Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Dungeons and Dragons Honour Among Thieves

This is one of the most fun films I’ve seen all year and a truly pleasant surprise! Now this film I thought was going to be a at best okay film with a few laughs but it surpassed those expectations hugely. Not only did I enjoy this film from start to finish but it packs heart, cracking humour and fantastic action that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. This is a film that may get lost in the shuffle of all the big blockbusters from this year but hopefully people check it out because it’s one of the most fun popcorn films I’ve seen this year. 

Firstly, Now adapting a beloved roleplaying game like Dungeons and Dragons is no easy feat due to the amount of content you have at your fingertips along with the overwhelming amount of characters and world building this board game has built over many decades now. And my expectations were in the middle I would say because the trailer did seem fun but unfortunately adapting games to the big screen has never translated that well so I was cautiously optimistic going into this film. Not only did the director and crew capture the essence of what dungeons and dragons is but they took a pretty basic campaign from the game and expanded upon it in such a fantastic way that never felt bloated or narratively all over the place. The core characters we follow never felt like stereotypical fantasy characters but truly had their moments to shine and we got to establish each of their motives while also becoming very much invested into their journey. It never wasted a moment it really uses that 2 hour runtime well and I never felt it dragged or should of been cut shorter it earns the runtime as the film flies by and the moment it’s over you’ll want to instantly revisit this world and it’s fantastic characters. As what really caught me off guard was the amount of emotion that was woven into the narrative as yeah it’s a f fantasy film there have been lots in the past that pack lots of heart. That being said theirs not a ton nowadays especially fantasy that you see that can balance the emotional aspect and comedic in such a solid way as Dungeons And Dragons achieves that amazingly. The film’s main character we follow and really everyone else all have reasons to go along this adventure and it never feels cheesy or trying to hard to be emotional it really does deliver that emotional punch in a very satisfying way that doesn’t make it come across like a trope. As I thought this film would be 500 jokes a minute and sure theirs humour tons of it actually but it never over indulges itself with the jokes and knows when to stop and to take time to have those intimate moments that have the audience better understand the characters without needing a quippy line to engage the audience. So tone wise it is perfectly blended with fantasy, genuinely funny humour that is some of the best comedy I’ve seen in a film all year and also packs so much heart and depth. The way the story was approached with its themes and tones is what really makes it truly stand out in how it respects the source material it’s adapting and also not just having one dimensional character tropes we’ve seen time and time again in fantasy. It is able to surprise you and keep you smiling all the way through. 

Secondly, This perfectly leads me to my next point which is the performances from the cast are all terrific! Now theirs not one weak or forgettable performance in this film each actor all gave their fantastic spin on their characters which made them unique in their own way while having you emotionally invested in their own individual journeys. Now the actor for me that stole the show was Chris Pine as for whatever reason he’s constantly getting not enough attention for his work in the films he does and I don’t know why. As here he plays a thief that sure we’ve seen that type of personality in other movies but Chris Pine is able to bring something fresh and emotionally exciting to this character that will have you laughing but also tearing up at times. He not only delivers a fun energetic performance but gives so much vulnerability to the character that will surprise people in the greatest way. Then you have Hugh Grant who was known in Hollywood for decades as the go to Romantic Comedy leading man but ever since Paddington 2 he’s been playing these well layered antagonist and I honestly love it. Because we’ve seen him playing the bumbling charming guy for so long it’s nice to see him explore other characters even if they are unlikeable and if I’m being honest some of his best performances have been these complex individuals as his work in the gentleman I still think is his best performance he’s ever given. Here he isn’t repeating the same beats from other bad guys he’s played but he’s able to find new ways to approach these morally Grey people while still brining that charm he’s known for and he presents that so well in this film. As you can tell he looks like he’s just having a total blast playing this character and it’s not a campy performance but he really relishes in using that sarcastic wit mixed with the bad guy quality he has in front of him and just exploding onscreen in such crackling fun as he’s able to be both emotionally manipulative by using his kindness as a mask to hide his truly despicable plans and he just dominated the screen with such a amazing burst of energy. His work in the film is so fun and yet playfully shady all at once it’s great everyone else all give solid work from Justice Smith to even Sophia Lilias everyone all gave  such fun and entertaining performances that had you falling in love with their characters within seconds the performances are top notch. 

Lastly, Dungeons & Dragons Honour Among Thieves is one of the most fun and thrilling films I’ve seen all year! It delivers a fantastic adaptation to a beloved role playing game while keeping the core themes of what people love about it intact. Then it has great characters that are well rounded and smartly written that will have you wanting to see more of them. And after that theirs the action and pure excitement of seeing this truly huge world you get immersed into within moments of the film starting and enjoying each second of it. As it packs so much heart and you can tell everyone involved all brought their best A game. This is an outstanding popcorn film that is a freaking fun time that’ll have you loving every moment of it Dungeons & Dragons Honour Among Thieves is pure thrills and laughs all the way through I recommend everyone go check this film out. 

This film centres around a father going on a quest to help bring a loved one back and assembles a team of misfits to help him achieve his journey while also helping save the world in the process. 

