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Movie Review: ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’
Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures.

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.

Premiering on Peacock on February 13th, ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ marks the fourth outing for the ever-hopeful Bridget, brought to screens as always by Renée Zellweger.

And thankfully, despite the worrying sign of it being sent directly to a streaming service here (it’s in theaters internationally), this is a superior entry in the franchise spawned from Helen Fielding’s columns, eventual books and first on our screens way back in 2001.

Related Article: Renée Zellweger Returning as Bridget Jones for ‘Mad About the Boy’

Should you make a date with ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’?

(L to R) Mila Jankovic as Mabel Darcy, Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, and Casper Knopf as Billy Darcy in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Alex Bailey/Universal Pictures.

In the years since that original movie, there has been a healthy evolution for Bridget, and even more hearteningly, some of the people around her. This new offering might not start out as suitable for those who love their happy endings, as the shadow of grief hangs over Bridget, still mourning the loss of her perfect man, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and dealing with life as a single mother.

Yet it’s all a spur for a new chapter in her life, as she decides to leave the mournful doldrums and get on with, well, living. Around her, plenty of other characters have similarly come to realizations about their lives, even the irrepressible cad Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) –– though he still has a twinkle in his eye.

Script and Direction

(L to R) Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones and Leo Woodall as Roxster in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Alex Bailey/Universal Pictures.

With a script from Bridget’s creator Fielding alongside British TV scriptwriting stalwarts Helen Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan, ‘Mad About the Boy’ manages to pull off the trick of both maintaining what we love about Bridget –– smart yet clumsy, hopeful yet soulful, silly and serious all at once –– while also growing the storyline around her.

As a widower dangerously careening towards her fifties and trying to be the best mother she can be, it’s a proper new gear for both the character and Zellweger, and the movie makes the most of that.

Yet the screenplay also doesn’t forget what makes these films so much fun, with moments for Bridget’s friends and colleagues that offering sterling support and plenty of laughs. Her main love interest is perhaps a little bland, but that’s no real issue as he’s mostly just a waypoint for the person you can tell she’s likely to end up with from the moment we meet them.

Director Michael Morris, whose resume includes movies such as ‘To Leslie,’ has really earned his stripes on the small screen, handling episodes of shows including ‘Better Call Saul’ and ‘For All Mankind.’ And that experience proves invaluable, as he’s able to juggle multiple characters and the film looks cinematic, if relatively simple.

It’s all in service of the story, though, and helped by some truly beautiful London locations.

Cast and Performances

(L to R) Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver and Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Since bursting onto our screens all those years ago Renée Zellweger and her near-flawless British accent (never generic, always specific) as Bridget has weathered the highs (the original) and lows (the second and to some degree, third movies).

Here, she’s given a take on the character she can really work with, and puts in a touching, charismatic performance, easily making Miss Jones –– or Mrs. Darcy as she is these days –– someone you both want to spend time with and root for.

(L to R) Colin Firth as Mark Darcy and Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures.

Around her, Bridget’s friends and family remain excellent, whether indulging her latest concerns or trying to offer advice. They might only pop up in support, but they all feel like rounded humans at this point.

And special mention must be made of Hugh Grant. Having famously skipped the third film because he didn’t like the script, he only agreed to return for this one if he got to change some of Daniel Cleaver’s scenes. Whatever he and the writing team worked out, it was all for the good, as the cheeky Daniel of old shines through while also coming across as being more self-aware of his own ridiculousness. His chemistry with Zellweger also remains on point.

Less natural is Leo Woodall, who is fine as “Roxter,” the new younger man who enters Bridget’s life when she’s stuck up a tree. Woodall does what he can with the role, and he has some charm, but he’s more plot point that character.

(L to R) Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr. Walliker and Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Jay Maidment / Universal Pictures.

The same fate might have befallen Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mr. Wallaker, a teacher at Bridget’s kids’ school. But in the experienced actor’s calm hands, he’s both funny and relatable, and when the inevitable arrives you can see why she might fall for him.

One person who comes off less well, if only by dint of her popping up in exactly one brief scene, Isla Fisher as a neighbor and stressed mother who we meet for seconds, threatening to dispatch her unruly kids off to “the squid games.” Was she in more of the movie, but saw her scenes sliced out in editing? We may never know for sure, but she still makes an impact in her one moment.

Final Thoughts

(L to R) Sally Phillips as Shazzer, James Callis as Tom, Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, and Shirley Henderson as Jude in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures.

Like the character herself, the ‘Bridget Jones’ film series needed a bit of luck, and ‘Mad About the Boy’ brings it. It’s a deeper, richer, and more satisfying film than the other sequels and if this represents the last time we hang out with the character and her various associates, then it’s a fitting finale.

As Bridget might write in her diary: V Good.
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What’s the story of ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’?

In her latest film, Bridget (Renée Zellweger) is alone once again, widowed four years ago, when Mark (Colin Firth) was killed on a humanitarian mission in the Sudan. She’s now a single mother to their kids, and is stuck in a state of emotional limbo, raising her children with help from her loyal friends and even her former lover, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).

Pressured by her Urban Family — Shazzer, Jude and Tom, her work colleague Miranda, her mother, and her gynecologist Dr. Rawlings (Emma Thompson) — to forge a new path toward life and love, Bridget goes back to work and even tries out the dating apps, where she’s soon pursued by a dreamy and enthusiastic younger man (Leo Woodall).

Now juggling work, home and romance, Bridget grapples with the judgment of the perfect mums at school, worries about son Billy as he struggles with the absence of his father, and engages in a series of awkward interactions with her son’s rational-to-a-fault science teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Who also stars in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’?
- Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones
- Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver
- Emma Thompson as Doctor Rawlings
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr. Wallaker
- Leo Woodall as Roxster
- Colin Firth as Mark Darcy
- Jim Broadbent as Colin Jones
- Gemma Jones as Pamela Jones
- Isla Fisher as Rebecca
- Josette Simon as Talitha
- Nico Parker as Chloe
- Leila Farzad as Nicolette
- Sarah Solemani as Miranda
- Shirley Henderson as Jude
- James Callis as Tom
- Celia Imrie as Una Alconbury
- Ian Midlane as Paul
Emma Thompson as Dr. Rawlings in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’. Photo: Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures.

