Dungeons & Dragons

I have been playing D&D for over 15 years now, and I have to say the series ran just like the old D&D. Granted, the newer aspects of the game itself don't really apply, but back in the 80's, this series was right on target. I liked it so much, I have been searching and saving for it for some time now, and will eagerly buy it as soon as I can. The animation was good for its time, the story lines were always good, and there was always a great balance of good and evil. Every episode actually had a moral to it, though it wasn't always apparent. It was a great series for adults and children alike, for it's content and the action-packed sequences.

First off, for all you fanatics out there, the D&D cartoon is on the air, at least for the summer of 2000. It's on every Saturday on Fox at 11 a.m.! By the way, this is a national thing, not just some syndicated local station.

Why is it back on the air? I'd bet it's cuz of the Harry Potter mania going around and Fox (Who has a toon deal with Saban, who in turn owns the D&D cartoon, G.I. Joe and Transformers). Check out foxkids.com for more details.

Regarding my Harry Potter theory, all the advertisements feature Presto, the magician of the group, so that's why I'm betting it's their way to cash in on the hero of the English kids books.

Anyway, they've run two episodes as far as I can tell and they were "The Illusionist" and "The Day of the Dungeon Master." Both surprised me at how fast-paced the stories were, giving little time for establishing shots or explanatory information.

"The Illusionist" was the worst of the two, a story about Presto rescuing a girl from Venger's clutches. "The Day of the Dungeon Master" centered around Eric and how he inherited the Dungeon Master's powers for a day. "Day" was very entertaining, mostly because it was so character driven.

Regarding animation, it isn't as good as I remember it, but still passable when you look at "Pokemon" and "NASCAR racers." I would say it's just one step below "G.I. Joe" quality.

Don Most, the actor from "Happy Days", is by far the best voice actor and really carries the rest of the cast. But Willie Ames, Peter Cullen and whoever does the Dungeon Master are right on the mark.

Remembering my love for the series, I must say it's cool to see it again, because I so rarely saw it during it's original run. Why? Cuz they always preempted it for sports or decade-old repeats of "Land of the Lost."

But you know what disappoints me most? With nearly 15 years of better technology and computer generated effects at their disposal, they couldn't kill that damn unicorn!

when younger i never missed an episode the cast behind the scenes worked well with each other

the story lines behind each episode were well thought out(if sometimes a bit corny)(sometimes prophetic)tugging at heart strings on the odd occasion(when Dianne fell in love with the prince before he "saved" his people and transported to another dimension)(when "presto" helped save the village girl from venger,uttering the line in the swamp "don't leave i need you" enter dungeon master with some advice.

for some good old-fashioned entertainment good guys VS. bad guys watch these cartoons you won't be disappointed.

Six kids climb onto a Dungeons & Dragons ride, but they don't get off at the other end. Instead, they arrive in the Realm - a magical world where they're handed enchanted weapons and guided only by Dungeon Master. The Realm is a dangerous place, and lurking at its heart is the ultimate villain: Venger.

Saturday mornings could have been custom-built specifically for this series. It's the perfect fantasy adventure: rich, imaginative, and surprisingly dark - sometimes very dark. Even as kids, we sensed this wasn't the usual safe, toy-selling fare.

Dungeon Master is fascinating, walking a blurred line between benevolence and something murkier. Is he good? Manipulative? Surely he's powerful enough to send the children home... so why doesn't he?

Venger, brilliantly voiced by Peter Cullen, is the perfect contrast. There's nothing silly or frivolous about him - no slapstick, no winking at the camera. He's genuinely menacing, unsettling even, and that single horn doesn't exactly ease the nerves. What makes him truly interesting is the fact he doesn't lie... whereas Dungeon Master...

There are multiple high points across the run. The Dragons' Graveyard remains the peak - the moment the kids finally snap from burnout and take matters into their own hands. And then there's the opposite end of the spectrum: The Traitor, the one with the Care Bears energy. The only episode where you'll want to escape the Realm without a friendship bracelet.

The animation is terrific throughout. Even when the budget was clearly slashed for the third series, it remains stylish, moody, and distinctly its own thing.

The show wasn't free of controversy either, suffering from the era's "satanic panic" and hand-wringing over violence in children's television. But beneath the noise, it tackled disappointment, temptation, courage, hope, and that eternal tug-of-war between good and evil.

And then, decades later, Requiem arrived - the long-lost finale finally brought to life. It offers a thoughtful, emotional conclusion that fits perfectly with everything the show ever hinted at.

Well worth a trip down memory lane.

9/10.

I actually recorded some of the episodes back in 1983- 84 as i had my first VCR at the time. I still have the tapes and they play fine. My favorite episode was "THE SKELETON WARRIOR". It was about dekion the celestrial night that Venger put a spell on. It was awesome. TO bad there aren't anymore out there like this cartoon. After the 80's cartoons generally went downhill. THe best cartoons were in the mid 70's to mid 80's. I wonder why cartoons like this get cancelled? THen they have all the stupid ones they have on today. I used to watch this and the Saturday supercade along with Mighty Orbots and a bunch of other ones. Well those times are over I guess. But we have the recordings to see them again and again.