To say that Dungeons & Dragons, the oldest and most iconic role-playing game ever made, has had little fortune in being adapted to the screen would be something of an understatement. The first attempt to turn the property into an action fantasy epic in 2000 was a disappointing failure—a film so misguided in its execution that it has become something of a cautionary tale among genre enthusiasts. This was followed by two utterly forgettable direct-to-video sequels that did little to restore the franchise's cinematic reputation. Yet the game that represents such a significant part of the world's popular culture had enough devoted adherents within Hollywood to warrant a second try. Their efforts in 2023 bore significantly more fruit with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a film that won surprisingly good favour among critics, who are usually not terribly inclined towards this type of blockbuster fare.
The nominal protagonist, played by Chris Pine, is Edgwin "Ed" Darvis, a bard and former member of the Harpers, an order of peacekeepers. After his wife was murdered by the Red Wizards, he turned to thievery in order to provide for his daughter Kira (played by Chloe Coleman), whom he raises with the help of Holga Kilgore (played by Michelle Rodriguez), a barbarian who has become something of a surrogate mother to the child. In order to rob a treasure hoard that includes the "Tablet of Reawakening"—an artefact that could potentially resurrect his deceased wife—he assembles a party comprising Simon Aumar (played by Justice Smith), an aspiring sorcerer of questionable competence; Forge Fitzwilliam (played by Hugh Grant), a rogue con artist; and Forge's mysterious wizard acquaintance Sofina (played by Daisy Head). Predictably, the heist goes spectacularly wrong, and Ed and Holga end up imprisoned, while Forge promises to take care of Kira in their absence.
Two years later, Ed and Holga manage to escape from prison, and Ed, whilst attempting to reunite with his daughter, discovers that Forge has become the new Lord of Neverwinter—a city that he rules with the counsel of Sofina, who is revealed to be a Red Wizard herself. When Ed and Holga learn that Forge actually betrayed them during the original heist, Forge orders their execution, but they manage to escape once again. Ed is now determined to obtain the Tablet and free Kira from Forge's custody, but this requires money, which could be found in Forge's vault. Ed and Holga form a new party, recruiting Simon once more and adding Doric (played by Sophia Lillis), a tiefling druid from the nearby Neverwinter Wood. They are to be temporarily assisted by Xenk Yendar (played by Regé-Jean Page), a paladin of impeccable honour and rather exhausting seriousness.
Originally conceived in 2013 and brought to the screen after years of development hell—complicated by litigation between the producer and toymaker Hasbro over rights, as well as delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic—Honor Among Thieves functions largely as a typical Hollywood summer blockbuster. Thankfully, the directing duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley appear to have learned plenty of lessons from their predecessors' failures, as well as from those summer blockbusters that actually work, and ultimately delivered what is supposed to be delivered from these films: unassuming but professionally made family-friendly light entertainment that does not overreach or take itself too seriously.
The main problem facing this film was that D&D is still something of a niche property, so the script, co-written by Goldstein, Daley and Michael Gilio, had to take into account that many in the audience would be unfamiliar with the franchise's lore and mechanics. Instead of stuffing the film with exposition that would alienate casual viewers, they opted for a more generic high fantasy adventure, with the game origins being reflected through protagonists belonging to its iconic races and character classes, whose ultimate alignment and function can be easily recognised even by non-fans. This approach makes Honor Among Thieves, despite a few potentially confusing scenes here or there, comprehensive enough for general audiences. Using the protagonist telling his backstory in the very beginning was also a clever way of delivering exposition in a convincing and coherent manner without resorting to clunky narration or text crawls.
Another, even more important decision was to place greater emphasis on humour. Despite the protagonist's backstory giving a whiff of genuine tragedy, the general tone of the film is mostly comical. This proves to be a wise choice, as it distinguishes the film from the po-faced self-importance that has plagued so many fantasy adaptations. Despite a large amount of the budget being used for truly impressive special effects, the action scenes are generally forgettable—competently staged but lacking any real tension or innovation. It is, in fact, some of the gags that prove more memorable: the graveyard interrogation sequence, the protagonist being chased by an unexpectedly chubby dragon, and the delightful cameo appearance of Bradley Cooper as Holga's halfling ex-husband all demonstrate a willingness to embrace the absurd that serves the material well.
The cast is generally good, with Chris Pine trying his best to employ his considerable experience with Hollywood comedies of past decades. He brings a roguish charm and self-deprecating wit to the role that keeps the audience invested even when the plot mechanics become somewhat convoluted. Michelle Rodriguez appears nearly perfectly cast as a barbarian—her established screen persona of tough competence translates effortlessly to the fantasy setting. Hugh Grant, arguably the most recognisable name among the cast, is great as the roguish villain and appears to be having the time of his life playing a suave conman who has stumbled into genuine power. Their younger colleagues, lacking proper charisma and recognisability, struggle somewhat—Justice Smith with his role of neurotic sorcerer being rather overwritten, Sophia Lillis with her character being somewhat underwritten and not given enough to do, and Daisy Head, daughter of the late Anthony Stewart Head, lacking actual dialogue and being buried under so much makeup and prosthetics that her performance is difficult to assess.
Honor Among Thieves is a solid film that represents a clear improvement over its predecessors, although hard-core D&D fans, whilst entertained, might not show too much enthusiasm for a film that deliberately sands down the edges of the property to appeal to mass audiences. The general audience, however, might appear more entertained and see it as a good starting point for learning about D&D and its possibilities.
The film, however, had the misfortune of bad timing. It was released shortly before Baldur's Gate 3, one of the most impressive video games in memory, and the film, compared with it, looks very shallow indeed—lacking the narrative depth and moral complexity that the game medium can provide. Another issue is that of being released during the summer of "Barbenheimer," when the box office was utterly dominated by two entirely different cultural phenomena. Its box office suffered accordingly, with generally disappointing results that appeared to have ended all speculation about a possible sequel. The authors, on the other hand, can be comforted with the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, a recognition that suggests their efforts did not go entirely unappreciated by the science fiction and fantasy community.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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