Grasp against Bixby's Hand, AND THAT'S WHY IT WORKS!"
Sofina, the primary villain after Forge, was played by Daisy Head. Who you may recognize from 'Sandman'. As Judy Talbot. One of the patrons in the diner.
Daughter of the great Anthony Stewart Head.
One of the things that really makes this movie so good is that it balances everything so well between fan service and story. All the little D&D Easter eggs and lore drops serve mainly to enhance the world rather than being integral to the story in such a way that only insiders would get it. Instead of being just a good D&D movie, it is a good movie built upon D&D and that makes all the difference. They also did a fantastic job on capturing the experience of sitting around a table with a group of friends and actually playing the game.
Well said.
The only thing that would have topped that if it had a end credit scene with the players sitting around a DnD Table and that was all just a session xD
Michelle Rodriquez as Holga was a perfect fit for her. She brought Holga to life, and it looked like she really enjoyed playing her. I hope if another D&D movie is made that she reprises her role as Holga Killgore!
I doubt it with how much this movie underperformed. I really fucking loved the movie and every reaction to it I've seen has been positive - but studios are all about money and this movie was definitely not profitable enough to afford them a sequel.
17:01 "Hey, a deer!" THANK YOU for remembering Holga's idea!
I played D&D as a teen.
The hobbit like little people are called halflings, 6 legged panthers with two tentacles, displacer beasts, the cube- gelatinous cube digests things it traps because it’s acidic. Black dragons- poison/toxic sludge, red dragons- fire. The chest that tried to eat people is a Mimic, & they often take the shape of something people want to reach into or investigate.
You two would have a lot of fun playing
Yes. Lost my "Cloak of Many Pockets" (wearable Bag of Holding) to a Cube on one of my first games. I was bummed for a long time after that, lol.
And in the arena, the party that makes it to the cage are the characters from the 80's DnD Cartoon series
"Chaos" is a very good term for Simon and his magic. One of the sub-classes in D&D is called Wild Magic, it was mentioned in the movie. Any time a sorcerer uses a big spell they run the risk of setting off their wild magic, and having to roll on a chart that ranges from amusing to terrifying :D
They did an astonishing amount with practical effects! If you get a chance, look up the special features where they talk about it but so many of the creatures were makeup, prosthetics, and animatronics. The graveyard scene was all practical. All in all, you can tell - whether a fan of D&D coming in or not - that a HUGE amount of love and care went into this film. Directors, cast, crew, all of them made something to be proud of!
Oh, and if you liked Sophia Lillis in this (and IT), check out "I Am Not Okay With This" where she is equally (if not more) fantastic. Though, fair warning - it ends on a cliffhanger so you have to accept a lack of resolution. But the fact that I recommend it anyway should say something! Thanks for this review in any case. Loved it!
This was the only movie that I have seen where even honest trailers gave it a glowing review with no real bad comments. This movie literally had it all in spades. The comedy was hilarious, the action amazing, the drama suspenseful, and the plot intricate. A++ in my book. Thanks for reacting to this movie.
" the only movie that I have seen where even honest trailers gave it a glowing review" the only other movie I know this is true off, too, is Die Hard. 😄
Universally loved and yet it still didn't do well enough at the box office :( Hopefully it will be a massive hit on streaming/dvd/blu-ray.
@@paulmccloud9395 I agree, this movie definitely deserves it. I could absolutely see this as a cult classic that as time goes by, keeps gaining momentum.
@@paulmccloud9395 Blame WotC shooting themselves in the foot for that, I'd say. I'm sure everyone is aware of what I mean when I say that.
@@fireradfieritis8953 Which honestly kind of sucks, because all the people who decided not to see the movie to spite Wizards actually screwed over the passionate filmmakers much more than they did Wizards.
I love you guys clocked Simon as pure chaos because that is the type of sorcerer he is! A wild magic sorcerer. In the game there is a chance his spells backfire and have another effect. A lot of effects can be beneficial like recovering magic others funny like becoming a potted plant and some not so fun like exploding!
I was always excited about this movie. But it turned out to be so much better than I thought. Definitely hoping for a sequel.
There's a D&D reason Holga keeps fighting with bricks, potatoes, etc. Every 4 level-ups, you get to take a "feat", which is just a special ability. There's a ton to choose from, and one, which Holga has, is called Tavern Brawler. It gives you a bonus when you attack with improvised weapons, meaning she's actually better at using what's around her to fight than she is at fighting with actual weapons. (Obviously she can still wield a real weapon, like an axe, too; but she's better with improvised ones than most players would be who don't have the Tavern Brawler feat.)
