As part of their weeks long D&D: Honor Among Thieves promo, inviting fans to play D&D at Fanboys stores to score free tickets to the film, I got to tag along last night and check the film out for myself. What a ride. And before I tell you what I thought about the movie, allow me this disclaimer. I’ve played D&D once…maybe twice? in my entire life. So, I’m very much an outsider when it comes to the details packed into this film. But, I saw it with huge D&D fans and was assured, the filmmakers did this right! So, what did I think about Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves? Let’s get into it!
If I hype this movie up too much, blame the dreary and drab Marvel and DC films that have come before it. Typically a trip to the movies-for me personally-involves seeing a comic film from one of the big two. Of which I’ve often left theaters disappointed. Maybe I’ve become desensitized to the superhero formula, I’m not sure. But Honor Among Thieves is a fun departure from the typical hero genre. And a welcomed introduction to what hopefully can become another major fantasy genre on the big screen. With Lord of the Rings probably being its biggest competition. Sure, there’s Game of Thrones and its spinoff, but that show isn’t for everyone, and D&D: Honor Among Thieves casts a much broader net.
Back to the movie! There’s jokes! There’s dragons! They’ve got magic and wizards! I read one review that said the plot can be disjointed and meanders for a bit. But I give it a pass because I never got bored and the meandering fit the storyline perfect. Also, it feels like a D&D campaign. There’s a quest, or a mission, but before we go there, we have to get that. And before we do that, we’ve got to talk to them–that sort of thing.
Forgive the comparison game I’m about to play, but when I hold this up to the two latest superhero films, Shazam 2 and Quantumania, even the quieter moments hold up better. There’s a few times in Honor Among Thieves when things slow down and we get to see moments of character development shine through. It’s here that I feel like the actors really hit those emotional beats and really sell it to the audience. They’re brief, but they’re impactful and they make the movie’s finale hit home even harder.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, for me, was a nice departure from the usual comics tomfoolery we’ve been seeing on screen lately. It’s like a breath of fresh air. It’s definitely worth a trek to the big screen, and it was nice to have fun at the movies again.