Streaming on Paramount+
For Rent on Apple TV, Google Plus, Amazon, and YouTube
Dungeons & Dragons has an unusual history in pop culture and cinema. What began as a simple tabletop role-playing adventure, designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974, has since become a fascinating staple in nerd culture. A fun and engaging way to play out creative stories and fantasy-based adventures with characters of your creation in a rich & complex world where anything may be possible. It has also been the target of ignorant "concerned citizines" who mistook the game for a recruitment tool into evil and harmful cults of Devil worshipers and mentally unbalanced killers. This led to a tragic and hilariously overboard era in the 1980s known as The Satanic Panic.
This controversial event in nerd history spawned a series of distasteful and disingenuous media works that only added fuel to the fire. TV movies like Mazes & Monsters (also the feature-film debut of Tom Hanks) leaned into the idea of people becoming mentally unstable from playing the game.
While the entire Satanic Panic movement was eventually laughed off the stage, it has yet to prevent other game adaptations from being produced, though not with the best results most of the time. See the movie from 2000 starring Jeremy Irons and the vast majority of animated films for hilarious proof.
However, that curse appears to have finally been broken with this brand-new adaptation of the game series, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. A fun, entertaining, joyfully crafted film with relatable characters, exciting action set pieces, and the sharpest writing I have ever seen in a movie of this caliber. It is a film I would proudly put on par with that timeless classic, The Princess Bride, in terms of narrative quality, comedic timing, and memorable moments. Not to mention characters I wouldn't mind having a beer with.
The story follows a pair of best friends: bard & thief Edgin (Chris Pine) and warrior & thief Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), on a quest to reunite with Edgin's daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman), who has been in the custody of their former partner in crime & conman, Forge (Hugh Grant) and a questionable Red Wizard Sofina (Daisy Head). Along with their Sorcerer friend, Simon (Justice Smith), and a young wild shape, Doric (Sophia Lillis), they will travel the land and face harrowing challenges. Little do they know that all the while, Sofina is plotting something terrible that our heroes might have to stop. Assuming they can all find a way to keep getting along, that is.
There is much more to the story, but to ensure the best viewing experience possible, I want to give away only a few details.
The film successfully provides an experience that is both familiar to long-time D&D fans and engaging to general audiences without feeling condescending or dumbed down.
The writing is what ultimately contributes to the film's incredible quality. Penned mainly by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (also the directors), the script succeeds in nearly every possible way regarding narrative delivery, comedic timing, and especially build-up & payoff. Not too surprising given their previous track record of well-crafted films, Game Night and Spider-Man: Homecoming, to name a few. What I appreciated the most about the writing was how everything feels earned, and nothing is ever pulled out of the writer's butt for convenience. They put real effort into this story!
The entire cast is clearly having a blast with the material. Their banter and characterizations feel natural and engaging. There's never a moment when a character says or does something outside their personality for unnecessary comedy or narrative convenience. Everyone gets to contribute to the story in some way that provides a satisfying arc that feels equally earned. Plus, Hugh Grant makes a fantastic villain.
This is my favorite film of 2023 so far. I have already watched it multiple times before writing this review. While one or two bits could have been adjusted or removed at no loss to the narrative, it is a remarkable experience for everyone. For my beautiful readers who may be inclined to avoid movies with any kind of violence, I am pleased to report that any and all fighting & action scenes in the film are done with expert care to carry the story and are presented in the most tasteful way possible. There is little to no grotesque graphic violence or material, save for one surprisingly funny scene involving speaking to the dead.
I cannot recommend this movie enough. Make some popcorn, relax, and have fun storming the Castle as soon as you can.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
I had to see this movie twice to get the real gist of it. Although it was okay the first time around the second time was even better. It is a fun film and what makes it that way are the characters. The Comedic timing is impeccable and some of those graveyard scenes and the scene with “the dragon” were hilarious. Very inventive and cool. It’s a movie I would Devi I felt see again and again!
ReplyDeleteI mean definitely see again and again. Sorry for the typos.
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