Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness
Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness
PG-13 | 09 August 2012 (USA)
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A noble warrior must battle dragons and demons while upholding his moral code as he covertly joins a group of villains to rescue his kidnapped father from Shathrax, the Mind Flayer, who threatens to destroy the world.

Reviews
Interesteg

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TrueHello

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

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Leoni Haney

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

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Allison Davies

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

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jseph1234-262-617488

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film and its basis in the D&D lore. Unlike the first film which was just too much of the waynan brother slap-stick comedy and took away from any serious D&D adult theme, this film brings you the REAL essence of being a person in that dangerous, magical world

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Anssi Vartiainen

As someone who has played D&D for years, I can only marvel how this movie even manages to exist. It feels like someone literally took their campaign notes and used them as a script. It's not a movie inspired by roleplaying games, it's not based on any single campaign. It simply is a campaign, word for word.And for what it is, it's amazing. The world of Dungeons & Dragons is transferred to the silver screen in all of its geeky glory. Men of might and valor set worth from their rural origins to battle great evil. Necromancers openly walk the streets, mass murdering people left and right with their black magic. Because that's what you do when you're evil. Loot is gathered, and even sold in stores, using the geekiest names imaginable. Dragons are slain, forces vanquished and damsels saved. It's glorious.It's also stupid beyond all belief, don't get me wrong, but that's how we like it. The acting is surprisingly decent, given the budget, but it's still pretty terrible. The technical aspects show the lack of budget and the story... well, as stated, I think they simply used the campaign notes instead of writing an actual script.This movie has a lot of "so bad it's good" value to it, especially if you're a gamer. It's bad, it's oh so bad, but it's entertaining as well. Exercise caution and bring a bowl of popcorn.

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Patrick Martin Frosz Nielsen

Considering the previous two failed attempts at making D&D movies, I was positively surprised at this one. Having followed the Book of Vile Darkness promotion a year past, I knew that the movie was in production for quite some time, along with its source material (the D&D 4th Edition Book of Vile Darkness for those wondering), and there are several references in the movie that will appear more than anything as name dropping or inside jokes - which can be a good thing, provided that you know what is being referred to. To be precise, the Heroic and Paragon tiers are mentioned in regards to magic armor, and the main character also encounters thassil root poison, and both Vicious and Vorpal longswords, along with a Bag of Holding (the last of which is used in a manner that most seasoned D&D players would be proud of). Furthermore, both the sun god Pelor and the Shadowfell, the D&D realm of the dead (along with Gloomwrought, the closest thing it has to a capital city) are mentioned. The inclusion of shadar-kai and a goliath instead of the typical elves and dwarfs is also a nice touch, and in line with this, it breaks with many typical fantasy tropes.As mentioned above, knowing the source material beforehand can be a boon in the case of this movie, especially since the Book of Vile Darkness in its previous edition was suited only for people aged 18+ because of its... well, "vile" contents, along with a focus on playing evil characters that is unheard of elsewhere in typical D&D, where the player characters are usually the heroes - and the main character in the movie faces some of the same moral quandaries that are mentioned directly in the D&D source material. There is also the fact that the main characters mention a red dragon at some point in the movie that is clearly not a dragon, but a Nhagruul Dragonspawn, and is thus again tied to the Book of Vile Darkness supplement for D&D 4th Edition. It is strange that this isn't mentioned at all in the movie, however.The acting isn't the best that one could want (maybe except for the Vermin Lord, who fits the bill perfectly) and some of the lines are somewhat illegible at times, but I would praise the story in that it both manages to feel somewhat "realistic" (in-universe at least) while staying interesting and entertaining.All in all, I would consider this movie a success, in that it was both entertaining and thought- provoking, the latter of which especially with the aforementioned moral quandaries in mind. It's probably not for everyone, but I would recommend it to any somewhat seasoned D&D player, along with anybody interested in a fantasy film a bit darker and grittier than the usual.

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inkkipeipee

I really do not understand the low scores on this movie...Yes, it is low budget, and yes it lacks the shine of those expensive movies...So? The plot is OK, love story is more realistic than in many many other movies, even the characters are believable. I usually find many annoyances in films, even the best ones, but whats very weird, nothing really annoyed me in this one.I have played D&D games, and many other RPGs, but I don't think thats of any relevance, this is a decent movie for all who like these sword & magic fantasy flicks.For a low budget movie, even the CG effects are very successful. And there's some more eye candy in the form of a Gothic hot chick ;D I had somewhat low expectations for this one, and I was very positively surprised, so 8/10 for this one, and thanks to other who have commented, wouldn't have watched it without you.If you are into this kind of movies, try it, you might be surprised too...

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