Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

It rarely happens that a movie from which I don't expect much pleasantly surprises me to the point of being thrilled. This time, the Americans nailed it and created a genuinely high-quality fantasy, which I love encountering in gaming worlds. The story was well constructed, the acting performances were not wasted, the dialogue had a nice touch of humor, and the action scenes didn't offend me with how they were handled (nor did they lack humor). Hugh Grant's role as the almost arch-villain fit him very well. I missed some blood and unanchored parts of human anatomy here because they are inseparable from the genre. This way, it was almost like a fairytale. A professionally done fairytale. Finally, I know how it would turn out if an owl had sex with a bear after a wild forest party. If you're not a fantasy fan, this may not be the movie for you, but I enjoyed it, and I feel obliged to give it five stars. / "You're getting better. You didn't fly as far." / Lesson learned: Never interfere between a warrior and her potato. (01/07/2023)

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. (01/04/2023)

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. (20/05/2023)

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. (01/07/2023)

An old-school adventure blockbuster that hasn't been done for at least the last ten years. From every dialogue and skit, you can feel that the authors mainly want the viewer, both knowledgeable and unfamiliar with the lore, to enjoy watching it. The characters are very cleverly written to implement all the necessary ills of a modern Hollywood production but at the same time fit perfectly into any D&D campaign. Although the quality bar was not set too high compared to previous attempts at adaptation, I was still pleasantly surprised and left the cinema satisfied while discussing with friends an innumerable number of easter-eggs in the movie. 85% (24/03/2023)