Review: “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”

Good fantasy movies and t.v. shows are hard to come by.

Some, like “Lord of the Rings”, stand the testament of time as an epic adventure quest. In more recent years,

“The Green Knight” ranks as a thrilling and compelling film.

Even “Game of Thrones”–despite the letdown of its last couple of seasons– still stands as a great fantasy story.

However, there are also a slew of other fantasy movies and shows that are just cringeworthy; I see frequent trailers for them on Netflix and I can’t help but laugh.

They attempt to be dramatic and exciting but often end up with shallow characters, poor dialogue, and a basic plot.

Fortunately, some entertainment producers do a better job capturing the essence of fantasy by clearly doing their research to ensure the film aligns with their audience’s interests.

If you are looking for a new fantasy film–and especially if you are a fan of the game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)–then I highly recommend you check out “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”

Overall, this film “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” did a great job capturing what an actual D&D campaign could be like; this may be the film’s strongest attribute.

Character backstories were provided and transitions between scenes immersed the audience and allowed them to feel as though they were watching a campaign.

The likelihood of character actions also were realistic and seemed to be by chance–which makes sense considering how, when playing the game, so much depends on the type of roll you get.

The film also was true to the elements of the D&D world.

Players of the game will recognize races and classes–Bards, Barbarians, Druids, Orcs, Half-Elves, Sorcerers, and more. Settings like the city Neverwinter may also be familiar.

Characters and character development in “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” was also interesting and realistic for the most part.

Of the four main characters in the adventuring party, only one of them was less engaging and less developed.

The backstory of this particular character was much more brief and the dialogue they provided was more basic and monotone–some of which could be attributed more to the actor than the script.

The other three characters in the party though had much more interesting backstories and they developed throughout the course of the movie.

Elements from their pasts linked with important choices they had to make, demonstrating their growth.

Furthermore, the film had a humorous element to it. The dialogue and actions of some characters–particularly from Edgin (a Bard played by Chris Pine) and Holga (a Barbarian portrayed by Michelle Rodriguez)–was especially entertaining and gave a good opportunity for some laughs.

The cuts between some scenes and the absurdity of certain events also gave way for humor.

Anyone who has played in a D&D campaign knows the mix of comedy and seriousness that arises: from detailed backstories to outrageous character decisions to intense battles.

“Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” accurately captures the elements of a real D&D game. It is, overall, an entertaining yet serious film.

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