Inspired by the renowned fantasy tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is a fun fantasy adventure following an unlikely crew on their quest to get revenge on a common enemy. Led by a talented cast, this adaptation does the source material justice while delivering an entertaining final product.
Before getting into the review, the 'Honour Among Thieves' subtitle is just unnecessary. Just go ahead and call it Dungeons & Dragons and call it a day - we all know what it is, so the tacked-on subtitle just turns it into a mouthful for no reason. My guess is they're trying to distance themselves from that abomination back in 2000, but that's not a good enough reason in my books. To clarify, this had no impact on my enjoyment of the movie, I just needed to vent.
As far as the actual movie concerned, this a surprisingly fun and well-balanced adventure with a good mix of action, comedy and fantasy-based world building. My impression from the trailers and marketing was that this would be a relentless joke-fest where the cheesy comedy would overshadow every other element. Thankfully, it's a lot more tonally balanced - the comedic beats are subtle and mostly limited to the occasional witty one-liner. This ensures it still brings the laughs, but allows the story to retain some level of tension, heart and grit. The narrative isn't entirely new - it hits many cliché beats you expect to see and have seen in other adventure flicks, but it's a pleasantly enjoyable ride nonetheless. It's a film that knows its strengths and doesn't try to do anything too radical, which I respect.
Dungeons & Dragons presents a very fun vibe from beginning to end, guided by a well-spirited (yet forgettable) story and neat world building. The lore established in this film isn't the deepest or most intriguing I've had the pleasure of witnessing, but it works in enhancing the fantasy elements and making the world feel like it has a rich history. I've never been a fan of DnD, but the way the character backstories are fleshed out along the way does give the impression of what it would feel like to play a campaign. As far as adapting source material is concerned, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have done a solid job (coming from a non-DnD fan) in creating an enjoyable journey with a sandbox of material.
The rag-tag group of characters at the forefront of the film are all very likeable in their own way. They each guide the narrative with their respective arcs and have a solid place in the story. Additionally, each role is played well by the respective actor. Chris Pine is a solid lead, holding the crew together and dishing out some of his trademark comedy. Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith and Sophia Lillis are all good in their respective roles - they each bring a dose of charisma to the film that results in such a fun experience. I wish there was a little more of Chloe Coleman and Daisy Head, both of whom I really liked whenever they showed up. Hugh Grant was okay - I don't know if it's a result of him not really selling the role well, but I wasn't buying into his character, especially in the last act.
Along the way, the group finds themselves in dangerous situations that give way for some pretty cool action sequences. The action is CGI heavy, but it's all easy to follow and ramps up the entertainment factor of the film. There's no sense of tension or danger - you know more or less how things are going to turn out - but the action is first and foremost made to be enjoyable, and it succeeds. The impressively clean visual effects do well to enhance the action sequences and build this fantasy world in a way that looks convincing and not distracting.
In the end, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves brings the titular tabletop role-playing game to life in fine, faithful fashion. It's an upbeat adventure through a fantasy world - designed to be entertaining more than tense and gripping. The narrative is largely forgettable, but remains a lighthearted affair by weaving in some good humour. Fans of the action-adventure genre looking for an entertaining evening watch should absolutely check this one out.
7.5/10
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