'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' review: Does this fantasy adventure finally capture the magic of the game?
Since its creation in 1974, Dungeons & Dragons has been a haven for fantasy lovers to explore their imaginations by bounding together into quests and battles against monsters and magical menace. For nearly 50 years, the tabletop role-playing game has courted controversy, forged friendships, and influenced hit shows like Stranger Things, Gravity Falls, Vox Machina, and Freaks and Geeks. Yet when it came to film, where a string of less-than-memorable movies hit between 2000 and 2012, no one had quite captured the magic of gameplay…until now.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has arrived at SXSW's Opening Night, and it's the kind of epic fun fans have been waiting for.
What's Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves about?
Chris Pine headlines a star-studded cast as Edgin, a bard who — when he's not singing sweetly (often as a distraction) — is plotting a heist with his band of adventurers. His party includes Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a barbarian whose battle axe is as sharp and damaging as her dry wit; Simon (Justice Smith), a half-human sorcerer who has great magical ability but needs to level up his confidence; Xenk (Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page) a noble Paladin, who blends integrity with a sly bit of smugness; and Doric (Sophia Lillis), a Tiefling Druid, whose abilities to shapeshift make for some of this adventure's very best action sequences.
Together, they must face off against self-proclaimed "con-man" Forge (Hugh Grant), a rogue who has teamed up with a menacing red wizard. Sofina (Daisy Head), the menacing red wizard in question, possesses flashy lightning spells, but they come second to her intense glower power. Edgin's quest is to rescue his teen daughter (Chloe Coleman), an impressionable young girl who's fallen prey to Forge and Sofina's influence. Along the way, this troupe will encounter mighty monsters, curious creatures, and some quirky cameos too surprising to spill here.
What does Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves get right about D&D?
Fans of the game will thrill to see how co-writers/co-directors John Francis Daley (of Freaks and Geeks fame) and Jonathan Goldstein brought to vivid life Monster Manual creatures, like the pouncing Displacer Beast, a ferocious Owlbear, a "pudgy" but deadly Red Dragon, and even the comically dangerous Gelatinous Cube. Keeping true to the joy of experiencing the game itself, the filmmakers have been careful to keep the details of these designs familiar, while allowing the animation to possess a terrific bounce in its gravity.
Throughout the film, there are moments of life-or-death stakes and even jolting jump scares. But this bounce, this sense of play, helps keep things light and fun so that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves might be enjoyed by grown-ups and kids alike. Inclusivity is a major element of the movie, welcoming all kinds of fantasy fans, whether they played D&D or not. If you have, you'll likely yip and cheer as you recognize specific spells, items, and creatures. If you're a level nothing to this world, the script — by Daley, Goldstein, and Michael Gilio — swiftly gives enough context that you won't miss out on the fun.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has terrific action sequences.
It better, right? It's not just that this movie faces off against a myriad of fantasy movies (some of which its source material loosely inspired), it's that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves also faces off against the countless action sequences its players have imagined in their heads for decades. Dungeon Masters may vary, but Daley and Goldstein do a spectacular job of weaving in hand-to-hand combat, spell-casting, and quips.
There is fire, swordplay, shapeshifting, and inventive stunts. And within each setup, there's a refreshing variety. Some encounters are hard-hitting action, with Fast and Furious alum Rodriguez's Barbarian delivering exactly the kind of grit and kapow you'd expect from such casting. Other sequences have a rousing whimsy to them, with a transformative escape scene that has the energy of Pixar's Ratatouille. Still, other sequences flex frights with ominous swirls of dark magic and tearful confessions. Tonally, the movie rolls from comedic to exciting to tender and back again with ease. And frankly, these swerves are necessary for illustrating the essence of the game.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves captures the play at the heart of D&D.
These shifts in tone are sparked by the conflict between characters who have wildly different attitudes (and alignments). This group dynamic not only makes sparks fly in the film but also reflects the fun of playing characters among friends. The barbs between the bard and barbarian have a sibling sharpness. The swagger of the villain's monologue brandishes delightful showmanship. The clumsy romance between two party members mirrors the fumbles of a player character whose heart is pure but whose charisma is low roll. Essentially, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is authentically fun in vein with the game because of how it embraces the complications and comedy of a great group dynamic. And props to the cast for that.
Since Star Trek (2009), Pine has walked the line between goofy and gallant with the nimbleness of an acrobat. Here, he's game to play the ballad-slinging fool in one scene, then the earnest hero in the next. Rodriguez is his foil, straight-faced yet savage where he is sauntering and silly, hitting her punchlines as pointedly as she does her — well — punches. Smith is vibrantly awkward, bringing humor and heart, while Lillis offers a stoic yet stirring performance as a traumatized misfit, seeking vengeance. Meanwhile, Page practically glistens Lawful Good, yet brings a sly levity to a role that could have gone stale in the wrong hands.
In contrast to this merry band, Head is legit harrowing as a witch with war on her mind. She throws her body fully into spell casts and facial expressions that might be over-the-top in a more straight-faced fantasy. Here, however, they make her the perfect opposite of Grant's garrulous rogue, who is an unrepentant scene-stealer — on top of every other kind of stealer.
Grant has been living it up as a comedically thrilling baddie in films like Paddington 2, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, and now Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. And he's an international treasure for his service.
In a movie full of funny moments, Grant scores the most, thanks in part to his roguish smile, ripe and beguiling. As he threatens execution and delivers bizarre compliments with the same bon vivant verve, there's a gleefulness in his performance that is positively contagious. "Scoundrelly but professorial," he chirps of Edgin's appearance, "You look like a well-read fisherman!" He's so high-level charming, you might be tempted to root for him in spite of all the villainy.
A brilliant pick for SXSW's Opening Night, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a rollicking crowdpleaser, bursting with action, comedy, and spectacle. Its filmmakers deftly balance tones and character arcs to give everyone their hero moment, yet never get bogged down by the weight of so much story, lore, and legacy. This is an unapologetic romp, sure to be enjoyed by D&D devotees and newcomers alike. Simply put, this movie is one wild ride you won't want to miss.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was reviewed out of its World Premiere at SXSW 2023; it will open in theaters nationwide on March 31.
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Reviewed by mimisabreena
on
Sunday, March 12, 2023
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