I'm not a player but do remember watching the animated series when I was a kid during the 90s, I’ve been waiting for a good Dungeons & Dragons movie and I was really excited to see this one, had to put it aside due to lack of time to watch, and I can say it delivered. The movie does a perfect job of balancing action, comedy and adventure so well that you are glued to the screen wanting to know what happens next, never feels rush or too predictable, very entertaining. I was worried coming from someone who’s never played D&D, I’d somehow get lost in all the fantasy elements and game references but the movie does an amazing job of making everything easy to follow, while still keeping that magical fantasy world feeling alive through the entire movie.
Rottentomatoes Rating
This is a journey of dragons, magic and mythical creatures, but what sets the movie apart and makes it so special is how it keeps it grounded with its characters. It’s all a bit very MCU comedy atmosphere like Thor but set in medieval times and it’s surprisingly effective. What makes it work so well is that directors really understood what they were doing here, making an entertaining movie and not a straight forward D&D adaptation, taking this approach would cover them in case they get too far off the tracks with the franchise but lucky it seem never happen since I didn't notice any backlash when looking up the directors and comments online.
The fact I'm going straight up and I gave this movie a solid 7/10 and most of those points are for how it handles its comedy and character interactions, many might think its a low score to be excited about but I really enjoy the movie although been a comedy I cant say its a 10/10 since other factors like action and drama are not at 10/10 levels. The movie knows what it wants to be and doesn't try and be something else. It's not trying to go for the Oscars, just an entertaining adventure that just happens to be in this rich fantasy world.
The movie follows the story of Edgin Darvis played Chris Pine, a former member of this spy group, called the Harpers who became a thief following the death of his wife, been in prison and are trying to get back to Edgin's daughter Kira, who he is doing time with his partner Holga, played by Michelle Rodriguez. Once out of prison they find their old friend Forge played by Hugh Grant, has become Lord of Neverwinter and has Kira under his spell, this starts their quest to get her back, stealing a special tablet that can bring people back from the dead.
But as you might expect, along the way they put up together this misfit team, Justice Smith as Simon, a not so confident wizard who can’t even cast his magic well enough to deserve the title of Wizard; Sophia Lillis as Doric, who can change into different animals and Rege Jean Page as Xenk, a super serious paladin who takes everything literally too serious. The group travels through all sorts of adventures looking for special magical items they need, fighting dragons, un dead soldiers of all sorts of fantasy creature as they try and stop this evil Red Wizard, Sofina from executing her evil plan to enslave the people of Neverwinter but she also needed The Tablet of Reawakening same Edgin wanted so their path cross each other.
Chris Pine is a real shining star as Edgin; classic Chris Pine got all the charm and humor needed to make him instantly likable. Pine plays him well, not your average hero, more like a dad trying to do the right thing after making so many mistake. Michelle Rodriguez as Holga is just awesome, she has this tough exterior and a great contrast to Pine personality, but with a soft heart underneath which works really well with Pine's more talkative character. Justice Smith makes Simon’s insecurity seem real without being annoying and his character growth throughout the movie is earned, I have to mention he might be the best comeback actor in 2024 after the disaster of "The American Society of Magical Negroes. Hugh Grant is just having the time of his life playing Forge, because he’s got this perfect mix of charm and sleaziness that you just want to hate him so much. Without having to tell the entire story and its characters as you can tell everyone is very likable and fun through the movie without it been forced or over the top.
All the practical effects for the different creatures, the dragons look amazing both fierce and funny, who ever got the idea of making the fat dragon nail it, making not only funny but very unexpected for everyone. This one action sequence where Doric goes from animal to animal to escape is really well done, and it’s just done in one continuous shot that’s just an incredible thing to watch, I had to look this up but they did film it on a single shot.
This movie ends in a really satisfying way with Edgin having this huge choice after getting the Tablet of Reawakening, bring back his dead wife just like he has been planning all along or saving Holga gets killed in the final battle. It was really emotional moment for Edgin to finally realize that he has to let go of the past and move on to the present, and to save Holga is the right choice, after all his wife has been death already for some time so coming back would not guarantee that things going to get better. Not only has he grown in the movie, but this decision allows him to heal his relationship with his daughter and also provides some closure to the story.
When Simon finally overcomes his self doubt in the final battle he is finally able to use his magic properly and beat Sofina, saving Neverwinter from becoming a city of slaves and our heroes are finally recognized for saving everyone. As I was looking up information about the movie and ratings I notice a few comments on a possible sequel but I feel the movie is just fine as it is, there was no official announcement I could find about it, some things that end well are better to left alone at their peak performance. Looking the movie really does what it sets out to achieve and does not try to be is the most epic fantasy movie ever made, it simply wants to be entertaining and fun and with a story that has heart. Although the plot may not be the most original thing ever, it works thanks to how well everything else comes together and the chemistry between the cast is fantastic, and the comedy is so effective to cut up through the tension or action scenes to make the audience relax again.
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