Film Review: “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”
The film is based on the fantasy tabletop game “Dungeons & Dragons.” Photo: Mitaukano via Pixabay.
“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a comedic movie about a charming group of thieves and their quest to find — and steal — a long lost relic. This cinematic spin on the classic game “Dungeons & Dragons” is a brilliant blend of fantasy, action and comedy. After an attempted heist goes horribly wrong, a new dangerous quest is revealed to stop the infamous Red Wizards. This movie is filled with well-choreographed fights, witty humor and lovable characters. Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and starring Sophia Lillis, Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant, along with several other famous actors, the film has a great cast with humorous and smooth chemistry.
The movie starts with a bang, establishing the film’s comedic tone in the first scene where Edgin Darvis, played by Chris Pine, and Holga Kilgore, played by Michelle Rodriguez, are introduced. The actors fit their roles flawlessly, portraying the sarcastic humor and chaotic nature of a “Dungeons & Dragons” game to perfection. Not only are all of the characters funny, but they also avoid overshadowing each other or making a single character the sole source of comedic relief. The interaction between the characters and plot line allows for all the characters to be humorous but also serious when required.
In addition to the film’s humor, the cinematography keeps viewers engaged and on the edge of their seats. Due to the fantasy aspect of this movie, a great deal of CGI and editing was required to make the many fight scenes and creatures look realistic. In many shots, the directors decided to have the camera follow the movement of the characters, even as they flipped upside down. This is done skillfully and sparsely to make each shot where the camera does a flip or the room spins even more special and unique. The technique allows the audience to see the world from the character’s perspective, making the story even more engaging. Overall, many of the CGI and camera effects make the plot even more exciting.
While this is not the first movie based on the game “Dungeons & Dragons,” it does the best job of portraying the complicated game in a cinematic format. “Dungeons & Dragons,” or “D&D,” is a tabletop role-playing game where players create their own characters. In many of the past movies, the various types of characters, including magic-user, warrior, thief and many more have not been portrayed well. Many of the characters in these movies are one-dimensional, focusing solely on their class rather than incorporating the many different aspects that go into building a character. However, in “Honor Among Thieves,” the actors and director do a remarkable job of portraying the characters in a way that showcases each character as a complex individual with strengths and weaknesses. This makes each role unique and interesting, rather than one-dimensional and flat.
Overall, “Honor Among Thieves” is a lighthearted and fun movie with a good balance of humor, action and character development. The impressive camera work and lovable characters make this movie especially fun to watch. Rated at an impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing over $158 million worldwide — making this movie the ninth highest grossing film of 2023 — this film is a crowd favorite.
