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5 years ago ::
Feb 02, 2008 - 9:54PM
#21
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Date Joined:
Mar 19, 2001
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PS Not to veer completely off topic, but I finally got a copy of Dragons of the Highlord Skies, and liked your cameo in there. I thought that was pretty cool.
Hehe! Yeah, Margaret even did a bump for the podcast where she introduces herself, then says, "...and not tonight, Trampas." :D
While people keep laughing that I got turned down, I remind them that there have been other nights with Kitiara, and that she doesn't pick just anybody. 
(That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
Back to topic!
Trampas Whiteman---DragonHelm--->Whitestone Council Dragonlance NexusLong Live the Lance!
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5 years ago ::
Feb 03, 2008 - 10:17AM
#22
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Date Joined:
Jan 25, 2006
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Well, being a big DL fan I AM happy that the movie is out and that I have it...that being said, I didn't mind the old 80's cartoon style at all. I thought the voice acting was decent (it is just a cartoon after all). I wasn't a big fan of the huge gaps in the story, I know that they were on certain budget and time constraints, but it was the entire part in Xak Tsaroth that really chapped my a$$. But I suppose sacrifices had to be made. The mix of CGI and classic animation I originally thought might be a good idea...but I was thinking MUCH MUCH more complex a scale, like Titan A.E. style mix of classic 2D and 3D animation. In the end, I think the CGI looked like some really cheesy crap and try to just not acknowledge it, in hopes that it will eventually go away. :P Overall, it was a really cool project and I would definitly buy more if they made them simply because I love the story, but if they could just go to straight animation, that would be cool. Here is an idea, save the CGI for bonus content and do like an extra on the DVD which is a tour of Raistlin's tower or the Inn of the Last Home in 3D, something other than making the dragons and draconians look like drop-ins on the screen done by a really bad puppeteer. I really did like the movie, and have watched it like 6 times since buying it a few weeks ago, but I do have one more complaint that really seemed overly obvious and way to simple a fix to me. Wasn't Tanis's beard descibed as "brownish-red", meaning that it was Red with brown tones to it....not tree-bark brown! Is it really that hard a concept..."Hey coloring dude, that beard should look red with a hue of brown, not just brown." "Oh, ok." Was that really so difficult? I mean, there are colors like that in a box of crayola for cryin' out loud. I don't know why that bothered me so much, but it did. If I had to rate it, I'd give it 3 out of 5 black robes 
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5 years ago ::
Feb 03, 2008 - 7:26PM
#23
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Date Joined:
Aug 20, 2002
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I dunno but I just don't think that this movie was specifically made for existing Dragonlance fans. The fanbase is just too small to make it a viable business venture.
I think it's a kids movie based on a very popular book series. It stayed pretty close to the original storyline but no movie is exact.
I think this movie is meant to be one of those found in the kiddie section of the video store for parents who need something to entertain the kids for the evening. And for that, it succeeds.
From what I've heard, the D&D life-action movies did very well in the rental market (not so well in the theatres). I wouldn't be surprised if the Dragonlance movie achieves the same results.
All of that aside, I think there must be something very much wrong with the Chronicles story (despite what Dragonlance fans might think) that prevents it from translating into a life-action, major Hollywood release. I don't buy the fact that's it's long; I think there's probably deeper underlying "flaws" that make it very difficult, if not impossible, to translate into a true movie. I'm not a script writer or producer so I don't know what those flaws might be, but the fact that no studio has ever wanted to produce it as a movie speaks volumes. Even with the recent surge in medieval fantasy movies spawning from the LotR series.
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5 years ago ::
Feb 04, 2008 - 7:29AM
#24
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Date Joined:
Dec 26, 2007
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I have to butt in on this. DragonLance has no major flaws that keep it from becoming a LiveAction movie. Its just no one has had the money to do what peter jackson did for MiddleEarth. If i ever Hit the lotto then I will make the movies myself with margaret, tracy and the whitestone council as my advisers.
but to say its because of flaws, no i do not agree with that at all. one of these days Wotc might decide to sink money into making quality movies and if they do we could see lots of dungeons and dragons settings on film, but without millions of dollars to sink into the movies its just not worth it.
Fans build you up to rip you down, thats just how it goes, i have not yet seen the DLAM (animated movie) because its not in any of the stores i go to. but i already know what to expect. i feel bad that fans dislike most of the movie but i am still glad it was made and cant wait to buy it and watch it over and over again. Also DLAM is not a childs movie. with all the blood and boob shots i think its meant for teen to adult.
