Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

Aaron Shurtleff: “It was ok.”

As far as book adaptations go, the movie was pretty much spot on as to the book. I mean, yeah, there are things that have to be cut out, so it's not like you won't notice little things missing here and there, but the major points of the story are all there. If you've read the books, you know what you'll be getting. Story-wise, this was a great movie, in my opinion. The story does seem a bit dated (it is an older story, after all), but it is still enjoyable.

The problem, for me, is the mixture of standard animation with computer generated animation. Some people are fans of that, but not me. There are scenes where the main characters (who are animated in the usual fashion) are fighting the draconians (all of the dragons and draconians are done in computer animation), and it's painful to watch. You can see that sometimes, it is not synched up well, and it is a distraction. I like to immerse myself into a story when I watch a movie, and I can't deal with too many distractions like that.

The casting was OK. Keifer Sutherland was (surprisingly for me) very good as Raistlin Majere, and his voice really fit the character well. I couldn't get down with Lucy Lawless as Goldmoon, however. Maybe it's the fact that I still think of her as Xena, and the two characters couldn't be more different. The less said about Michelle Trachtenberg as Tika, the better. I thought that Jason Marsden as Tasslehoff Burrfoot worked well, too, and the actor who voiced Flint Fireforge did well, also.

Overall, I would say that it's worth seeing if you are a fan of the series, with the caviats mentioned above. I cannot speak to the experience of seeing this having not been previously exposed to the books, since I obviously read the books long ago. The series was one of my favorites when I was younger, so the story isn't exactly super complex, but it is enjoyable, and the characters are a pretty motley group with different perspectives and morals. It's not your typical bunch of heroes that are all agreed on saving the world and fighting for justice, if you know what I mean.

− April 19, 2008 • more by Aaron • log in or create an account to reply