Bounding onto swashbuckling Blu-ray, 4k and DVD from 31 July – Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Amongst Thieves has a cavalcade of character acting talent vying for attention.
From the ever-dependable Chris Pine (Don’t Worry Darling), through to a deliciously despicable Hugh Grant (Paddington 2) – everyone here is doing their best to breathe life into this Hasbro property.
However, with a surprisingly thin plot fashioned by writer directors John Francis Daley (Spiderman: Homecoming) and Jonathan Goldstein (Game Night) alongside Michael Gilio – this film is certainly a case of style over substance. As plot points intentionally incorporate archetypes early on, so no heavy lifting is required by audiences going in.
Thankfully, veteran Chris Pine slips into auto pilot as Edgin the light-fingered thief, Michelle Rodriguez adds more to the mix as potato obsessed warrior woman Holga, while Hugh Grant steals almost every scene as the morally questionable Forge.
Unfortunately, a basic resurrection plot which lacks depth and thrives on convenience hampers any sense of originality, as Edgin quickly bands together with old friends so they can retrieve an ancient artefact and reunite the family.
His ragtag team include the shapeshifting Doric (Sophia Lillis), an apprentice sorcerer Simon (Justice Smith) and Xenk (Rege-Jean Page) an outrageously suave paladin. A roll call of renegades that under normal circumstances would make the film fly by, but some reason despite superior CGI, fails to deliver anything other than a mediocre diversion.
Obstacles are easily overcome and there is no sense of struggle when our heroes are put under pressure. There might be slick fight scenes and death-defying prison breaks, but there is also an entire absence of real danger. Whether running through collapsing caverns, facing off against fierce beasties or worse.
Now some people may say that a Hasbro property should stay true to the source material, aim itself squarely at children and embrace that demographic. This may be true, but at no point did this mean Dungeons and Dragons should avoid swinging for the fences creatively.
That being said, despite the convenient plot twists and intentional lack of threat, what the film does it does well – even if audiences only end up with a run of the mill fantasy romp.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Amongst Thieves is available to Download & Keep now and on DVD, Blu-ray™, 4K UHD™ and 4K UHD™ + Blu-ray™ Steel Book® 31st July
