Several weeks before its official release, the action-comedy fantasy epic “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” has premiered at the SXSW Film Festival to very good reviews.
The live-action film adaptation of the famed role-playing game franchise tells the story of a group of rogues who steal an artifact as part of a routine job – only to discover that they’ve accidentally delivered doomsday to their fantasy realm and must try to reverse their fate.
Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Rege-Jean Page and Hugh Grant star in the feature which hails from “Game Night” directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. So far reviews have praised the film’s tone, inventiveness and more.
There are still too few reviews out there for a proper aggregate score, the film stands at 100% (7.4/10) on Rotten Tomatoes at present from just 8 reviews counted. Even so, here’s a sampling of some of the reviews out there:
“Goldstein and Daley revel in the specificities of their world. They round out the personalities of their characters, pack their screenplay with zingy one-liners and cleverly timed asides, and calibrate the action sequences so they rarely feel auxiliary to the narrative. A sense of play pulses through the film” – Lovie Gyarkye, THR
“There’s an intricacy to the staging of “Honor Among Thieves” that helps balance out the roller-coaster derivativeness of the plot. We go with it, even as we know we’re gorging on a succulent overdose of fantasy dessert… [It] should be a major hit, because it knows how to tap into our nostalgia — not just for a game, but for the entire fantasy culture it helped to spawn. It’s the movie itself that’s role-playing.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Conjures its own type of movie magic that proudly stands apart from other fantasy films. The heartfelt story, enchanting characters, dazzling visual effects, and fun-filled nature will allow the film to be a treasured classic. An adaptation of this caliber could be considered a roll of the dice to some, but ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ has already proved itself to be an ironclad winner” – Marisa Maribal, Indiewire
“But at no point does Honor Among Thieves feel alienating to newcomers. It may be the most perfect jumping-on point for first-timers since the release of the 2nd edition in 1989. Don’t know what that this? Doesn’t matter. Honor Among Thieves is a big, bright, iridescent gem of a heist movie in a spectacular, vibrant, and fantastical world” – Richard Whittaker, The Austin Chronicle
“The various ideas on display can sometimes cause ‘Honor Among Thieves’to feel a little uneven. Some scenes – such as a late-movie caravan heist – are genuinely inspired, but the narrative occasionally gives way to the expected mile markers of personal growth and found family. But no matter how silly or severe the movie may get, Daley and Goldstein always approach the material on its merits.” – Matthew Monagle, The Playlist
“Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is also one of the better game adaptations to hit theaters due to all of the elements coming together — a strong cast, a decent story, dynamic direction and pleasing special effects” – Valerie Complex, Deadline
“A movie whose heart hangs from its sleeve from moment one and never lets go. The script puts character first, serving up a likable ensemble of flawed, funny folks who stumble through their adventures in winning fashion. It’s textbook set-up and payoff, with every disparate element coming together in often unexpected ways. No winks, no self-effacing jokes: just a fantasy story told well.” – Jacob Hall, Slashfilm
“Rewards the game’s fans with a satisfying journey that emphasizes companionship, tenacity, and most importantly, playfulness above all else. In other words, the movie succeeds because it actually manages to capture what makes the game such fun to play.” – Laura Bradley, The Daily Beast
“Honor Among Thieves is more of an outright comedy, and when the movie is focused squarely on the laughs it casts a beguiling spell. However, in its effort to tick every box, some of the dramatic beats fall flat, particularly near the end where plot twists will give most viewers the gift of prophecy, as you’ll know where things are headed 30-45 minutes before the characters do” – David Crow, Den of Geek
Paramount Pictures is set to release “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” in cinemas on March 31st.