Movies in the ‘Bridget Jones’ Franchise:
- ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary‘ (2001)
- ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason‘ (2004)
- ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby‘ (2016)
- ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy‘ (2025)
Buy ‘Bridget Jones’ Movies On Amazon

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February 15, 2025
Movie Review: ‘Heretic’
Hugh Grant in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.

Opening in theaters November 8th is ‘Heretic,’ directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, and Topher Grace.

Related Article: Hugh Grant to Star in ‘Heretic’, a Horror Movie from the Writers of ‘A Quiet Place’

Initial Thoughts

(L to R) Chloe East, Hugh Grant and Sophie Thatcher in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the co-writers of the original ‘A Quiet Place’ and writers-directors of the Adam Driver-starring dinosaur action thriller ’65,’ have returned to helm a much smaller scale horror tale here – but don’t be fooled by its size. In its own insidious way, ‘Heretic’ is quite the cerebral exercise, powered in its first two-thirds by a malevolently good-natured Hugh Grant and a script that tackles the nature of belief and religion in provocative fashion.

Yet it’s still very much a horror movie, and it’s when ‘Heretic’ begins pulling out the overt shocks and grue that the film kind of loses its way. Yet thanks to the work of Grant and his two co-leads, the film’s setting, and most of Woods and Beck’s script, ‘Heretic’ is still a fun genre exercise with a diabolical edge.

Story and Direction

(L to R) Co-director Bryan Woods, Chloe East, and co-director Scott Beck on the set of ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.

Sisters Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Paxton (Chloe East) are two young Mormon missionaries who are door-knocking in a small mountain town, hitting up homes that have requested further information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For the two women – whose relative innocence is communicated by their pronunciation of words like “porno-ography” in hushed tones – it’s a mostly frustrating day of either no responses or brief exchanges and closing doors.

So when the cheerful Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) opens his door to them as a fierce downpour begins, offering them tea and a slice of blueberry pie that his wife is making back in the kitchen – along with a receptive ear to their pitch – they welcome the respite. And after all, his wife is in the kitchen so it’s okay for the two girls to be in the presence of an older man, right?

It’s not long, however, that the women – particularly Sister Barnes – begin to suspect that something is amiss. Mr. Reed keeps making excuses for his wife not coming out with the pie, even as he good-naturedly begins to listen to their spiel and ever so gently push back on them. For every talking point they roll out about their faith, he responds with a criticism of it, with the conversation gradually expanding into a full-blown back-and-forth on the nature and history of religion itself. And once he manages to lure them deeper into his house – into a library of religious texts and art with two doors on the back wall like something out of a bizarre game show – it’s all too clear that Mr. Reed’s deferential, endlessly well-mannered veneer hides something much more ominous.

(L to R) Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.

From that point on, it’s spoiler territory, but what we can say is that for its first two-thirds, ‘Heretic’ is not your average horror film: it offers up food for thought and intellectual exercise even as Woods and Beck slowly tighten the screws and thicken the miasma of dread that begins to settle on the proceedings not long after the two girls enter Mr. Reed’s abode. Speaking of which, the set design here is superb: as the missionaries are drawn deeper into the house, it gradually seems to become one of those surreal haunted houses that appears much bigger and more labyrinthine on the inside than it does on the outside.

Yet the directors also manage to make the proceedings increasingly claustrophobic: during several of their verbal exchanges, the camera gets closer and closer to Grant’s face with each cut, until his features literally fill the screen to accentuate his growing control over the women’s predicament. Never has Grant’s impish grin seemed so dangerous.

It’s only in the third act that the directors’ precision and control over their own story starts to come loose. While Grant, Thatcher and East all remain on point, the story takes several turns into more conventional horror territory while making Mr. Reed’s eventual endgame more elaborate and a bit harder to swallow. We’re all for leaving things in horror movies unexplained – that’s what makes the genre effective in many instances – but it all ultimately seems like a lot of work for this one man to make his singular point.

The Cast

(L to R) Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.

It’s easy to get into the delights of Hugh Grant’s work here, but let’s first pay tribute to his costars. Sophie Thatcher (best known as the younger version of Juliette Lewis’ character on ‘Yellowjackets’) and Chloe East are quite convincing as two young Mormon women, filled with unquestioning devotion to their faith, who are at first earnestly interested in talking with Mr. Reed. Thatcher’s Sister Barnes is the more worldly of the two, and the more savvy, while East’s Sister Paxton is somewhat naïve, although it’s clear that both have led largely sheltered lives up to this point. Both believably descend into terror as well, occasionally making less-than-wise decisions but not the kind of stupid mistakes that often take you out of horror films.

As for Grant, he’s just marvelous. Polite to a fault, seemingly respectful toward the women (at least at first), and full of both glimmering intelligence and good-humored deviousness, he holds the screen even at his most bonkers (such as his impromptu performance of Radiohead’s “Creep”). The charm of his younger days as a stammering, flustered romantic lead is still in evidence, only Grant curdles it into something darker and more toxic – you’re going to have to hear him out no matter what, only he’s not professing his love but expounding on his twisted worldview as if it’s just as enchanting.

Final Thoughts

Hugh Grant in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.

The argument at the center of ‘Heretic’ is a fascinating one that could provide fodder for after-movie debate (we know which side we fall on, but we won’t say more than that). That in itself is somewhat of a rarity in the current horror landscape, which (with some exceptions) has lately tilted toward generational or family trauma as the source of the terrors, supernatural or otherwise, that permeate the stories being told.

If more in-your-face horror shocks are what you’re looking for, ‘Heretic’ may try your patience. But Woods and Beck, with the help of their three leads, have created a mostly absorbing, if imperfect, thriller with loads of creepy atmosphere. Even if it falters toward the finish line, ‘Heretic’ is an intellectual, psychological, and theological cat-and-mouse game that’s as witty as it is wily.

