The Dwarves of Demrel (2018) User Reviews

Dragon Mountain

[daniel-mannouch · 4/10 · 24 January 2020]

Dragon Mountain is a one location film that is way too underlit for comfort and is way more about dwarves than anything else. Production design is top notch with detailed costume design and effective practical make up. The acting i found to be quite good. The cast seem to get the steampunk vibe going on and perform with appropriate tone for the most part.

If you are looking for a story told through stories off screen, then Dragon Mountain has you covered. The majority of the dialogue revolves around the dwarf miners discussing themselves, their lives they have back home and other stuff. To be honest, I wasn't really that invested in the characters and so the whole thing got really boring, really fast.

There is nothing else to this film apart from a few moments of suspense to break apart the monotony of these verbalised bios. It's a unique approach which I appreciate in of itself, considering the genre and the obviously low budget, but I just didn't gel with it that much. Dragon Mountain was tedious for me, but praise where praise is due. It's a distinctive film for sure, and for some, I can definitely see it being a good watch.

Darkness

[nightroses · 5/10 · 12 November 2021]

Three beards are trapped inside a mountain because of a mine collapsing. They have to find a way out but they're running out of rations and light. Various tunnels lead to dead ends but they find generators inside with little juice left. Some creature is living inside the caves and a woman appears, heavily masked and covered as she's not able to breath inside the caves as the dwarfs are. A very talky film, claustrophobic and frustrating. A mundane story, well acted and leaving one wondering.

Almost gave this six but...

[Snootz · 5/10 · 23 November 2020]

Some marketing dingbat decided to release this to certain markets as "Dragon Mountain", which brought some negative reviews. The true name "Dwarves of Demrel" carries far more integrity to the movie, since that's what this is about: three dwarves trapped in collapsed mines.

This is a slow-burner of a movie that at its best presents some decent drama and character presentation... and at its worst makes no sense at all.

The creature offered no explanation other than "scary mystery element" that would have been better left out of the movie. The human character's presence is undeveloped and unexplained. The first 3/4 of the movie involves development of what really gets down to resolution in the final quarter. It is the final quarter that pulls this movie out of the trash bin.

I give this a "mediocre" 5 for effort, since it had a pretty decent final 15 minutes. But there was just too much of this movie that consisted of barely-audible dialog and gaping plot holes. With a little more effort this could have been a sleeper classic, but they just didn't quite get there. Those who rated this 8 stars and above have, I think, significantly lowered their bar on what makes a movie great. This is an interesting watch with real potential, but they missed that bullseye by a couple of rings.

My Review Of "Dragon Mountain "

[ASouthernHorrorFan · 4/10 · 18 August 2018]

Raney's film is well produced, straightforward and engaging as far as writing and character development. He offers a potentially captivating story-arch, focusing on these characters and their dire situation as they struggle to survive in a subterranean "prison". The atmosphere is ominous and suspenseful with plenty of opportunity to excite and build a thrilling story. For the most part, though, we are only teased mildly, with little gratification.

"Dragon Mountain" is filled with a lot of missed opportunities to become the titillating watch that the synopsis suggests. First, no dragons- well a really cool fly over the mountain chain by a quality CGI lady heading to her den takes place in the opening scene. But that is it- technically the dragon is eluded to a couple of times through dialog. Beyond that the movie pulsate as a character study of crises.

There is fantasy, but subtext and suggestion reigns supreme to get you there. The dwarves are recognizable and familiar. They take the main stage in Raney's movie, but they could easily be replaced subconsciously with human persons going through this struggle. There is a creature in the tunnels with them and a human in killer Cosplay steampunk gear, however both are little more than cameo characters and missed before they really ever fill the screen.

Overall "Dragon Mountain" is kind of a let down. Toss aside the fact that 'no dragon' in a movie whose title sells you on dragons. Forgiven. With the actual story- four guys trapped in a clasped mine- the writing and acting is top notch. The cinematography is okay, lighting issues plague crucial moments that were necessary to amp up the entertainment value. Unfortunately it all boils down to bad moods, grumpy dialog and emotional anxiety between disgruntled workers that seems to put a drag on the fluidity of the movie's pace, making it a rather boring movie.

Has to be a first film for the director.

