Dungeons & Dragons makes its return to live action after being possibly the most popular and longest running IP in gaming history. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. As long as I’ve been alive this series has been running in all forms of media. They pulled out some big guns for this outing.
Based on the tabletop game from 1974 whilst not connected to the previous 3 films Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is a fantasy heist comedy which follows the bard, Edgin Darvis who is also a likeable thief. Edgin and his band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Across realms and areas based right from the game you will appreciate this if you are familiar with the franchise. It’s a genre that Hollywood has been missing for a while now and they do deliver here. I really enjoyed this one.
Hollywood heart throb Chris Pine continues to blossom in his seasoned years and has lost no sense of his humour. He’s charming, witty and the leader of this band. Very straightforward for him, a role he’s done a lot over his illustrious career. He plays Edgin. It is always weird to see Michelle Rodriguez not alongside Big Vinny. She holds her own well here as Holga.
In an industry full of muscle-bound men, I liked the decision to have a woman play the brute and muscle of the group.
She does a stellar job with her quirky sarcastic personality. Rege-Jean Page is Xenk and to be honest he was a standout performer and deserved a lot more screen time. He was unintentionally funny and even managed to shed light on his potential as an action man which some excellent choreography. Justice Smith is the heart of the film as Simon. The amateur wizard who is trying to find himself and he does it well bringing the innocent feel to the character. Hugh Grant is the con man forge. Good to see him in such a setting and keeping busy. Daisy Head plays the big bad Sofina. She’s cold hearted and sinister. She embodies it well. It’s a great cast that gel well together and contribute to the atmosphere of the movie. A surprise cameo from Bradley Cooper was a nice touch.
The special effects start of shoddy in the beginning of the film but gets better as the film progresses. A strange decision but forgiving. When it is at its peak its clean and smooth. What I love most here is the mix of special effects and practical. Majority of the creatures are well designed and rich in production. From feathers to tails to horns… it sends us back in time with nostalgia. The action is brilliant. Very hands on by all the actors with minimal stunt doubles (from what I could see). There’s an excellent scene by Rege and another by Michelle. They bring their A game.
It’s a very fantastical and entertaining motion picture. They go in with the setting and shots of vast lands, town folk, outfits etc. Unlike Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter etc it doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s the charm of it. It just feels like a good fun time. The story is a fairly satisfactory tale. There’s a nice balance of comedy and action. The chemistry between the group works. The driving force here is they pushed to market to the masses and not just the gamers and it worked. I don’t know the overall plans of the franchise but I’d like to see sequels and interchanges within the band in the future.
All in all, it’s a good watch. Its more on the fun side than the serious side. Although I would want more action because the action was really good. I do wish I had seen it in the cinema, it was that good. Recommended watch.
Are you a fan of the games? Did you like their delivery? Who was your favourite character? Do you want to see more sequels? React and comment below…
Totally loved this movie and would love to see another with the same cast or a new cast with a new story. I was laughing all the way through.