We scouted "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" and can confirm that it's a veritable treasure

While it's too early to refer to the new "Dungeons & Dragons" movie as part of an overall trend in adaptations, it is another screen work whose success rests in its creators not only simply knowing the product but strongly connecting it on a personal level. 

"The Last of Us" creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann credit their love of the narrative powering Druckmann's video game and valuing the feelings the story engenders for facilitating its successful adaptation to TV. "Honor Among Thieves" co-directors and writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein ("Horrible Bosses," "Game Night") have a similar connection to D&D.

Daley participated in a years-long game as an adult, and it shows in the cavalier jokes, the rowdy physical humor and bouts of heroic incompetence. Instead of abusing bombastic high fantasy English into tortured, shallow conversations everyone takes too seriously "Honor Among Thieves" characters speak, think and react in the way dice-throwing, smack-talking friends sitting around a table would, possibly (probably) while buzzed and giggly. 

Daley and Goldstein wisely refuse to be constricted by them, however. Seasoned gamers can debate the merits of how massively overpowered some of its heroes are while also excusing that indulgence because, again, this is a movie. Nitpicking over, say, how many times a druid can transform into an owlbear between long rests is excessively nerdy; also, who doesn't want to see that happen as many times as possible?

If you don't play the game but simply want to enjoy Pine bantering with Rodriguez, terms like "overpowered" and "owlbear" zip right by you, no problem. Daley and Goldstein wrote the script to be appreciated by the battle-experienced and folks who are just there for the laughs. So regardless of whether you know how a Speak With Dead spell is supposed to work, you'll get the joke.

With a few exceptions – "House of the Dragon" and other George R.R. Martin titles, mainly – we've been there and done that in terms of the whole flying, firebreathing kaiju business. Still, "dragons" is in the title, which means we should expect Edgin, Holga and the gang to encounter a couple in their hikes around Faerûn. 

Happy the filmmakers meet that expectation by playing to the movie's comedy focus on a massive scale and very creatively, without downplaying the terrifying mortal danger presented by these monstrous killers, all without transforming the action into an unbecoming cartoon.

In addition to hiring no-name actors for its sequels, past "Dungeons & Dragons" films cheaped out on the visual effects to a degree that you could feel the utter disdain its creators had for gamers and the fandom.

Part of that is a matter of financial constraints, of course. The 2012 movie had an estimated budget of $12 million versus the $151 million hoard propelling "Honor Among Thieves," courtesy of its co-producers Paramount and the Hasbro-owned eOne. More resources don't guarantee the money will be well spent, mind you; you can look at any overwrought CGI-reliant Marvel movie for examples of visual effects overloads that neglect to make the best use of the cast's abilities or to infuse the writing with soul.

"Honor Among Thieves" is almost entirely constructed out of digital fakery, yet finds a balance between enchanting digital creations and enhancements and situational humanity, or whatever that term's equivalent would be for half-elves and tieflings. Better still, the dramatic tension doesn't fall apart during its inevitable sorcery battles which, in lesser film and TV, burst into empty, dragging spectacles with adversaries lamely hurling balls of fake light at each other.

What is the point of a bard, anyway? In most fantasy tales the heavy fighters lead the quest. They're the ones who get the job done, after all. Not here. Holga may be the muscle, but she's also a woman of few words who probably scores low in the intelligence and wisdom categories. She's fine with Edgin acting as the squad's leader, the guy whose main weapons are a lute and speechifying. 

In the same way we accept that bar fights get more dangerous if someone decides to punch up Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" on a jukebox, bards can cast spells in Dungeons & Dragons. Most wouldn't render believably in live action. (Amazon's "The Legend of Vox Machina," in contrast, visually realizes its bard Scanlan's magic admirably because it's a cartoon.)

But instead of engulfing its actors in rosy halos, Goldstein and Daley lean into the punchline about the apparent uselessness of bards by making Edgin a wheeling-dealing gabber whose main contribution is to strategize and inspire (a legitimate bard spell). That doesn't stop some of his companions from questioning his value.

Then we have Regé-Jean Page's Xenk Yendar, a paladin so devout and good that it makes him insufferable – which is precisely how paladins should come across in mixed company. Page is one of the few actors in the movie playing his part as if he's in a juvenile, terrible "Dungeons & Dragons" adaptation, sealing his performance as one of the movie's strongest assets.

Having a respected A-list actor in a hammy genre piece says nothing about its quality. Exhibit A: Dame Helen Mirren co-stars in "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," but so what?

However, "Honor Among Thieves" savvily capitalizes on the existing rep of its best-known actors. Pine's work in 2009's "Star Trek" and "A Wrinkle in Time" showcase his devoted father side; combine that with the playful energy he brought "Wonder Woman" heartthrob Steve Rogers, and there's Egdin. Rodriguez's Holga plays into her rep as an action-heavy with a kind heart who's all about family, a la "Fast & Furious."  

"Bridgerton" established Page as the unattainable dreamboat everybody wants to be around, prime attributes for a paladin, a class requiring high charisma. Another star's cameo exceeds these in terms of its context and the celebrity's participation; their delight in their appearance is completely unexpected, so that's all we'll say.

Lastly, there is a rare exception to the truism mentioned at the start of this section – you know, the thing we said about a famous actor's participation not being indicative of a movie's quality.

Some people may wonder why Grant's presence is a credit to "Honor Among Thieves," especially after his condescending behavior toward an interviewer on the Oscars red carpet. That means you probably haven't been blessed with his performance in "Paddington 2." Correct that oversight as soon as possible.

Grant knows how to play a sensational heel to the hilt and has a knack for choosing movies many are primed to underestimate. Then he gloriously hams his way through every inch of proverbial celluloid in a way that makes you love him even more than you love hating him. That Grant believed in the potential of "Honor Among Thieves" enough to sign up for the adventure should tell you something.

By the time the end credits roll, you'll be glad you tagged along too.