‘Heretic’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘Heretic’?

Two Mormon missionaries (Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher) get more than they bargained for when they knock on the door of a jovial older man (Hugh Grant), whose interest in their religious pitch turns into something much more sinister.

Who is in the cast of ‘Heretic’?
- Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed
- Sophie Thatcher as Sister Barnes
- Chloe East as Sister Paxton
- Topher Grace as Elder Kennedy
(L to R) Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher in ‘Heretic’. Photo: A24.

Other Bryan Woods and Scott Beck Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘Nightlight‘ (2015)
- ‘A Quiet Place‘ (2018)
- ‘Haunt‘ (2019)
- ‘50 States of Fright‘ (2020)
- ‘65‘ (2023)
Buy Tickets: ‘Heretic’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Bryan Woods and Scott Beck Movies on Amazon
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November 7, 2024
Renée Zellweger To Return for Fourth ‘Bridget Jones’ Movie
Renée Zellweger in ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

Preview:
- Renée Zellweger will be back as Bridget Jones.
- Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson are also returning.
- The movie will adapt Helen Fielding’s third Bridget book.
It has been nearly a decade since Helen Fielding’s character Bridget Jones was on our screens –– when last we saw the woman played by Renée Zellweger, she was happily married to Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy and had given birth to her first child.

But though that seemingly wrapped Bridget’s story up in a bow, even before the movie landed, Fielding had plans for the future. ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’, the third book based on the author’s columns, arrived in 2013 and threw the character for a loop (see more on that below).

Now, Universal and Working Title have set the tale up as the latest ‘Bridget Jones’ movie, with Zellweger locking down a deal to star.

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What’s the story of ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’?

Renée Zellweger in ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

Based on the third book in Fielding’s series, ‘Mad About the Boy’ picks up with Bridget in her early fifties, as she navigates the challenges of modern life while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood.

Here, though is the big problem –– and it’s a SPOILER ALERT for anyone who hasn’t read the book –– ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ sees the title character as a single mother to two small children, after the tragic death of Mark Darcy (played by Colin Firth in the other films). Bridget will emerge from her all-encompassing grief to have to figure out dating in a world that has moved on since she was last out there.

Related Article: Director Eli Roth Talks ‘Thanksgiving’ Blu-ray and the Upcoming Sequel

Who else is in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’?

(L to R) Emma Thompson and Renée Zellweger in ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

Alongside Zellweger, Hugh Grant will return as the dashing Daniel Cleaver, who is likely a little less roguish now he’s an older man (but don’t hold your breath). And we’ll see more of Emma Thompson, who played Dr. Rawlings, Bridget’s OB/GYN in ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’. We have to assume that she’s still part of Bridget’s life.

New to the story this time are Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall (the latter of which appeared in ‘The White Lotus’ and more recently, in ‘One Day’), but Deadline’s story on the casting makes no mention of who they’re playing.

Who is making ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’?

Andrea Riseborough as Leslie in director Michael Morris’ ‘To Leslie.’

Michael Morris, whose last film ‘To Leslie’ was the subject of some controversy over star Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar campaign, will direct. Morris also has experience from TV series such as ‘Better Call Saul’, ‘Extrapolations’ and ‘Bloodline’.

No word on who is writing the script this time, though Thompson co-wrote the screenplay for the last movie.

When will ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ be in theaters?

Working Title and Universal have set a Valentine’s Day 2025 release date for the new movie.

(L to R) Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth in ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’:
- ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary‘ (2001)
- ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason‘ (2004)
- ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby‘ (2016)
Buy ‘Bridget Jones’ Movies On Amazon

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April 9, 2024
Where To Watch ‘Wonka’ Starring Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ ‘Wonka,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jaap Buittendijk. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Based on Roald Dahl’s most beloved character, Willy Wonka, the prequel focuses on a young, bright-eyed inventor who sets out to become the world’s greatest chocolate-maker in ‘Wonka’. A colorful and vibrant musical, this movie serves as an origin story for Willy Wonka and his dream of becoming a world-famous chocolatier.

This film is helmed by ‘Paddington’ director Paul King and stars Timothee Chalamet as young Willy Wonka. Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.
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Where Can I Watch ‘Wonka’?

(L to R) Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ ‘Wonka,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The movie premiered on November 28, 2023, in London at the Royal Festival Hall. Originally, ‘Wonka’ was initially scheduled to be released on March 17, 2023, but was pushed back and released on December 15, 2023. It was available in Dolby Cinema and IMAX.

Buy Tickets: ‘Wonka’ Movie Showtimes

‘Wonka’ has a runtime of 1 hour and 57 minutes. If you missed the movie in theaters, don’t worry. As of January 30, 2024, it is available to rent or purchase on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu. Prices range from $19.99 for rental or $24.99 for purchase.

Where to Stream and Watch: ‘Wonk’ Online

Since ‘Wonka’ was released by Warner Bros. Discovery, it is scheduled to premiere on Max beginning March 8th.

Home Release

(L to R) Calah Lane as Noodle and Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ ‘Wonka,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Fans of physical media are in luck. ‘Wonka’ is now available for pre-order. Prices range from $19.95 for DVD, to $24.95 for Blu-ray, to $29.95 for 4K UHD. If steel book is your thing, Walmart has a limited edition available for pre-order. Special features on the DVD/blu-ray include featurettes such as:
- Unwrapping Wonka: Paul King’s Vision
- The Whimsical Music of Wonka
- Welcome to Wonka Land
- Hats Off To Wonka
- Wonka’s Chocolatier
The official release date for the home release is February 27, 2024.

Buy ‘Wonka’ On Amazon

Timothee Chalamet as Wonka

Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in ‘Wonka.’ Photo by Eric Charbonneau.

