DragonLance Dragons of Autumn Twilight

Based on the much acclaimed novel, Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, the new Dragonlance movie of the same name is both a disappointment and a treasure. The novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight was an instant best seller starting off the Dragonlance series based in the fantastical realm of Krynn with all its dragons, wizards, and light handed kender. As the years have passed, the series has grown and expanded creating a uniquely complex and somewhat logical realm with a solid character base and a penchant for creativity. Along the way, Dragonlance has gained a vast audience of fans varying in ages from young to old. So, of course, it has long been expected that a movie encompassing the delightfully destructive realm of Krynn would be forthcoming. Twenty years later we get a straight to DVD low budget production that, despite the obvious lack of effort, still held a certain magical something that encapsulated the viewers' desperate dreams of dragons.----------------------------------------------The story sticks surprisingly close to the novel it was based upon, including all the major events and not deviating from the original storyline even slightly. It begins with rumors of a wicked army, ruled by the evil goddess Takhisis, amassing in the north, ready to end the 300 years of peace that has reigned over Krynn since the Cataclysm. This army has successfully awakened an ancient evil: dragons. Long thought to be creatures of legend, they have returned to Krynn and in the wake of their fiery breath, millions of innocent citizens are dying. But, the gods of good have not forsaken Krynn and in the wake of evil, they send a crystal staff that holds the key to salvation. As the battle between good and evil rages onward, a cast of unwary heroes joins to fight the darkness of dragons. Among these heroes are Tanis, a dispirited half elf who finds himself not only confused by the battle raging around him, but by the battle inside his heart, a heart wrenching emotional battle between two women that he loves and the inevitable choice he must make that will change everything. Also, not to be missed are the two brothers Majere, Raistlin, a sardonic wizard in training whose limited powers belie his heart of darkness and Caramon, his good natured brother. Along for the journey are two mysterious Plainsmen, Riverwind and his paramour Goldmoon, who possesses the staff gifted to her from the Gods. And, not to be forgotten, the grumpy but lovable old dwarf Flint and his kender sidekick whose good natured curiosity often slides into thievery. And, of course, not to be overlooked is Fizban, the doddery old wizard who just never can recall the correct incantation for that fireball spell. None of the beloved cast of characters, both good and evil, from the novel is left out and the viewer is delighted to finally meet their favorites in "person."Unfortunately, the movie follows the novel so closely that it ends with a cliff hanger, as does the novel leaving the viewer somewhat unsatisfied since it is unlikely that a sequel will ever be made. The novel was originally followed by two sequels, Dragons of Winter Night and Dragons of Spring Dawning which concluded the drama and satisfied the reader. Since the movie did not contain the events that transpired in the novels mentioned above, there is no true conclusion but rather an ominous foreshadowing for the future well being of Krynn.The characters, while represented by shoddy animation, were nevertheless presented appropriately, perfectly mirroring the characters in the novel. The voices chosen for each character were perfect, enabling the viewer to immerse themselves into the characters' personas even deeper. The main actors that lent their voice acting to the film are the ever talented Kiefer Sutherland, Lucy Lawless, and Michael Rosenbaum. In this presentation lies the beauty and the satisfaction of the movie. The major events that shocked and delighted the reader were presented magnificently, reminding the viewer vividly of the happy hours spent immersed in the novel. Likewise, the characters we have come to love are brought to a vivid life, drawing the viewer into the world of Krynn once again. Because of this seemingly incidental evocation of a realm we have come to love, the movie succeeds with the viewer despite its flaws.But, what of the cons? Firstly, I must complain loud and long about the presentation of this film. We, the avid fans, have waited years for this moment when Dragonlance finally hit the big screen. So, image the instant irritation when I accidentally discovered this film, floating around aimlessly on Amazon. There was no press, no trailers, no effort. The movie was released without any pomp, going straight to DVD and into the realms of instant anonymity. Once I watched the film, I instantly realized why. Obviously, this film had a budget of approximately fifteen dollars; while the voice over actors who were hired were extremely talented, the animation was pure rubbish. I was not terribly pleased that the creators of the film choose animation. Why not take Dragonlance to the big screen, fill it with real actors and incredible effects such as the much acclaimed Eragon? Why must the film be relegated to the realms of animation? Animation is intended to amuse children, not to present a serious drama. That prejudice aside, the animation itself was the poorest quality that I have ever seen. It was stiff, jerky, and contained minimal details. It appeared more like a slow moving comic strip, with entire frames missing causing the film to be a jerky mess that hesitantly and unexpectedly jumped from frame to frame and scene to scene. Very, very poor Dragonlance. Must do better.And what of the uninitiated viewer who has no pervious knowledge of the Dragonlance saga? If you discover yourself to be one of these individuals, then skip this film. The movie was obviously intended to please the adamant fan's need to collect more overpriced Dragonlance memorabilia. For those who are just looking for a fun fantasy adventure, the Dragonlance movie will prove more of a slapdash effort that follows a set pattern established by a novel that relied heavily on sequels. The ending will prove abrupt to those who are not familiar with the novels ending. If you are searching for a fun, but serious fantasy film then look elsewhere.The special features included on the DVD are, like the entire production, sparse. They include the original test animation and the initial character design and nothing else. Once again, the creators opted for the inexpensive instead of the impressive.To Watch or not to Watch?With all its myriad flaws, the Dragonlance movie still proves an enjoyable sojourn into the wonderful realm of Krynn that will remind adamant Dragonlance fans of the long hours spent bent over the latest novel, dreaming of the characters and trying to out guess the authors' serpentine plot. For this reason, it is definitely worth watching for the already established Dragonlance fan. However, a viewer with no prior knowledge of this realm will be disappointed and instantly disinterested. Recommended to Dragonlance fans only.- Ravenova