[frankblack-79961 · 5/10 · 9 September 2020]

Fairly simple film. Not to exciting. I thought it was going to be a lot worse. Acting wasnt terrible. Very small cast. Special effects and creature effects were surprisingly good in the few places were they were used. Wish there would have been more to the story.

An exercise in boredom

[cat-that-goes-by-himself · 3/10 · 9 June 2021]

I might have been more lenient if not for the misleading title and first minute showing a CGI dragon that has absolutely nothing to do with the story. This has "click bait" written all over.

Except for that, it's a very low budget movie with 3 dwarves wandering in a cave, doing arbitrary things, talking about any odd thing, with random events occurring out of the blue, including a rehearsed shaky cam sequence of the Blair Witch kind.

Nice costumes, decent actors but no scenario to speak of.

It was so bad that I actually watched to whole thing ...

[j-a-julian · 1/10 · 5 August 2018]

... and I'm not proud of myself for doing so. It ends with a long list of crowdfunding contributors who wasted their money. I cannot think of a single redeeming value for this travesty. Mushy plot. Pointless. No character development. No resolution. Don't watch it. Instead of direct to DVD this one should go direct to trash.

The Slowest Most Boring Movie You Will Ever See

[arfdawg-1 · 1/10 · 28 February 2020]

This film basically boils down to 3 guys in a cave arguing with each other for an hour and a half. And about half way through there's flashing shaky-cam footage of a fight with a mysterious creature they fight with and are scared of until near the end when the situation is resolved.

It's horrible

Definitely a keeper for fans of the fantasy genre...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 10 June 2019]

Right, well truth be told then I hadn't really expected much of anything from the 2018 movie "The Dwarves of Demrel". I had anticipated that I would be in for another horribly low budget fantasy movie that would seem more like someone having brought a digital camera to a LARP (Live Action Role-Playing) session somewhere than I would be in for an actual movie.

Still, I decided to sit down and watch "The Dwarves of Demrel". And I am actually glad that I did. Because it turned out that this 2018 from writers Zachary Amundson and Chris Raney actually turned out to be a rather amazing fantasy movie.

Sure, it wasn't a high fantasy movie with lots of magic, dragons, orcs, battles and what you would otherwise expect from a fantasy movie. But it was an interesting approach to the fantasy genre, and it was refreshing to see a fantasy movie that revolved around the dwarven race and taking place in the subterranean setting entirely.

One might argue against the movie taking place in a subterranean setting and being with so few actors and actresses on the cast ensemble. But it actually worked out quite well, taking the concept of the storyline into consideration.

While we are on the cast, then the movie essentially only revolved around three actors, John Hutton (playing Calcas), Brent Bateman (playing Ordryd) and Robert Morgan (playing Brenn). Not only were these three gentlemen nice actors, but they had also gone through a nice transformation in props and make-up so that they looked like archtypical dwarves from a fantasy setting. That was really enjoyable and added so much to the movie. And the wardrobe also really was great and also did add a good layer of enjoyment to the movie.

The atmosphere of the movie was amazing, and it really felt realistic with the dwarves being trapped inside the mountain. It was like the audience was trapped in there with them. And the fact that they had limited light sources really worked so well for the movie, because it brought out such a realism that it was just good to witness. And I loathe movies that are supposed to take place in the dark, but for some reason there is a light source illuminating the scene from left or right, where there should be no light source. Good thing that director Chris Raney opted for realistic lighting. And it really felt like the dwarves were inside a real mountain, inside the mines, because it didn't look like horrible carboard or styrofoam props resembling stone.

Now, the synopsis says 'steampunk fantasy', I would say that the steampunk elements are very small and weren't overshadowing the movie in any manner. Which was a good thing, because steampunk is not really something that translates well into movies.

I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of this movie, and it turned out to be a rather enjoyable addition to the fantasy genre, where a great many movies fail most horribly. This was such a positive surprise of a movie, and it is indeed a very nice addition to the fantasy genre.

Slip the bone back in the leg

[nogodnomasters · 2/10 · 6 March 2019]

Three Dwarves and a human are trapped in mine 347864. There is a creature in there with them we see late. Not sure why a creature that lives in the dark has 6 eyes and can see. We get a great front story of the humans dominating the dwarves and we see a dragon flying over a mountain. It promises to be a great film and then nothing. The dialogue was sad. Music put me to sleep.

atmospheric movie, very recommended

[GUYWITHBEER · 8/10 · 12 April 2020]

I just watched this movie and it was excellent.