"This dude's total chaos!" EXACTLY! In D&D, you have classes (wizard, warlock, fighter, etc.) and then you have subclasses, which are like specialties. Simon is a Wild Magic sorcerer, which in game terms means that every time he casts a spell, there's a 1 in 20 chance that random magic just happens to him without his control. The benefit of picking that class as a player (besides being fun) is that, since the magic comes directly from the forces of chaos, it also lets you manipulate probability/luck, by giving you some extra dice rolls, or letting you change the results of a dice roll, etc. I don't think we see Simon use those luck abilities in the movie, but he could if he wanted to.
The Hither-Thither Staff isn't an official thing in the game. However, there are plenty of magic items that can let you cast a limited number of spells, and there is a spell called Dimension Door that has a similar effect (but with a range of 500 feet). I can absolutely see a DM going, "you fucked up the puzzle I had planned, and now there's no way for you to progress, so... here's a magic item to McGuffin your way forward, you dicks." 😂
"Aw, don't kill him, he's just hungry!" That's exactly the reaction I had to Themberchaud (the fat dragon) in the theater 😂 Just because he's a little peckish, and they're full of delicious meat, everyone wants to hurt the poor baby 🐲
Well, I'm sorry neither of you have ever played D&D, but as someone who has played that and many other games for over 35 years...yeah, it's pretty much like this all the time.
It was good to see a movie that understands what Dungeons and Dragons is about.
44:32 Another RUclipsr said these people here are a reference to the main characters of the D&D cartoon from the 80s.
This movie was surprisingly good, I'm glad I got to see in theater with my D&D group. Hope they make a sequel
When Steven said, "I love this world," I just wanted to say that despite how great this movie is, it didn't even scratch the surface of the lore and world of D&D. It's been ever-expanding for four decades, and it just keeps getting bigger.
Don't worry about the Dragon! One that size is categorized as "Ancient" which means they are REALLY hard to kill. Getting stabbed in the head and having a cave collapse on them is nothing. Chubby will be fine
Also, it's Themberchaud, so all the fat probably provides extra protection
I love how they note the subtle difference between Edgin's wife and Kira's mother even though they are description the same woman. That is good writing.
The dragon is the most adorable thing in this movie! No chasing scene is as adorable as the dragon chase in this movie!
He rolled over because he's too chubby to get up! 😂🥰
The scene with Zenk walking away was partly improvised. The plan was to cut away before he got to the rock, but when they were filming Rege couldn't hear the person telling him to stop so he kept going, for 12 minutes apparently before a crew member caught up to him to stop him.
Edit: That spell Simon used to summon the fake Edgin is "Conjure: Major Image"
Edit 2: The "Six-legged Panther with tentacles" is a Displacer Beast.
The reason the scene where Xenk is walking away on the beach is so weird is because when the actor turned and walked away, no one called cut. So he just kept walking, and Chris Pine improved the little voiceover.
Since you’re enjoying this movie so much, maybe do Vox Machina?
They don't do animated shows.
@@danielruiz8259 Maybe they should start 🙂
@@IceMetalPunk ❤
43:12 Best Easter Egg ever - the other party consists of the characters from the 1980’s D&D cartoon.
Unfortunately most of those actors were miscast, "Bobby" in particular is way too old. I would love to see a live action movie adaptation of that cartoon series though.
Fun fact: Simon’s Great Great Grandfather is Elminster Aumar, who is the character of Ed Greenwood, the creator of the Forgotten Realms setting.
The prisoner offload at the start reminded me a lot of the Velociraptor offload at the start of Jurassic Park.
Goeffry, open the gate!
The are way more practical effects here than you might think! I'm pretty sure all of the reanimated corpses in the graveyard were done through old-school makeup.
The amount of D&D references and quip you'd see in a game, that they managed fit into this movie, is impressive.
I'm sure someone's already said it in the comments but FUN FACT!
All the actors for the main cast got together with the Directors and a Dungeon Master to play a game as their movie characters. This way they'd get used to acting as them, as well as get more familiar with the lore and setting.
Jarnathan the Aaracokra was the character the Directors John and Johnathan played together. If I'm remembering right he had two heads, one for each of them, but they scrapped that part for the movie.
FYI, because you loved it so much, there are Owlbear plushies available to buy. Theyre stupid adorable.
I've only ever played D&D once, but I'm a fan of "The Order of the Stick" - an online comic that's based on D&D characters - so I was able to recognize the Paladin, and guess that Holga is a Barbarian ... just little things like that. This movie was epic! So glad you guys reacted to it!
Order of the stick is freaking awesome!
