Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)


I'm not going to get into the history of the Dungeons & Dragons games, other than they are something I always wish I had played.  I've never had a circle of friends that were interested - or, I should say, interested in letting me join - so never got the chance to get involved in campaigns and such.  Like most people who play video games, though, I am aware of some of the basics, since D&D character generation pretty much forms the base for any role playing game, whether it be fantasy, science fiction or even shooters.  

One thing D&D does have that is unique is a world with specific monsters, races and classes.  Some of the older books featured graphic depictions of the various creatures and that was one of the things that caught my eye early on.  Some of it was obviously influence by J.R.R. Tolkien and traditional legends, but there were some truly ingenious ones like the Gelatinous Cube, a blue cube that blocks corridors and slowly creeps along, digesting anything that gets caught within.  The other thing I know about the game is that, despite having about every fantasy convention jammed together into one world, it has been notoriously difficult to bring to the big screen.  

The 2000 version was a flop which still ended up with two sequels, both of which never got a theatrical release in the U.S.  The only somewhat successful adaptation was a cartoon in the 1980s.  But then along came John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.  Instead of treating the material like second-rate Lord of the Rings they decided to give it a Marvel touch, similar to Guardians of the Galaxy.  Unlike recent Marvel films Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is genuinely funny and entertaining, with a special effects quality one would expect from the money that is dropped into MCU but which we rarely get. 

Edgin (Chris Pine) is a bard who was previously with a secret organization called the Harpers.  The death of his wife (Georgia Landers) leads him to give up his vows.  Tasked with taking care of his young daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman) he turns to a life of crime after meeting the exiled Barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez).  Together with con man Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant) and a mediocre wizard named Simon (Justice Smith), along with Kira's help, Edgin makes a living as a thief.  This comes to an end after a disastrous heist financed by a wizard named Sofina (Daisy Head). 

Edgin and Holga are caught and, after two years in prison, escape.  Edgin hopes to reunite with his daughter who is now living with Forge in the city of Neverwinter, over which he is now lord.  Unfortunately, Forge has turned Kira against her dad, and seems to be involved in nefarious business with Sofina.  Edgin wishes to obtain the piece of treasure, a tablet that can bring his wife back from the dead, but it is locked away in Forge's vault.  In order to get into the vault they need a special helmet, and in order to get it they reunite with Simon, who introduces them to a shapeshifting Tiefling named Doric (Sophie Lillis).  With the help of a paladin named Xenk (Regé-Jean Page) the group pursues the helmet while Edgin comes up with a plan to get Kira back.  

Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez have great chemistry and, to Daley and Goldstein's credit, never get romantically involved.  There isn't even any sexual tension, as Holga still seeks closure with her ex and Edgin is obsessed with his dead wife.  The thing that bonds them is Kira, whom Holga became a substitute mother for over the years.  They also don't crowd out Simon and Doric who both have their own paths of growth throughout.  Forge is nominally the villain with Hugh Grant and Regé-Jean Page, polar opposite characters, providing much of the comic relief. 

The effects are a mixture of practical and digital, with two of the creatures being advanced animatronic suits.  The CGI isn't intrusive and is much better done that many movies that I have seen recently, although there are still parts where it looks rubbery and unnatural.  The big sequences, such as Doric changing multiple times to escape Sofina's men, are beautifully done, as are most of the landscapes.  

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves goes to show what can be done with a property, even a table-top role playing game, if the source material is given some reverence, along with a good story and a good cast.  This was supposed to have come out in 2021 and is one of a number of films still dribbling out after all this time due to being delayed by the pandemic, but given all that and the history of terrible movies based on (and influenced) by the property this is amazingly well-done.  It also does a good job of wrapping up this story, while teasing a sequel if there is one. 

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Time: 134 minutes
Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophie Lillis, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Daisy Head
Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein 

 

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