The Scourge of Worlds: A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure (2003) (V)

Director:

Dan Krech

Writers:

Richard Elliott (writer)
Simon Racioppa (writer)

Release Date:

10 June 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Animation | Fantasy

Plot:

Long ago in a land ravaged by strife, an ancient race of mages crafted the ultimate weapon to destroy their enemies...

Plot Keywords:

Dungeons And Dragons | RPG | Sword And Sorcery | Interactive | Role Playing Game

Cast

Dan Hay	...	Regdar
Lester Rosenthal	...	Barathion
Anna Deas	...	Mialee
Caroline Lesley	...	Lidda
Jack Brown	...	Rayne
Sam Cunningham	...	Ariadne
Chad Nixon	...	Innkeeper
Paul Stodolny	...	Teaghan
Peter Lepeniotis	...	Jaerhome
Tom Perry	...	Korgen
Jos'h R.L. Fuller	...	Druid 1
Mark Davies	...	Druid 2
Damian Upton	...	Additional Character
Justin Drury	...	Additional Character

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Australia:PG

Company:

Dan Krech Productions

Trivia:

The characters of Regdar, Lidda and Mialee are referred to by D&D players as the "iconic characters" as they were created to be used as examples in the 2002 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons rulebook. The three characters also make regular appearances in a series of Dungeons and Dragons novels by T.H. Lain beginning in 2002. The three characters as shown are consistent with their literary counterparts, except that Mialee has less hair due to the logistics of computer animation.

A but clunky at times, but appealing

Scourge of Worlds is an interactive DVD adventure. You watch the action for a few minutes, and then decide what the characters will do next based on a few choices.

It isn't a perfect system - the choices ARE rather limited, and the producers made the mad decision to remove chapter stops and the ability to fast-forward through scenes you've watched over and over. This makes for a bit of a trying gaming and viewing experience.

But as a movie, Scourge of Worlds holds up quite well. The computer animation is marvelous to behold, although it's obvious the production team had neither the time nor the budget that the makers of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within had. As a result, the animation looks a bit clunky from time to time, and on occasion there are obvious errors especially with regards to the characters' teeth. There are also times where the characters move their arms when they talk for no real reason, almost as if they have St. Vitus Dance.

The voice acting ranges from the moving to the hilarious. The voice actors for the three main characters (Regdar, Lidda and Mialee) come off best, with Lidda in particular being a quite appealing smart-ass of a character. Mialee, the elf wizard, isn't as unconsciously erotic as she is in the D&D rulebook and novels, but her brassiness sets her apart from the etherial elves we have come to expect from D&D and Lord of the Rings. Regdar, the fighter, comes off as a goofball at times, but he also gets some of the funniest lines in the film, depending on which direction you take the story.

But the makers goofed when they chose the voice actor for the villain (who I won't name here and spoil the surprise). Nothing against the actor, who does a good job, but it's hard to take a villain seriously who sounds like someone who has OD'd on helium.

Scourge of Worlds is a noble experiment, and entertaining if you don't mind repetition. I look forward to seeing more productions like this, as the technology improves.