# Why has there never been a major dark "Dungeon Crawl" type movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106 "2017-09-11T23:25:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/1 "2017-09-11T23:25:00Z")
Just take the rudimentary plot of a diverse group of warriors who, by chance or circumstance, who meet up and decide to go on a quest, which involves either a literal dungeon or some subterranean area like such, to fetch some object (which could have world-changing qualities); have the villain basically be a Mage or some sort of powerful evil villain; in the meantime, have fight scenes with zombies, orcs, etc. Basically, why has no one ever really attempted to make a D&D adventure into a movie? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/2 "2017-09-11T23:39:51Z")
Possibly because the _Dungeons & Dragons_ movie (2000), was a critical and financial flop. Wikipedia article: [Dungeons & Dragons (2000 film) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_%28film%29#Reception) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/3 "2017-09-11T23:40:48Z")
[Something like this?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qrX_DkInTv8) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/4 "2017-09-12T00:01:07Z")
The Lara Croft movies were pretty dungeon-crawly. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/5 "2017-09-12T00:15:52Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > The Lara Croft movies were pretty dungeon-crawly. As are various segments from various Indiana Jones movies. Personally, I recommend the OP check youtube for _Korgoth of Barbaria_. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/6 "2017-09-12T00:20:44Z")
[Here ya go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66o_EJRwBL0). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/7 "2017-09-12T00:23:00Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Something like this?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qrX_DkInTv8) Ddamn; that looks great! Thanks, **Miller**! ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/8 "2017-09-12T00:26:46Z")
As Above So Below is a horror film that might generally meet your criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/9 "2017-09-12T00:44:11Z")
Krull was pretty mind-bendingly bad. The Seven Samurai, not so bad. Big Trouble in Little China was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/10 "2017-09-12T00:44:58Z")
_Raiders of the Lost Ark_ was basically a long sequence of dungeon crawls and fetch quests. Indiana Jones even joined up with his co-star in a tavern. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/11 "2017-09-12T01:00:57Z")
_The Goonies_ seems like it’d also qualify, though with the fantasy dialed way back. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/12 "2017-09-12T01:02:50Z")
The thing is while the movies you guys have mentioned were great, none of them took place in a high-dark medieval fantasy setting. Indiana Jones and the Goonies have aspects of a dungeon crawl, but take place in our world with only fantastic flourishes. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/13 "2017-09-12T02:04:43Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Something like this?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qrX_DkInTv8) Trailer says spring 2017, but imdb says still in production. Aug 6 update says “Wrapping up final touches” Brian ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/14 "2017-09-12T02:22:16Z")
[There’s also this](http://deadgentlemen.com/projects/the-gamers-series/dorkness-rising/), which is maybe taking the OP too literally. Still a lot of fun, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/15 "2017-09-12T02:40:53Z")
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Other Movie Willow The Hobbit ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/16 "2017-09-12T02:59:48Z")
[_Outpost_ (2008)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outpost_(2008_film)) actually seems to fit the requirements quite well…aside from being set in the modern day. An even better fit, although not a movie, would be [Record of Lodoss War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_of_Lodoss_War). Which was, in fact, _literally_ born as an adaptation of a transcript of an RPG campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/17 "2017-09-12T03:24:32Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > The thing is while the movies you guys have mentioned were great, none of them took place in a high-dark medieval fantasy setting. Indiana Jones and the Goonies have aspects of a dungeon crawl, but take place in our world with only fantastic flourishes. Conan the Destroyer. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/18 "2017-09-12T05:27:24Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Something like this?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qrX_DkInTv8) That looks more like a monster story set in a mine. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/19 "2017-09-12T05:59:07Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > That looks more like a monster story set in a mine. So are most dungeon crawls. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106/20 "2017-09-12T07:18:54Z")
What, the whole movie is just a dungeon crawl? If you’re already making a fantasy movie, why would you not want to show castles and rugged mountains and enchanted forests and men on horseback? Why stick the whole movie underground? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-there-never-been-a-major-dark-dungeon-crawl-type-movie/796106.md?page=2)