I stand by comments I've made prior on the film: it wasn't bad. It was surprisingly good.

But you can't deny that WotC and Hasbro took a giant Cleveland Steamer shit all over the very people they needed to watch the movie multiple times.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on May 05, 2023, 08:25:14 PM
it wasn't bad. It was surprisingly good.

But you can't deny that WotC and Hasbro took a giant Cleveland Steamer shit all over the very people they needed to watch the movie multiple times.

my thoughts exactly. i just watched it, and i don't get why all the the bashing for this movie, tbh - on its own merits, it's very good.

Quote from: Klava on May 06, 2023, 02:01:12 PM

Quote from: Ghostmaker on May 05, 2023, 08:25:14 PM
it wasn't bad. It was surprisingly good.

But you can't deny that WotC and Hasbro took a giant Cleveland Steamer shit all over the very people they needed to watch the movie multiple times.

my thoughts exactly. i just watched it, and i don't get why all the the bashing for this movie, tbh - on its own merits, it's very good.

Which makes it even more dumb and perplexing they went with the "marketing" they did (We love to emasculate the male leads).

Usually that type of marketing is reserved for shitty movies to shield them from criticism.

A friend of mine rented it on Amazon (yes, it's already available for streaming) and after seeing it my review is that it's "aggressively average." Nothing offensive, but also nothing that actually awes you either.

Quote from: Funkenspalter on May 04, 2023, 02:29:48 PMYes, there are allusions, but everything seemed so forced and potatoes won't get you very far. Presumably the writers of the film have never played D&D and are not familiar with the story.

Hasbro seems to have made the most common mistakes that modern Hollywood is constantly making: Spending so much on the movie that only a massive success will break even, hiring writers unfamiliar with the franchise (or even the genre of the franchise), and casting B-list actors that cost money but don't draw customers to the theater.

However, it appears that the movie tanking will have no effect as Hasbro's stock recently jumped 13% due to "strong growth in the company's digital gaming segment." All of use TTRPG players are just dinosaurs waiting to go extinct.

Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez will still predispose me to see a movie. I've seen bad movies that they both were in, but if you make enough movies, they won't all be good.

Quote from: Armchair Gamer on April 27, 2023, 04:52:51 PM

Quote from: cavalier973 on April 27, 2023, 03:27:38 PM
And it didn't have to.

Absent the OGL debacle and the nonsense spouted by WoTC staff and by the movie directors (or promoters or whatever they were), and, perhaps, the unfortunate nearness of Mario's movie release date and that of the John Wick movie, and the marketing that made it seem like another Marvel-style movie that I suspect people are growing tired of, it would have done well. A greater percentage of people might have gone a second time, bringing their friends.

  All this, and the marketing seemed designed to remind those of us with long memories of the 2000 movie. I realize there are certain tropes attached to D&D, but "rogues in an urban fantasy setting going on a treasure hunt" hits a bit too close to the last attempt...

That one I noticed as well. Another team of thieves? Why?
Least they did it better this time.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on April 28, 2023, 02:16:26 PM

Quote from: Ghostmaker on April 28, 2023, 10:00:55 AMComplete agreement here. WotC and Hasbro seem to delight in shooting themselves, over and over.

How much influence did Hasbro have over the movie? If you look at the writers and directors, they are all established Hollywood types. There's no sign that any of WotC's writers had anything to do with how the movie was scripted.

The first movie WotC meddled in it to a degree. Odds are hasbro had a say here too.

Budget: $151 million
Standard to break even 2.5X the budget: $378 million
Worldwide Boxoffice: $203 million
Currently losing: 378-203 = $175 million

Those numbers are to date AND very generous BTW the multiplier is 2.5 to 3 X it's budget to break even.

In Mexico it's almost out of all theaters, I would imagine the same holds true for the rest of the world.

It'll break even ONLY if it makes it's money back at the box office, it's how it has always been meausured for every other movie.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on May 14, 2023, 12:30:28 PM
Budget: $151 million
Standard to break even 2.5X the budget: $378 million
Worldwide Boxoffice: $203 million
Currently losing: 378-203 = $175 million

Those numbers are to date AND very generous BTW the multiplier is 2.5 to 3 X it's budget to break even.

In Mexico it's almost out of all theaters, I would imagine the same holds true for the rest of the world.

