The thrill of uncertainty when rolling a 20-sided dice is one of the scariest feelings. Aside from the intrigue of whatever story the dungeon master has come up with, the number that appears on your clear D20 die with a little fish inside of it determines how your story goes. The all-new film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, may not allow room for the uncertainty factor, but the adventure is present in spades.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves centers on Edgin, a human, and Holga, a Barbarian. The two set out to free Edgin’s daughter, Kira, from Lord Forge Fitzwilliam, a former member of their former group of thieves. Along the way, Edgin and Holga recruit some old friends and new allies to rescue Kira. Here is my review of the new Paramount Pictures film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
A Nat. 1 Roll with Disadvantage (THE BAD)
Whenever I write a review of something I try to start off with whatever I have less to say about. By the end of this film, it was a huge surprise how much fun it was. With that said, there were definitely some weak points. Structurally, the movie was sound, but I found the first portion of the movie kind of boring. Bland endings are bad, because it is an irredeemable issue. Boring beginnings are also bad, but they can always be rectified. The movie was decent from the opening segment up until Holga and Edgin reach Forge’s kingdom, but not nearly as entertaining or gripping as the rest of the film.
Justice Smith (Left End) Chris Pine (Center Left), Sophia Lilis (Center Right), and Michelle Rodriguez Right End) in the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Image provided courtesy of Paramount Picture Studios.
Although the majority of the humor was good, there were several moments where everything could have been toned down. None of the jokes cut the tone like those within the Marvel films, but at a certain point I wanted things to move on.
I have a huge appreciation for this film leaning into the nerdy stuff that makes this game great. Overall, my only displeasure with it is how over the top it is, everything could ease back a bit. The comedy could use a break sometimes. It is clear the writers wanted to emphasize that this was an adventure and an authentic Dungeons & Dragons story, but the explorations and side stuff could be toned down. Maybe that is nitpicky, but I wanted the main story to continue on.
A Little Bit of Nitpicking
All of the things in this section are not things that hindered my experience. These are just a few things that came across my mind while I was watching that I think would have been interesting to see.
At the end of the third quarter of the film, the gang is on a boat towards freedom; they have riches, each other, a destination, and endless possibilities. Back in the castle, the secondary-turned-main antagonist Sofina the Red Wizard is executing her master plan. The plan includes poisoning and controlling an entire stadium full of the townspeople into undead red wizard slaves.
Daisy Head as Sofina The Red Wizard in the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Image provided courtesy of Paramount Picture Studios.
I generally prefer a story that wraps everything up, but since everyone was in the boat, I think it would have been a great idea to end the film there. This would have been a clean way to set up a sequel, carry the villain with more power into the next film, and build excitement for the next adventure. The whole movie captured that spirit of a classic adventure flick. The possibility of a Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back kind of ending would have been perfect.
Movies should end their conflicts. If there is ever a time when it would be best to carry the story into another film, I support that idea, especially with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Roll for Initiative (SOME GOOD)
By the end of this film I was in genuine shock how much fun I had. Once the credits started rolling, there was a nice little smile across my face. It was actually more of a wince because I had to pee, but that’s besides the point.
Like I said before- this movie captured the spirit of classic adventure films. While the main story never stopped being a focus, there was never a sacrifice for fun world building. At the end of the day that’s the bottom line on what this movie should have been. This movie speaks for itself as an adventure film and that really helps its case.
Sophia Lilis (Left), Justice Smith (Center), and Michelle Rodriguez (Right) in the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Image provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures Studios.
Instead of trying to be better than or emulate other epic fantasy adventures, Dungeons & Dragons knows its own potential and carries itself. Everything nowadays is a franchise; however, I would not be upset seeing more of these.
Nat. 20 Roll with Advantage Plus Proficiency (MORE GOOD STUFF)
Creating a Dungeons & Dragons movie was a slightly bold move. Sure, it was inevitable at some point, but making it was a large leap. Casting actors to represent an entire fictional race/ class of characters is no small feat. The casting in this movie is pretty great.
The Cast
Michelle Rodriguez has never been a favorite of mine, but I enjoyed her a lot as Holga The Barbarian. Chris Pine was the perfect amount of charming sleaze and genuine heart to sway me along with whatever plan he half-assedly concocted. Justice Smith must be drinking something that we don’t know about. First he gambles with Detective Pikachu, then he lands it big in the Jurassic World films, and now this. So far his career has been mostly comprised of movies that should not work. Most of the movies should just be cash grabs, but the quality has been shockingly good. Maybe I am saying he’s that good at what he does, maybe not.
Sophia Lillis has been all over the place since her debut in Stephen King’s IT and she has not shown any signs of slowing down any time soon. Hugh Grant was perfect in this slippery and slimy performance as Forge Fitzwilliam.
Hugh Grant as Forge Fitzwilliam and Chloe Coleman as Kira in the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Image provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures Studios.
By far my favorite character of the movie is Rege-Jean Page as the huma paladin Xenk Yender. If there was ever the cinematic equivalent to what it would look like if Christ came back, it would be Xenk. He is loaded with power, intelligence, charm, and skill but at no point did he seem unstoppable. Not to mention he was genuinely hilarious and kind.
Anyone can tell a joke, but landing the punchline is all about the delivery, the reactions, and the chemistry of those telling the jokes. Despite the wide range of backgrounds that the actors all come from, I thought they all meshed very well together.
Cantrips & Armor (Special Effects and Costume Design)
Fantasy epics are always a great place to find (hopefully) great practical and special effects as well as some fantastic costume designs. Look, I know Oscar season just passed, but I would not be upset if this got nominated for Best Costume Design.
The special and practical effects, however, are either strong or generic computer generations. On the negative side of things- I found myself kind of just looking at what was happening on screen. Vast areas being completely fabricated digitally is losing me a lot more nowadays.
With that said, there were a giant handful of scenes, shots, and locations I thought really captured the enchanting spirit of this world. Whether it was evil and dark or lush and green- everything from the landscapes, to dungeons, and to the prison yards were a huge help in creating this world.
A dragon about to swallow Edgin in the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Image provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures Studios.
Speaking of huge helps in setting the world up, the costumes were excellent. The practical creatures especially enhanced the experience. In the opening scene there is a dragonborn with glasses on. It was so silly but such a fantastic touch. My roommate and I both share a passion for creatures in government positions. I understand movies have budgets and stuff like that, but I would have liked to see more random Jim Henson type puppet creatures walking around. Imagine seeing a Tabaxi (Cat Person) walking around the open markets buying some shoes or pears for their family. It’s so silly!
I digress. The costume design was great, the sets were fantastic, and the effects were good enough most of the time.
The End of the Journey
Regardless of what comes out during the remainder of 2023, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will most likely be the biggest surprise of my year. This should not have worked, but it did. Although, this movie would most likely be best viewed in a theater, I do think Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a movie you should absolutely put on your viewing list at some point. I give it an 8/10.
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