Dave Berzack

Prepare to be immersed in a rollicking, fun campaign where the writing and internal physics all center around the Rule of Cool (if it's cool, it is acceptable). It is very clear about what it sets out to do, and it achieves it quite flawlessly. The movie is 90% a vehicle for high adventure, exciting fight scenes, and badass magic. Almost everything is punctuated with clever, irreverent comedy. It doesn't dwell on the dramatic plot, but when things circle back to those themes, I legitimately had tears on my face. I don't think this movie will get nominated for Best Picture, but I think we'll look back and agree that it should have. Just like the genre-redefining "Shrek" got a mere nod in the Animated category, while the good-but-forgettable biopic "A Beautiful Mind" got the high acclaim. Not every movie needs to be a heavy human drama. Sometimes you want a friggin' badass adventure loaded with magic and lore, and a film that delivers that as brilliantly as "Honor Among Thieves" deserves recognition.