Two years after being incarcerated for a mission that went wrong, Edgin Darvis and his best friend, Holga Kilgore, escape their prison and go in search of Edgin’s estranged daughter, Kira. A short while later, they find Kira currently in the care of their former friend, Forge Fitzwilliam.
But Forge is not the person they believe him to be, and as Edgin and Holga quickly discover, since they last saw him, Forge has gained great wealth and has developed a very close bond with Kira. So much so, that he has no plans to lose either his money, or his surrogate daughter – something which he believes could happen now that his old friends are in town.
Ordering his guards to take Edgin and Holga away to be executed, the pair quickly make yet another escape. However, the duo know their escape is temporary at best, as they will need to face Forge once more, to retrieve Kira.
But getting Kira back is going to take more than just brute force – it will require a team. Joining forces with friends, old and new, Edgin and Holga embark on a journey which they believe will give them the edge needed, in order to reunite with Kira and defeat Forge.
Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (who also co-wrote the screenplay along with Michael Gilio), Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is an action-adventure movie, based on the popular tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. The movie stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Regé-Jean Page, and Hugh Grant, and is a comedic fantasy film, filled with plucky heroes, imaginative creatures, and danger at every turn.
Honour Among Thieves isn’t the first D&D movie to be released by the way, as that particular accolade went to the oft-forgotten 2000 fantasy film, Dungeons & Dragons; but it is the first one that’s actually really good. Unlike that previous film, and a handful of others that followed, Honour Among Thieves is a fun feature, which nails pretty much everything it sets out to do, and doesn’t wear out its welcome.
Smart, witty, and very playful, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is a rip-roarin’ picture, which balances action, drama, and spectacle in equal measure. The film has a playful tone, which permeates its way throughout every frame, and boasts a likeable cast, including a strong central performance from Chris Pine.
Although Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is very much an ensemble piece, the movie is essentially driven by Pine, who takes on the role of leader and eternal plan-maker, Edgin Darvis. As Edgin, Pine brings both warmth and humour to the part, pitching his character just right, to ensure the audience can connect with his plight.
Pine understands the type of movie he is making with Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, embraces it wholeheartedly, and has a great deal of fun with his character. He gives a spirited performance, which I’d argue is one of his best in a big-budget blockbuster, and he really adds something to this film.
But Pine isn’t alone, because all of the main cast members are great in their respective roles, and all bring something to the screen. From Justice Smith’s heroic sorcerer, Simon Aumar, to Hugh Grant’s wickedly fun villain, Forge Fitzwilliam, everyone understands the assignment and breathes life into their characters, as well as into the story.
As for the story itself, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves doesn’t have the most complex narrative, nor does it go to any place unexpected, but neither of these things are bad. Far from it in fact, and the film’s straightforward approach to storytelling is actually its greatest asset.
Dungeons & Dragons is a decades old game, which is densely packed with various rules and lore, and there was always the worry that translating all of this to the big screen could alienate audiences. If directors Goldstein and Daley had overcomplicated things, or had tried to cram all of the mythology into a two-hour movie, the whole thing could have come crashing down very quickly.
Instead, the directing duo keep things simple for this movie, they only give the audience the information they need, when they need it, and this ensures there is no over egging of the pudding. This is a film for everyone (especially newcomers), and doesn’t just exist for those well-versed in the game.
Long-time fans will no doubt get a little more out of the film, when it comes to the various creatures and in-jokes, but there’s enough going on in the movie that everyone will feel satisfied. From the moment Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves begins, right through to its final scenes, it just works, and almost effortlessly so.
Having been previously burned by other D&D movies, and having seen the trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves play out in cinemas more times than is healthy for anyone, I will admit I was very sceptical about this picture. I had a feeling all the best jokes would be in the previews, the cast wouldn’t gel together in the right way, and I’d get bored within the first half-an-hour once all the exposition started flowing.
But, how wrong was I? Not only did none of this come to pass, but I thoroughly enjoyed what was on offer and would happily sit through it again.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves provides plenty of entertainment, it delivers on everything it sets out to do, and it offers solid foundations for more to come. Should you wish to check out Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (and of course you should), the movie goes on general release in UK and US cinemas from Friday March 31st.
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