Dragonlance - Dragons Of The Autumn Twilight
by Will Meugniot
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Fred Tatasciore, Kiefer Sutherland, Lucy Lawless, Michael Rosenbaum, Michelle TrachtenbergDirector: Will Meugniot
Brand: Paramount
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-01-15
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Movie Reviews of Dragonlance - Dragons Of The Autumn Twilight
Movie Review: Great for kids
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Summary of Dragonlance - Dragons Of The Autumn Twilight
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