I would not blame M&T if they never made another movie even if they had the support and money after reading through the harshness of these posts on these boards and the DLN boards. Its all negative, barely anything positive at all.
and yea yea i'v already heard the reasons. save it for someone else.:P
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5 years ago ::
Feb 04, 2008 - 8:48AM
#25
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Date Joined:
Sep 17, 2001
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It is my opinion that Dragonlance has not been made into a movie is because there are (while I hate to admit it) more than a few similiarities with LotR, that it would probably stike many as a copycat.
We who have read the books for both would recognize the differences, but those who have not may not. This I believe is the reason that DL has not been made into a live-action film.
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5 years ago ::
Feb 06, 2008 - 8:23AM
#26
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Date Joined:
Dec 26, 2007
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I am a fan of middle earth, and i have read the books and i can honestly say that besides the similarities found in ALL fantasy works LOTR and DL has nothing in common and are not even close to being copycats.
LOTR lacks flavor. its general fantasy IMHO. DragonLance is Original Fantasy with lots of flavor.
let me throw out a few things that DL offers that LOTR never even touched on.
1. Hundreds of Dragons included. DragonRiding Knights.
2. Many differant Gods that interact with mortals.
3. Flying Citadels
4.Kender and Draconians and Tarmaks.
5. Fistandantilus&Raistlin
6. Orders of Highsorcery including more than 3 wizards.
7. Very differant and unique cultures.
8. a Very Differant Storyline
9. Greygem and the return of Chaos.
10. The need for Balance in all things.
* I will say this again. MiddleEarth is not original fantasy, it is a filtered vision of ancient mytholoy. DragonLance, Darksun, Ravenloft have more Originality to them than LOTR does. and LOTR is only one story of middle earth.
LOTR and the War of the Lance share nothing in common aside from the basics of Good versus Evil. and even then WotL depends more on the balance than defeating evil for the sake of good.
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5 years ago ::
Feb 06, 2008 - 3:48PM
#27
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Date Joined:
Sep 17, 2001
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Let me explan alittle my previous post.
1) Ancient evil arising to destroy the world-
LoTR-The one Ring
DL-Dragons
2) Group of 9 adventurers who seek to prevent said evil
LoTR-Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Sam, Frodo, Merry, Pippin
DL-Laurana, Flint, Raistlin, Tanis, Sturm, Caramon, Goldmoon, Riverwind, Tasselhoff
3) Each group contains 1 elf, 1 dwarf, 1 Half-Elf (or whatever they call it in LoTR) and at least 1 halfing\kender
LoTR-Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Pippin
DL-Laurana, Flint, Tanis, Tasselhoff
4) Each group contains 1 Human Knight, 1 Wizard, 1 Thief and at least 1 half-elven Ranger
LoTR-Boromir, Gandalf, Pippin, Aragorn
DL-Sturm, Raistlin, Tasselhoff, Tanis
5) Half-Elven Ranger of group is also leader of group
6) Wizard goes through transformation
LoTR-Gandalf the grey goes to Gandalf the White
DL-Raistlin the grey goes to Raistlin the Black
7) Human Knight dies defending others in order to buy time for companions
8) Halfling\Kender is always causing mischief
LoTR-Pippen
DL-Tasselhoff
9) Elf and Dwarf become or already are friends
10) Group (or at least a portion of group) go to a place frought with evil
LoTR-Land of the dead
DL-Silvanesti
11) Great weapon of the past is reforged
LoTR-Kingsword (Aragorn's Sword)
DL-Dragonlances
12) Wizards have three orders
LoTR-Sarumon is White, Gandalf is Grey, other guy is brown if I recall (even though he did not make into movie)
DL-Three orders of wizard
13) Elven nations are leaving the lands and going on ships
14) Elven princess is love interest of Half-Elven\Dunedain Ranger
15) You have characters riding dragons\wyverns (most people can't tell or would care about the difference)
16) Evil armies of non-human races are attacking good lands
17) There is a magical orb looking like artifact
LoTR-Palantir
DL-Dragonorbs
18) There is a pair of characters that come from the same area\family, one of which looks out for the other, while the other eventually turns on the caretaker
LotR-Frodo and Sam (not in book, movie shows this)
DL-Raistlin and Caramon
19) There is a friend ship built between characters of two races that cannot stand each other
LoTR-Gimli & Legolas
DL-Flint & Tasselhoff
20) Trees attack characters
LoTR-Attack on Isenguard
DL-Silvanesti forest
21) Knight is a human, Thief is a halfling\kender, Ranger is a Half-elf\dunedain, Wizard is a Human (at least ar far as we can tell)
