Jarnathan's popularity is the equivalent of a party loving an npc so much they take them everywhere and even change the course of the plot for them

Watched the DnD movie and honestly... not only getting to see a man and a woman platonically live together and raise a child, but also seeing the story treat that relationship as even more important than either lead's lost romantic love..? Not to mention just the overall lack of focus on romance in favour of fellowship and family? My ace skin is clear... my aro crops are watered... Tolkien's ghost is doing a jig as we speak...

One absolutely brilliant thing about the DnD movie was the names!!!

Jarnathan the aarakocra!! What a name? You can just see the DM not thinking that he would have to name any of the council.

DM: Okay you're in prison, you could break out but you have a meeting tomorrow to ask the council for absolution.

Edgin: who is on the council?

DM: A dragon born, an Aarakocra, a -

Edgin: what was the aarakocra called?

DM: ... Ummm ............... Jarnathan

I just love stupid obviously thought up on the spot DnD names being represented!

Dungeons and Dragons nailed the time skip aspect of irl dnd parties:

Doric: New player just joining with fully thought out lore, an entire backstory, motivation, and follows their dm’s plot to perfection.

Simon: “Lol idk he spent those years doing magic shows ig?”

DM: “Oh, so improving his magic and creating connections-“

Simon: “Haha no can they be really shitty shows because he’s stealing from all those people that whole time?”

DM: … sure?

DM: Then, obviously you guys are in prison-

Holga: We have an escape plan!

DM: … what? Why? I’m just going to pardon you so you can-

Edgin: But we workshopped it for three weeks!

DM: No! You’re not going to escape! We’re just going to do a quick recap and then you’ll be pardoned.

Holga: … ok. :)

Edgin: Sounds good :)

honestly the dungeons & dragons movie was far better than it had any right to be

I think Xenk just wanted to do a little hop off a rock.

I loved that the D&D movie really felt like a campaign. Doing a bunch of backstory at the beginning establishing how the characters know each other like in a session zero, overpowered DMPC that has to leave the story because they’d be too helpful, finding important information at a tavern, etc. They don’t reference gameplay and yet you know exactly how it’s the game. 

Aaaand another one

mother fuckin’ themberchaud

The lady who dramatically screams "Jarnathan!!" while doing absolutely nothing to help him is the fucking funniest person in this movie

The portal caravan scene was the most unapologetically D&D part of the movie imo

-the creative use of a magic item, not for it’s obvious and intended use

- each member of the party getting to do different parts from buying a painting to using wild shape

- the extreme convoluted nature of all the steps

- being extremely clever but still getting fucked up by bad execution(bad rolls)

-obvious holes in the plan like the guards clearly being able to see all of them working out just cause the other people are way to oblivious (when you get saved only cause an npc rolls a 5)

I love you goofy looking aarakocra, dragonborn and tabaxi. I love you hiring bridgerton guy just to be hot and untouchable and having his first major scene staged so that one tiddy is always artfully exposed. I love you well choreographed fight scenes and a beautifully chaotic representation of six seconds of combat. I love you compelling plot point of attunement requiring a successful role with your spellcasting modifier. I love you solving puzzles by shoving round p(ainting)egs into square holes. I love you forcing Justice Smith to do a British accent for no reason. I love you level 20 NPCs who can’t help the party against the big bad for ambiguous reasons. I love you bigby’s hand slap fights. I love you Nat 20s on potato attacks. I love you owlbears, mimics and gelatinous cubes. I love you dragons, I love you dungeons. I love you dnd movies that love dnd.

Funniest bit of the dnd movie is Xenk clearly being an NPC the DM introduced for lore and plot purposes who’s a competent fighter because of course he is, his reputation and backstory require it. But whoopsies the DM made him too powerful, the whole party likes him, and now they want him to come with to fight the BBEG which will completely and utterly fuck up the encounter balance

So instead of there being any actual plot reason he can’t join Xenk just says “I can’t. This is something only you can do.” And then walks off, never to interact with the party again because the DM just knows those little shits will find a way to use their OP creation against them

The thing about the D&D movie which is absolutely genius is that the game mechanics basically insulate them against any of the most frustratingly fun sucking movie criticisms. “But why were the guards looking the wrong way?” Failed their perception check. “Why did the spell stop RIGHT before they would have died” Dropped concentration. It gets to be dumb and fun anyone that TRIES to be the plot hole police gets ever increasingly obscure D&D rulebooks thrown down in front of them and called a fake nerd. There's NOTHING those type of guys hate more than being a fake nerd. This movie is untouchable.

I'm so afraid to make posts on here that are like "watch out. I'm gonna post some ART later" like what if I don't. what if I embarrass myself in front of everyone

some of my favorites from this post so far:

“oh you dont seem autistic” my brother in christ i want to rip my skin off when i apply sunscreen