Dragons of Autumn Twilight
On January 15th, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, a movie based on the first of the hundred-odd fantasy series Dragonlance, was released on DVD. I have yet to see the movie, but decided a description of the book might be in order.
The plot should be familiar to anyone on my friends list. An evil army threatens to conquer the world, so a ragtag group of misfits go on a quest for a mythical artifact to stop the forces of darkness. Seemingly just another Lord of the Rings ripoff, right? Dragonlance, however, is set apart from myriad other imitators by the question it poses: What if every single member of the band of heroes were horribly, hopelessly neurotic? This is what makes Dragonlance my favorite fantasy series. The quest is simply background for the start of a fascinating character drama.
There are seven core characters at the start, though more are added and deleted as the first trilogy progresses. Twin brothers Caramon (a slow-witted but compassionate mercenary) and Raistlin (a brilliant but sickly and bitter mage played by Kiefer Sutherland) Majere were raised by their half-sister Kitiara Uth Matar when their mother lost her mind after giving birth to them. When the restless and ambitious teenager Kit goes off to seek her fortune, she tells Caramon to "look after Raist," setting up a codependent love/hate relationship between the brothers.
The leader of the group is Tanis Half-Elven (Michael Rosenbaum, Smallville), the product of the gang-rape of an elven princess in the kingdom of Qualinesti. Tanis was raised by the royal family after his mother died giving birth to him. When his distant cousin Laurana, third in line to the throne, forms a romantic attachment to him, a fosterage is hastily arranged for the illegitimate half-human Qualinesti prince with a friend of the king, the dwarven master smith Flint Fireforge, who conveniently lives outside of the kingdom. Tanis is just a tad angst-ridden.
Years later, in the town of Solace, Tanis takes in Sturm Brightblade, the orphaned son of a knight from the kingdom of Solamnia, thus continuing that little family of outcasts. When Tanis and Kitiara become lovers, they create D&D's rather twisted version of the Brady Bunch. Rounding out the group is the trickster figure of Tasslehoff Burrfoot, a catalyst for change throughout the core books.
The stage is set for all manner of interpersonal drama as the companions return to meet in the Inn of the Last Home in Solace after five years of separation when they each went off on their own to confront or hide from their personal demons.
The reunion doesn't go as smoothly as expected. Raistlin has been horribly disfigured. Kitiara mysteriously doesn't show up. Just about everyone has heard rumors of unidentified invading armies sweeping the continent. An unscrupulous leader of a new religion now rules Solace.
When two refugees from the Plains (one of whom, Goldmoon, is played by Lucy Lawless, Battlestar Galactica) enter the Inn with a legendary mystical object, they are accosted by the local authorities. The companions, being the heroes of the story, naturally rush to save the pair, and with the help of Tika (Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy the Vampire-Slayer), an adolescent orphan who was raised by the Innkeeper, the group escapes and goes on the run.
Oh yeah, and several constellations in the sky inexplicably have gone missing...
I make no guarantees for the quality of the movie, but at least you'll be prepared if you see it.
The plot should be familiar to anyone on my friends list. An evil army threatens to conquer the world, so a ragtag group of misfits go on a quest for a mythical artifact to stop the forces of darkness. Seemingly just another Lord of the Rings ripoff, right? Dragonlance, however, is set apart from myriad other imitators by the question it poses: What if every single member of the band of heroes were horribly, hopelessly neurotic? This is what makes Dragonlance my favorite fantasy series. The quest is simply background for the start of a fascinating character drama.
There are seven core characters at the start, though more are added and deleted as the first trilogy progresses. Twin brothers Caramon (a slow-witted but compassionate mercenary) and Raistlin (a brilliant but sickly and bitter mage played by Kiefer Sutherland) Majere were raised by their half-sister Kitiara Uth Matar when their mother lost her mind after giving birth to them. When the restless and ambitious teenager Kit goes off to seek her fortune, she tells Caramon to "look after Raist," setting up a codependent love/hate relationship between the brothers.
The leader of the group is Tanis Half-Elven (Michael Rosenbaum, Smallville), the product of the gang-rape of an elven princess in the kingdom of Qualinesti. Tanis was raised by the royal family after his mother died giving birth to him. When his distant cousin Laurana, third in line to the throne, forms a romantic attachment to him, a fosterage is hastily arranged for the illegitimate half-human Qualinesti prince with a friend of the king, the dwarven master smith Flint Fireforge, who conveniently lives outside of the kingdom. Tanis is just a tad angst-ridden.
Years later, in the town of Solace, Tanis takes in Sturm Brightblade, the orphaned son of a knight from the kingdom of Solamnia, thus continuing that little family of outcasts. When Tanis and Kitiara become lovers, they create D&D's rather twisted version of the Brady Bunch. Rounding out the group is the trickster figure of Tasslehoff Burrfoot, a catalyst for change throughout the core books.
The stage is set for all manner of interpersonal drama as the companions return to meet in the Inn of the Last Home in Solace after five years of separation when they each went off on their own to confront or hide from their personal demons.
The reunion doesn't go as smoothly as expected. Raistlin has been horribly disfigured. Kitiara mysteriously doesn't show up. Just about everyone has heard rumors of unidentified invading armies sweeping the continent. An unscrupulous leader of a new religion now rules Solace.
When two refugees from the Plains (one of whom, Goldmoon, is played by Lucy Lawless, Battlestar Galactica) enter the Inn with a legendary mystical object, they are accosted by the local authorities. The companions, being the heroes of the story, naturally rush to save the pair, and with the help of Tika (Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy the Vampire-Slayer), an adolescent orphan who was raised by the Innkeeper, the group escapes and goes on the run.
Oh yeah, and several constellations in the sky inexplicably have gone missing...
I make no guarantees for the quality of the movie, but at least you'll be prepared if you see it.