Timothee Chalamet is no stranger to leading roles in mega-blockbuster movies such as Denis Villenue’s ‘Dune: Part Two’. However, riding Sandworms and leading the Fremen in a battle against the vicious Harkonnen has nothing on his preparation for ‘Wonka’. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actor says the role was the most physically challenging project he’s been a part of, “This was the most physically challenging project I’ve ever done,” Chalamet recalls. The role also required him to sing and dance throughout the movie.

“I can’t say the singing and dancing comes easy. I’ve been around musical theater my whole life, and danced a little bit in high school, but this was on a different level. It’s different doing it on film. You’ve got to keep being in the center of the frame while dancing, you’ve got to rehearse for months, you’ve got to be on for every take—take 12 and all the other takes—and dance with professional dancers, who are icing their ankles. That’s how serious they were taking it. So it was a big challenge.”

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Wonka’

Easter Eggs Aplenty

‘Wonka’ is scheduled for release in theaters on December 15th.

There are many new characters to meet in ‘Wonka’, like Noodle, Mrs. Scrubbit, the Chocolate Cartel, and more, but there are quite a few elements that fans of ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ will enjoy seeing. For one, Hugh Grant’s Oompa Loompa. Now, we’re not saying his exact character was in the 1971 film, but to see the familiar green hair and orange face entering the scene dancing to a very recognizable tune had the audience in a frenzy.

Other easter eggs include quotes such as “Scratch that, reverse it!” and, of course, the use of the classic Willy Wonka song “Pure Imagination”

Watch the official trailer for ‘Wonka’ below:
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The official synopsis for ‘Wonka’ is below:

Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.

‘Wonka’ opens in theaters on December 15th.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Wonka’:
- ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory‘ (1971)
- ‘Chocolat‘ (2000)
- ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘ (2005)
- ‘Paddington‘ (2015)
- ‘Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory‘ (2017)
- ‘Paddington 2‘ (2018)
- ‘Dune‘ (2021)
March 6, 2024
TV Review: ‘The Regime’
Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

Premiering on HBO and Max on Sunday, March 3rd, ‘The Regime’ is an attempt to create a new satirical series to fill the gap left by ‘Succession’, and also to provide another welcome starring role for Kate Winslet, who shines in an oddball role.

Yet the whole in this case is somewhat less than the sum of its parts, and it leaves you feeling sometimes disappointed, even as it has great moments.

Related Article: Director James Cameron and Kate Winslet Talk ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

Does ‘The Regime’ Rule?

(L to R) Kate Winslet and Guillaume Gallienne in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

The way the world is moving towards ever more polarized politics, and that our peace is under threat from despotic types, it’s perhaps the right time for the sort of satirical take on the subject deployed by, say Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’ or more topically, the work of Armando Iannucci (who brought terrible people to screens in the shape of HBO series ‘Veep’ and before that, the British likes of ‘The Thick of It’ and its movie spin-off, ‘In the Loop’).

But is ‘The Regime’ the right show for the right (wing) time? That’s a more complicated question to answer. As a showcase for Kate Winslet, it’s certainly worth a watch. And there are some other solid performances around her too.

As whole, however, while the show has some good darkly comedic moments, it feels like it runs out of steam at a certain point, and even Winslet’s character has some issues that mean Chancellor Vernham doesn’t work as well as she might.

Script and Direction

Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

Will Tracy handles the lion’s share of the scripting (running a writing team that also includes Seth Reiss, Sarah DeLappe, Gary Shteyngart, Jen Spyra and Juli Weiner), and while the ‘Succession’ veteran doesn’t look to replicate the style of his previous gig (or movie ‘The Menu’, which he co-wrote), he does channel some of its more vicious sides. In the early going in particular, there are annoyed underlings whose grumbling about their boss and her various eccentricities or pushing their own agendas would certainly fit in the halls of Waystar Royco.

Still, as the story develops and Matthias Schoenaerts’ character begins his rise to more of a powerful influence in her circle, that emphasis falls away and it all becomes something else, which is honestly less fun.

As for the look of the movie, with Stephen Frears setting the tone and feel, it has a prestige sheen that doesn’t lose the madcap undertone. It’s clear that HBO has spent some money on this one, and the director –– alongside ‘The Crown’ and ‘Broadchurch’ veteran Jessica Hobbs, makes sure that every dollar is on screen.

Performances

(L to R) Matthias Schoenaerts and Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

Winslet walks the fine line of steely and offbeat here, Chancellor Vernham the sort of despot whose layers are many and varied, and whose neuroses are just as plentiful. This is a person who we meet as she’s obsessed with the humidity and mold in the palace and finds plenty of other issues to worry about as her reign hits real turbulence.

She’s never less than believable in the role and though she’s a truly awful person at times, Winslet and the writers work hard to give her a grounding in relatable problems –– a serious case of (dead) daddy issues, a voracious need to be loved and the sort of disposition that leads itself to influence. Though it’s that last aspect that causes the show to derail somewhat; Vernham switches tracks so often that it becomes more annoying than satirical.

But it’s not just her show; Schoenaerts’ Zubak also has his own journey, a soldier who led a violent action against some striking miners and finds himself set up initially as the latest patsy for the regime to pawn off on Vernham. But he has much more up his sleeve and quickly becomes more of a mentor figure to her. Their twisted relationship is at the core of the show, but like Vernham’s personality, it also starts to become wearing after a while.

Andrea Riseborough in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

That said, Schoenaerts is great in the role, bringing plenty of conflicted charisma to the role and fully embracing his journey through the various stages of being the Chancellor’s confidante.

Andrea Riseborough is worthy of particular mention from those around the central pair –– a devoted lieutenant and seeming best friend to Vernham, she also suffers through her son being treated as the ruler’s own. A son, it should be noted, who has epilepsy and needs regular medication. But she’s no shrinking violet; she has her own spine of steel when called upon and has a no-BS attitude.

Finally, there’s Hugh Grant, who plays the former chancellor, a man who has been thrown into a gulag and ends up being influential in his own right. It’s a small role, but an enjoyable kooky one.

