Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Dungeons-&-Dragons-Honor-Among-Thieves-(2023)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

The SXSW Film Festival’s introduction to “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” made it clear that they “made this movie for everyone.” There’s a sense of fear that the film might not reach beyond those who have played or still play the game. And there should be, because branding is a double edged sword. On one hand, it homes in on a huge fan base already familiar with an IP. On the other hand, a film has to be good enough to break out of that familiarity to reach any audience wider than its own see how well “The Last of Us” is playing to people who never picked up the controller. So what will Dungeons & Dragons fans make of this expensive dip into their favorite fantasy pool? Paramount is rolling a 20 sided die hoping for the right number, but the fickle Dungeon Master of Hollywood may have a fatal surprise ’round the next corner.

The fact is that Dungeons & Dragons is often at its best when it’s at its most ridiculously unpredictable and downright silly. Co-writer/directors Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and co-writer Michael Gilio attempt to recreate that “we need a plan” structure of the game in a script that feels like it’s making itself up as it goes along more often than not or pretending to do so. That’s an ambitious way to approach a fantasy movie, and it can result in oddly unsatisfying stretches of final product by eliminating stakes and forcing lightheartedness. Manufactured spontaneity is almost impossible, and too much of “Honor Among Thieves” feels like it’s unfolding with a wink-and-a-nod instead of being legitimately rough around the edges in the moment fresh. There are sections through which “Honor Among Thieves” attains some Sam Raimi-like whimsical chaos including one great sequence involving talking dead and the movie often goes for a “ragtag team of saviors” tone reminiscent of “Guardians of the Galaxy.” But too often, it feels like the film is faking what creators love about the game instead of trying to translate it from one medium to another.

Chris Pine, who is typically great at this kind of thing, plays Edgin Darvis, a former member of an organization called the Harpers. After his wife was killed by a group known as the Red Wizards led by Sofina (Daisy Head) Edgin attempts to pull off a heist to retrieve an item that can bring her back to life, but he’s betrayed and locked up with his BFF Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), a stoic barbarian. In sneaking out and looking for answers, they discover that Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), their team’s former ally, has taken in and lied to Edgin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman). The rogue betrayed Edgin and teamed up with Sofina in several ways.

Edgin and Holga have several missions in this D&D campaign Save Kira, get revenge on Forge, stop the Red Wizards, and maybe find some loot along the way. The mission will reunite them with an unconfident wizard named Simon (Justice Smith), a shapeshifting druid named Doric (Sophia Lillis), and a charming paladin named Xenk (Regé Jean Page). Like any “team of heroes” movie, these characters each bring different skill sets that the group will need to accomplish their goals, and the writers pepper the film with odd hurdles for the group to overcome, including a clever sequence involving some undead enemies and a chubby dragon in a dungeon.

If it all sounds like it’s more for fantasy gamers than “everyone,” well, it undeniably is. The film is filled with references to D&D name drops like “Baldur’s Gate” and “Neverwinter” created audible responses during the premiere but I wouldn’t go as far as to say the film won’t work at all for people who have never made a character for a campaign. Most of the references here will sound like depth for non-gamers who may see more parallels to products like “The Lord of the Rings” or “The Witcher” than their actual source. It’s a film that’s rich in fantasy terminology in a way that seems like its creators affectionately remember creating characters in their mom’s basement when they were young. That genuine interest in the lore of D&D may be enough for some people. But what about everyone else?

Affection for a source doesn’t always translate to execution in terms of craft, and the filmmaking here is shoddy. In terms of the flashes and bangs, “Honor Among Thieves” works much better when it focuses on practical effects (or at least ones that look practical everything is CGI nowadays) and can find a tactile quality that the CGI-heavy sequences lack. When Edgin and his team are waking up corpses to get information, or Sofina is merely scowling in her malevolent makeup, the film is more grounded than when it’s drifting off in magic driven sequences of people casting spells both willy and nilly. There’s also a lack of world building in a movie that should be dense with it when it comes to design. Forge’s city looks like a generic fantasy video game setting, and the opportunity to craft interesting backdrops for these varied characters is rarely taken. It looks like a film that’s going to age poorly visually.

The cast is reasonably strong, with Pine leaning into the rough charisma I’ve always thought would have made him a massive star in the ‘60s. All of the cast was clearly chosen to play to their strengths, with Grant amplifying his smarm and Rodriguez kicking ass when needed. Relative newcomers Smith and Lillis are effective, too, with the former finding some vulnerability and the latter being consistently engaging as she uncertainly becomes a hero.

“How little substance” this “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” has, considering it runs for a long 139 minutes, is the most shocking thing about it when one watches. If from plan A to plan B and back again, all characters do is run; there isn’t time for anything else in their constant movement. This movie should be renamed “What do we do now?” which can be fun with friends but not as much fun when you don’t know what comes next.

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