Stubs - Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant. Directed by Jonathan Goldsteinl, John Francis Daley. Screenplay by  Jonathan Goldsteinl, John Francis Daley, Michael Gilio. Based on Dungeons & Dragons by Hasbro. Produced by Jeremy Latcham, Brian Goldner, Nick Meyer Run time: 134 minutes. Color. USA Fantasy, Action, Heist, Comedy

Dungeons & Dragons (commonly abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). It has been published by Wizards of the Coast (now a subsidiary of Hasbro) since 1997. The game was derived from miniature wargames, with a variation of the 1971 game Chainmail serving as the initial rule system. D&D's publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry. (with thanks to Wikipedia).

None of that is important to your enjoyment of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a film which opened to good reviews on March 31, 2023. I will say I was intrigued from the commercials as the film was presented as having a fun vibe.

I know that parts of the story are taken from the board game, but it plays more as a quest film with fantastical elements. There are what one would expect; magical creatures and evil witches but also conmen and petty thieves. In this case, there is a certain honor among some of the thieves, hence the title, as well as betrayal by others.

It should be expected that there are special effects and while they are prevalent they are not overdone. The SFX don't take over but rather enhance the film.

Directed (and written by) the team that directed the hilarious and intriguing Game Night (2016), DDHAT benefits from that experience. There is a lot but not too much dialogue that is very funny throughout the film. It is not quip after quip but there are definitely moments when you should find yourself laughing out loud.

The ensemble includes Simon Aumar (Justice Smith), Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine),
Doric (Sophia Lillis), and Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez).

This is an ensemble cast with each member playing their role to near perfection. Chris Pine is the leader, Edgin Darvis, a once good man turned to thievery to survive. Embittered about losing his wife, he's turned to the darkside so to speak.. Pine delivers his lines with a really good sense of comedic timing I'm not sure I'd seen in previous performances. He's playing against type as an anti-hero here.

Holga Kilgore is the brawn and Edgin Darvis the brains.

I had been a fan of Michelle Rodriguez's when she appeared on the eventually disappointing Lost series. I couldn't follow her into the F&F world and thought that she was somewhat wasted in Avatar. While she also has great comedic timing throughout as Holga Kilgore, hers is a more physical performance as she kicks a lot of ass during the film's many fight scenes. But she shows a lot of love throughout, platonic from Edgin but real for Kira Darvis (Chloe Coleman), Edgin's 14-year-old daughter to whom she is as much a mother as a friend.

Justice Smith has grown up from Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) to play Simon Aumar, petty thief and insecure half-elf sorcerer. Simon has the most to overcome in some ways, as he lacks the confidence to not only perform but also to woo Doric (Sophia Lillis), a tiefling druid whom he fancies.

Sophia Lillis plays Doric.

I am the least familiar with Lillis's work, but she is really the breakthrough performance for me. She has a lot to overcome as a character, including a well-deserved mistrust of humans and has to trust Edgin of all humans.

Sofina (Daisy Head) is a Red Wizard of Thay up to no good.

The thief without honor is Forge Fitzwilliam, a former member of the team, played to nasty perfection by Hugh Grant, also playing against type. Rather than a lovable rogue, Forge is a con man in cahoots with Sofina, a Red Wizard of Thay played by Daisy Head. Neither has good as their goal. Forge is sneaky and unlikable and while she has to put up with him to achieve her own goals, Sofina is no fan either.

Xenk Yendar (Regé-Jean Page) has faith in Edgin Darvis.

The virtue of good is left to Xenk Yendar played by Regé-Jean Page, a paladin or holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spellcaster. Xenk is almost too good to be true, even in a fantasy world, and Page manages to bring out the best to be expected from such a character.

As the best heist films, D&D is an enjoyable film and one that I would definitely see again. I'm not sure if there will be a sequel but I would be very open to revisiting these characters and this world again if that happens.

Again, you don't have to be a fan or a player of the board game to enjoy Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, you just have to watch it.