Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves masters the game-to-screen jump.
Even if you’ve never rolled a 20-sided die, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fun-filled, wholly accessible fantasy adventure that leans into the spectacle and silliness of D&D campaigns. Sure, there are plenty of in-jokes and Easter eggs to delight hardcore role players, but they never come at the risk of losing newcomers.
The cast is very clearly having a blast playing familiar character types you’d select from at the start of any home D&D campaign, in this case, a heist-like quest to rescue a kidnapped daughter from the clutches of a treacherous lord.
Chris Pine shines brightest as the wisecracking Edgin, a lute-strumming man with all the plans, which usually need a few iterations, adding more humour as he improvises on the fly. Michelle Rodriguez is her typically badass self as axe-swinging warrior Holga, and Regé-Jean Page steals scenes as the virtuous paladin Xenk, who speaks in eye-rolling prophecies.
Engaging, comical, and unapologetically dorky, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ultimately proves that high fantasy doesn’t always have to be highbrow. There’s just about enough goofy charm and humour in what may just create a new big-screen franchise from the fantasy game.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, rated PG, plays at the Patricia Theatre from April 7 to 13 at 7 pm, with a matinee on Sunday, April 9, at 1:30 pm. Running time is two hours and 14 minutes.
Gary Shilling is executive director of qathet Film Society.