Its such a simple story, 3 dwarves stuck in a mine trying to get back home to their families and the terrible things they must endure to get home.

Its mostly 3 dwarves talking, you really see the different characters clash with each other and eventually work together for their mutual benefit.

Their is a real sense of isolation and despair although always with a glimmer of hope that they will manage to get out safely.

The world building is fantastic. I would love to know so much more about the world around them but it was great to just focus on 3 simple dwarf miners trying to do their job and get back home.

Highly recommended if you enjoy a movie heavy on atmosphere, not so much if you are looking for action. Its a slow build and the ending is open to interpretation.

A solid 8 out of 10 from me.

Dark, brooding, ominous.. and the Original title made more sense.

[matthewlitton · 6/10 · 7 December 2018]

I went into this with the clear understanding that this was an effort of love by an independent film company.

The story centers around an unlikely trio of dwarven miners who find themselves trapped in the belt of a mountain and their struggle to survive with limited resources and their own limitations.

I loved the idea that the movie wasn't about great warriors or dwarven mobility, but rather about a working class dwarf. I was not disappointed.

I only wish they'd been able to work in more dwarven detail into the mine. Pillars, runes etc

1 * rating

[jeepz65 · 1/10 · 21 July 2018]

1 start because the movie is crap ..camera work out of focus when three people are in a cave talking we want to see the faces and not blurred imagas i lasted 5 mins in before i said right enough is enough could hardly make out most of the movie i know its a cave its dark but this other thing with close ups overall Bad acting bad movie its just bad

Waste of time

[vickie-s6313 · 1/10 · 19 November 2018]

Sad, I wanted it to be good but nope. Nothing redeeming about this film. And the creature? OMG weird. Had potential but flopped.

The Dwarves of Demrel (2018)

[keithstanier · 1/10 · 6 January 2020]

Fantasy only dragon in opening scene then none, a lot of irrelevant Drama 95%, I skipped through the boring crap, very drawn out, its 2 dwarves in a cave arguing, Fantasy only genre should have gone to specsavers, total garbage, its like watching paint dry.

The whole movie nothing happened... No fights no conflict nothing

[esrigariel · 1/10 · 4 December 2020]

What did I just watch? It was three dwarves wrapped in a mine sitting around talking trying to figure out how to get out and nothing else happened. Why did they even bother making a Dungeons & Dragons movie with no conflict no spells no weapons... With the exception of a Miner's pick that the dwarf used to try to get himself out, failing miserably at that. On top of this a dwarf can see in the dark. They can both see in the dark and in the infrared Spectrum. Gary gygax wrote this every edition of Dungeons and Dragons. What this means is I am very confused why for over half the movie they worried about their stupid Lantern and in the end of the movie dramatically lighting their last three matches like they can't see in the dark. Do your research more carefully before you make a movie. Although I hate to admit that Jeremy Irons movie of Dungeons & Dragons was better than anything... It was at that was in the fold better than this movie. How did this even get approved for the big screen or even straight to DVD? Again nothing happened I want to hour and a half I spent watching this refunded.

Terrible movie

[jonbeckmon · 1/10 · 3 April 2019]

I was recommended to Kickstart this movie by the creators of the Mythica movies. They said it was made by friends of theirs. Since the Mythica movies are fantastic movies (one friend said the best Role Playing movies he's ever seen) I decided to kickstart this. I finally got around to watching this movie last night. I feel asleep 3 times during the movie. Its so boring. I think the higher than 1 star reviews were written by the developers because the movie is dumb. Its a few dwarves that spend the movie talking to each other about nonsense in the dark in a cave underground probably to help the low budget. I've seen lots of low budget films though that were good but this one is really bad. The dwarves are hoping for a rescue the whole movie. They find a creature. The creature gives them eggs to eat (I'm assuming its own eggs but that would mean its murdering its babies). You see the creature once. The dwarves complain a lot. There is really no plot line at all. They don't even get rescued at the end. The lights go out and its totally dark and the dwarf that got the eggs tell them they have to remember how to get the eggs in the dark. That's about it. One of the Dumbest movies I've ever watched. Real waste of the money I invested. Just a couple of dwarves whining about everything and not even much of that. Not a lot of speaking even in the movie. No plot line at all. Cool dragon glides over the mountain at start of movie nothing ever done on that rest of movie. The one Dwarf worked for the humans that want the dwarves to mine for goodies. The humans are automating so they can get rid of the Dwarf miners and not pay them. The one human they find in the mine says they dug too deep. Sound familiar? Couple of lines right out of Lord of the Rings movies. In this one they revealed some weird monster that gives them eggs instead of the Demon from old world in Lord of the Rings. This movie is a waste of time. Don't waste the 2 hours of your life watching this dribble of nonsense. Leaves itself open for a sequel to rescue them but I would never kickstart anything from these guys ever again.

