Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, directed by John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein, was released in theaters nationwide last month. As a long-time member of the Dungeons & Dragons community, as soon as I saw the trailer I was immediately skeptical. I was hesitant about how one would go about creating a movie based on a game in which the core tenet was playing a game in which there isn’t a set plot or set group of characters.
I wondered if playing the game itself would be involved in the movie and how that would be handled.
In the past week, I was finally able to go and see it. Even though my expectations for the film were low and I fully expected it to be a bad movie, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the plot, acting, respect for the source material, and overall experience.
The plot follows a rather traditional party of thieves led by the former harper Edgin Darvis, played by Chris Pine, as he tries to rescue his daughter from a former friend and conman, played by Hugh Grant, as well as a mysterious wizard with sinister intentions played by Daisy Head.
Without spoiling the movie for those who haven’t seen it yet, the movie delivers an exciting plot with a multitude of easter eggs hidden throughout the film for those familiar with the lore of the world of Dungeons and Dragons.
The story follows a somewhat familiar storyline that remains loyal to the usual plot of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It certainly falls into typical cliches often found in the plots of campaigns which I personally found kind of endearing and comforting because it reminded me of games I have played personally in the past.
The plot is by no means groundbreaking in the field of storytelling but it successfully delivers an engaging and exciting plot that is able to instill the kind of fun that I feel while playing the game. The plot can be cheesy and corny at points but the movie is aware of itself and plays into those tropes.
The cinematography is well done and delivers a depiction of the sword coast that D&D veterans can appreciate. Newcomers to the universe can also appreciate the filmography as it is very visually appealing regardless if a viewer knows the background behind it.
The cast of the movie delivers very solid performances all around. The writing is nothing extraordinary and can seem a little subpar at times but it doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the movie.
My main criticism of the movie is its pacing. I believe that in the pursuit of covering as much content as possible, the creators of the movie end up rushing the ending in order to fit everything into an appropriate run time. Though the ending may be rushed, I still believe the movie as a whole is incredibly enjoyable and is one of those movies where you go to see it just to have a good time, even if the quality of the movie isn’t the best.
In conclusion, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a surprisingly good watch. It’s a great “turn off your brain” movie where you can just have fun. As a long-time player and enjoyer of Dungeons and Dragons, I recommend this movie to both veterans and newcomers to the game alike.
