Chaotic fantasy adventure rolls a hit

For years the concept of adapting to the vast and immersive canon of dungeons Turning it into a hit feature film seemed insurmountable – but there’s no denying that the tabletop RPG has seen a resurgence of late thanks to various streaming campaigns. Even celebrities like Joe Manganiello are proud to boast of their status as D&D Players and successful web series such as critical role got the animated treatment, so if there was ever a time for Hollywood to roll the dice all over again D&D movie, it would be now. Input Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievescoming from directors Jonathan Goldstein And John Francis Daley (game night), who also wrote the screenplay Michael Gili (from a story he tinkered with Chris McKay). The duo bring their existing goofy comedic sensibilities to a sprawling fantasy world, a crowd-pleaser combination that nods respectfully to die-hard fans while remaining just accessible enough for newcomers.

It wouldn’t be D&D Campaign without a cast of well-defined but somewhat mismatched characters and standing at the forefront of the group Chris Kiefer‘s hapless bard Edgin Darvis, whose backstory is reeled out for us fairly quickly and in a memorable way. He has come a long way from his earlier appearances as a sworn member of the organization known as the Harpers; In fact, he and his much more reserved partner, the barbarian Holga Kilgore (an awfully dry one Michelle Rodriguez), are currently in a wintry prison for “theft and skull digging”. Since the death of Edgin’s wife at the hands of a Red Wizard, career criminals Robin Hood have fought their way through various robberies, all with the goal of supporting Edgin’s young daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman), so getting caught during their last heist wasn’t really planned. To stage an escape from prison so Edgin could track down Kira – who, under the tutelage of Forge (a rather shady Hugh Grant) – is just the beginning of this adventure that will soon feature paladins, halflings, a diabolical necromancer, an adorable owlbear and more surprises too good to spoil.

It is inaccurate to label honor among thieves a real star vehicle, not when every actor takes the strengths that made their careers on and uses them to the best of their ability here. Pine exudes every ounce of charisma that first earned him the role of Captain James T. Kirk and a name in the Hollywood Chrises pantheon, but Edgin is a far more hapless character than any we’ve seen him play before, leading to some performs the funniest beats in the movie. Similarly, Rodriguez is able to fully focus on her acting ability while making Holga a more blunt instrument of comedy in her on-screen quick wit with Pine. Justice Smith becomes her third, rather ignorant accomplice as Simon Aumar, a young wizard who doesn’t always have the greatest confidence in his abilities. The group is rounded off by Doric (Sophia Lilis), a deepling druid and resistance fighter with wisdom beyond her youth who has her own personal reasons for joining this motley crew.

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And then there is Regé-Jean Pagewho clearly showed us just the beginning of what he could do as he rode into the Regency world of Bridgeton three years ago. As Paladin Xenk Yendar, a legendary warrior with the looks to match, Page enters into a clear fight against Pine where the real winners are all of us who can see them on screen together. Alongside the rest of our less-than-noble characters, Xenk is the straight-forward, no-nonsense, noble dude who rescues infants and protects the important magical relic the party needs to continue their quest. While he doesn’t understand sarcasm or modern slang, he successfully manages to utter phrases like “illicit booty” with a completely impassive face. By the end of our all-too-short time with Xenk – who is clearly destined to play the very important role of lead NPC – not only has he won over the biggest skeptic in Edgin, but he’s gotten away with almost the entire film with the power of Page’s inherent magnetism .

The greatest attraction of honor among thievesSo it’s more about its characters and the journey they take together than their destination – which is also its biggest draw D&D first of all. Despite the arguably dangerous situations this group finds themselves in, there’s also plenty of room for laughter, and the film’s writers know how to use jokes that not only ease the tension, but also keep the story from spiraling too deep into darker ones corners dives. In the hands of a different script, or an entirely different franchise, Edgin’s story would be a tragic tale steeped in human pain at the loss of his wife and failure as a father, however honor among thieves is not written to make its narrative the sole priority. Each character’s motivations and problems are weighted equally. Holga’s story isn’t just about being a surrogate mother to Kira; She is also dealing with the aftermath of her failed marriage to a halfling, which resulted in her being banished from her own people. Simon has struggled throughout his life to rival his ancestors, powerful wizards themselves, but his magic often fails more than it succeeds. Abandoned by her birth parents, Doric is sworn to the Emerald Enclave and is now dedicated to standing up to anyone who would threaten her new family. Ultimately, all of their individual stories come together in surprising ways, especially as these characters eventually battle a common enemy in the formidable sorceress Sofina (Daisy Head) who serves as an acolyte to a villain lurking in the shadows.

honor among thieves wouldn’t work half as well as without a natural affection for D&D itself, and that element shines through in almost every scene. Goldstein, Daley and Gilio realized that successfully adapting this franchise doesn’t mean throwing every possible Easter egg or fanservice at the wall to see what sticks. Instead, there’s a thoughtful, playful use of every single cameo that appears in this film’s campaign, with jokes inserted in the capacity of an affectionate wink rather than a sneering fingertip. It all runs up to the film’s final boss fight, where our heroes will use each and every one of their abilities to gain the upper hand and save the world from imminent destruction, a strategy that undoubtedly harks back to the greatest aspects of the game. (Indeed, don’t be surprised if you leave the theater with a growing curiosity about how to launch your own campaign.) Whether you’re an uninformed beginner or an established fan, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves serves up enough unabashed silliness, memorable characters, and epic storytelling to draw everyone into its entertaining realm.

Evaluation: B+

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves had its world premiere at SXSW 2023 on March 10th and is scheduled to hit theaters on March 31st.