Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

 

Score:  A-

Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley

Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis

Running time: 134 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Nerd-favorite Dungeons & Dragons returns to the big screen, and unlike most game adaptations, this one notches a high score.  It's very much a fantasy in its magical worldbuilding, but it does so in clever, cheeky, and often hilarious ways.  The cast, led by a game Chris Pine, is very solid and makes you feel like you're on a true adventure with them and not simply in a race to an inevitable, boring climactic battle.  Highly recommended for all, not just fantasy fans.

Forced to labor away in a prison mine in a fantastical land, Edgin (Pine) has seen his once noble life as a heroic knight, husband, and father crumble around him.  Longing for redemption and his family, Edgin breaks free along with his loyal partner Holga (Rodriguez).  The outside world has changed drastically since he last saw it, however, and Edgin finds he can no longer count on old allies or customs.  So Edgin, facing danger beyond any he has known before, must draw from both his courage and his shadier side; and depend on not just faithful Holga but also unusual and unexpected new friends.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of the most entertaining fantasy movies in years, a bit of a throwback in its avoidance of the genre's dreary pitfalls while also providing exceptional humor.  I don't really know much about D&D, other than a passing familiarity with how the game works - wisely, the film doesn't expect you to know anything.  It hits a nice, irreverent sweet spot, with a light tone but not one that tumbles into eye-rolling parody.  The plot is nothing special, but I appreciate two things about it: one, it's not yet another end-of-the-world epic, and two, it is solid enough to hold up yet makes way for other elements to shine.  One of those elements is the action, which is great in both its quantity and quality.  There is not too much in the way of standard fighting, as none of the characters can simply punch their way to victory; instead, they rely on cleverness.  And there are also few big CGI scenes; the ones that impress most are those with the best design, such as a shapeshifter frantically changing between animal forms while trying to escape, and a moving-caravan heist in which magical portals make you lose track of up and down.

D&D doesn't feature any all-time classic characters, but it still has a fun roster that easily carries the film with its charisma and chemistry.  Pine brings the great mischievousness that he showed as Captain Kirk, though with only a small dose of that icon's heroism.  But he isn't an anti-hero, either; just a guy with a lot of flaws that you still root for.  If anything, Rodriguez's Holga is the more traditional hero type, or at least action star, as she shows in a handful of scenes kicking soldiers' butts.  The dynamic between Edgin and Holga feels fresh, in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways, disrupting the typical gender balance.  Yendar, played by Bridgerton hunk Rege-Jean Page, is what you'd expect in the lead role, but he only gets a few minutes and gets poked fun at for most of that time.  Hugh Grant's Forge steals many scenes, which leads to the movie's strength: its sense of humor.  From the first scene through the last (stay for the credits!), laughs abound.  Most of it is slapstick, but very well-written and performed at that, and not just the human characters but also an obese beast and an animatronic avian.  Even with all the good humor, though, D&D is lent some weight by Edgin's quest for his daughter - not just for her safety but also for her forgiveness.

***

I didn't think I would see D&D in the theater, but after some positive word-of-mouth, I gave it a try and I'm glad that I did.  Part of my reluctance was due to the poor track record of movie adaptations of games (video, board, or otherwise) and part was due to a general weariness toward fantasy.  But D&D overcame both of those concerns easily.  Only a few brief moments reminded me that it was based on a game, and it distinguished itself clearly from its genre peers in its high quality, creativity, and sheer, genuine fun.  I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of a sequel... but I would definitely like to see more movies - in all genres - with its thoughtfulness, cohesion, and good spirit.  Check this one out in theaters!

* By Paramount Pictures - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2906216/mediaviewer/rm2360753153/?ref_=tt_ov_i, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72830741