That movie was way better than I expected it to be.
this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2023
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I really do need to get around to watching it...
If you want a couple hours of good natured fun it's worth it. It's a movie I'm glad I watched.
Edit: the jokes in it are so stupid you have to laugh with them. Like they knew how dumb they are and they play it perfectly.
It is the closest to a real world campaign I have ever seen, including the terrible jokes and having to roll with plans that go sideways.
Isn’t plan D just plan B again?
The entire speak with dead scene is how I'd run it as a DM, honestly. Especially the "I'm bad at math" bit.
"What's wrong with my lips?!"
so stupid you have to laugh with them. Like they knew how dumb they are
"Well, that's a little hurtful."
Dude, it so fun. It plays like both a movie, and a bunch of players playing the adventure. I'm agoraphobic, and I went to the theater to see it, and I didn't regret it. That may not seem like much, but I rarely go to the movies because I almost always regret it, even if the movie is good.
I've seen it a half dozen times now :)
That's something I couldn't quite put my finger on. The movie isn't overtly meta but it has a meta feeling about it. Like at times you can begin to profile the "players" of these characters. Really captured the spirit of a lighthearted evening session complete with a seasoned DM (even though there is no DM character in the movie) that makes you feel your own feelings when you might have least expected it.
I loved how some of the characters are common subversions of expectations, but in believable ways done very well.
The bard wasn't horny per the stereotype, he just wanted his wife back.
The barbarian was a barbarian in combat, but calm and collected when discussing her personal shortcomings with her ex.
On top of that the major threat was still localized even though it was part of a larger threat.
Just really got the feeling right of a campaign.
Just for fun, I wanna put forward my ideas of each player.
Edgin is always coming up with shenanigans, to the point you forget how seriously he takes his backstory.
Holga is absolutely the kind of player who plays a Barbarian. Snacking during play, letting the bard play the face, only kinda following along when people discuss magic but still with a clear place in the world.
Doric is the new player. She picked a tiefling druid cause it seemed fun and magical, and said "can I turn into an owlbear?" in her first session, so the DM obviously said yes.
Simon is the one who invited Doric because he has a crush on her. He tries to flirt with her irl by flirting in the game.
I would argue that the group used to have a different DM, and Forge was the PC of the player who took over the DM's chair.
It’s Pirates of the Caribbean in the style of Lord of the Rings! It’s super fun!
It's on Prime atm.
I wanted to watch Invincible legit but, uh, it's not out yet. At least I kind of got my money's worth from this and Good Omens.
Did you see the Atom Eve feature? That's a thing to tide us over, although I haven't gotten around to watching it yet myself.
Try "druid escape scene" with the movie on youtube and check that out. Its an amazing camera shot with wild shapes
The only problem is watching the scene and thinking about all the ways the rules won't let you do it.
Nah, I just stand there and admire the cinematography. If you're gonna fuck up the rules, then make it enjoyable. Aka, the rule of cool, but represented by a talented artist.
The DM just has an unshakable, deep devotion to the Rule of Cool.
It's pretty good. Not amazing, but pretty good.
It's amazing for the depth and detail it delivers as a D&D movie. It's certainly no LotR, but it doesn't pretend to be either and definitely doesn't take itself seriously (plenty of examples of subtle 4th wall breaks). I found I enjoyed it even more the second time around after reading what D&D players had to say (mostly positive) and seeing the details I missed that they caught.
Avoiding spoilers I'll give it my highest praise for how they handled the character relationships. You could argue the movie is action/adventure slop but it handles the characters quite well.
The fact that a dnd movie, nowadays, is pretty good is what is fucking amazing.
"Not amazing"? Have you even seen any other D&D movie ever made? They're mud-caked shitbricks to this flick. Comparing it to any other film is right up there with expecting a fish to climb a tree. 🤌🏼
You don't have to compare movies to other entries in the same franchise. Just the same genre is enough.
Like, Resident Evil movies suck. A lot. I don't have to pick one and say "The others are worse, so this must be good". I can confidently say that "this is the better one, but it still sucks".
As for the DnD movie, I was honestly disappointed, especially as I went to watch it after hearing the very positive online discourse about it, which elevated my expectations a bit.
I swear, if you're one of those still gargling Peter Jackson's kiwi fruits... 🤦🏼♂️
I don't have the slightest idea of what the meaning of those words is, but "gargling Peter Jackson's kiwi fruit" might be the funniest insult I've ever received.
Actually, no, scratch that. I was called an "inverted can of shoe polish" once on Reddit. That's still the funniest. You take the second spot, though.
NGL, that sounds low-key racist, but I wasn't there. 😅
It was a so much fun and made my family want to get into DnD.
I haven't watched it yet due to the whole OGL business that was going on at the time. Maybe i'll give it a try now.
Temberchaud was hilarious.
IMHO every campaign like this feels like Monty Python and the Holy Grail: The DM tries everything to keep the party on the right track.
The Stanley Parable
I have a secret guys : the bard is not a bard. It's a rogue with a bit of charisma and a music instrument proficiency!
In my last campaign my bard could out rogue our rogue. I tried to be chill about it and let the rogue do rogue things, since my character really made her character kind of obsolete outside of stabbing things.
I want a bard that is basically one of the two dudes from Kung Fu Hustle with the lap harp thing. Firing off invisible knife missiles from the harp.
This is why I prefer PbtA systems: I experience genuine joy whenever the PCs break my stuff.
Definitely need those improv skills though!
Boi, been there!
I spent quite a lot of time at university doing improv, and what I learned has come in useful in all walks of life, but also for roleplaying games. It doesn't matter whether your improvisation and storytelling skills are good or bad, everyone improves with practice and experience.
My players are starting a religion, with them as the centerpiece, could have expected it.
I kinda get what you are saying, but... for me improv is a skill that is hard to train or to master and relies a lot on luck. Will I think of something cool now and then ? Will I get ideas ? How will my brain interact with this exploration ? Its hard to say that improvisation isnt highly reliable on what you get at that moment between neurones.
How many times have I thought of better, cooler or more adapted ways to do what I had to improv days or weeks later ? Time is a finite resource, and when improvising time is your enemy. The longer or shorter you have to think, the better or worse it might end up with.