Another great watch for anyone who likes the mix of chaotic idiocy and dead-serious drama that DnD can provide is The Legend of Vox Machina. And, just like this movie, you don't have to know a thing about DnD in order to enjoy it
The humour fits perfectly in this movie
Great movie
A series on this would be great
well... i got good news for you cause check what they're producing for paramount+
8:31 "Cuz you're acting like it's not your fault." Steven: *cringe* then immediately looks to Nikki. Nikki: * no reaction=knowledge* Yep....just.....*as a single parent*.....YEP!!!
Those dead bodies were all make-up, puppet or animatronic x3c
I love this movie so much. I am a huge fan of D&D and this setting in particular. Me and my friends play at least once a week.
I'm so happy to see a D&D movie that looks like how it feels in our heads yknow and I also love seeing all of the people completely new, like yourselves, enjoying it as well!
Welcome to the wide world(s) of Dungeons and Dragons :D!
The prospect of more Forgotten Realms movies is particularly promising. Neverwinter. Baldur’s Gate. Thay. The Underdark. The entirety of Faerun is now fair game for cinematic adaptation. That Drizzt Do’Urden/Icewind Dale movie seems closer to reality now. And so do adaptations of the Time of Troubles and the Bhaalspawn Saga. The tones of those stories would be much less comedic though, so they would require an adjustment of expectations.
But above all, I am hoping for a live action Dragonlance adaptation.
@@wyomingsioux Yesss! I would love that! There *has* been a Dragonlance cartoon movie that I love dearly in a “so bad it’s good” way xD not something Dragonlance deserves though x3c
I think you two would have a BLAST playing D&D!!! The Paladin Xenk is thought to be what we call a DM (Dungeon Master, they run the game) controlled NPC (Non Player Character). He was put there to move the plot along, hence why he is so rigid and walks the way he does. Great review you guys, keep em coming!
If you guys love this, the same directors other movie, Game Night, is one of the absolute funniest movies I've ever seen. This brand of comedy, but R rated
we demand a sequel to this, with Edgin restored to his former post and kicking ass *AS* a Harper.
he'd be the equivalent of D&D FBI.
and who knows what kind of shit Simon and Doric would be able to pull off when they get THEIR shit straight.
They can sell me anything with Chris Pine in it... and they did a great job with the casting ... I loved this movie and hope they make more ...
The Pudgy dragon (named Themberchaud) is my favorite part 😂that and the three questions if you ever have played dnd; you would know just how typical that moment can happen
I still remember asking an ancient golem whether or not a sacred item can pour me a pint of beer (since I'm a chaotic neutral dwarf barbarian named Kelfinball)
But more to the point -- this film does a great job at keeping audiences entertained while also not going too ham on the dnd stuff; the cast was great, the visuals and just the reek and oozing of fantasy energy is through the roof here. I honestly cannot wait to see where future dnd movie projects go. Because man, first The Legend Vox Machina and now this film?! Goodness gracious i definitely got my dnd fix for the year haha.
I know this is part of the D&D "character sheet" troupe, but the movie is made all the better by the consistency of the characters. They do exactly what a person of their skills and motivations would do...which, bizarrely, makes a D&D movie somehow more realistic than most things coming out of Hollywood these days. Loved it.
This is a quest of a man to reunite with his daughter...
A noble quest...
I feel like that’s a big plus of this movie is that it’s a fun fantasy action/adventure movie that’s entertaining for almost any audience, but if you’re familiar with the game, it just adds a level of appreciation for parts of the film.
Fat Dragon was one of my absolute favorite things...
I just love that whole dungeon sequence overall with the Paladin too overall.
Really enjoyed this one. My only D&D experience comes from the video games like Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale. This movie was very newcomer friendly as well as a treat for those more familiar with the world and systems.
They even included the 6 second turn and 6 second round seamlessly.
I love that you guys liked this movie so much that it makes you want to learn more about the game! I've been a D&D player for most of my adult life and getting new people into the hobby for the first time is always a good time. Hopefully you guys can find a game either locally or online and get to play sometime!
this movie did such a good job making it feel like playing DnD with your friends. just a blast
I've played D&D on and off since the 80s, and this movie was everything I ever wanted a D&D movie to be. I'm really happy to see people who've never played loving the movie as much as I did. There were a ton of easter eggs for D&D players in the movie, and I think they did a great job of making it feel distinctly like D&D as opposed to feeling like a generic fantasy movie, while at the same time making it really accessible for people who don't know anything about D&D.
