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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 30 March 2023
Review: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ puts the funny in fantasy

By JOCELYN NOVECK which they’re joined by
AP National Writer Simon (Smith) and Doric
“You’re not a lot of fun, (Lillis), leads to the film’s
are you,” notes barbarian most entertaining scenes.
Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) One of these is an impres-
to brave fighter Xenk (Re- sive, fast-paced sequence
gé-Jean Page) in the new where shape-shifter Doric
“Dungeons & Dragons” infiltrates enemy lines and
film, making two jokes at then, chased by Sofina,
once. morphs seamlessly into vari-
The first is that Xenk, a pala- ous animal forms and back
din (or holy knight) in “D&D” to herself again.
lingo, is everything BUT fun Another is a comic bit
gorgeous, noble, heroic, where Pine’s Edgin tries to
smart, and did we mention elicit key information from
gorgeous? He’s just REALLY a series of corpses. Sum-
not fun, or funny. He’s so moned to life by an increas-
not funny, it’s hilarious. ingly effective Simon, each
The second, broader joke is This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Chris Pine in a scene from “Dungeons & Dragons: corpse can answer five
that “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” questions before returning
Honor Among Thieves,” Associated Press to the grave forever. Edgin
hotly awaited by devo- keeps wasting his chances
tees of the decades-old an ability to seem like he’s meet in a dank, freezing complice Forge (Grant), with questions like “Did that
role-playing game, makes both inside the movie and prison cell. He’s well, he’s who somehow escapes, count as a question?”
darned sure to be fun, and outside looking in, keeps knitting. Nearby sits Holga swears to take care of Kira. And a prime comic mo-
funny enough to laugh at everything bubbling. (Rodriguez), and her own Edgin, a master planner, ment comes from none
itself. And that’s the thing He’s ably assisted by Ro- hobby is eating. She’s not devises a jailbreak right other than Bradley Cooper
that makes it work. driguez, plus young ac- a cordial sort, especially during the pardon hear- (see, worth the wait!). We’ll
At least, for a newbie like complices Justice Smith as when food supply is at risk. ing. They discover Kira is reveal nothing but the ob-
me. I’ve never played the a confidence-challenged An appearance in front of now living in a walled city servation that this cameo is
game, I confess. But this is (but sweet) wizard and So- a judicial council, begging with Forge, a con-man who small, but packs a punch.
a movie, not a game, and phia Lillis as a shape-shifting for a pardon, gives Edgin turns out (gasp!) to have Finally we have Xenk
I’m here to tell you how it druid. And then we have a the chance to tell his back- planned the whole thing, (Page), perfectly cast as
works for over two hours at graying Hugh Grant, play- story. Turns out he wasn’t and has convinced her a paladin so, well, perfect
the multiplex. Which is to ing the heck out of yet always a criminal; he was that Dad betrayed her for that he delivers babies in

say, surprisingly, sometimes another comic villain role a Harper, part of a spy riches. And now he’s allied between vanquishing en-
delightfully well even if you a character almost as cur- guild acting for the greater with Sofina, a terrifying sor- emies, and provides the
have no clue what a pala- mudgeonly as he was on good, but he attracted the ceress (Daisy Head). Forge crucial help Edgin needs.
din or Red Wizard or Harper the Oscar red carpet. ire of the Red Wizards of not only refuses to give But for all sorts of reasons,
is, or if the term “Dungeon Plus there’s a cameo from Thay, which led to the trag- Kira back but sends Edgin Edgin can’t bring himself
Master” sends your mind another big star, but more ic murder of his wife. and Holga to their deaths. to like the guy. Most of all,
straight to “Fifty Shades on that in a minute. Be- Teaming with Holga, he Holga, however, quickly he can’t deal with his lack
of Grey.” The most obvi- cause first we have to men- sets out to find the magi- dispatches all the soldiers of understanding of irony,
ous reason for this success, tion the pudgy dragon. Yes, cal Tablet of Reawaken- meant to kill them all while sarcasm, and especially
besides fleet-footed direc- pudgy. Whatever dragons ing that would return his Edgin tries, and fails, to un- humor.
tion by Jonathan Goldstein eat, and we can only try wife to him and especially tie a rope. He’s probably right. Hero-
and John Francis Daley, is to imagine, he’s had too their baby daughter Kira Now they need that tab- ism is all well and good, but
star Chris Pine, whose sun- many. (played by Chloe Coleman let, but first they need a humor is crucial. That’s a
ny charisma and smooth But back to Pine, aka the as a youngster). But they magical helmet (bear lesson this film has, luckily,
knack for comedy, plus bard Edgin, whom we first get captured, and their ac- with us.) The quest, upon already figured out.q

HBO’s ‘Succession’ sets viewer mark for fourth-season start

NEW YORK (AP) — HBO’s people who will watch one episodes on HBO Max last
“Succession” opened its of their shows. For example, week compared to the
fourth and final season with each episode last season week before.
a record first-night audi- averaged 7.2 million view- The first episode showed
ence of 2.3 million viewers, ers when delayed viewing how much things are
the Nielsen company said is taken into account. strained between family
on Tuesday. The numbers indicate that patriarch Logan Roy and
That tops the previous high more people are catching three of his four children,
for the drama about a on to the two-time Emmy critic Brian Lowry wrote for
backbiting family of media winner for best drama just CNN.
moguls. It beat the 1.7 mil- as it is approaching the “There was a lot going on in
lion who watched last sea- end. this season opener, but the
son’s finale the first night it There was anticipation premiere’s primary function
was available, Nielsen said. for the season premiere, involved setting the stage
For HBO, the first-night au- with HBO saying there was for the battles and chal- This image released by HBO shows Brian Cox in a scene from the
dience is usually only a four times the viewership lenges to come,” Lowry fourth season of “Succession.”
fraction of the number of of previous “Succession” wrote.q Associated Press