Full disclosure: I’ve never played D&D, so I can’t comment on the film’s fidelity to the game or any sly references. Chris Pine heads up the gang that’s out to rescue his daughter from the evil ruler (Hugh Grant, once again relishing the bad guy role). They go on an adventure that’s relatively typical for this sort of tale, although there are surprisingly few dragons and virtually no dungeons. The actions sequences are OK and the effects are OK. What gives this movie its charm is the addition of a comic sensibility; not outright punchlines, but eye-rolling reactions that generate a few laughs. If it weren’t for the popular franchise, this movie would quickly be relegated to the dungeon of similar movies. 
(3 / 5)
