You don’t necessarily have to know anything about the role-playing fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons to understand the movie Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.
Falling into the `no knowledge’ category I enjoyed the movie as did my 12-year-old companion.
Of course, we may have missed some of the movie’s nuances, as suggested by the reactions from obvious D&D fans in the audience. But thanks to the script and the performance of the actors there were plenty of laughs.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves tells of thieving widower Edgin The Bard (Chris Pine) and his companion Holga the Barbarian (Michelle Rodriguez) who escape from a medieval supermax prison.
Their aim is to reunite with Edgin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman) and retrieve the Tablet of Reawakening, a magic relic. The tablet will bring Edgin’s murdered wife Zia back to life and thus reunite his family.
Standing in their way is their former partner in crime Forge (Hugh Grant) who is Kira’s guardian and whose intentions are far from honourable. He’s also working with human wizard Sofina,who is responsible for Edgin and Holga’s capture.
Helping Edgin and Holga in their quest to retrieve the tablet is former colleague Simon (Justice Smith), a sorcerer with low self-esteem, and Doric (Sophia Lillis), a druid who hates humans. Also joining the group for part of their journey is human paladin Xenk (Regé-Jean Page).
Needless to say their quest involves plenty of action, horror and fantasy thanks to strange and often very dangerous characters brought to life by impressive CGI work and special effects.
This aspect of the movie clearly impressed D&D fans, who understood the significance of having such characters as sorcerers, druids, paladins, dragons and indescribable monsters. For me it was the movie’s comic moments which provided the greatest satisfaction.
Pine really seemed to be enjoying himself as the loving father and thieving but caring rogue. His delivery of often very clever one-liners, observations and plans was brilliantly executed.
His interactions with the straitlaced Page were particularly enjoyable while the non-romantic flippant banter with Rodriguez was a delight.
Grant’s performance as the deplorable Forge was another highlight. Like Pine, Grant seemed to be revelling in his role.
According to co-directors, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, their aim in making Honour Among Thieves was to appeal to hardcore D&D players and also to those who know absolutely nothing about the game.
I had no idea what a paladin or druid was nor did I know anything about Edgin’s heritage (apparently he is a Harpers who is kind of a secret knight) or Sofia’s Red Wizards but I could still understand and enjoy the adventure undertaken by the charming and resourceful Edgin and his crew.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves opens in cinemas nationally on March 30.
*Photo Credit: Aidan Monaghan. © 2022 Par. Pics. TM Hasbro.
- movie, review
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