This movie brought me back to when I was younger... they utilized CGI and basic animation.

Anyone looking for a great piece of animation will be sorely disappointed by this movie, but those who are looking for a solid story, interesting (and entertaining) characters, and a quite impressive soundtrack will still find this movie enjoyable.Some background: I've been a dragonlance fan for twenty years, ever since I was in elementary school. It was my introduction to D&D and the Chronicles (the series of novels on which the movie is based) were some of the first novels I ever read. So, I had high hopes for this movie, perhaps too high. My heart sank with the opening sequence, but gradually lifted as the movie continued.The movie: The bulk of the animation was done by a Korean animation studio called Toonz. Note to producers: Do not hire Toonz. The animation work was incredibly choppy, occasionally the lines for characters flickered back and forth between frames even though the character wasn't moving, at one point major objects that are in the scene suddenly "disappear" because the animator forget to include them (i.e., a large table and chairs that all the characters have congregated around), and the detail in the characters frequently left me wanting for more. This was made all the more jarring by the inclusion of the 3D animation for the dragons and draconians (a type of lizard-man, for those unfamiliar with Dragonlance). And yet,the 3D animation was frequently lacking as the movement of the characters seemed wholly unnatural, clunky and lacking a degree of fluid motion that real creatures have.Overall, the story itself is quite faithful to the novel it's based on (see the Chronicles trilogy by Weis and Hickman). Yes, a lot of it was cut and abbreviated -- the writers had to turn a 400 page novel into a 90 minute movie. Peter Jackson tried the same thing with the Lord of the Rings movies at 3 hours each and STILL had to cut things. As a consequence, the pace of the movie moves very quickly and is sometimes quite abrupt. Some of the fantastic elements and immersion that you get from the novels is missing because of this. However, the fundamental plot points remain, the characters come through, and all the major scenes from the novel are included in the movie. If one accepts the fact that this is a 90 minute movie (actually, less than that if you exclude the credits and opening sequence), it's remarkable how faithful the writers were able to stay to the original book. Kudos.The voice work had its ups and downs but was, on the whole, well done. Lawless and Sutherland did great jobs, as did several of the other actors, but others had voices that did not fit their characters and seemed forced or canned.The soundtrack is quite good. I don't know if I'd call it an instant "Classic" or masterpiece, but it is very well done. I might be one of the few people who did not care for the opening theme, but the rest of the music I thought was beautiful and very appropriate to the movie.As for the DVD itself, the "extras" are hardly worth mentioning -- merely artwork stills for character concepts and proofs. It's interesting for about fifteen seconds, which is also about the extent of the content. I don't understand why they couldn't have at least included some interviews with the original authors or something, but I guess with such a small budget (only $1.5 million, compared to $150 million for the latest stuff from Pixar) they wanted to make sure as much of it went to the movie as possible.My hope is that Mr. Hickman, one of the novel's co-authors, is correct -- that this movie is the first part of a journey. This will only come true, however, if there are enough sales of the DVD to turn a profit. It seems this movie got little love or attention from Wizards of the Coast (the owner of the license and published of the Dungeons and Dragons RPG), but hopefully the sales and rentals will be enough to not only justify a second installment, but a substantial increase in the budget for its production.If "the Dark Queen" or Tracy are reading this, a heart felt thank you to the both of you. You have brought me countless hours of joy and happiness with the world you have created and this movie only added to it regardless of my quibbles with its production. You are both amazing people. Good luck on all your future endeavors.

Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight [Import anglais] est une adaptation captivante de l'univers de Dragonlance. Ce DVD nous plonge dans une épopée fantastique remplie d'aventures, de créatures mythiques et de combats épiques.L'histoire suit un groupe de héros improbables alors qu'ils se lancent dans une quête pour sauver le monde de Krynn du mal qui menace de le consumer. L'intrigue est fidèle à l'esprit de la série Dragonlance, avec ses intrigues politiques, ses alliances changeantes et ses moments de bravoure. Les personnages emblématiques de l'univers prennent vie à l'écran, et l'animation nous permet de plonger pleinement dans cet univers fantastique.Les visuels et l'animation sont bien réalisés, offrant des paysages magnifiques et des scènes d'action dynamiques. Les détails des personnages, des créatures et des décors sont soigneusement travaillés, ajoutant une dimension visuelle immersive à l'expérience de visionnage. Les effets spéciaux sont bien utilisés pour représenter les sorts magiques et les combats entre les dragons.L'atmosphère de Dragonlance est également bien retranscrite dans ce DVD. Les thèmes sombres et mystiques de l'univers sont présents, créant une ambiance envoûtante. La bande sonore accompagne parfaitement l'action à l'écran, renforçant l'immersion du spectateur.Bien que cette version soit en anglais, elle offre néanmoins une occasion de découvrir ou de revisiter cet univers captivant. Les fans de Dragonlance seront ravis de voir leurs personnages préférés prendre vie, tandis que les nouveaux venus pourront se plonger dans une aventure riche en émotions et en surprises.En conclusion, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight [Import anglais] est une adaptation captivante de l'univers de Dragonlance. Avec son intrigue fidèle, ses visuels soignés et son atmosphère immersive, ce DVD offre une expérience de visionnage plaisante pour les fans de la série et les amateurs de fantasy. Plongez dans le monde de Dragonlance et préparez-vous à être transporté dans une aventure épique aux côtés de ces héros légendaires !

Sono stata attirata dal prezzo irrisorio e ho deciso di acquistarlo. Il DVD è arrivato il 6 aprile, in ottime condizioni: nessun particolare segno di usura sulla custodia e il disco non aveva graffi visibili, quindi è molto più di quello che mi aspettavo, in realtà. Il contenuto del DVD è quello che è, un film d'animazione tecnicamente realizzato male, ma è - purtroppo o per fortuna- l'unica trasposizione filmica che abbiamo delle Cronache di Dragonlance. Nella speranza che venga un giorno prodotto qualcos'altro - si spera di qualità migliore- sulle avventure degli Eroi delle Lance continuerò a godermi questo guilty pleasure.