Final Thoughts

Hugh Grant in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

This is certainly a worthy show for those who prefer their comedy dark and a little twisted, but don’t go expecting the next knockout series.

Still, we firmly predict Kate Winslet to get nominated for some awards, because let’s face it –– she’s Kate Winslet and she rules. It’s just a shame the series around her doesn’t always meet the same high standards.

‘The Regime’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

What’s the story of ‘The Regime’?

The new show tells the story of life within the walls of a modern authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel.

After not leaving the palace for quite some time, Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) has grown increasingly paranoid and unstable when she turns to a volatile soldier, Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), as an unlikely confidant. As Zubak’s influence over the chancellor continues to grow, Elena’s attempts to expand her power eventually result in both the palace and the country fracturing around her.

Who is in ‘The Regime’?

Around Winslet and Schoenaerts, the cast also includes Guillaume Gallienne, Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton and Hugh Grant.

Martha Plimpton in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

Kate Winslet Movies:
- ‘Heavenly Creatures‘ (1994)
- ‘Sense and Sensibility‘ (1995)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘The Life of David Gale‘ (2003)
- ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind‘ (2004)
- ‘Finding Neverland‘ (2004)
- ‘All the Kings Men‘ (2006)
- ‘Little Children‘ (2006)
- ‘Flushed Away‘ (2006)
- ‘The Holiday‘ (2006)
- ‘The Reader‘ (2008)
- ‘Revolutionary Road‘ (2008)
- ‘Contagion‘ (2011)
- ‘Labor Day‘ (2013)
- ‘Divergent‘ (2014)
- ‘Insurgent‘ (2015)
- ‘Steve Jobs‘ (2015)
- ‘Triple 9‘ (2016)
- ‘Collateral Beauty‘ (2016)
- ‘The Mountain Between Us‘ (2017)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
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February 28, 2024
Movie Review: ‘Wonka’
Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in ‘Wonka.’ Photo by Eric Charbonneau.

In theaters on December 15th, ‘Wonka’ is the latest look at a character at a younger age, aiming to explain how Willy Wonka ended up running his wondrous candy factory, as seen in 1971’s ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ and 2005’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, both adapted from the work of British writer Roald Dahl.

Under director Paul King, it’s a musical origin story, featuring one of the most popular young actors and a cast loaded with comedy and dramatic talent.

Is ‘Wonka’ a sweet treat?

Timothee Chalamet at the London World Premiere of ‘Wonka.’ Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Prequels can be a dicey proposition at the best of times. You’re often filling in details that no one really needed about characters whose backstories deserved to stay mysterious –– looking at you, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’.

But in the hands of someone like Paul King, there is relief to be found in the fact that the movie justifies its existence through sheer ebullience and joy. Even if you’re still not convinced you needed to know how Willy became Wonka, you’ll at least have fun accompanying him on his journey.

Well, to be specific, he’s at the end of a journey when we first meet him here, coming off a years-long voyage where he gathered ingredients and perfected skills to achieve his dream to become a master chocolatier.

You know that it works out for him, but King and his cast ensure that you’ll still be invested in his early days.

‘Wonka’: script and direction

Director Paul King at the London World Premiere of ‘Wonka.’ Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It’s been something of a banner year for adaptations of Roald Dahl’s work, between the Wes Anderson short films for Netflix (before it, the ‘Matilda’ musical movie) and now this wonderful effort.

King wrote the script for the new movie with Simon Farnaby (who has a small, typically funny role in the film), and he’s very much employing the imagination and sheer sense of warmth he brought to both ‘Paddington’ films and his earlier effort, ‘Bunny and the Bull’.

This is a smartly crafted story that, while it obviously touches on themes and ideas we’ve seen tackled before, does so in a way that doesn’t feel tired. Wonka has life lessons to share, a group of friends he recruits to help him and some scheming business enemies, but they all bear King and Farnaby’s funny, clever stamp. If not every role is as rounded as the title character, many of them have grace notes and quirks that work.

Taken from the page, ‘Wonka’ soars thanks to the careful attention to detail that King and his team apply to the movie’s world. Utilizing a mixture of sets and select locations in the UK such as the city of Bath and Oxford university to bring Wonka’s unspecified Euro mash-up setting to life, he evokes the feel of the 1971 ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ –– more than the 2005 Tim Burton ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ –– and also calls back to the Rube Goldberg feel of ‘Paddington’ in its level of invention (there’s a scene featuring a particularly useful invention that has echoes of the Geographers’ Guild in the world of ‘Paddington’).

‘Wonka’ is a great looking –– and sounding –– movie, its musical aspect helping move the characters’ stories along rather than pausing them. If you wondered what King could do beyond the musical number that wraps up ‘Paddington 2’, then you’re in for a treat, and working with The Divine Comedy pop group founder Neil Hannon has led to some catchy tunes.

Related Article: ‘Wonka’ Trailer

‘Wonka’: performances

(L to R) Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ ‘Wonka,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Naturally, Timothée Chalamet is the focus here, breathing amusing, sweet life into eternal optimist Wonka, who nevertheless has his own emotional baggage (it probably won’t surprise you to learn it’s a driving force that Disney and Harry Potter have both utilized). But in the hands of the rising young star, who smiles more here than in a handful of the movies he’s been in recently), Willy Wonka is an engaging character to spend time with rather than being cloying.

There’s a definite hint of Gene Wilder’s Wonka here, and not just because of the use of classic song ‘Pure Imagination’ within both the score and in the movie itself (we won’t spoil how exactly). Chalamet’s take on the character has a similar blend of darkness and light, weighed here more towards the latter) and if you dial into his vibe, you’ll have a good time with him.

King has built a fine ensemble of actors, all offering either the winsome and the wacky, Calah Lane’s Noodle providing the former (cut with a healthy side of snark so she never becomes too cloying), and the majority of the cast of comedy heavyweights bringing the latter.

(L to R) Calah Lane as Noodle and Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ ‘Wonka,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Olivia Colman does a lot with a relatively small role as manipulative boarding house/laundry owner Mrs. Scrubbit, ably assisted by Tom Davis as Mr. Bleacher, her hulking would-be paramour.

