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I have friends who have played the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game, but I have never played it. My friends tell me I’m missing something, but none of them will explain and teach me how to play, and all I know is that players can create their own characters and adventures. Whether Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves stays true to the spirit of the game, I can’t say. However, as a movie, John Francis Daley And Jonathan GoldsteinRunning pays off in a major way. Written by Daley, Goldstein and Michael Gilio, the film which just opened SXSW has an all-star cast including Chris Pine, Michelle RodriguezHugh Grant, Régé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis and Daisy Head.
Things start in a world where monsters, creatures, and humans live and work together. Edgin “The Bard” (Pine), a single father separated from his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman) for two years, and her best friend Holga “The Barbarian” (Rodriguez) are cellmates in a medieval supermax prison due to a failed robbery gone wrong. The two eventually escape, with the plan for Edgin to reunite with his daughter and one of his former partners, Forge (Grant), who has been his child’s guardian since he was imprisoned.
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Once The Bard finds them, he notices something is wrong with his former friend and partner, who has mysteriously amassed great wealth in a short time. With the two men at odds thanks to Forge’s new money and new lawyer Sofina (chief), Edgin sets out to get to the bottom of what’s going on. With him and Holga now on the run, they build a group of powerful allies including Simon “The Sorcerer” (Smith), Doric “The Druid” (Lillis), and Xenk “The Paladin” (Page) in an effort to get Kira back. de Forge and prevent evil from taking over the land.
honor among thieves is a welcome improvement over the 2000s Dungeons and Dragons film that took itself too seriously and ended up exploding at the box office. The most enjoyable thing about the new version is the relationship between its characters, especially Edgin and Holga. He has a knack for chatting and making all the plans, and she’s the muscle. They see each other as equals and best friends with no hint of romance between them, which is so refreshing to see. Their younger counterparts complete a diverse cast of misfits on a grand adventure where everyone has something to fight for, while tackling themes of resilience, bouncing back from failure, and finding the chosen family.
Daley, Goldstein, and Gilio’s script is a hodgepodge of genres featuring comedy, fantasy, action, and horror, wrapped up in a heist movie, and meshes that are smoother than expected. The action scenes are well choreographed with no shakycams or cheap quick cuts giving the audience a boost. Although sometimes hokey, the VFX pops up, making this world vast and fantastical. The direction really shines when capturing the beautiful hilly landscapes of Iceland and Northern Ireland, where the film was shot. One issue that stands out: The pacing suffers from the need to over-explain the story, which makes sense as the narrative tries to appease fans and general audiences alike, but it makes the 2 hour, 14 minute runtime even longer. .
With a resurgence of interest in the fantasy genre, it’s good to see something outside of the Lord of the Rings And Game Of Thrones do it right and have a good time. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is also one of the best game adaptations to hit theaters because of how all the elements come together – a solid cast, decent story, dynamic direction, and enjoyable special effects.
Title: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Thieves
Festival: SXSW, headliners
Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Screenwriters: Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley & Michael Gilio
Discard: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Régé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head
Operating time: 2h14