John Francis Dailey and Jonathan Goldstein bring to the screen this latest adaptation of Dungeons and Dragons. Edgin (Chris Pine) is in prison with his friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) after an attempted robbery alongside conman Forge (Hugh Grant) goes wrong. Edgin not only has lost his freedom but also his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman). After two years in prison they engineer their escape so they can reunite with Kira and reclaim what is theirs from the their former friend Forge. But Forge has a strong allie with a red wizard Sofina (Daisy Head), which means they will need help, so they bring together a team Simon (Justice Smith), Doric (Sophia Lillis) and occasional help from Xenk (Rege-Jean Page). The band comes together and go on a quest full of magic, monsters and adventure.
I’ve not ever been a Dungeons and Dragons player, although I do remember the animated series. I also concede that this film has reviewed well with both critics and viewers alike. However, it just didn’t work for me.
While it had its moments it felt more dull and drudgery at times. It had some real pacing problems in its first half particularly, seemingly taking an age to get to what would always be an inevitable story line. Visually it looked okay although some of the CGI did look clunky and unconvincing.
The script is more than understandable for someone like me who is not invested in the D&D world, but it also slow and lacks humour. This impacts the main characters who, while likeable, never feel there is any real camaraderie between them. It is probably at its best when Page’s Xenk is onscreen, bringing some some fun, especially in his interactions with Pine.
Lots of people seem to be enjoying Dungeons and Dragons, but for me it didn’t really work. The pacing is terribly slow in the first half and the script lacks humour and zip. It’s all a bit predictable. I’d hoped to have more fun than I did, but I may be in the minority.
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