Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant
Directed by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daily

Last year I saw the first trailer for "Dungeons & Dragons," and I said at the time that this would be one of the biggest flops of 2023, because I wasn't impressed at all with what I saw. After finally seeing the film, I'm not too proud to say that even I sometimes make mistakes, and while this is far from Oscar-worthy, "Honor Among Thieves" is a fun, funny, action-packed ride with a charismatic, charming cast that had me wishing I had a core group of friends who would play Dungeons and Dragons together consistently without bailing a few weeks in (not that that's ever happened before...twice...).

Edgin (Chris Pine) is a bard who befriends barbarian Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), working together to create a team to steal the Tablet of Reawakening which would bring Edgin's wife back from the dead after being murdered by Red Wizards. They bring in sorcerer Simon (Justice Smith) and rogue Forge (Hugh Grant) - along with Forge's mysterious friend Sofina (Daisy Head) - to steal it, but find themselves double-crossed by Forge and Sofina, who entrap Edgin and Holga and put them in prison. Two years later they break free and return home to get to Edgin's daughter, but learn that Forge has become the Lord of Neverwinter and has turned Edgin's daughter against him. To rescue his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman), Edgin and Holga reunite with Simon and brings on paladin Xenk (Rege-Jean Page) and druid Doric (Sophia Lillis) to infiltrate Forge's stronghold as well as stop Sofina - who's in reality a powerful Red Wizard - from creating an army of the undead.

The Good:
Anyone who's a fan of fantasy films will find favor in "Dungeons and Dragons," as the entire premise of the film follows one of the campaigns to a T. You'll feel totally transported to a different age with the fascinating set pieces and effects used in the film. From castles to epic cemeteries to...of course...dungeons, "D&D" delivers.

The story allows for a continual flow of action that doesn't put a damper on the proceedings. Despite being a bit over two hours, you don't feel like it's wasted time nor are you impatiently staring at your watch waiting for the credits to start rolling. The action keeps your attention, and they're truly exciting.

"Game Night" directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daily are known for blending comedy in their stories, and "D&D" is no exception. All the performers play to their comedic strengths, even Michelle Rodriguez, who's more known for straight action than comedy, provides straight-up laugh-out-loud moments that make you feel like you're in the middle of a "D&D" campaign with your best friends, sitting back and having a great time. The best sequence of the film centers on the crew digging up corpses to find a mysterious helmet, and Simon having the ability to bring them back to life for five questions before dying for good. That sequence had me crying because I was laughing so hard.

Speaking of playing to strengths, the entire cast deliver the goods and make away with your heart. Chris Pine's Edgin is the ringleader of this motley crew, and exhibits excellent comedic timing, but also has a touching backstory concerning his wife's murder and not being the father he wanted to be. Michelle Rodriguez obviously kicks butt, but also has a soft side that's not normally seen with her, along with numerous laugh-out-loud moments. Their chemistry is off the chain, as the young kids say (or do they? I don't know anymore). Justice Smith's Simon is adorable as a sorcerer who struggles with his abilities, while "It" star Sophia Lillis's Doric is an animal-shifting druid who remains stoic, sarcastic, and sensational. Hugh Grant plays to his own villainous strengths as he focuses on his charm and charisma, and Rege-Jean Page's paladin is truthful as ever. The whole film felt like a campaign you and your friends would participate in, as each character is wholly unique and unlike any of the others, which allows you to pick your favorite among them.

I'm only a novice at "D&D," having played a few campaigns but never actually finishing any of them, mostly because we could never get a crew together enough consistently to do it. I was a bit worried that "Honor Among Thieves" would hone in more on the "D&D" lore, and while it did a bit, it didn't detract me from the story nor did it leave me questioning what was happening. Everything was explained adequately, sprinkling in "D&D" lore throughout without making it too heavy-handed.

The Bad:
Sometimes the CGI comes off a bit shoddy, and I still hold to what I said about it when I saw the trailer: that this looks like something that was made in the late 90s. It's not as bad as some other CGI films (*cough*"Love and Thunder"*cough*), but decades from now it won't be heralded as a marvel of CGI.

While the story makes you wish you were participating in the campaign yourself, it almost does too good of a job at that, making you wish you were actually doing the campaign instead of watching it on screen.

For its runtime, there's not a lot of deep character development outside their current predicament (Edgin wanting to be a better father, Simon finding his own courage, etc). While the film does focus on the action, it sometimes comes at the cost of storytelling, as we move from point A to point B to point C (which is actually point A again but slightly different) just to create more action and excitement but nothing beyond the bare bones of the script.

The Verdict:
While not rolling a NAT 20, "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" still manages to deliver a solid film filled with action, humor, and heart that will delight any fan of fantasy, leaving you longing for a crew to embark on your own wild "D&D" adventure with.

The Score: A