By Camerron Martin 

Anything and everything is fair game in the movie industry these days as companies and producers seek inspiration for their next big blockbuster hit. Movies based on books, plays, video games, and even board games have repeatedly been released for as long as film has been around. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the popular board game Dungeons and Dragons finally got its turn in the spotlight.

The movie was released in theaters on Friday, March 3, and there were many mixed feelings people initially held about the film. With the record of video and board game movie adaptations being reasonably poor, people were still determining what to expect from the movie, despite the scenes in the trailers showing promise for the film.

After recently seeing the movie in theaters, I thought it was as well-made as the trailers presented it. Dungeons and Dragons is a game that involves a lot of imagination. Therefore, many often stray off the path of prebuilt adventures to create their worlds, which is okay as it sparks creativity. Still, the movie itself is mainly based on the original principles of the Dungeons and Dragons board game initially released in 1974 by a company known as Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) until the late nineties when that game came under the ownership of Hasbro Inc.

Being an advocate player in Dungeons and Dragons, it was very easy to understand what was happening throughout the film and even allowed for some insight into the directions it could have gone in based on previously known background knowledge. However, one would only have to be a fan of the game to appreciate the movie, as it could be viewed as a movie set in medieval fantasy about a group of adventures on an epic quest. 

The film follows closely to the source material, which adds that level of authenticity to it which makes it enjoyable to watch. Despite the film’s fantasy setting, it feels like it is in proportion, as everything that takes place during its duration is something a player could achieve.

It’s effortless to watch the characters in the movie face off against their challenges and foes and imagine a table of friends acting out all of the scenes through the game. Each encounter shows how well a player might have rolled for an action based on the characters’ success. 

The movie also kept a good pace and always came to a point where it could have been more exciting and exciting, as it contained scenes of humor, action, sorrow, and happiness throughout its entire runtime. The characters could have been more varied; whether they were main or side characters, they all had a relatively detailed reason to exist in the story. The scenery throughout the locations that were shown was very well designed as well. It gave a great look into the world of Dungeons and Dragons that players’ characters often experience.

Overall, the movie was well made, and the actors who played the characters did a great job. Seeing a sequel to the story or even a completely new story in the same universe, much like a different campaign, would do just as well if they continue to hold it close to the source material.