Filled to the brim with a sense of fun, great characters, thrilling action, impressive world-building, endless humor, and a surprising amount of heart, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fantasy adventure film of the highest quality and easily one of the best we’ve gotten in ages.
Overall Score: 9/10
Image: Paramount Pictures
Two weeks ago, my family and I had the pleasure of catching a sneak preview of Paramount’s new film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed. Imagine a classic fantasy adventure movie like The Princess Bride mixed with something epic like The Lord of the Rings trilogy. That’s exactly what this film is, and yes, it’s every bit as wild and fun as its trailers make it out to be.
Oh, where to begin? I suppose I should start with the cast. Everyone here is great, and they each give excellent performances and have their respective moments to shine. Chris Pine, for instance, is as charming as ever and wonderful as the lead character. Hugh Grant, meanwhile, is delightfully fun as a cunning and ambitious rogue. Usually, he plays lovable dorks, so it’s nice to see him branch out into some more villainous and morally ambiguous roles. Everyone else is fantastic too, but keep an eye out for standouts Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, and Daisy Head. Rodriguez and Page are awesome as their respective characters, and both manage to endlessly steal the show and infuse the movie with a nice balance of coolness and hilariousness. Head, on the other hand, is very creepy and terrifying, and she makes for an appropriately menacing and formidable baddie.
Another great thing about Honor Among Thieves is its characters. You may not expect it (just as I didn’t), but just about everyone is given an arc, which gives us a genuine reason to care for them and allows them to grow as characters. This goes hand in hand with the various meaningful and universal themes that are present and explored in the film, including — but not limited to — learning to let go, believing in yourself, and not judging others based on where they come from. All of these act as emotional through lines, and believe me, they’ll touch you and maybe even make you cry.
The humor in this movie is also excellent. Interestingly, this isn’t the kind of film that relies on tons of one-liners. Instead, its strength mostly lies in its long jokes and comedic scenes. Usually, an approach like this causes things to feel as if they’re drawn out, yet, somehow, the sharp, witty dialogue and the cast’s perfect comedic timing allow the movie to avoid that issue almost entirely. Most of the jokes really are funny, and I can’t count the number of times that I, along with the rest of my theater, burst out laughing.
Additionally, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves really has no shortage of action scenes, and they’re all cool, fun, and well-choreographed. Once again, Rodriguez and Page are the true stars here, and both get the chance to show off their skills in fight scenes that are thrilling and just plain awesome. Their collective work truly is a big highlight, and I think that most audience members will be surprised but ultimately delighted by just how good the two of them are.
Also, being a fantasy adventure film, one would naturally expect there to be some impressive world-building, and boy does Honor Among Thieves not disappoint. There are fascinating locations (like medieval castles), strange creatures, shapeshifters, dragons, evil wizards, magical spells and weapons, mazes, hoards of treasure, and so much more. Pair all of that with the already interesting backstories of the film’s characters, and what you get is a world that feels lived in and fleshed out.
On a technical level, Honor Among Thieves is also exceptional. The production and costume designs, for example, are gorgeous, and they really add to the film’s fantastical yet medieval feel. The cinematography is also impressive, and quite a few difficult tricks and techniques (like long takes) are incorporated and utilized quite effectively. Lorne Balfe’s score is another outstanding element, and I find that he does an exceptional job of juggling excitement and tension, all the while making sure that his work remains fun, epic, and at its core, emotional. Essentially, everything’s perfect. The only real complaint I have has to do with the fact that some of the CGI doesn’t look that great. But at the end of the day, considering how minor of an issue it is, it’s more or less excusable.
In conclusion, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is an awesome fantasy adventure film that manages to be fun and exciting and surprisingly emotional and thoughtful at the same time. And although — due to never having played it before — I can’t say much about whether it does the game it’s based on justice, I can at least confirm that it’s a solid movie. My sister said it best: “This is basically The Lord of the Rings if it were funny.” She’s right, and I think that we can both agree that we can’t wait to watch it again and that we’re very excited to see where this franchise goes next.
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