This mix of traditional 2D animation for principal characters and backgrounds does not mesh at all with the 3D animation used to create the various Dragons, Draconians, and other evil creatures. It's like watching two different movies mashed together (or a really bad video game). The overall look is reminiscent of the worst animation '80s and '90s television had to offer—stilted character movement, mismatched voice and mouth synching, limited and uneven shading, overused and out of place lighting flares, intense digital coloring, and transitions between scenes that look and act like commercial breaks. However, the blame does not rest solely with the animators. The screenplay adaptation of the 400+ page novel puts the entire tale on fast forward. The script suffers from heavy upfront exposition, choppy dialogue, missing fan favorite characters/sets, and dilution of Hickman and Weiss' detail. Worst of all, it's difficult to care about any of these characters and their respective fates -- and that's the death knell of storytelling. There are two things that work though. First, an impressive voice cast lead by Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Rosenbaum, Lucy Lawless, and Michelle Trachtenberg, make the most of thescript, delivering their lines with as much authenticity as they can muster. This is further enhanced by the musical underscore, which adds a sense of adventure and depth of emotion undeserving of the film's otherwise amateurish nature. Unfortunately, neither are able to save the film from derision. If you're looking for bonus materials to enhance the experience, you're out of luck. No featurettes, no interviews, no historical retrospectives -- just a couple of quick looks at character design and test animation. Unimpressive for a subject so deep in source material. Undoubtedly, a segment of the fan base will overlook these flaws - me included - and thrill to seeing Dragonlance brought to life. I can only hope that future installments, if there are to be any, will overcome these schizophrenic production values.


SpecialFX/Cinematography/Lighting: 0
Continuity/Editing: +1
Screenplay/Plot Twists: +1
Direction/Acting: +1
Music/Soundtrack/Foley Effects: +1
Costuming/Makeup or Animation: -1
Action/Coolness Factor/Fun: +2

RATING: 5

The Heroes of Krynn Stand Against Evil…
After five years apart, searching the world of Krynn for proof of the existence of the true gods, a group of adventurers reach their goal in the form of a barbarian woman carrying a miraculous blue crystal staff. Soon they are thrust into war as an army of dragons overtakes their homeland. The movie is based on the novel "Dragons of Autumn Twilight", the first book in the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy. The Chronicles are the first trilogy in the series of Dragonlance novels and anthologies that now number close to 150 books, several of which were on the New York Times Bestseller List.


RATING KEY:
SpecialFX/Cinematography/Lighting: -2, -1, 0, +1, +2
Continuity/Editing: -1, 0, +1
Screenplay/Plot Twists: -2, -1, 0, +1, +2
Direction/Acting: -1, 0, +1
Music/Soundtrack/Foley Effects: -1, 0, +1
Costuming/Makeup or Animation: -1, 0, +1
Action/Coolness Factor/Fun: -2, -1, 0, +1, +2