It'll break even ONLY if it makes it's money back at the box office, it's how it has always been meausured for every other movie.

More importantly, there is no buzz about this movie.  Nobody is buying toys, t-shirts, merchandise, or anything else based on this.  Within a week of Top Gun: Maverick, I saw t-shirts, Legos, Ace Combat 5 added special DLC for the movie, etc.  This movie has done nothing to "build a brand."

It lost money and generated no cultural buzz.  It's a flop.  It tanked.

Quote from: Eirikrautha on May 14, 2023, 05:12:09 PM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on May 14, 2023, 12:30:28 PM
Budget: $151 million
Standard to break even 2.5X the budget: $378 million
Worldwide Boxoffice: $203 million
Currently losing: 378-203 = $175 million

Those numbers are to date AND very generous BTW the multiplier is 2.5 to 3 X it's budget to break even.

In Mexico it's almost out of all theaters, I would imagine the same holds true for the rest of the world.

It'll break even ONLY if it makes it's money back at the box office, it's how it has always been meausured for every other movie.

More importantly, there is no buzz about this movie.  Nobody is buying toys, t-shirts, merchandise, or anything else based on this.  Within a week of Top Gun: Maverick, I saw t-shirts, Legos, Ace Combat 5 added special DLC for the movie, etc.  This movie has done nothing to "build a brand."

It lost money and generated no cultural buzz.  It's a flop.  It tanked.

I just saw it, nothing to write home about but it WAS a fun movie, it should have done more money, and probably would have if Hasbro/GWotKKK weren't se stupid.

Greetings!

Yes, well, it seems like a fun movie, and yet, also more-or-less mediocre or average. As GeekyBugle said, "Nothing to write home about."

Considering this D&D film, yet *another* effort to bring D&D to the movie screen, in general, there has been a history of such projects being either laughably stupid, or in general, mediocre.

I have never had much hope or faith for any D&D film. They are too mired in stupid for me to ever believe they are worthwhile. As for any sense of strong ideas, joy, excitement, and inspiration for gaming--I am content with films such as Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan, Hero, Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon, The Northman, Rob Roy, Braveheart, Gladiator, The 13th Warrior, King Arthur, Troy, The Kingdom of Heaven, Excalibur, Ivanhoe, The Hobbit Trilogy, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The series programs such as "Vikings" and "The Last Kingdom" are also exciting, entertaining, and inspiring.

Watch each of these movies I listed, and the series programs, and see if you aren't blown away and inspired! *Laughing* Awesome movies and programs there for certain.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: SHARK on May 15, 2023, 08:08:30 AMConsidering this D&D film, yet *another* effort to bring D&D to the movie screen, in general, there has been a history of such projects being either laughably stupid, or in general, mediocre.

There has? Other than this I was only aware of the 2000 Dungeons and Dragons movie with Jeremy Irons. That one really tanked. It didn't even make its budget.

Quote from: mightybrain on May 15, 2023, 12:28:11 PM

Quote from: SHARK on May 15, 2023, 08:08:30 AMConsidering this D&D film, yet *another* effort to bring D&D to the movie screen, in general, there has been a history of such projects being either laughably stupid, or in general, mediocre.

There has? Other than this I was only aware of the 2000 Dungeons and Dragons movie with Jeremy Irons. That one really tanked. It didn't even make its budget.

Greetings!

Yep. At least one other movie. There's been other efforts though, that all failed for one reason or another. I think there were more than once previous where they wanted to produce a D&D movie. As I mentioned though, all of these efforts failed.

I'm long accustomed to failure and mediocrity when it comes to the subject of D&D and movies or TV.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

It certainly seems to have reviewed well enough with 91% from critics and 93% from audiences according to Rotten Tomatoes. Compare that to say Thor: Love and Thunder with 63% and 77% respectively. That suggests to me that the brand recognition and marketing are probably more the issue here than the movie itself. The first two Hulk movies didn't break even either but Marvel movies have been dominating for years now.

On the other hand, I've never really been that desperate for a D&D movie. Or should I say a Neverwinter heist movie, since it was far more about the setting and the characters than it was about the game. I just don't find the setting that interesting. I thought the characters were okay as a one off, but its difficult to imagine turning them into an ongoing franchise.