Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

The engaging ragtag team formula is executed with nary a hitch here; everyone is charming, from the pine-worthy leading man, appreciably humbled (“What is it, exactly, that you bring to this?”) to the badass leading woman, given a touching dramatic arc (“Don’t tell me you wasted it on me”), who together form a unique family bond, solidified with the surprising emotional nuance of Edgin’s final realization. Fun fantasy action, colourful world building, and near-perfect humour round things out.

Widows (2018)

Great cast, cool flourishes (see the car-convo tracking shot), but never gets into a good groove (maybe for a few minutes during its heist prep montage). There’s a grief-themed character study, a women-empowerment thread, a shady politics sub-plot, and a heist movie all thrown in there-all with potential, but focusing on just two of the four would’ve made for a more impactful film. As it is, it feels disjointed (the attempt at a plot-tying twist only raises more questions) and is hard to get into.