Dungeons And Dragons

Check out our review of Dungeons And Dragons - is it any good and how suitable is it for kids?

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Dungeons And Dragons

Starring: Jeremy Irons, Justin Whalin. (12)

Release date: 2000

1 out of 5

1

Widely regarded as one of the worst films of 2000 (you have been warned), this fantasy adventure is based on the popular role-playing board game of the same name. Which seems a bit of a dumb movie-making decision – surely all the kids into D&D are going to be too busy playing the game at home to bother going out to see a movie version? To make matters worse, it was something of a labour of love for director Courtney Solomon, who bought the movie rights to the game when he was nineteen and then spent more than a decade raising funds and support to get it made. Only to hear that everyone wishes he hadn’t bothered.
The story is set in the land of Izmer, where sixteen-year old Savina (Thora Birch) has inherited the throne. She’s overthrown by nasty Profion (Irons), though, and only a magical rod that can control red dragons will save her. For some reason she puts her faith in two bumbling thieves (Whalin and Marlon Wayans), who have to retrieve it before Profion finds it. And that’s about it, once you throw in some clichés, politics, dull dialogue, duller action, a bonkers performance from Irons that’s silly rather than scary and a wetter-than-an-April-shower one from Whalin (better known as Jimmy in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman). 

Is Dungeons And Dragons suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

This was a 12 certificate on its cinema release, and nothing here should faze kids of that age.
Younger children (who probably shouldn’t be watching) will be scared by the dark dungeons, the dragons, and quite graphic fight scenes. And we haven’t mentioned the bloke who has sucky-tentacle thingies coming out of his ears.

If you like this, why not try: The Princess Bride, Shrek, Clash Of The Titans 2010, Time Bandits, Prince Of Persia,