anytime Movie studios try to adapt their beloved assets, but they’re playing a dangerous game: win millions of dollars from their die-hard fans, or shun them altogether.for all Lord of the Ringthere are a hundred Hobbitseconds. And it’s not always easy to predict which aspects fans of an original book, show, or comic will want to see on the big screen.
Dungeons & Dragons: Thief’s Honor I’ve had this problem many times. Dungeons & Dragons (game) is not his one story. This is a tabletop his role-playing game that allows players and their drunken friends to go in any direction imaginable. There are countless existing stories that can be adapted, but those stories are just a starting point. Studios and filmmakers are unlikely to be able to correctly guess what D&D fans are looking for in a film adaptation. Inside jokes, bizarre encounters, reckless stupid decisions that just can’t work, everything is tailored to each player’s experience.
Still somehow Honor of the Thief You can focus on player energy, if not player details. From Chris Pine’s bard Edgin to Justice Smith’s magician Simon, our heroes form an unlikely party with pre-existing interconnected loyalties, grudges, and relationships. or will die for each other. Some people just can’t stand each other. And they are all held together by a plausible circumstance. In other words, it’s as chaotic and ridiculous as a typical D&D game.
That is to say, it all derails repeatedly and consistently.
The story centers around Edgin trying to get his daughter back after years in prison. His best barbarian and his friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) have set out on a journey, but the two must assemble a crew. Oceans 11Styles saves Edgin’s daughter from the evil “Uncle” Forge (Hugh Grant).
On paper, the narrative feels mostly numbers-driven. Blockbuster movies that rely heavily on fetch quests and tangents tend to be viewed as bloated and messy. (weird knife map Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker comes to mind. )but, Honor of the Thiefevery quest involving magical heists and undead interrogations feels like it matters. It’s all about creating fun rides. Treasures are just the friends they’ve made along the way.
The story is not without heart. Writer-director duo Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daly seem to love his D&D. The game may be known for its quirky antics and silly detours, but there’s a reason people still gravitate toward romantic, fantasy settings. Characters have heartfelt moments falling in love, avenging their friends, and mourning their allies.
So how can a film that relies so heavily on tropes be able to voice emotional tropes? Whoever casts Pine as the bard deserves a raise. Rodriguez perfectly sells the barbarian archetype with a heart of gold. Smith is charming as a clumsy sorcerer, and Sophia Lillis nails the energy of that friend who wrote a brooding character who doesn’t like other people, but has to accompany her to the party, so Otherwise why play with us, Becky?
