Paramount's Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight is a poorly written, poorly directed, poorly animated mess. 2/10.

This writer has been covering Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight for nearly two years, as it developed from the bestselling novel to the Paramount direct-to-DVD movie.

The 1984 book by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman was no literary masterpiece. It was a pastiche of fantasy clichés and, typically for a first novel, wore its influences (Tolkien and the original Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game) on its sleeve. But Dragons of Autumn Twilight was tightly plotted, and the characters were memorable. That alone earned the book, and its two sequels, an honoured place on many a gamer's shelf.

For those of you who haven't read the trilogy, here's a précis: A group of returning adventurers have their reunion cut short when they must defend a barbarian couple, accosted by ignorant townsfolk and goblins. Before long, the adventurers are fleeing for their lives, and trying to figure out why the goblins covet a magic crystal staff carried by the barbarian woman Goldmoon. Add evil dragons, lizard-like draconians, a megalomaniac cleric named Verminaard, and an ancient war between the gods, and you have a fantasy quest story that sold millions.

But Paramount's Dragons of Autumn Twilight is a letdown for anyone hoping for a decent adaptation of Weis and Hickman's novel. It's poorly scripted, indifferently directed, and suffers from a wretched blend of cel and CGI animation.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight a Bitter Disappointment for Dragonlance Fans

The first problem with this movie is the animation. No one expects Pixar-level work here, but recent titles like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Hellboy: Sword of Storms have raised the standard for direct-to-DVD releases. In comparison, Dragons of Autumn Twilight looks like something that came out 17 years ago. Main characters occasionally jump like badly edited live-action footage, and background characters are statues. The battle scenes are a bust as well.

Whoever supervised continuity was asleep at the switch: characters change outfits and gear for no apparent reason, and their size changes relative to one another. Goldmoon's medal randomly appears and disappears, and it changes size at various times.

The CGI dragons resemble original D&D artist Larry Elmore's designs, but they lack that fearsome aspect that Elmore and the authors captured so well. These dragons are overgrown lizards, not the all-powerful, scheming monsters we expect. Flamestrike is especially reduced: in the novel, he pursued his own hidden agenda, quietly undermining Verminaard's authority. In the movie, he is passive, following the evil cleric's every command.

Director Will Meugniot also made the mistake of rendering the human and goblin characters in cel animation while the draconians and dragons are in CGI. This mix of styles causes massive problems, especially when the different races interact. At one point, a draconian grips a human's face. Thanks to the different animation styles for each character, it doesn't even look like the monster's touching her!

George Strayton's Script Poorly Written

Lousy animation is forgivable if the story intrigues. Unfortunately, Dragons of Autumn Twilight fails here too.

The first book is only 400 pages long, seemingly a cakewalk for a good scriptwriter. George Strayton isn't up to the task. His adaptation turns the subtler elements of Weis and Hickman's prose into ham-handed exposition, turning subtle character development into 'club moments.' The movie stalls while Strayton crams reams of 'info-dump' into the dialogue.

While the first half of the movie is relatively faithful to the book, the second half veers away with catastrophic results. Some characters stay in the movie after their raison d'etre was excised, while others are inexplicably lost. The worst change: removing the Green Gemstone Man, someone whose importance isn't readily apparent. Strayton also telegraphs many plot twists that drove the two sequels, such as Fizban's real identity and Kitiara's new job, into this movie.

The voice actors do good work. Kiefer Sutherland (24) stars as the ambitious Raistlin Majere, a mage whose motivations are always in doubt. Lucy Lawless (Battlestar Galactica) also stands out, giving her barbarian cleric Goldmoon strength as well as compassion. Other voice-acting veterans, like Fred Tatasciore, Neil Ross and Phil LaMarr, do the best with what they have.

Unfortunately, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) falls short as one of the heroes, ranger Tanis Half-Elven. He struggles in a role that Viggo Mortensen could have done in his sleep.

DVD Extras

This is a real bare-bones disc; there aren't even chapters for the film. If you want to watch the flick, you either have to do it in one sitting, or use the fast-forward button to get past whatever you've already watched.

The only extras on the DVD are initial character designs, (basically a dressed-up cast list) and previews for movies like Transformers, Stardust, Iron Man and the direct-to-DVD Casshern. There isn't even a director commentary.

Final Analysis

As someone who has Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance: Chronicles trilogy sitting on his book shelf, I hoped that Paramount and Wizards of the Coast would get it right with this star-studded adaptation. Not a chance.

Unfortunately, Dragons of Autumn Twilight fans are in a no-win situation. If this DVD tanks, Paramount and WotC executives will presume there aren't enough Dragonlance fans to make further adaptations worthwhile. However, if enough D&D fans hold their noses and purchase this atrocity, then future sequels will be just as poorly animated and plotted.

My advice? Those of you who are interested in Dragonlance should buy Weis and Hickman's books. Don't waste your money on this DVD.