Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

A thoroughly easy-going feel good fantasy flick that manages to entertain with its sappy humour, charm with its typical characters and surprise with its simple action. It's a bit rushed, because a world like this simply wouldn't fit into one film, it’s more appropriate for a serial format, but as a basis the film works well. To cement it more firmly in my memory so I won’t just remember it as “that good fantasy flick”, the film needs a spectacular battle of armies, and I'm also slightly bothered by the sloppiness of the script and a few sketchy details, but otherwise I had a good time and since the fantasy genre is almost dead nowadays, a quality Dungeons & Dragons definitely deserves a fourth star. (03/27/2023)

A perfect blend of fantasy and comedy, the likes of which we rarely see these days. It's packed with nods to legendary games like Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights, stirring up a huge wave of nostalgia. The creators really nailed it. The story is solid, set in a wonderfully crafted D&D world, overflowing with ideas that almost made my head spin. Missing even a second would mean missing out on another brilliant concept, as the film delivers one after another in rapid succession. This film is an absolute blast, with characters you’ll love and one of the most fantastical cinematic rides in recent years. An absolute gem! (10/23/2023)

A flat storyline with a variation of the same plot seen hundreds of times, but with an excellent group of likeable characters and a truly amazing villain. The whole thing is dynamic, funny with some great scenes (the fat dragon) and a charismatic lead in Chris Pine. It's obvious that it was made by someone who has a feel for the material and a respect for fantasy. The potential for a sequel or saga is there, but next time it should be either darker or more original. (06/30/2023)

We haven’t had such a fine film for a long time. This fantasy popcorn flick, playing to the rhythm of Guardians of the Galaxy, is set in a new, unfamiliar world full of new characters, and yet is somewhat pleasantly familiar. It starts with a scene that quotes Jurassic Park, but then goes its own way, and it does it very well. The plot is pleasantly straightforward and keeps to the ground, it doesn't even matter that it's not particularly surprising, because originality is all around. The characters have real believable relationships with each other, the humour is not hammy at all costs and when the script wants to, it can even slow the film down a bit and give room for other emotions, like in one scene with a cameo by a very famous actor who isn't even listed in the cast yet, and I hope it stays that way for a long time. The actors and actresses are great, apart from Chris Pine I was especially pleased with Michelle Rodriguez (she really nailed it) and Sophia Lillis, and I feel Hugh Grant had as much fun during the shooting as I did in the cinema. The production design is appropriately fantastic and uncluttered, the action scenes are often imaginative, and Lorne Balfe composed the first ever soundtrack I'm happy to listen to in its entirety. I really hope we’ll get a sequel, because this is a world I would love to go back to. (03/31/2023)

Fantasy with a heart. Here you can clearly see that this is not part of the mass production line of Disney executives, with bored filmmakers counting the days until the end of the shooting; you can see the love that was put into it. Where there's supposed to be a situational joke, it's there at the right time and it cheers you up, where there's supposed to be a bit of a song, it's there and it warms you up. It's chock full of ideas you've always wanted to see on the silver screen, but filmmakers never had the imagination to materialize them. Simply put, an awesome feel-good thing that hasn't been done here ... well, maybe since Matthew Vaughn's Stardust. And Chris Pine, the older and grayer he gets, the more charismatic he becomes, I wish he was in a really big movie. I can even imagine him as the new Bond. (05/19/2023)