Film: `Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves`

Cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head, Kyle Hixon

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

Rating: 2.5/5

Runtime: 134 mins

Launched in the 1970s, the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons gained traction only much later… in the 1980s. In fact, the 1980s TV show Freaks and Geeks revolved around playing that game, and the show`s star, John Francis Daley, is actually the co-director here alongside Jonathan Goldstein. That tidbit may be interesting trivia but for purposes of this review, it also begs the question as to how capable/or not, he is of transferring that same sense of adventure, challenge, and fun to the medium of cinema.

The game has well-established lore with various multi-media spinoffs and the fun really lies in the fact that it allows the player the freedom to create their own heroes - a fact that the movie is not able to do, as immersively. But Daley, Goldstein, and co-writer Michael Gilio try to achieve it in some form at least. They create the heroes and the audience is expected to revel in their thrill-seeking adventure. It might not be as satisfying as playing the game itself but the intention of creating visceral gamey thrills is not without its benefits.