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.