Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves follows a charming thief (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers who embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long-lost relic, but their adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people and encounter the most dangerous of beasts.
Now I am by no means an expert when it comes to the world of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) but in recent years I have been given a taste of this world through the group known as Critical Role and their animated series on Amazon Prime, The Legend of Vox Machina, which is based on one of their D&D campaigns. I absolutely loved the series for its unique as well as absolutely bonkers take on the fantasy genre, so when I first saw the trailer for this film it immediately gave me the same vibes of that series so I was willing to give it a go. On top of that, we also have the directing duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley at the helm, who delivered one of my favorite underrated comedies, Game Night. I was going in expecting a possible fun time. But what I didn’t expect was to get a film full of so much soul and heart that it goes above and beyond a simple fantasy flick.
Honestly, this might be one of the best fantasy films that I have seen in years. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but it is absolutely phenomenal! It has incredible casting, perfectly pitched humor, a very fun story, fantastical action, stunning visuals, and much more. Whether you are a fan of D&D or not this film will totally surprise and satisfy you with all it has to offer.
It has a lot of things that fans will understand and enjoy but it mostly serves as a film that can be for everyone, including people who have been wanting a really well-made fantasy adventure that isn’t a comic book film or attached to an already mega-popular franchise.
We follow a very fun bunch of misfits in this film, all played by a cast that perfectly fits their characters who never feel out of place. Chris Pine delivers an absolute gem of a character with Edgin Darvis, leader of the team and also a bard. Chris brings full-on charm, humor, and heart to his role-playing of a very lovable lead character. A lead that isn’t motivated solely by riches but by a need to redeem himself after having made many mistakes in his past that cost him greatly. You feel completely invested in him from start to finish, mainly because Chris knew exactly how to play this character, especially with such infectious comedic energy.
Also, I have to say he’s also a damn great singer. He ends up singing a few tunes in this film that I didn’t expect to be so good or even catchy but damn it, he had me hooked, showing just how talented he can be when allowed to let loose.
Michelle Rodriguez plays a simple-minded yet absolutely lovable and hilarious barbarian warrior named Holga Kilgore. She’s an absolute beast in action but a sweet teddy bear to those close to her, making her a gem to the group and this easily my favorite role from Michelle Rodriguez in years.
Then we have Sophia Lillis who plays a reserved yet talented tiefling druid, named Doric, who has the ability to shape-shift into various creatures including an awesome hybrid beast called an Owlbear. Sophia does a great job playing this part mostly straight, which makes some of the interactions she has with certain characters very humorous. She learns how to trust her newfound allies as she joins them on this dangerous adventure for her own personal motive but she manages to come through for them with her abilities, making her a vital asset to the team.
The biggest surprise of the team though, both in terms of performance and development, was Simon Aumar played by Justice Smith, a struggling magic user who tries his best to help his friends but struggles in being a good sorcerer due to lack of self-confidence. Most roles I’ve seen Justice in haven’t really stood out to me but here he was brilliant, giving a lot of heart to this character and making him very likable and engaging, especially with everything his character is dealing with. Magic users are always given the most taxing jobs to do in the world of D&D and you can feel the pressure Simon is dealing with due to his inexperience, but you get to see him rise to the occasion as the film progresses, offering a great character arc people can absolutely relate to.
Another great addition to the team is the paladin Xenk Yendar played by Regé-Jean Page. He may have not been in the film as much compared to the other characters but he absolutely owned the screen when he showed up as a character who is both extremely badass and also very hilarious due to how literal he is. The chaotic chemistry these characters share is flawless and together they deliver so much comedic gold just like a real D&D party would.
The villains of this film mostly come in the form of dangerous mythical creatures on the journey but we also get two serviceable but very enjoyable villains: Forge Fitzwilliam played by Hugh Grant and Sofina played by Daisy Head. Hugh Grant seems to have a very interesting talent for playing convincing slimeballs in films, but damn it, he always does the best job of it and that’s no exception here. Hugh Grant gives Forge a very sleazy yet charismatic presence that makes for a great foil for our characters to take on and gives us a character that you just love to hate and hope that karma gets him for what he has done.
Daisy Head on the other hand plays a more serious villain as a deadly Red Wizard who seeks to use necromancy for her own agenda that threatens the entirety of the realm. She does well as an extremely creepy and unsettling foe for our unlikely heroes, raising the stakes and showing off a vast array of dark magical powers that are damn cool. Both serve as great antagonists but it’s definitely the creatures that stood out the most.
The story is really fun, full of humor and heart while also providing an epic quest that takes us across a magical realm. This film captures the wild nature of the game, including many well-known elements of D&D campaigns, including how lengthy they can be, having a huge amount of trollish inconveniences, and truly bonkers action involving magic and monsters based on the imagination of players. It’s extremely self-aware and so it ends up delivering constant amounts of thrills and laughs that land every single time, adding endless fun to the adventure.
It also manages to deliver some surprising amounts of compelling emotional weight on this journey, making you root for them all the way. Even though the film is meta it remains within the confines of the world it has built, never going to any extremes that would cause the film to be dated but instead remaining a timeless fantasy adventure, unlike some other attempts.
And what a beautiful world it is, brought to life by lots of well-crafted elements across the board that boost the film’s style, tone, and excitement. The action is awesome, featuring a combination of fantastically choreographed and shot combat sequences as well as large and insane sequences involving magic and beasts of all types. The cinematography and editing are also gorgeous and elite, showcasing amazing one-takes as well as transitions that keep the flow of the film going.
You could also tell the film was done with real passion based on the really detailed practical and digital effects used throughout that make the world of D&D feel truly alive in live action. I was shocked to see how much practical make-up, costumes, and sets were used and how amazing it all looks. Nothing felt cheap here, unlike the attempted adaptations of the early 2000s.
The same goes for the CGI which looks damn good and gives the various landscapes of this world and the creatures within it visual gorgeousness, as well as uniqueness, clearly stemming from imagination. It’s not often you see a fat fire dragon and walking brains in fantasy films these days. It really reminds me of old school fantasy films of the 80s which felt way more imaginative compared to most modern fantasies in recent years that usually share close similarities or copy things from others. This film has a strong visual identity as well as a strong tonal identity.
And to add to all of this we get an absolute banger of a score from composer Lorne Balfe who really enhanced every element of this film no matter what the scene is and made it feel more magical.
Any one of these elements could have been half-assed for an easy paycheck but they weren’t. It shows that every single person involved with this film was giving maximum effort and made what could have been a run-of-the-mill fantasy flick an absolutely enjoyable blast from start to finish.
This is easily the biggest surprise of 2023 so far and I encourage everyone to go see the film once it releases in theaters on March 31st. Even if you are someone who has never been into D&D this is still absolutely worth your time. I’m going to give Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves an A+ = 99.
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