Year: 2023

Runtime: 134 minutes

Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley

Writers: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Michael Gilio, Chris McKay

Actors: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page, Daisy Head, Chloe Coleman

By Rosa Parra

I’m coming into this movie with zero knowledge of this world and not having played the game. The trailers had me interested and the initial reactions from the festival premiere increased my excitement. “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and stars Chris Pine, Sophia Lillis, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, Chloe Coleman and Regé-Jean Page. It follows a group of thieves who embark on a journey to retrieve an antique.  

With such a strong cast, this movie was bound to be entertaining and fun. However, this movie left me feeling absolutely mild. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. The characters are reminiscent of those in other film and TV franchises, and because they’ve been done so often that with each reiteration, it becomes a little less enjoyable. This ensemble does work and their chemistry exists, but they do nothing for me. Edgin (Pine) as the head of this group is fine but tries a bit too hard to be funny and charismatic. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Starlord from “The Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) but in this case Pratt is the better Chris. Michelle Rodriguez as Holga is a bad ass though! She’s been kicking ass for decades now, and she’s massively underappreciated. Their journey is entertaining and worthy of my time, but it doesn’t have the rewatchability factor. 

The film maintains an overall tone of humor with some drama sprinkled here and there. There are also some horror sequences that worked for me (a couple of jump scares). As someone who isn’t familiarized with this world, I think the film did a great job of laying out the foundation and showcasing the backstory of some of the characters. I had a good idea of each character’s purpose and the reason behind their collaboration on this journey. There’s a sequence in the third act that emotionally did work for me, but it was the only instance where I had some form of investment in the movie.  

The script is good, but some of the dialogue is meh. But it’s executed well enough to keep my attention. The visuals were good including some of the compelling looking creatures.  

Overall, “Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a fine film that delivers what the trailers promised. This fantasy action comedy is entertaining and left me content.