An entertaining adventure fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves never allows itself to be bogged down in the mythological lore of its source material, resulting in an accessible and fun tale of magic, shenanigans, and family.
The surprise movie of 2023 (so far), Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves delivers the perfect alternative to those put off by the overload of gore drenched violence and in-your-face sex that is part-and-parcel of the fantasy genre these days. It is hard to determine what devotees of the popular Dungeons and Dragons boardgame will say about this comical and charismatic take on its super serious source material (which in its '80s heyday was accused of introducing satanism into suburban homes), but those outside the inner circle will find Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves to be an entertaining combination of the heist and fantasy movie, akin to an Ocean’s Eleven with magic and swords.
Leading the charge in the films' group of adventuring scoundrels is Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), a bard and former member of the Harpers (think a medieval FBI) who, through tragic circumstance, finds himself widowed and raising his daughter alone.
After a daring heist gone wrong lands him on the wrong side of the law, a now fugitive Edgin along with fearless warrior Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), cowardly sorcerer Simon Aumar (Justice Smith), and shape-shifting druid Doric (Sophia Lillis), attempt to take back Edgin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman) from the clutches of the corrupt Lord Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant) and his evil wizard Sofina (Daisy Head.)
Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Game Night) successfully have fun with the Dungeons and Dragons source material without resorting to cheap spoofery. Although the films tone is light and the banter more on the buddy cop side of things, there is no sacrifice in the films world building nor in the dramatic stakes at play that never waver throughout the films' 174 minute runtime.
Each member of the films' cast play to their strengths: Chris Pine delivers a performance filled with cocky man-with-a-plan bravado; Michelle Rodriguez provides action-woman heroics; Hugh Grant doubles down on that smirking scumbag shtick of his; and Daisy Head is suitably intense as the wicked wizard whose stare can kill. A surprising emotional core reveals itself as the film progresses, the result of the strong camaraderie between its actors.
All matter of monster and magic and (of course) dungeon and dragon feature throughout Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, yet its the charismatic performances that shine the most, resulting in a fantasy adventure where the emotional stakes are just as important as the spectacle, resulting in a prime example of how a niche property can become an accessible mainstream cinema success.