On the friendlier front, we have the likes of Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Rich Fulcher and Rakhee Thakrar as the unwitting victims of Mrs. Scrubbit’s calculating ways, while back on the villainous side, we have Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas and Mathew Baynton have a blast as Wonka’s chocolate-making competition.

Keegan-Michael Key meanwhile generates plenty of laughs as the corrupt local police chief with a seriously sweet tooth. Finally, there’s Hugh Grant, knocking the role of a Grumpy Oompa Loompa out of the park and stealing any scene he’s in.

‘Wonka’: final thoughts

Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ ‘Wonka,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jaap Buittendijk. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Does ‘Wonka’ outstrip ‘Paddington’ for charm and appeal? No, not really. But then, the weapons-grade level of positivity pouring from the Peruvian bear is hard to top.

Still, Paul King delivers a sweet, funny musical confection here that will enthrall families and leave audiences with a level of fulfillment you rarely get outside of a satisfying candy bar.

‘Wonka’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Wonka’?

‘Wonka’ tells the story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.

The movie will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet), chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time — proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible…

Who else is in ‘Wonka’?

Alongside Chalamet, the cast includes Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant.

‘Wonka’ opens in theaters on December 15th.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Wonka’:
- ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory‘ (1971)
- ‘Chocolat‘ (2000)
- ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘ (2005)
- ‘Paddington‘ (2015)
- ‘Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory‘ (2017)
- ‘Paddington 2‘ (2018)
- ‘Dune‘ (2021)
Buy Tickets: ‘Wonka’ Movie Showtimes

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December 4, 2023
Hugh Grant Heads for Horror Movie ‘Heretic’
(L to R) Hugh Grant plays Forge in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

Hugh Grant, a man not normally known for starring in horror movies –– please, no jokes about ‘Nine Months’ or ‘Mickey Blue Eyes’ –– is taking a rare dip into scary territory for a new film.

He’s boarding ‘Heretic’ which has a script from, and will be directed by, ‘A Quiet Place’ duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods for arthouse movie specialists A24.

(L to R) Andie MacDowell and Hugh Grant backstage during the live ABC telecast of the 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

What’s the story of ‘Heretic’?

With the details and deals still all coming together, ‘Heretic’ is still mostly a mystery at this point. Still, Deadline has heard that it is rumored to center on two young women of faith who are lured into a cat-and-mouse game in the home of an eccentric man.

Grant, unless he’s really taking a chance this time, is most likely playing the eccentric. We can well imagine him switching from charming to creepy.

It’s the latest project from Beck and Woods, who last co-wrote and co-directed sci-fi movie ‘65’, which saw Adam Driver as an astronaut from another planet crash-landing on Earth during the time of the dinosaurs.

A24 might appear an unlikely landing spot for their new outing, but the company has never shied away from genre, and saw ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ take off to box office and Oscar success.

When he’s not busy being snarky and obscure on red carpets, Grant has been enjoying something of a renaissance in his career of late, thanks partly to a vanity-free and sometimes showstopping turn as preening performer Phoenix Buchanan in 2017’s ‘Paddington 2’ and his switch to a more villainous side with the likes of Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Gentlemen’ and ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’. He also tapped into a darker aspect in HBO miniseries ‘The Undoing’ playing the cheating husband of Nicole Kidman.

Hugh Grant in StudioCanal’s ‘Paddington 2.’

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’

More recently, he was smooth-talking conman Forge Fitzwilliam in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’, chewing the scenery and proving to be one of the highlights of a movie not short of them.

The fun career choices are continuing as later this year, he’ll be seen as, of all things, an Oompa-Loompa, opposite Timothée Chalamet in Warner Bros.’ origin story prequel film ‘Wonka’. That movie, due out on December 15th, was directed by ‘Paddington’s Paul King.

In keeping with the quirkiness, another movie awaiting release (this time via Netflix) is Jerry Seinfeld’s ‘Unfrosted’ the story of rival cereal companies vying to create what became the Pop-Tart.

Grant will also be back on HBO with ‘The Regime’, a drama with satirical underpinnings starring Kate Winslet that follows the unravelling of an authoritarian regime. That one is set to arrive next year but doesn’t have a specific date yet.

Like ‘The Regime’, it’s too early for ‘Heretic’, but we can’t imagine it much before late 2024 at the earliest, particularly with the writers’ strike still in full swing.

(L to R) Regé-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Pine and Hugh Grant from Paramount’s ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.

Other Movies Starring Hugh Grant:
- ‘The Remains of the Day‘ (1993)
- ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral‘ (1994)
- ‘Sense and Sensibility‘ (1995)
- ‘Nine Months‘ (1995)
- ‘Notting Hill‘ (1999)
- ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary‘ (2001)
- ‘Two Weeks Notice‘ (2002)
- ‘About a Boy‘ (2002)
- ‘Love Actually‘ (2003)
- ‘Cloud Atlas‘ (2012)
- ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ‘(2015)
- ‘Florence Foster Jenkins‘ (2016)
- ‘Paddington 2‘ (2018)
- ‘The Gentlemen‘ (2020)
- ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery‘ (2022)
- ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre‘ (2023)
- ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves‘ (2023)
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June 12, 2023
Where To Watch ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’
(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

Roll for initiative! The fantasy adventure movie based on the popular tabletop role-playing game ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ may be arriving on Paramount+ this month.

What happens when a Bard, a Barbarian, a Wizard, and a Druid meet at a tavern? Chaos, naturally. In ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’, directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein (both worked on ‘Game Night’) found the perfect balance of bringing elements of the original tabletop game and an epic fantasy adventure to the big screen. The film incorporated enough easter eggs from the game lore for the fans while making it appealing and interesting to those who have not played the game.
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The official synopsis for ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is below:

“A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.”

