Overview of Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Amongst Thieves

In Hollywood’s persevering with quest for IP, it’s time to roll the 20-sided die on Dungeons & Dragons, the beloved fantasy role-playing recreation. After all, it’s not the primary time this has occurred. Jeremy Irons starred in a ropey adaptation again in 2000, one which spun off a few made-for-TV sequels. Earlier than that, within the ‘80s, there was an animated sequence that doesn’t actually advantage repeat viewing.

Fortunately, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Amongst Thieves is a hoot – a comic book action-adventure with swords, sorcery and Hugh Grant hamming it up. It’s directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who introduced us that vigorous 2018 black comedy Sport Night time, and there’s one thing of the identical power right here. Suppose Sport of Thrones meets Ocean’s Eleven and also you’re half approach there.

Set within the Forgotten Realms, the thieves in query are Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), incarcerated in a distant jail following a heist that goes mistaken. Double-crossing them was conman Forge Fitzwilliam (Grant), who shaped an alliance with a strong Crimson Wizard named Sofina (Daisy Head). Now this greedy toad is Lord of Neverwinter and guardian to Edgin’s daughter Kira, claiming that her father has deserted her in pursuit of riches.

Hugh Grant performs conman Forge Fitzwilliam. CREDIT: eOne

In fact, Edgin needs to get his fingers on a resurrection pill – to deliver again Kira’s mom from the useless – at present held in Forge’s vault. After escaping incarceration, he and Holga reunite with wizard Simon (Justice Smith) and the shapeshifting druid Doric (Sophia Lillis). Serving to them alongside the best way is Xenk (Regé-Jean Web page), an amusingly verbose however noble fellow, who quickly leads the best way as they deal with the Crimson Wizard’s minions and one massively chubby dragon.

There’s a likeable attraction to the forged: Pine is an interesting comedian presence, Rodriguez brings actual muscle to her position, whereas Smith and Lillis bicker/flirt amusingly. Web page does himself – or his Bridgerton fanbase – no hurt both because the swoon-inducing hero. Better of all, Grant takes the title actually, stealing scenes like there’s no tomorrow because the buffoonish cad.

Right here, Forge’s hubris is such that he even has an enormous scorching air balloon along with his face on it (all very cleverly used within the movie’s finale). Earlier than that, there’s a superb second at a graveyard with Pine et al interrogating the useless (a scene giving off actual Sam Raimi vibes) and, amongst many references to the D&D recreation, an thrilling chase by an ever-shifting deadly maze that sees them encounter a great previous gelatinous dice. 

Neatly strolling that line in order that newcomers to this fantasy world and previous fingers who spent days taking part in the sport can each take pleasure in, Honour Amongst Thieves is a satisfying romp. It’s a little bit formulaic in locations, however on the flip facet, it pulls some actually bizarre moments out of its sack. Just like the scene with Holga’s ex-lover – a bizarre-but-brilliant A-list cameo. Within the Hollywood fairground, this journey will go away you dizzy and delighted.