Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2023 Movie Review
If I had told you today that the latest D&D motion picture was destined to become an epic fantasy classic, you might not believe me at first..among other skeptics whether in or separate from the D&D community.
I had already predetermined it going to be a much bigger production than their prior offerings, which to be pretty fair, spiraled off course and plummeted into the deep seas(perhaps devoured by Morkoth…) and based on the catchy previews I glossed over added to what I felt overall when walking into an early screening this weekend with a few friends from our current campaign. They were probably just as skeptical as I was, until right into the first five minutes of film, which is when I then knew that they had made something real special.
Brim-filled with visually stunning epic fantasy action, funny and irreverent, yet full of heart, this avoids the scheme of trying to be too cool for its own good. It embraces D&D’s sometimes ridiculousness in a setting that is self-aware, and presents a story sensibly. Even in its hundred and thirty-four minute runtime, it gets the point across without cutting corners or dragging anything too long. I’m quite relieved they didn’t rush anything, as it is done too often in feature films nowadays.
The party consists of three-dimensional characters that are complex, and exclusive in their own way, empowered by a wonderful cast(even the villains and some side-characters, who I shall leave unnamed for the sake of no-spoilers).
This further reminds me why we go to the cinema. It’s things like this that are so refreshing and bold, yet keeping it’s bright tone within it’s boundaries without going to much into the extreme. This is D&D, and I’m certain longtime fans and newcomers alike will find Honor Among Thieves in all of us.
