Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (2008) (V)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Will Meugniot

Writers:

Tracy Hickman (novel)
George Strayton (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

The heroes of Krynn take a stand against evil!

Plot:

A barbarian woman with a miraculous healing staff gains the help of a group of to-be heroes as an army of dragons invades the land.

Plot Keywords:

Dragon | Knight | Sword And Sorcery | Goblin | Unicorn

Cast

Michael Rosenbaum	...	Tanthalas 'Tanis' Half-Elven (voice)
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Raistlin Majere (voice)
Lucy Lawless	...	Goldmoon (voice)
Fred Tatasciore	...	Flint Fireforge / Fewmaster Toede (voice)
Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Tika (voice)
Rino Romano	...	Caramon Majere (voice)
Jason Marsden	...	Tasslehoff Burrfoot (voice)
Neil Ross	...	Fizban The Fabulous (voice)
Marc Worden	...	Sturm Brightblade (voice)
Phil LaMarr	...	Riverwind / Gilthanas (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dee Bradley Baker	...	Pyros (voice)
Juliette Clair	...	Onyx (voice)
Nika Futterman	...	Takhisis (voice)
Caroline Gelabert	...	Laurana (voice)
Ben L. McCain	...	Elistan (voice)
Jentle Phoenix	...	Bupu (voice)
Susan Silo	...	Flamestrike (voice)
David Sobolov	...	Verminaard
Mari Weiss	...	The Forestmaster (voice)

Also Known As:

A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Tale (USA) (subtitle)
Dragonlance (Germany) (TV title) [de]
Dragonlance (Italy) [it]
Dragonlance: Oi drakoi tou Skotous (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence.

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Finland:K-11 | Australia:PG

Company:

Commotion Pictures

Trivia:

In the mid-1990s, the Jim Henson Company was in talks with TSR, which was the owner of Dungeons and Dragons and also Dragonlance, to produce some type of Dragonlance project. However when TSR was bought out by Wizards of the Coast, the project was dropped.

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the scenes in Pax Tharkas (when they're rescuing the prisoners) Laurana changes repeatedly from being in her elven clothing, to elven armor and back again

Quotes:

Tasslehoff Burrfoot: Hey! She cast that spell without using those funny words! Why can't you do that, all powerful mage?
Raistlin Majere: She's channeling the power of a god, you dolt. I'm wresting arcane energies from the very fabric of the universe - it's completely different.

Better luck next time

As a long time fan of the Dragonlance novels, I waited years for even the rumor of a movie to emerge. Unfortunately, this movie far from met expectations. The quality of the animation was pretty poor: the robotic movements of the characters as well as certain inconsistencies made me feel like I was watching an early 1990's children's cartoon. In addition, the 3D animation of the dragons and draconians contrasted horribly with their 2D counterparts. My suggestion: stick to one, preferably the 2D.

Of course, the makers of this film probably had a low budget. A lack of money would explain the lack of sophistication in the art and the movement the characters, as well as the unneeded rush of the film (this might, actually, be due to the length of the novel). Because this is a film adaptation, I can understand (and will not criticize) the differences between the movie and the books. Frankly, unless you read the books, you won't enjoy the film.

This movie had great potential. The casting was well done. However, poor directing and an evident lack of funds caused this promising movie into a Dragonlance fan's nightmare. As a fan, I'll give this movie a good rating in the hopes of a second film, and I hope that many other fans will do the same.

Mr. Meugniot: I can understand that this is your first time directing an actual movie, and hopefully you have learned a lot from this experience, allowing you to improve your next film. Mr. Hickman and Ms. Weis: congratulations on getting Dragonlance into the film industry. Congratulations on your fantastic books. Congratulations on the success of your books. Let's hope that that same success will apply to your next movie. Please, set higher standards for the next film. Dragonlance Fans: I encourage you to also watch this movie and give your honest comments. Hopefully our suggestions will help in the improvement of any future projects. I personally will keep my fingers crossed for a second movie, even if the quality is as bad as the first.

Mr. Meugniot, Mr. Hickman, Ms. Weis, Dragonlance Fans: Better luck next time.