Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Written by Cameron Geiser
What do you do with a middling fantasy adventure that’s neither blockbuster nor dud? You enjoy it for what it’s worth and move on. Such is the case with the latest attempt to adapt the famous (and once infamous) tabletop roleplaying game to the silver screen: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Thankfully the actors assembled to bring this tale to fruition are adept enough to wink and nod to audiences of both newcomers and veteran D&D fans alike. Indeed for all of the deep cut easter eggs and acknowledgements to the game’s history, there’s always a self-deprecating joke not far behind to remind us of the fact that all of this is rather silly and none of it really matters.
Amidst a treasure trove of macguffins, monsters, and maces Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves does provide serviceable character motivations, even if these story beats themselves are a little long in the tooth. Chris Pine plays Edgin the Bard, a once virtuous swordsman who left his peacekeeping faction known as ‘The Harpers’ after the death of his wife at the hands of a red wizard. At his side is his close friend, and platonic ally, the barbarian known as Holga (Michelle Rodriguez). She pitied Edgin and his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman) and decided to help Edgin find the "Tablet of Resurrection" so that he may revive his wife. Unfortunately they get caught and thrown in prison until they manage an escape and return to Neverwinter two years later to find it being run by one of their former accomplices who managed to escape imprisonment.
Between the silly self awareness and the constant movement, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has a lot going on whilst lacking the kind of substance that it deserves.
That *suspiciously well-to-do* Rogue is Forge, played with a maniacal whimsy by Hugh Grant. Forge also now has Kira in his care, which inspires Edgin and Holga to gather together a team to raid Forge’s vault during his much anticipated return of the High Sun Games in the stadium. This results in the addition of Simon (Justice Smith) a defeatist Sorcerer, and Doric (Sophia Lillis), a stoic Druid that can shapeshift into various creatures when the need arises. The gang also comes across Xenk (Regé-Jean Page), a Noble Paladin with a dramatic backstory also relating to the red wizards. Xenk does inject a smidge of that old school chivalry and bravery into the fold while everyone else just shrugs their shoulders while making apt quips at their own expense.
Nothing about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was abjectly bad or even uninteresting, it was just a blur of moment-to-moment action fantasy story beats strung together. I think my main issue with the film was the lack of any real risk or tension whatsoever. That Nonchalant attitude was only partly effective, but luckily the cast made it work. Honestly, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ greatest asset is this cast. Everyone involved manages to help balance the tone between homage and parody without punching down to fans who have played the game for decades and those who have no idea what a Lich even is to begin with. The Saturday morning cartoon vibes run throughout the whole of the film and while it was entertaining in the moment, none of it was really memorable or impactful, but it’s still a decent time at the movies.
Cameron Geiser is an avid consumer of films and books about filmmakers. He'll watch any film at least once, and can usually be spotted at the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Northern Michigan. He also writes about film over at www.spacecortezwrites.com.