Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
When a Dungeons & Dragons movie was announced, I'm sure I wasn't alone in groaning cynically and asking how in the world they were going to make a coherent story out of an open-ended fantasy tabletop role-playing game. There was also the possibility of the branding working against the movie; sure, there is a large built-in audience of people that have played the game, but the general populace has likely never had any interaction with it and might even shy away due to its reputation as a punchline to refer to a subset of nerdom.
Casting Chris Pine was certainly a good idea to get people interested. Who doesn't love Chris Pine? But the real key was hiring the directing duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, creators of the very funny and unexpectedly original Game Night (2018). Their brand of irreverent and extremely silly comedy ended up being a perfect fit, resulting in a movie that is massively entertaining, even for those who have never rolled a 20-sided die in their lives.
The plot is a tried and true formula of a ragtag group of misfits completely out of their depth going on an adventure to find an object of power and somehow save the world against all odds. It's basically fantasy Guardians of the Galaxy. Pine plays bard Edgin Darvis, a member of an order of peacekeepers called the Harpers, until his wife is killed by disciples of a Red Wizard that he had once arrested. Darvis must then, in classic heist-movie style, assemble a crew to track down the magical "Tablet of Reawakening" that has the power to bring one and only one person back to life. The crew consists of Darvis' partner-in-crime, the ass-kicking barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), a half-elf wild magic sorcerer (Justice Smith), and an elf-like druid (Sophia Lillis). Along the way they get help from the comically overconfident hero Xenk Yendar (Regé-Jean Page from Bridgerton) and butt heads with the story's overall villain Forge Fitzwilliam, an ambitious rogue and con artist played with scene-chewing glee by Hugh Grant.
The familiar plot may give the movie a slightly formulaic feel, but it works to give the characters opportunities to mimic the improvisational "what do we do now" feel of the tabletop game. There's a clear sense that the crew is making things up as they go along, and their fates are subject to sheer luck, just like they are rolling die to see what happens.
The movie's greatest strength is that it's simply very funny, with some truly strange setpieces that keep things fresh. Sure, there are the mandatory CGI action spectacles, but they are often given unpredictably stupid twists to keep the laughs coming, like an escape sequence from a very chubby dragon or a delightful theft scene involving portals that keep opening up onto solid surfaces. The overall tone of whimsically manic chaos was a great decision, allowing the viewer to mostly gloss over the very standard plot beats and emotional appeals.
The cast are all perfectly suited to their roles and make the most of what they're given. Pine's leading-man charm serves him well here, as his character's only power is the ability to talk people into doing things. Michelle Rodriguez is particularly strong in a role that lets her bash heads per usual, but also gives her a chance to shine in a few effectively quiet and emotional moments. Asshole Hugh Grant is always welcome and Regé-Jean Page steals every scene he's in, both perfectly suited to roles that seemed made specifically for them.
If you have to make blockbuster entertainment based on random IP, you would do well to make it more like this. It's nothing more than lighthearted entertainment and a good time at the movies, something that seems to be a mythical object in its own right these days.
