‘Dungeons & Dragons’: Honor Among Thieves’ Film Review
Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, and Michael Gilio have crafted a script that’s an homage to the game yet maintains the essence of what makes a solid action/adventure tale.
The original Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game was introduced in 1974 and this RPG became a phenomenon. A few movies have been dedicated to the Medieval fantasy/adventure, including one of Tom Hanks's first dramatic turns, Mazes and Monsters (1982). That movie purported to show the dangers of D&D devotees losing the line between fantasy and reality. In the 2000 movie starring Jeremy Irons, Justin Whalin, and Zoe McLellan, there's a showdown between good and evil as a dark mage challenges an empress. These are only two incarnations of the wildly popular game.
The latest iteration is the tongue-in-cheek, unabashedly action-packed Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The story doesn't take itself too seriously but takes itself seriously enough. At 2 hours and 14 minutes, there's no minute misspent.
Chris Pine is unapologetic thief Edgin The Bard who becomes disillusioned with the honor code he's supposed to be following and turns to a Robin Hood-like lifestyle. His colorful band of thieves includes Holga The Barbarian (Michelle Rodriguez), Simon The Sorcerer (Justice Smith), Doric The Druid (Sophia Lillis), and Forge The Rogue (Hugh Grant). Edgin is haunted by the death of his wife Zia and jumps at the chance to acquire an artifact that could bring her back. Things go awry and he and his crew end up on a dangerous quest where the stakes are high for all of them.
Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, and Michael Gilio have crafted a script that's an homage to the game yet maintains the essence of what makes a solid action/adventure tale. They subvert the genre by giving us a wink-and-nod, letting us in on the jokes that are based on what we know about the ever-popular game and tropes that are used in these types of tales. Goldstein and Daley's direction is nimble, and the special effects are spectacular and unpredictable.
Everyone in the cast delivers notable performances. Pine is delightful as cheeky Edgin. Hugh Grant, who always seems to make a glorious cad, is outstanding as Forge. Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page is effortlessly funny as the droll and unbothered Xenk The Paladin. Daisy Head makes a formidable enemy as Sofina The Red Witch. Chloe Coleman, who can also be seen in the recently released 65, is Edgin’s conflicted daughter Kira.
The cast, story, cinematography, and visuals are a perfect elixir of prime cinema. This movie does a superb job of bringing this game to life, making it a picturesque and capricious journey into this make-believe world of mythic creatures and fanciful lore. It’s also wholesome fun that the whole family can enjoy.
Paramount’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is exclusively in theaters on March 31, 2023.
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Sonya Alexander started off her career training to be a talent agent. She eventually realized she was meant to be on the creative end and has been writing ever since. As a freelance writer she’s written screenplays, covered film, television, music and video games and done academic writing. She’s also been a script reader for over twenty years. She's a member of the African American Film Critics Association and currently resides in Los Angeles.
