I've been playing or DMing (A)D&D for most of my 38 years. Even before I hit my teens I was writing better scripts for adventures then exist in this movie; there are so many plot holes the truck hasn't been built that's too big to drive through them, and despite having a cast of actors that aren't all that bad, the acting is in most cases similarly dreadful.

So, if you've ever played (A)D&D do yourself a favour and DON'T watch this movie, to avoid all the hair being ripped out of your skull whilst watching. If you've never played (A)D&D then STILL DON'T watch this movie - rent out Willow or Princess Bride or Ladyhawke or Lord of the Rings to get an idea about how good a campaign/adventure could be; watching this will just put you off ever playing the game.

I love this film. It's so much fun from start to finish. The plot is simple, the evil Mage Profion is trying to usurp the power of the new Empress Savina. The key to both sides is an ancient rod of power that will control Red Dragons, honestly it really doesn't matter. This is tv movie material on a cinema screen and it is a thing of beauty.

Forget all the reviews that compare this to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, this feels like a group of friends got together for some LARPing (live action role play) and someone happened to film it. Everyone just seems really happy and to be having just so much fun.

Jeremy Irons is clearly having an insane amount of fun and it's good that so much of the film's backdrops are CGI or they'd have his teeth marks all over it from his scenery chewing.

Justin Whalin tries to bring all of the intensity of an A list movie to his lead role, clearly thinking he's making Lord of the Rings.

Bruce Payne channels a drag Queen on downers for his performance as the lethargic but fabulous Damodar.

I went to the cinema 3 times to see this. It's literally the perfect bad movie.

RELEASED IN 2000 and directed by Courtney Solomon, "Dungeons & Dragons" chronicles events in the kingdom of Izmer where the idealistic Empress (Thora Birch) advocates equality between the mages and commoners while the power-mad Profion (Jeremy Irons) plots to overthrow the Empress with the help of his formidable henchman Damodar (Bruce Payne). A ragtag team is assembled to save Izmer by apprehending the Eye of the Dragon: Two thieves (Justin Whalin and Marlon Wayans), a beautiful mage apprentice (Zoe McLellan), a dwarf (Lee Arenberg) and an elf girl (Kristen Wilson).

The first shot with Irons hamming it up as the diabolical Profion made me bust out laughing. In other words, the movie telegraphs from the get-go that it's not to be taken seriously. If you can roll with the campiness, this is an amusing throwaway fantasy flick. Imagine the gaudiness of "Star Wars" (1977) if the story were transplanted to a Medieval-like kingdom where dragons & magic are reality and you'd have a good idea of what "Dungeons & Dragons" has to offer.

This was a theatrical release that cost a whopping $45 million, but totally bombed at the box office. The 2005 sequel "Wrath of the Dragon God" (with only Bruce Payne returning as Damodar) cost just $15 million and is slightly better because the creators took the material seriously, but it's decidedly TV fantasy fare.

The film scores pretty well on the female front with the winsome McLellan and cutie Birch. Whalin and Wayans are entertaining as the two main protagonists, if you can get past their goofiness. People love to hate Snails (Wayans), but I found him to be a likable, amusing character.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 47 minutes and was shot in the Czech Republic (Kutná Hora and Prague). WRITERS: Topper Lilien and Carroll Cartwright.

GRADE: C