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If everything seems like it’s more for fantasy players than “everyone,” well, it can’t be denied. The movie is littered with D&D references—name drops like “Baldur’s Gate” and “Neverwinter” generated audible responses during the premiere—but I wouldn’t say the movie won’t work for people who have never made one. of a character for a campaign. Most of the references here seem to be in depth for non-gamers who will find more similarities with products like “The Lord of the rings” or “The Witcher” than their true source. It’s a film rich in fantasy terminology in a way that seems like its creators fondly remember creating characters in their mother’s basement when they were kids. That genuine interest in D&D history may be enough for some people. But what about the others?
Loving a source doesn’t always translate to execution in terms of craft, and the filmmaking here is poor. In terms of flashes and bangs, “Honor Among Thieves” would have been better if it had focused on practical effects (or at least practical-looking ones – it’s all CGI now) and found a tactile quality that CGI-heavy sequences lack. When Edgin and his team are waking up the corpses to get information, or Sofina is just shivering in her evil makeup, the film is much more grounded than when it drifts into the magic-driven sequences of the man who casts spells willingly and without. There is also a lack of world building in a movie that should be dense with it when it comes to design. The city of Forge looks like a generic fantasy video game setting, and the opportunity to create interesting backdrops for these various characters is rarely taken. It looks like a movie that will get old without looking good.
The cast is reasonably strong, with Pine leaning into the rough charisma that I always thought would make him a big ’60s star. All of the cast were clearly chosen to play to their strengths, with Grant raising his sarm and Rodriguez kicking ass when needed. Relative newcomers Smith and Lillis are also effective, with the former finding some vulnerability and the latter constantly engaging while he’s not exactly a hero.
What’s most surprising about “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is how little meat these reanimated bones have, even with a bloated 139-minute runtime. When a cast of characters is running from plan A to plan B and back to plan A, constant motion doesn’t allow for much more. Most of this film is “What are we doing now?” Also, that’s fun with friends, not so much when you don’t havefronta€€в .
This review was filed from the 2023 SXSW Film Festival. “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” opens on March 31.
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