Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on April 13, 2023.

(M) ★★★

Director: Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley.

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

"Thunderdome? Why do they call it a 'thunderdome'?"

I love D&D. I currently have a level 15 bard/fighter lost in Undermountain, and a level eight halfling cleric deep in the jungles of Chult. This is a very nerdy way of saying I feel uniquely placed among film reviewers to critique this movie.

Firstly, if you're a fellow roleplayer who knows their Waterdeep from their Baldur's Gate, add another star to that rating above. For the rest of the world, be satisfied that this is some solid three-star fun that is a welcome big-budget addition to the genre of cinematic fantasy.

Secondly, what Honour Among Thieves does right is give D&D fans not what they want, but what they need. They want a film that abides by the nitty-gritty of the rules of the game, references certain adventure paths, namedrops certain characters and cities, and features cameos from particular podcasts.

But what they need is a proper movie, with relatable characters facing high stakes in a lived-in world, and who undertake an inner journey of growth as they dungeon-crawl their way to the MacGuffin.

The film does most of that. The characters could be sketched a bit more thoroughly, but D&D: Honour Among Thieves is generally great entertainment. It won't test your brain, but it certainly does the Dungeons & Dragons brand no harm (unlike previous films).

Like all good D&D games, the film centres on an adventuring party - a charming bard (Pine), his barbarian bestie (Rodriguez), an accident-prone sorcerer (Smith), and a tiefling druid (Lillis) - taking part in a mythic quest. Each has their own reasons for joining, but the future of the realm is also at stake.

The film's biggest strength is its cast. Pine and Rodriguez are a fine pairing, while Grant's recent diversion into playing charismatic blowhard baddies (see also Paddington 2) is employed to great effect again here. Smith and Page are also excellent in memorable roles, while Lillis does okay in the most underwritten role in the film.

However, there's a kind of "but" with a lot of the film. The writing is fine, but the group dialogue never quite zings like, say, a Guardians Of The Galaxy. The pacing is dextrous, but it lacks a strong thematic core. And as good as Grant is, the other big bad is largely forgettable. It's like when the little old shopkeeper in your campaign offers you a magical item - there's always a catch.

But by and large, this is a fun adventure. It treats its source material with reverence while also having a laugh with it, and it keeps its eyes on the prize without worrying about planning the next campaign.

Hardcore fans will have their gripes (mine is that the bard has no powers, but at least they didn't make him a horny meme). However the fact this is joyful, re-watchable fun should warm the hearts of roleplayers who have had to settle with sub-par straight-to-DVD abominations in the past. The story, its machinations, and its characters have the vibe of those concocted at tables around the world and the big budget sequences are what we all have imagined, except writ large on the big screen.

The only real disappointment - that there's no meta-end credits sequence revealing four players and a DM sitting around a table rolling dice, having played out the whole movie.