For me, it represents the best parts of playing D&D: being creative and having fun. It’s not that the tales told in role-playing game sessions can’t be solemn or emotionally moving, but we have an abundance of fantasy stories nowadays that take themselves with an unrelenting seriousness. Fantasy is allowed to be fun, and those are my favorite RPG sessions—hanging with friends, playing a game, cheering together at every Critical Success, and laughing ruefully at every Critical Fail.
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Again, this movie could suck. It’s deliberately aping Marvel movies, it’s definitely a cash-grab after Stranger Things popularized it, the story could end up being terrible, it could be nothing more than craven fanservice, or it could even mock the source material and the nerds that love the game, which would infuriate me to no end. However.
The world of nerdery can be dispiriting nowadays, mostly thanks to toxic fans and celebrities who turn out to be monsters. But just seeing that dumb, magnificent owlbear on that screen was a moment of pure nerdy joy for me, and a powerful reminder there will always be moments like that, even if they feel few and far between.
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And yes, I know in the movie it’s a Tiefling Druid who wildshapes into an Owlbear. It’s still an Owlbear. And Owlbears rule.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.