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ opened in theaters on March 31st to $37.2 million domestically and has grossed over $203.2 million worldwide since its release. Critics and audiences reacted positively to the movie, warranting the film 91% and 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes respectively.

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’

The adventuring party of ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ stars Chris Pine (‘Don’t Worry Darling’) as the bard Edgin Darvis, Michelle Rodriguez (‘Fast X‘) as the barbarian Holga Kilgore, Justice Smith (‘Sharper’) as young wizard Simon Aumar, Sophia Lillis (‘The Adults’) as the druid Doric, Regé-Jean Page (‘The Gray Man’) as the lawful good paladin Xenk Yendar, Hugh Grant (‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’) as Forge Fitzwilliam, and Daisy Head (‘Wrong Turn’) as the film’s antagonist Sofina.

(L to R) Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin and Sophia Lillis plays Doric in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

From Tabletop To The Big Screen

Tabletop Roleplaying games (or TRPG) have become increasingly popular, especially with the exposure from shows like ‘Stranger Things’, live-play web series from groups such as Dimension 20 and Critical Role, as well as the animated Prime Video series ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ (also created by Critical Role).

There’s a fine line between adapting the game to screen – how do you fit in all the lore while embracing the hilarity and havoc from a session and still tell an epic high fantasy adventure story? D&D fans may recall the ill-fated 2000 ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ movie. So bad it received a 9% score from critics and 20% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. However, thanks to the well-crafted script for ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’, it manages to capture both the heart and comedy of the story and the amazing chemistry of the cast gives this movie a +2 to Charisma.

(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

Ahead of filming, the cast did play a one-shot session of D&D together prior to filming, which is the best method of researching when it comes to prepping for their roles in the film. After all, what better way to study your character and bond with your cast mates than spending an hour planning out what you’ll do in the dungeon crawl just to have the entire plan go up in flames because of one failed dice role?

One of the great things about this ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is that it is just as much for the well-versed D&D players as it is for the general audience who may not have ever rolled a d20. Yes, those who have played the game might get an all-knowing chuckle at seeing Simon cast a spell to speak with the dead at the cemetery. Still, the scene was executed so well that the general audience would never feel lost from the references and easter eggs.

Aside from the cast of main characters and dungeon crawls, the film is filled with creatures and easter eggs from Dungeons & Dragons lore such as the original characters from ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Saturday morning cartoon, a gelatinous cube, a mimic, displacer beast, the beholder, and more.

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

Where Can I Watch ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’?

The film premiered at SXSW on March 10, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 31, 2023. While the movie is available to rent on digital, it is better experienced in the theater so be sure to check below for showtimes in your area. ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Buy Tickets: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ Movie Showtimes

Watch the official trailers for ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ below:
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Can’t make it out to the theater? You have the option to rent or purchase the movie on VOD. Services such as Amazon Prime Video, Direct TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, AppleTV, AMC On Demand, and Redbox allows you to rent the movie for $19.99 or purchase it for $24.99.

Where To Watch: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ Online

As for as streaming goes, an official date hasn’t been confirmed. The movie is released by Paramount so it is likely to end up on Paramount+ once it is ready to go to streaming. Seeing as the movie premiere on March 31, it is closing in on its 45-day theatrical release window. If it follows the same timeline, we could see the fantasy-adventure streaming on Paramount+ as soon as mid-May.

Buy ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ On Amazon

(L to R) Sophia Lillis plays Doric, Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

More High Fantasy Adventures Like ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’:
- ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail‘ (1975)
- ‘Conan The Barbarian‘ (1982)
- ‘Labyrinth‘ (1986)
- ‘The Princess Bride‘ (1987)
- ‘Dragonheart‘ (1996)
- ‘Dungeons & Dragons‘ (2000)
- ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring‘ (2001)
- ‘Stardust‘ (2007)
- ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ (2012)
- ‘Warcraft‘ (2016)
May 23, 2023
Movie Review: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’
(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

Releasing in theaters on March 31st, ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ blends the knowing humor that writer/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein brought to ‘Game Night’ with an adventure worthy of the name.

They’re helped by a charming cast that have solid chemistry, a witty script that channels everything from ‘Lord of the Rings’ to ‘Monty Python’ and an enchanting visual style that is bursting with impressive effects work.

If you’re a longtime player of the game, chances are you’ll have a good time spotting the various references and easter eggs sprinkled within the film, but if you don’t know your Paladin from your Cleric, you don’t need to swot up to understand the story.
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What happens in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’?

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ takes as its basis the tabletop gaming system invented in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and currently overseen by the company known as Wizards of the Coast. It’s the sort of elemental fantasy world that has been copycatted many, many times. And yet, it still feels original here.

We’re introduced to Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), a charming bard-turned-thief and his best friend, barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), who are cooling their heels in prison after being caught on a job trying to steal magical artefacts.

Betrayed by Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant) and dark magic acolyte Sofina (Daisy Head), the pair must make good their escape and recruit a band of unlikely adventurers (including Justice Smith’s lackluster wizard Simon Aumar and Sophia Lillis’ shape-changing druid Doric to undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

The stakes are high: the artifact that Edgin and his original associates retrieved has been used by Sofina and her group of evil red wizards to unleash an army of the undead and general chaos upon the fantasy world. Our heroes must make things right, assuming they can stop squabbling along the way…

(L to R) Hugh Grant plays Forge in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

Related Article: The New ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Movie is called ‘Honor Among Thieves’

‘Dungeons & Dragons’ is powered by fun performances

Making full use of the entertaining script written by writer/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the cast make this latest stab at ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ work far beyond the ill-fated 2000 movie.

Pine, who has proven he can handle a blend of comedy, heart and action with movies such as the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, here makes for a typically appealing leading man while sending himself up at times. His Edgin is such a charming rogue, just this side of annoying but never smug.

Key to his character’s appeal is the fact that he’s not your basic action protagonist –– he’s heroic and can handle himself, but he’d much rather let Holga deal with any fighting. Rodriguez, usually found within the ‘Fast & Furious’ ensemble, gets more of a chance to have fun here, similarly undercutting the expectations of her character and proving to have a great buddy comedy connection with Pine. One of the smartest moves was to eschew a basic romantic storyline for these two, making the story feel like it isn’t the 500th variation of a well-used tale.