FYI, Bradley Cooper's character wasn't a hobbit, he was a halfling. Halfings are basically hobbits. In fact, they are so very much like hobbits that in the earliest editions of D&D they were actually called hobbits, until the estate of J.R.R. Tolkein came along and said "Hey wait, that's our trademark!" And so the D&D hobbits became the effectively identical, but legally distinct, halflings.
15:52 "So we'll keep your share then" is totally something a player character would say. :)
I love this movie because it reminds me so much of the D&D campaigns I played in my youth. If you can find yourselves a decent Dungeon Master I recommend you try it out I think you'd love it. :)
One of my friends in my current campaign's party is a chaotic goblin rogue of very gray morality, named Gree'jhit. He has a peculiar way of speaking, so he wouldn't quite say that... but he'd 100% say "Gree'jhit keep animal lady's money!" 😂
I loved this movie. Absolutely fun from start to finish. :) I SO hope we get a sequel - the characters are so great.
The one time adding new characters and acting like they were always there would actually work.
And if anyone doesn't come back, they can just say "they had a thing."
There's so many sly D&D references in this movie. Not just the creatures or the Nat 20/Crit Fail story progression or even the infamous DM ass-pulls, but just the tiny things. For example, when Edgin gets an important item, he tosses it to Simon and says, "Hold this." If you've never played the game, it just sounds like he's being irreverent. In actuality, Simon probably has a Bag of Holding (a D&D item that is basically a mini pocket dimension.) The line could be interpreted as 'hold onto this' or 'stick it in the Bag of Holding'
28:53 It was Hook, with Robin Williams, where we were introduced to Dante Basco's Rufio. Who went on to play, Zuko in the Avatar: The Last Airbender and Jake from Disney's Jake Long the American Dragon.
Owlbears are one of the classic creatures of D&D, as a 40+ year D&D player. I love to see it represented in movie form. :)
This movie not only works for those who haven't played D&D, but there are so many in-jokes for long-time players, too.
For instance, just in the Jarnathon scene, you have: 1. The name "Jarnathon" itself, which is such an ass-pull by the DM when the party suddenly asks for the minor NPC's name. 2. Jarnathon's race, Aaracokra, are made extremely uncomfortable by confinement (yes, the birdfolk hate cages), so it makes it seem like he wanted him there as Jarny would be the easiest to convince to approve the pardon. And 3. The party has a completely unhinged escape plan when the easiest way (getting the actual pardon) would have actually worked.
Even better... It HAD worked. They had gotten pardoned.
Just pressed "play" on this reaction. I LOVED this movie, and you two are some of my favorite reactors. I am SO excited to see what you think.
The opening escape scene is a classic case of an instance where the Dungeon Master is trying to give the players a break and move the game along but the players have their own plan and the DM is just along for the ride!
Hey guys, if you loved this. The fantasy, and the comedy, you'll really enjoy Legend of Vox Machina. It's wonderful😊
❤
This movie is getting more love now, then in theaters. Dope reaction.
The group of characters in the maze (the barbarian, magician etc) that are caught in the cage are from the actual 80s cartoon called Dungeon & Dragons. A nice easter egg!
I watched this movie already 3 times. I freaking love it ! I wish we could get more D&D movie with them ! I agree with you both very much! great reaction !
A cool little detail that isn't explained but it seen on screen... Simon has a bag of holding, a little purse basically on his side. A couple times you see him put things in or pulls things out of it, usually in the background. It has effectively infinite space inside, as long as you can fit the object through its opening. That is why Edgin keeps handing him things for him to hold onto, because he has a little purse that can hold everything. That's where he keeps producing all these items from, like the staff, the helmet, the book, the sending stones, etc. All of them are in there while they are not being used.
For some reason I thought y'all had already reacted to The Legend Of Vox Machina, but y'all absolutely should. It's an actual d&d campaign played by a bunch of voice actors who managed to turn it into an animated series. It's got dragons, dick jokes, sexy vampires, graphic violence, an a stacked cast.
The exploding volcano represents the area they're in - it's called the city of Neverwinter because it's never winter there - thanks to the heat from the river which is heated by fire elementals. It's actually fairly far north. The start of the movie's prison scene shows what the region would look like otherwise. You even get a transition from a polar climate to tundra to temperate during their travel.
32:43 "Oh my God, he fell. He fell."
The graveyard scene is one of my favorite things this year. So damn funny
43:12 These characters are an Easter Egg of the characters from the early '80s D&D cartoon.
The Forgotten Realms is such a great D&D world... Both to play PnP games and video games in.. The novels are also sooo great... Ed Greenwood is my favorite.. He's the guy who created the Forgotten Realms world (the world this movie takes place in).. and I also love books by Scott Ciencin, Troy Denning, James Lowder, Elaine Cunningham, and of course R. A. Salvatore..