Rated PG - 13 : Some Language|Fantasy Action/Violence

Chris Pine : Pine delivers a fun and complex performance that is a blast to watch unfold! Pine is an actor who’ve I’ve mentioned is always overlooked within the industry because the man gives so many amazing performances if it’s in films like Hell Or Highwater even Star Trek I feel like his work wasn’t recognized to what it should be. Now to see him here playing this lovable but yet emotionally driven personality was very interesting to see him explore. Sure he’s played emotionally complex people before but it’s the way he goes about executing it onscreen that makes it so exciting. Now at first glance he seems like your typical jokester who’s going to give quippy dialogue throughout the whole film and now to be fair he does have quite his fair share of comedic moments in this film. That being said it’s not just a sarcastic leading man who has to outwit himself out of tough situation no Pine takes a different approach to this character. Now we learn that this man was a family man and very much thinks with his heart and not his brain and that costs him to be in very tricky situations but he’s also cunning enough to get himself out of those moments too. You see over the course of the film that he’s a very much emotionally damaged person who wants to get a loved one back and feels responsible for their death and that burden is on his shoulders but uses humour to help bury that trauma and pain. Now what Pine brings to the character that makes his performance really stand out is when his character talks about his past or someone asks about it he will either be very brief about it or just change the topic all together and it’s not until emotions are high he finally lets it all spill out and he lets his heart feel and let’s that emotional wall down.  It is a performance that is walks the perfect line between dramatic and comedic as its not simply just one or the other he is able to showcase both effortlessly throughout the course of the film showing amazing depth to the character. Now Pine also crackles with great comedic timing because he knows when the appropriate time is to deliver a punchline or witty comment and it never felt overkill with the nature of the humour in his performance. He then can switch it to dramatic and more emotional beats as he can tug on your heartstrings in very emotionally effective scenes that not only flesh out his character arc out but also shows the complex nature to this character. Its a performance I feel will be overlooked due to it being a fantasy/adventure film but I hope people will notice the sheer brilliance in Chris Pine’s performance and not just say its him doing what he’s done in his past work as its not. He really has fun with this character for sure but he delivers a damn good performance that amazed me will it win any awards probably not but it is a entertaining perfjoamcne of his that is one of the best I have seen. 

Johnathan M. Goldstein & John Francis Daley : The comedy duo Of Goldstein and Daley strike again! These two guys gave us one of the funniest and most creative films of 2018 with the underrated film game night. Now that film to me was one of the most refreshing and entertaining comedies I had seen in years and was eager to see where they would go with their next film. They go from doing a fun comedy film with layered twists and turns to taking on a huge fan driven board game like Dungeons & Dragons. Now I can confidently say they stick the landing with this film as it would not be easy to make a film based on one of if not the most iconic role-playing game of all time. Which by the way has millions of fans and has gotten more and more attention due to the success and popularity of Stranger Things in the last few years. So taking on the responsibility of such a iconic game like this their definitely was pressure for them to give at the most a decent film with this and not only did that give a good film they surpassed that and gave a terrific film. As how they were able to take a narrative that is a pretty basic plot line and then layer it in depth and complexity was perfect. As the characters never felt one dimensional fantasy characters that were stereotypes they felt like real personalities with individual quirks and aspects that made them intriguing to follow along on this adventure. The film also does not take forever to set up the main story you are thrust right into the action and when their is moments of exposition it is brief to the point and never felt like it dragged on or repetitive in an annoying way. So when you meet the characters they tell you exactly what you need to know about them and you are invested in each of them so when they assemble the team of misfits to save the world you not only are into their individual character arcs but you also believe they are a team and can enjoy the fun banter they all give off one another onscreen. The world itself visually is striking and feels lived in you are in total awe to the attention of detail the filmmakers had to the lore and it is escapism done very well. In terms of the comedy it reminded me very much of  Monty Python & the The Princess Bride which is not to say it feels like its copying those two films but it handles its humour in such a smart way of those two films. As when the jokes came into a scene it never felt over indulgent but would use it in  a dry comedic way that paid off very well and chose the right moments to deliver a joke and it always landed and then it could switch it up to having dramatic weight to the story. As witty it is it also acknowledges the gravity of the situation and all the characters show their personal reasons for wanting to save the world yes for the greater good but also for their own individual emotional stakes that are on the line. It at times actually can go to dark places and very vulnerable scenes that will hit you in the chest and that’s another great compliment to the filmmakers is they weren’t afraid to have emotional scenes and not just make this a comedy but actually bring fantastic layer to the story and its characters while at the same time having fun but being letting the characters  take things seriously without relying on the humour the whole way through. It has great action that has you on the edge of your seat the whole time and they also get great performances from the whole cast and you fall in love with this team of characters and instantly want to see more of them. I do hope their is a sequel as the way they executed this film with action, humour, emotion worked extremely well while staying respectful to the source material so I would love to see more adventures with these characters if these directors are at the helm of it. It is a fantastic popcorn film they deliver once again showing they are an incredible pair of directors that can give an audience a fun time while having a great emotional beat throughout the story.