It is certainly with great, very great suspicion that the public will approach this new opus taken from the most eminent tabletop role-playing game, the unmissable Dungeons & Dragons.
It must be said that the three previous tests were so turnips that it would be easier to find them on the stalls of the Jean-Talon market than on the shelves of a video store. And the trailer for this new attempt by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley is a little perplexing. Are we simply trying to exploit the vein of the cult game brought up to date by Stranger Things ? Or is the desire to create a film more polished, better balanced and – please – better acted than its predecessors?
To be honest, with new game masters at the helm ofHonor Among Thieves (The honor of thieves in French version), it’s a pleasant surprise that is projected on the screen, immediately setting the tone: as in a role-playing game, we are there above all to have fun. The story begins with a hearing for the possible release of Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), respectively bard and barbarian, from prison after a robbery gone wrong. After a few flashbacks of exposition and a spectacular escape, the duo go in search of their former companions, only to be met with betrayal. Accompanied by a limited magician, a zoomorphic elf and an eloquent paladin, they find themselves entangled in an incredible adventure, trying to make their enemy waver and steal a loot.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND EONE
Chris Pine in a scene from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Nothing in the synopsis of the film, a priori unspectacular, reveals its true nature, because it is above all the humorous card that is shot down to make the sauce take. This roll of the dice pays off; if he had confined himself to adventure films, this Dungeons & Dragons would have suffered disadvantageously from the comparison with Lord of the Rings. If he certainly takes up the codes, it is to better apply a varnish to them in the Guardians of the Galaxy. The articulation of the two facets works, with amusing lines, funny winks and hilarious sketches.
During the viewing, the room regularly burst into laughter, whether in the face of the interrogation-fiasco of resurrected warriors, the magic spells that flop, or the jousts of witticisms. This approach makes the cinematographic proposal very pleasant, echoing the comical situations that arise regularly during a role-playing game.
honor is safe
On the sidelines of the comedy side, the action aspect has not been neglected, the vicissitudes of the band of heroes also reflecting the spirit of a session between role-players, with its successes, trophies and defeats. And, thank God, the line has not been forced on this point, dodging the temptation to direct all efforts towards the fan base; initiated or not to the universe D&Dany spectator will have entertainment to eat, with not ugly combat choreographies, fantastic creatures that pass well on the screen (well-measured dragons, surprising “owls”), a sustained rhythm, and a breathless plan- sequence of the elf Doric escaping, transforming into a range of animals.
All is certainly not perfect, with an almost non-existent risk-taking in terms of scenario and characters, and various elements that make one cringe … especially when it comes to the protagonist, constantly on the screen. Let’s say that the anachronism of Chris Pine’s headdress and outfit, which is more like a rocker from the 1980s than a medieval bard, voluntary or not, raises eyebrows. Old demons also point their horns with the overplayed role of Hugh Grant, but we take comfort in knowing that it will never reach the intensity of the terrible performance of Jeremy Irons in the opus of 2000.
The adventure comedy formula ofHonor Among Thieves save the honor of Dungeons & Dragons ? We were starting from afar, but to date, it is the one that has given us the most bursts of laughter and adventures, like in a game on the table between good friends.
Indoors
action/fantasy movie
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (V.F.: Dungeons & Dragons – Honor Thieves)
Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley
With Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page
2:16 a.m.
Indoors