Highly recommend the Novels Spellfire by Ed Greenwood (I was 13 when I first read this book, and it's what got me into D&D), the The Avatar Trilogy (Titles Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep written by Scott Ciencin, Troy Denning, James Lowder) and Evermeet: Island of Elves by Elaine Cunningham...
50:04 I literally died laughing 🤣💀 "cos we're family".
This movie was so much fun,I really like these characters and CGI was pretty good too,I'm glad I watched this movie in theaters,hope we get a sequel :)
How did you two keep it together during the distraction glitch? I was gasping for oxygen for 10 minutes after that scene. 😅
The big cat with the tentacles is called a displacer beast
One of my favorite creatures of D&D
I loved, loved this movie. It actually felt like a real D&D game on the screen. The spells were obvious. It was funny without being obnoxious. The fights were good. So many in-gags too. It really, really needs a sequel.
Watching you guys genuinely laugh out of joy at a movie is just as good as watching you cry and weep at a movie (Train to Busan is what comes to mind). Love you guys and your reactions. This movie was such a joy for D&D and I hope it brought new fans and players to the tabletop game.
I went into this movie thinking that it couldn't possibly be good and was stunned by legitimately good it was. I laughed out loud at a few of the jokes, i shed a tear at the end and most importantly i just had fun watching it. What more could you want from a movie? Thanks for watching it :)
I know what you mean. When I saw the previews, I was actually surprised that it was going to cinemas rather than straight to streaming. But I wanted to see it anyway because I like D&D (not that I've played all that much.)
This movie knew exactly what it was and what it wanted to do, and stuck the landing. Top marks.
lots of the creature effects in this were practicle - well cept the dragon and the discplacer beast (tenticle cat) lol
30:25
Themburchaud here is actually housed and raised by a clan of underdark dwarves called duergar, with the purpose of using his fire to keep their forges lit at all times. In return for this service, they feed him seemingly endless amounts of food to hold his hunger at bay and keep him so damn chonk that he can’t even leave, let alone pose a threat to the duergar if he were to get tired of the arrangement.
The best thing when I saw this movie was the fact we had just fought Owlbears and Displacer Beasts (the panther with tentacles) literally the DnD session before seeing this
"He's absolute chaos" - that's a Wild Magic sorcerer for ya!
I once ran a one-shot for my friends based on twisted Disney movies, and gave each of them a Disney DMPC escort while they were separated. Elsa was, of course, a Wild Magic sorcerer with Elemental Adept. I built a whole custom wild magic table to fit her ice powers, and a system beyond the usual "1 in 20 chance random shit happens". And then, because of the luck of the dice... it only triggered once. The entire one-shot, ONE little thing happened, and the rest of the table was never used. I wanted chaos, dammit! 😂
Considering they nearly had Drizzt in the place of the Paladin, I would have flipped out.
Kinda glad they didn't use him.
As cool as it would have been to see Drizzt, I have a hard time seeing it done right without some kind of issue.
On one hand I would have loved to see him, on the other I'm kinda glad they didn't use him. He's such a well established character, one wrong line and you've fumbled it
Feel like this is a hidden gem of 2023. I wasn't expecting to like this movie as much as I did.
23:05 Those kitties are called Tabaxi! They're cat-people who are also playable race options for players. They're super fun to play!
The fact they made a DnD movie everyone can Love is Fantastic!!!!
my favorite thing is the first scene, once a party makes a plan they go with the plan even if it makes everything 1000% worse
As others have said, this movie absolutely NAILED D&D. The Hither-Thither staff is something a DM would break out to help players who screwed up etc, it's a great damn touch. The oddly specific jokes about Jarnathan etc are all something a really close-knit D&D group would do along with the random stuff they throw in here from a session. The writers obviously played D&D and ALL the actors were perfect. Michelle Rodriguiz was great as Holga, and Chris Pine as a Bard, yeah chef's kiss. Everyone else nailed it also, just great stuff. The music, cinematography, costume design, special effects, and overall feel of the movie nailed it all. I am SO happy this movie turned out to be as good as it is, I just hope we get a sequel. It didn't do er, great box office numbers so the only hope now is streaming wise for people to buy it or stream it etc. And yes, the producers have talked about ideas for a sequel and I want it right now!
You guys are made for D&D. Your the type trust me.
I loved how Bradley Cooper is, again, playing a small character. A *mini* cooper, if you will
Ba-Dum-Bump!