22) Ancient race is transformed into a new race
LoTR-Elves turned into Uruk-khai
DL-Dragons are turned into Draconians
23) King of a land goes insane\corrupted by evil
LoTR-Denethor or Theoden (take your pick)
DL-Lorac
24) Companions\fellowship splits apart
25) Land of the good king is the last land to fall (or at least close to it)
LoTR-Gondor
DL-Solamnia
26) Elves join the fight
LotR-Elves fight at Battle of Hornburg (didn't happen in book IIRC, but movie shows this)
DL-Laurana leads the armies of whitstone council
27) There is a meeting of all the good nations
LotR-At Rivendell to create the fellowship
DL-Whitestone council
28) At council meeting someone tries to destroy ancient artifact
LotR-Gimli tries to destroy ring
DL-Tasselhoff destroys dragonorb
29) Someone in group carries inherently evil artifact that corrupts those who carry it
LotR-Frodo and the One Ring
DL-Raistlin and the Dragonorb (granted Raistlin was more easily corrupted)
30) There is a corrupted knight\king that is now an undead creature
LotR-Angmar
DL-Lord Soth
31) And last but not least, there is a struggle at the end of the story over an artifact of magic
LotR-The One Ring
DL-The Crown of Power
Need I go on?
I understand what you are saying, and yes there are differences, but these differences are not so much in the storyline as they are in the descriptions of the world and how things came about. In the general storyline all most people would probably see is a group of adventurers trying to prevent an ancient evil from taking control of the land.
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5 years ago ::
Feb 07, 2008 - 8:16AM
#28
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Date Joined:
May 13, 2001
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Both (darthsylver & HuntmasterAvatar) of your points of view are quite good and valid - thanks to you both for the comparisons/differences - especially the the comparisons by darth as I am a fan of the LotR movies and an avid (some may say rabid LOL) DL fan and I never noticed the depth of the likenesses.
I personally think that DL would translate into a live action flick just as well as LotR did (I never read the books, however I'm sure there was pleanty left out as would happen to the DL books/movie translation - but that is to be expected with such huge worlds and stories), and would make the studio and WotC quite a bit of cash-ola (which Wizards seems to be all about IMO). I just hate the amount of storyline that was integral to the character-building in the novels, which W&H took so much time to create, being left out of animated film (extended single TV episode really IMO).
I only have one question regarding your comparisons darth - was Aragorn not a human? It was my impression that he was, but they never actually said that he wasn't in the movie (that I can recall), so now I'm not sure based on what you said. Thanks
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5 years ago ::
Feb 07, 2008 - 8:20AM
#29
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Date Joined:
Dec 26, 2007
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Aragorn was a doon-a-dine (no idea how its spelled so bite me:P ) which is basically a human blessed with a very long life span.
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5 years ago ::
Feb 07, 2008 - 11:03AM
#30
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Date Joined:
Sep 17, 2001
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I personally think that DL would translate into a live action flick just as well as LotR did (I never read the books, however I'm sure there was pleanty left out as would happen to the DL books/movie translation - but that is to be expected with such huge worlds and stories), and would make the studio and WotC quite a bit of cash-ola (which Wizards seems to be all about IMO).
I only have one question regarding your comparisons darth - was Aragorn not a human? It was my impression that he was, but they never actually said that he wasn't in the movie (that I can recall), so now I'm not sure based on what you said. Thanks
I agree that it would translate into a live-action film as well as LotR, I just believe that at this point in time it might come off as a copy of the LoTR movies.
Believe when I was first told that DL had similiarities with LoTR I was adamant that it did not. I had not read any of the LoTR books until after I saw the movies, I had not realized that LoTR was a major contributing factor in the creation of D&D, but believe me my buddies made sure that I knew after see Fellowship. The teasing didn't end for about a month.
HuntmasterAvater provided the name of the subspecies of what Aragorn was, a Dunedain. Whose original leader was a half-elf, and all descendents had elven blood. The dunedain were also long-lived (3 times as long as normal men) (in the same manner as a half-elf) men.
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