A scene from 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves'

The Big Daddy of RPG, Dungeons & Dragons, gets a new film adaptation; and this time out the producers and writers are smart enough to know that the essential part is to keep it fun and light. And to be extra-wise, they reference practically every successful fantasy-adventure film or franchise of the last three decades. Mind you, a mash-up isn’t an original formula in itself, but by maintaining the veneer of lightheartedness, with touches tugging at our heartstrings, the film succeeds despite its obvious dearth of originality.

Filipinos get a chance to enjoy the film earlier, as it still opens in the USA on March 31, and judging from the audience reaction during the advanced screening I caught; this lack of originality isn’t a stumbling block for the success it so desires. There are advanced screenings for the public on March 20 and 21.

The structure and narration part is straight out of The Princess Pride. And our main protagonist, Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), has echoes of another Chris, Pratt, as he approximates the Guardians of the Galaxy. The setting is medieval, but don’t be fooled, as it looks very much like a discount version of The Lord of the Rings, to the point that we even get a pot-bellied, overweight version of Smaug. The annual contest held in the kingdom ruled by main villain Forge Fitzwillian (Hugh Grant playing conniving and smarmy to the nth degree) is Thor: Ragnarok, mixed with The Maze. And those are just some of the references I’ll mention, leaving you to discover the others.

The cameo that occurs is a great, diminutive surprise; and the hint here would be diminutive, but I can say that it’s a scene shared with Amazon warrior Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez). It comes so unexpectedly, I’m hoping audiences won’t disclose it and spoil the appearance for those watching for the first time.

The other main characters are shape-shifting druid Doric (Sophia Lillis in a breakout role), Simon the bumbling, short on confidence, wizard (Justice Smith), Xenk (Regè-Jean Page of Bridgerton doing poker-faced comedy), and the evil Sofina (Daisy Head, of Shadow and Bone). And there’s Chloe Coleman portraying the abandoned daughter of Edgin, who’s then made a ward of Forge.

There’s a wonderful comedic set-piece that happens in the graveyard, and in terms of vibe, had me thinking Pirates of the Caribbean. And when the Red Witch Sofina plays her hand, there are action sequences that have far more to do with outwitting your opponent, as opposed to merely overpowering them. The film’s producers smartly see this as a way to makes our heroes resonate, and not always rely on brute power.

Chris Pine as Edgin, the bard with a lute, is obviously being set up as our recurring mainstay if box office figures manage to turn this into a franchise. It’s a wonderful opportunity for Pine to evolve as the franchise’s main character, after his foray into Star Trek; and it’s an improvement over Wonder Woman, whereas a romantic interest to a super heroine, he was more of a sidekick, a mere accessory.

Critics may deride this film for its insipid and all-out referencing. And while they won’t be wrong, should the film succeed, it’ll be because the fun element is never dispensed with, and they’re even smart enough to produce a tear or two in the film’s coda. Without a doubt, this D&D will be the film adaptation that audiences will now remember.