Dungeons & Dragons: a funny and generous adventure comedy… but lacking in soul

Adaptation of the famous tabletop role-playing game created in the 70s, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Thieves has the heavy task of delivering unifying entertainment and introducing its universe to a new generation of spectators who have deserted the gaming tables.

A blockbuster which also has the task of revitalizing a franchise whose influence is certainly undeniable, but which has not yet managed to impose itself on the big screen. So what is this new movie worth Dungeons & Dragons, which is released in French theaters this Wednesday? Here is our review, guaranteed without spoilers.

The story

Faced with a world in peril, a group of thieves try to right their mistake and face an unprecedented foe. To do this, Edgin, the bard, has concocted a plan that he intends to carry out. He is accompanied by Holga the barbarian, Xenk the paladin, Simon the sorcerer and Doric the tiefling druidess.

Our review of Dungeons & Dragons

So far, the three film adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons (released in 2000, 2005 and 2012) did not exceed the quality of a B series with questionable special effects and rough acting. Eager to have its own heroic fantasy franchise, Paramount Pictures has every intention of refreshing the universe by playing the adventure comedy card. And unexpectedly, it works.

In the spirit of the recent reboot of Jumanji, Dungeons & Dragons moves away from the serious and serious tone of the previous opuses to navigate the fine line between meta humor, second degree and respect for the original work. A bias that will make purists grumble, but which nevertheless succeeds nicely in its mission. Aware of the (big) strings of its genre, the film plays with our expectations and the codes of heroic fantasy with mischief, carried by a band of clumsy but endearing heroes. We thus find the spirit of board games between friends, between approximation, errors, and improbable moments of bravery. The sympathetic cast (Hugh Grant in the lead) is also a great success of alchemy.

If the whole loses its originality in passing, and brings the film closer to many other entertainments for all audiences of our time (the tone of Guardians of the Galaxy Is not far), Dungeons & Dragons always keeps great ideas and good surprises up its sleeve. In the lot, some scenes are even small pleasures of the absurd, like that of the cemetery that we will let you discover in the room. We will also appreciate, unfortunately drowned in an ocean of nondescript visual effects, the presence of neat and quality animatronic costumes, which will remind some of the spirit of dark-crystal and the heroic fantasy of the 80s.

Above all, Dungeons & Dragons turns out to be generous, and we find ourselves discovering a multitude of exciting places and characters, like little windows into the rich universe of role-playing games. If its plot is sewn with white thread and rather lazy, the film nevertheless fulfills its most important mission: to make people want to sit around a table for a game, and to discover the universe of Dungeons & Dragons.

Because if the most relentless fans will be able to complain about the light tone of the adventure, they will get their money’s worth on the side of references to their favorite role-playing game. Cult objects, famous characters and emblematic places abound, and will delight the most passionate, without diluting the pleasure of the layman. The license therefore sacrifices a little of its soul to fit into a blockbuster mold that is certainly agreed, but terribly effective.

In all honesty, we weren’t expecting much from this. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Thieves. But we must admit that the duo of writers and directors, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (at the helm of game night And Long live the holidays), have managed to deliver a funny and generous blockbuster, which dusts off the world of cult role-playing games. If the film is far from being a pinnacle of originality, and rather lazy at times, it succeeds in its entertainment mission. It’s already that.

• Watch the movie trailer:

Where to watch other heroic fantasy films and series in streaming?

The genre of heroic fantasy – medieval fantasy in French – has produced countless quality films and series.

If you haven’t had your fill of knights, mages and wondrous creatures with Dungeons and Dragons, you can check out the Disney+ streaming platform. Here you will find the trilogy narniathe animated film Taram and the Magic Cauldronor the recent series Willow.

On Netflix, the genre is (very) well represented with the series The Witcher, dark-crystal, Shadow and Bone, Berserk and the movies Tales from Earthsea And Warcraft.

On the Amazon Prime Video side, subscribers will be able to enjoy the series The wheel of time And Rings of Powerand the trilogy of Lord of the Rings.