Die Helden von Krynn sind den Buchseiten entwichen und nun kann man eines ihrer Abenteuer also auch in Farbe und animiert miterleben. Umgesetzt wurde eine Geschichte aus den Chroniken der Drachenlanze. Genau wie im Buch nimmt auch hier das Abenteuer in der Baumstadt Solace seinen Anfang. Im Gasthaus zur Letzten Bleibe treffen die Zwillinge Raistlin und Caramon mit ihren Freunden: dem Zwerg Flint Feuerschmied, dem Ritter Sturm Feuerklinge, dem lustigen Kender Tolpan Barfuß und natürlich Tanis dem Halbelfen, wie sie es fünf Jahre zuvor verabredet hatten, zusammen. Was ein gemütlicher Abend unter Freunden werden sollte, wird zum Anfang eines großen Abenteuers als zwei Fremde aus den Ebenen das Gasthaus betreten und für Aufruhr sorgen, da sie den Blauen Kristallstab mit sich führen, ein Relikt aus der Alten Welt, als die Götter noch am Geschehen Krynns Anteil nahmen'Ein Abenteuer mit Drachen, unfreiwilligen aber dafür umso sympathischeren Helden und einer geheimnisvollen Welt, die stets Raum für Spannung und Überraschungen lässt.Der animierte englischsprachige Trickfilm mag seine Schwächen haben: Die kurze Laufzeit ermöglicht es nicht, jedes Geschehen des Buches wiederzugeben, die Bewegungen der Figuren wirken manchmal etwas steif, die Computeranimierten Effekte teils aufgezwungen, aber vor allem hat der Film auch seine Stärken. Die Musik und die Synchronsprecherauswahl (Kiefer Sutherland, Lucy Lawless, Michael Rosenbaum) versetzen einen in gebanntes Staunen. Die ausgewählten Szenen der spannenden Handlung lassen dem Zuschauer keinen Moment Ruhe sondern sorgen immer für genug unterhaltsame Aktion auf dem Bildschirm. Für Drachenlanze Fans ist dieser Film ein wahres Muss. Auch wenn ihn einige wohl kritisch beäugen, wurde hier mit wenig zur Verfügung stehenden finanziellen Mitteln viel geschafft. Das Preis-Leistungsverhältnis für den Käufer stimmt jedenfalls vollkommen zufrieden. Als Special Features bekommt man durch eine Testanimation und der kurzen Vorstellung des Charakterdesigns einen Eindruck vom zeichnerischen Aufbau eines solchen Animationsfilms.Fazit: Ein gelungener und unterhaltsamer Film, der auch ohne Hintergrundwissen zu den Büchern durchaus sehenswert ist.

mi e' piaciuto lo consiglierei a tutti e ai miei amici speriamo ci sia il secondo film e il terzo

Dragonlance ist eine der besten Fantasy-Reihen die es gibt. Eigentlich hätte die Grundgeschichte der Chronicles Trilogy eine Verfilmung wie Herr der Ringe verdient. Leider fehlte dafür wohl das Geld, oder das Interesse, - aber eher der Mut, diese Verfilmung zu wagen. Naja, Herr der Ringe wurde vor zig Jahrzehnten auch erst als lascher Zeichentrickfilm verfilmt, und erst später besser, da habe ich ja nach Hoffnung.Die Figuren sind ganz gut dargestellt, aber halt comicmäßig. Die GEschichte verläuft zu schnell, vieles, was die Charaktere tiefer darstellen würde, fällt daher weg und die Figuren bleiben daher skizzenhaft flach. Trotzdem ist der Film sehenswert, ggf. auch als Teaser, um die Bücher zu lesen ! Und ich versichere allen: die Bücher (am besten in Englisch) sind wirklich super, mit Suchtfaktor !