Her character is also the focus of a very enjoyable cameo from a big movie star that has yet to be widely reported, so we won’t spoil it here.

Grant mostly channels his smooth-talking Phoenix Buchanan from ‘Paddington 2’ to play Forge, but while he’s a low-level antagonist who only has a few key scenes, he steals most of them.

Smith and Lillis make for a great duo: he the nervy wizard struggling with self-esteem and his magical abilities, she the cagey druid who can become almost anything she wishes to be but would rather not hang out with humans. And while Pine and Rodriguez enjoy the lion’s share of the material, Grant, Smith and Lillis all have enough moments to keep their characters memorable.

Plus, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Regé-Jean Page’s Xenk Yendar, who the crew seeks out for help. A ramrod straight hero in the classic mold, he’s a blend of Drax from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and Christopher Reeve‘s Superman. He doesn’t appear in a lot of the movie, but he certainly makes an impact.

The movie as a whole has been carefully calibrated to have as wide an appeal as possible, putting a truly entertaining spin on heroes, villains and even exposition –– the image of heroes getting information out of a series of resurrected corpses is one that will stick (and still make you laugh) for days afterwards.

(L to R) Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, Justice Smith plays Simon and Chris Pine plays Edgin in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

‘Dungeons & Dragons’ might not be for everyone

There are still elements of the movie that could turn people off: if you’re not a fan of the “Marvelization” of blockbusters putting jokes into adventure or action, this movie might not be the best entry point.

The jokes tend to be more on the chuckle level than giant belly laughs (though there are certainly a few of those here, including a moment featuring both the “dungeon” and “dragon” part of the title). And, yes, it is another movie where a group of quippy heroes have to go on a quest to find a magic thing to fix a situation wrought by a magical baddie. But it does some interesting things with that very basic concept.

At more than two hours, there are small moments that drag and odd sections that don’t support the running time expended on it, but those are few and far between. And if you came to the movie expecting to see plenty of Page’s character, he’s in a couple of scenes and then vanishes for most of the movie until the end. That’s not necessarily a problem, but he works so well with the rest of the ensemble and is so straightforwardly heroic that you might actually miss him when he leaves (in a straight line, jumping over a rock… it’s a thing).

Fantasy is a tricky genre to infuse with humor, but ‘Honor Among Thieves’ pulls it off with aplomb. In a world where even the shoddy 2000 movie can generate sequels, this one deserves to roll a saving throw and spawn a franchise, as, handled correctly, these are characters you’ll want to spend more time with.

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

(L to R) Justice Smith plays Simon, Chris Pine plays Edgin, Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk, Sophia Lillis plays Doric and Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga in ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ from Paramount Pictures and eOne.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves:’
- ‘Dragonslayer‘ (1981)
- ‘The NeverEnding Story‘ (1984)
- ‘DragonHeart‘ (1996)
- ‘Dungeons & Dragons‘ (2000)
- ‘Reign of Fire‘ (2002)
- ‘Eragon‘ (2006)
- ‘In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale‘ (2008)
- ‘How to Train Your Dragon‘ (2010)
- ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘ (2013)
Buy Tickets: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves‘ Movie Showtimes

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‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is produced by Entertainment One and Paramount, and scheduled for release on March 31st.
March 31, 2023
Theo James to Lead ‘The Gentlemen’ TV Series

Theo James in HBO Max’s ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife.’

Guy Ritchie launched his directing career with the likes of ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells’ and ‘Snatch’, but in more recent years, he moved on to movies such as ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’

Still, in 2020, he released what many people saw as a return to his roots, ‘The Gentlemen’, a crime caper set in London stocked with colorful characters. And since March of this year, Netflix has been looking to lock down a TV version with Ritchie involved.

Fast-forward a few months and it’s a reality, the streaming service handing out a straight-to-series order and Ritchie casting Theo James in the lead role.

‘The Gentlemen’, in case you didn’t catch it, follows American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), who built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever, it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

Among the rest of the cast, the standouts were Colin Farrell, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Jeremy Strong and Hugh Grant, who brought to life an assembly of oddball gangsters, sleazy journalists and assorted thugs.

(L to R) Hugh Grant, Jeremy Strong, Henry Golding, Colin Farrell, Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, and Michelle Dockery in Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo courtesy of STX Films.

All we know of the show’s cast so far is James, playing Eddie Halstead, who has inherited his father’s sizeable estate only to discover that it’s sitting on top of a weed empire owned by the legendary Mickey Pearson. Has this straight-up soldier got what it takes to master the dark arts of the British criminal underworld and take control of the entire operation?

No word on whether McConaughey or any of the others could pop up in the series, but we’ll find out soon enough. Ritchie wrote a pilot script with ‘Peaky Blinders’ veteran Matthew Read and is about to start shooting. He’ll direct the first two episodes (setting up the show’s feel) and is an executive producer overseeing the rest.

Ritchie’s TV work is rare, but not unheard of, as he’s adapted his films before – he created and co-wrote ‘Lock, Stock….’, which turned his debut into a show for UK broadcaster Channel 4.

And the director is busy on the big-screen front, too. He has action comedy ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre’ complete and headed to screens next year, and is attached to develop and direct a new, live action/CG ‘Hercules‘ movie for Disney with Joe and Anthony Russo producing.

But before that one can even think about moving forward, there is Ritchie’s next actual gig, ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’, which has Henry Cavill aboard as its lead.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and co-starring Eiza González, the based-on-truth World War II spy thriller will focus on Winston Churchill’s and Bond writer Ian Fleming’s secret combat organization. The clandestine squad’s unconventional and entirely ‘ungentlemanly’ fighting techniques against the Nazis helped change the course of the war and in part gave birth to the modern Black Ops unit.
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November 3, 2022