Now Playing

 

It’s a big weekend for new films and below I offer my thoughts on a big theatrical release and two streaming debuts dropping Friday.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Theaters)

Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, Rege-Jean Page, and Chloe Coleman

Synopsis: Over the years many have played and enjoyed Dungeons & Dragons the game. It’s even featured prominently in pieces like Stranger Things. But when it’s come to film versions, the allure hasn’t always been that. The latest take, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, is just that, a cinematic journey that’s a fun and crazy ride. The film comes from writer/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the partners who crafted the script for Spider-Man: Homecoming and gave us the re-boot of Vacation and the comedy Game Night. They bring that same sense of humor to this adventure, creating an action/adventure that has a lot of heart. We follow a group of thieves. It starts out with our heroes, the widower Edgin (Pine) and his friend Holga (Rodriguez). They’re in prison thanks to a job gone wrong, but desperate to escape and return to Edgin’s daughter, Kira (Coleman). When they do just that, they find their old partner Forge (Grant) has given Kira a decent life as he’s seized power for himself, but Edgin and Holga don’t get much of a welcome. It soon becomes clear they’re need to pull off a job to win Kira back. They turn to a sorcerer named Simon (Smith) a shape-shifting warrior named Doric (Lillis) and a kindly and powerful stranger, Xenk (Page) to get past Forge and his powerful red witch (Daisy Head). And the adventure begins. The trailers for this film lay out the premise and give the audience a sense of style. The question was whether it could deliver. This film does. The cast is strong, the writing is crisp and the sense of style is fun. Better yet, while there are obvious nods to game players, the film is plenty accessible to those that have never rolled the dice on the game. The last time Dungeons & Dragons was adapted into a feature film was 2000, with a cast that included Jeremy Irons. It wasn’t well received and has faded away from general popularity in the more than 20 years since. This latest film is a breath of fresh air, something different and a lot of fun. I suspect it will be a hit with audiences looking for a fun and original adventure during a month that’s been mostly about sequels and film franchises. I enjoyed the film greatly. I loved Pine in the lead role but the comedic timing of the whole cast is great. The story was fun and engaging, and the more than two-hour run time flew by. This is also a great spectacle, something worth seeing on the big screen. Of all the big March theatrical releases, this is my favorite. It’s well worth making time to see.

Rating: Rated PG-13 for fantasy action/violence and some language.

Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Rye Lane (Hulu)

Starring: David Jonsson and Vivan Oparah

Synopsis: Breakups are awful. From the early going in the new romantic comedy Rye Lane, which debuts on Hulu March 31 after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January, we understand our leads are struggling with that very issue. In fact, we first meet our heroes in the bathroom. Dom (Jonsson) is out at an art show, supporting a friend, but he’s still not over his breakup. So, he’s having himself a cry in a bathroom stall. It turns out to be a unisex bathroom, which leads Yas (Oparah) into the same space. She can identify and soon, she and Dom connect. After leaving the show, they spend some time getting to know each other. Eventually, Yas helps Dom out when he has to confront his ex, and the friend with whom she cheated. That only deepens the bond, as they go on a series of adventures. Their attraction and chemistry is undeniable but can these two wounded souls find a way to make it work? That’s what this journey is all about. Romantic comedies generally follow a formula. You have a meet-cute, the relationship builds, you find a moment of tension and then get the happy ending. It doesn’t always happen exactly that way, but that’s mostly what you expect. People don’t turn to these films for the surprises in the plot, but rather for the journey they go on with the protagonists.

From that standpoint, Rye Lane is a hit. I enjoyed the script from Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, and in the hands of director Raine Allen-Miller, making her feature debut, we get something magical. I enjoyed the shots and the color palette here, but I also enjoyed the way the humor was played out. It also works well because of the stars. Jonsson and Oparah are great in these lead roles. Their chemistry is strong and they create some beautiful and rich scenes together. We get the typical formula here but the journey and the personalities make it a rich experience. I enjoyed the ride here and this is my favorite new film of the year so far.

Rating: Rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity.

Verdict: Four stars out of five

Tetris (Apple TV+)

Starring: Taron Egerton and Nikita Efremov

Synopsis: It’s simple, yet addictive. You watch the pieces fall and race to line them up, filling and clearing rows as you go. It’s Tetris, and by now most people have played it in some form. It’s a game that’s been popular for more than 30 years but the story of how it came to be widely played is perhaps even more fascinating. The latest film from Apple TV+ is the true story of the battle to acquire the rights to bring Tetris to the world after it originated in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The story involves intrigue, dueling offers, bribery and plenty of danger as business interests from the west flocked to Moscow to make a deal. At the center of the story is video game designer Henk Rogers (Egerton), who sees and plays Tetris at a Video Game convention in Las Vegas. He’s there to sell his own game but, instead, sees an opportunity. He snatches up the game rights in Japan and sets out making a deal with Nintendo. With the video game giant on the verge of a breakthrough in technology, they are seeking expanded rights. With his future and his family’s future on the line, Rogers heads to Russia. There he forms a friendship with Tetris designer Alexey (Efremov) and maneuvers to make a deal that will change his fortune and the video game business forever. This film takes the action back to the late 1980s and chronicles the wild and true story. Director Jon S. Baird does a nice job bringing the story to life. I enjoyed the period flourishes and the mixture of a video game look. That includes the way the story is laid out by Noah Pink, setting out a main character and levels to complete in order to win the game. All that added nicely to the theme and served as a solid framing device. Additionally, Egerton does a great job in the lead role. He’s the hook that holds the story together. At times it feels like a spy drama, at times something of a buddy film. It consistently holds your attention, pulling you into the story, the characters and the world. I loved the way it came together and I was fascinated to learn more about the wild backstory behind a game I’ve played and enjoyed for years. Apple TV+ has a winner with Tetris, one of their better original films and one of the better films I’ve seen so far in 2023. Tetris streams March 31 on Apple TV+.

Rating: Rated R for language.

Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five