maybe next time

[coex23 · 2/10 · 17 November 2021]

The upper peninsula of Michigan probably is a place where one has a lot of time to play D&D. You know, long winters, etc. According to imdb, this is the director's first film; not even a short, music video or commercial! For that alone, this film gets a star.

Beyond that? Eh, maybe another for effort.

Next time, make a few commercials for the used car dealer in town first. Then maybe put a few hours in at the public access station. Maybe then attempt a short feature!

Understated and solid as a dwarven movie should be.

[evangibson-46219 · 8/10 · 5 June 2019]

This is an original and currently fairly unique addition to fantasy. Real people's lives, not stupid adventurers with no substance.

I know they put dragon in the title for marketing but it _hurts_ it, takes it away from it's slow building core.

Everything about this is done well.

Not big. Not flashy. Reliable. How many more Dwarven descriptions can we fit in? I want more of this world, but somehow without losing the charm...

Perfect combination of skills that can not be quantified by "budget"

[domonkos-horvath · 9/10 · 23 July 2018]

Money can't give you an aptitude to excel in a skill, in short, "talent". Talent in writing, talent in acting, talent in setting up character-centered scenes. The word "budget" becomes meaningless, when your movie's only location is a cave, instead of grand visuals you have to put your faith in the talent of your costume designer, the actors, the writers and they all did a flawless job in this one.

If you want to turn your brain off to enjoy CGI destruction on a grand scale featuring 2-dimensional characters in an action flick without a hint of anything that makes a story well-written, watch one of those 300+ mil comic book adaptations.

If you enjoy good acting, well-written dialogue, and in general, movies that are driven forward by their characters instead of CGI city blocks exploding in your face, you will definitely want to give this one a chance!

Damn good to be honest... but know that it's not a big budget fantasy film

[orangettecoleman · 8/10 · 20 January 2021]

I was pleasantly surprised by this film, after sitting through many underscripted tax haven fantasy films which exhibited minimal effort and creativity on the part of the creators. Really, it's amazing what the small cast and crew were able to do with what they had, with a few costumes and a camera, and a commitment to get as much as possible out of the resources they had. It's not a big budget sword and sorcery epic, it's a suspenseful character drama - I feel that if the exact same film had been made with contemporary miners as characters rather than in a fantasy setting it would have been much more well received. Highly recommended!

got to love a dwarf movie

[reaper-29803 · 10/10 · 18 September 2018]

Love this movie. there needs to be more from this world.

A well directed film

[red_kintoba · 8/10 · 23 April 2020]

I like a fantasy film that doesn't have fifteen minutes of exposition in the beginning. The world is set throughout the film. I wish there could be more films by this team, as it has great potential to be its own series.

It was beautiful and amazing

[annem-97921 · 10/10 · 23 April 2021]

I'm a huge fan of fantasy dwarves/dwarfs, so when I found out about this movie I was so excited. This was absolutely incredible and wonderful. I'm not sure why a lot of people disliked it... maybe they expected another epic fantasy movie like Lord of the Rings or something, but it doesn't have to be "big" to be a good story. You can tell an insane amount of passion, heart, and soul went into production and I was mesmerized the whole time. I sincerely appreciate the directors for making this film, as it's now one of my favorites.

Human conflict, sacrifice, mystery

[rgalgiani · 9/10 · 14 January 2021]

Well written. Great camera work. Excellent wardrobe. Brooding atmosphere. Love the genre. Makes me want to read about the entire storyline universe. What's going on at the capitol?