“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”debuted in theaters Friday to a packed house, utterly crushing the box office this past weekend. It was an homage to the time-honored game, “Dungeons and Dragons,” that has ratcheted up in popularity in recent years with lockdown and its depiction in popular TV shows, such as “Stranger Things.” Fans of “D&D” were rather afraid that this depiction of our beloved game would be a corporate cash grab that capitalizes on its recent traction. Did it include many “D&D” stereotypes? Yes. Was it extremely cheesy? Yes.
Did I also enjoy it immensely? Also yes.
As a “D&D” enthusiast in my personal life, I was nervous that there would be none of the shenanigans, friendly banter and emotional depth that lives at the heart and soul of any campaign. However, the movie and its phenomenal cast did a great job at capturing those aspects of the game. Chris Pine stars as one of the titular thieves, Edgin Darvis, a bard who’s trying to right the wrongs of his tragic past. He delivers an honestly hilarious, quip-filled and, at times, emotionally touching performance. The movie breathes in his surprisingly great comedic timing within his conversations with his crew. Additionally, he especially shines when it comes to his sentimental relationship with his daughter Kira, portrayed by the talented Chloe Coleman.
However, the entire cast creates a great ensemble that has an undeniable chemistry with one another. Michelle Rodriguez plays a barbarian with a heart of gold, Sophia Lillis is charming as a tiefling druid who has the ability to shapeshift, Regé-Jean Page is wonderfully tight-laced as a paladin knight and Justice Smith won my heart with his portrayal of an amateur sorcerer who’s learning to have confidence in himself. Hugh Grant and Daisy Head portray the villains of the plot, a truly unlikable conman and an irredeemable wizard. My only disappointment would be the lack of dimension in the villains, specifically Head’s character. While she depicts a Red Wizard of Thay (a classic D&D villain), there was limited development of her backstory or character arc in the film. She is depicted as almost cartoonishly evil from the beginning and stays that way through to the end.
A zany adventure filled with obstacles to overcome and monsters to tackle, the quest that the gang embarks upon is filled with references and easter eggs that are sure to reward viewers who are “Dungeons & Dragon” players. The characters tend to embody typical class stereotypes, such as the bard being way overconfident, paladins being an utter wet towel to any group antics and barbarians having the tendency to eat well and smash their way out of any situation. Classic creatures from the “Monster Manual” such as a gelatinous cube, a displacer beast, a mimic and a Themberchaud — the extremely rotund dragon — were lovely treats to see on screen and were depicted accurately. However, you don’t need to play "D&D" to enjoy the movie. It makes a valiant effort to recount any lore behind the plot and keeps the story very fun and light-hearted for newcomers to “Dungeons and Dragons.”
The basic plot follows a bard and his crew on their grand adventure to not only break into a vault and steal a magical item to resurrect the bard’s dead wife, but also rescue his daughter, who has been turned against him. Along the way, they must retrieve various other artifacts, compete in gladiator-style games and become true heroes as they foil a plot to turn the world into an army of the undead. Sounds fun? It was. Even though the plot was fast-paced and jam-packed with every obstacle imaginable, it never failed to take a beat and build relationships between the characters. Through their absolutely hilarious banter, there shines an emotional core to the movie that makes you root for them to succeed. You want Chris Pine to reunite with his daughter, you realize that Michelle Rodriguez’s barbarian has become a surrogate mother and the blossoming flirtation between Justice Smith and Sophia Lillis is incredibly sweet.
“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” did a great job delivering a movie that puts a lot of effort into paying its respects to the beloved role-playing game it’s based on. While not the most revolutionary in its plot lines or character development, the humor and antics that echoed a real “D&D” session more than makes up for the deficit. In conclusion, if you’re a fan of D&D or just want to see a hugely entertaining and laugh-out-loud film, then “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” will fit the ticket.
‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ rolls a nat 20
Meg Hammond | The Observer
Meg Hammond | The Observer
