Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
After the critical and financial failings of Dungeons & Dragons (2000), another big-screen adaption of the ever-popular fantasy RPG game felt unlikely as, well, encountering an actual dragon. But with everything from Charlie’s Angels to Ghostbusters getting rebooted, it was only a matter of time before someone gave D&D another shot.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves trades in tabletop gaming for a thrilling large-scale adventure. The story follows charming thief Edgin (Chris Pine) and his scrappy crew of fearless warrior Holga (Michele Rodriguez), shapeshifter Doric (Sophia Lillis), and bumbling wizard Simon (Justice Smith) who attempt to steal an ancient relic capable of bringing Edgin’s wife back from the dead. Plans are thwarted when they cross paths with old friends — including con man Forge (Hugh Grant) — and new enemies, setting up an elaborate series of perilous side missions.
The writing/directing team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Game Night; Vacation) establish a winning tone in the film’s opening minutes, combining humorous dialogue and thrilling action in style reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark crossed with The Princess Bride.
Aiding their efforts is a charismatic ensemble, full of actors who bring cliché board-game characters like the Charming Thief and Loyal Knight to life in an entertaining fashion. Grant and Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton) — who plays Xenk Yendar, a humorless paladin our heroes meet along the way — particularly revel in the silliness. And while our core quartet exists more to advance the plot, their fun interplay keeps the story moving thanks to rapid-fire humor.
Pine has a swaggering charm and effective chemistry with Rodriguez. The same can be said for Smith and Lillis, who have a more prickly, fun rapport, stemming from Simon’s failed courtship of Doric years ago. It’s this group's camaraderie that helps compensate for the film’s lackluster villains. (Could I remember the name of the Big Bad with a dagger to my throat? Nope.)
Despite this reasonably firm foundation, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves struggles with its more convoluted story beats of betrayals and double-crosses, and each lengthy discussion of the quest likewise grinds the film’s buoyant energy to a halt. With a 134-minute runtime to pad out, things get a bit too ridiculous at times and also contribute to the film’s pacing issues, but these moments only temporarily detract from the fun old-school adventure at hand. Hopefully, this isn’t the last trip audiences will take in this world.
Grade: B. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.
(Photo: Paramount Pictures/Hasbro)
