Dungeons and Dragons - honor Among Thieves

Paramount Pictures’s theatrical poster for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

When the first trailer for this movie came out I did not think too much of it; better, I was excited to see a fantasy movie but I also did not have very high expectations. On the big screen, fantasy has been a tricky genre to pull off (it does better on the small tv but with varying degrees of success). Wikipedia calls it a “fantasy heist action comedy” and the truth is that it is spot on!

And then the final trailer came out and it still looked good (here) reviews for the movie started coming out. And they were all positive. There was a general buzz of positivity around Dungeons and Dragons - Honor among thieves. So I started paying attention and I moved from: I will see the movie whenever the movie is free to I think I will go to the movies.

Last night I watched Dungeons and Dragons - Honor among thieves. And I had a blast. Now, what I find more complex is to structure my thoughts around the movie in a way that is interesting and somewhat logical (in full transparency, this is the third time I am writing this post).

First and foremost, this is not a review. This is more a collection of thoughts on what I liked about the movie. I also think this movie will sit well with those who love fantasy, those who played D&D but mostly, those who read Forgotten Realms (more than Dragonlance at least in my opinion).

The world building is epic in scale; sometimes, I was just in awe about the shot and the location the story explored. I just found myself immersed into the world; I also loved how distinct the areas, villages and cities are one from the other.

I loved the use of magic; granted, it is used sparingly (but for one character) and it is done to great effect. There is actually a recurring joke in the story about how one can solve everything with magic. I thought it was a clever line by the authors, acknowledging that they were trying to steer away from: problem? Magic will blast it away and the heroes will walk thought the issues.

I loved the use of the druid in this story too; and there is a little bit of the ent story line of The Lord of the Rings (environment matters).

Finally, with regards to magic, I loved the introduction and the use of magic tools. It is not too common for me these days to read stories that use magic tools in an effective way. In fact, I think they are becoming rarer (at least, in the stories I am experiencing lately). So I loved the walking stick, the helmet and the stone. I found their use compelling and they helped advancing the story (without making it any more easier for the characters to solve problems).

The characters were fun. They are all clearly different characters with different drives. And, all but two, are actually morally grey characters. This usually helps make characters more realistic and their choices are more relatable. As I said, there are two exceptions. One has a strong sense of right and wrong and will do the wrong things for the right reasons (hence, she joins in with the thieves); the other is just righteous. But in a way that he is likable; this character just wants the best for you and there is nothing that will stop him from helping others.

The villain of the story was both scary and compelling. It looked like there was a genuine threat that could have been carried out if not for the protagonists. The villain made clever choices and, like many, become single minded hurting their own cause. Which is good, as our “heroes” are able to stop the evil plan.

One more note here; fantasy has historically been a genre that would allow authors to explore gender equality. We have plenty of women in fantasy (both characters and authors) who deliver to the highest level. Now, I do not know if this choice was on purpose or not but I loved the choice of making the women the enforcers of the group. It is unusual (the barbarian and the muscle are generally portrayed by men); and I loved this decision and I hope it is an omage to how fantasy has been at the forefront of gender equality.

The dialog also veered to witty lines. I found myself (and the cinema) laughing out loud. The trailers do not show all the funny or ironic interactions between the characters and the movie is richer because of it.

Overall, I found myself very drawn in the story and then characters. I loved the choice of being a story with depth, characters with real issues, and yet deliver an uplifting ending.

So would I recommend this movie? As long as you love fantasy, this is a story you want to experience, in my opinion. Especially if you like experiencing visually fantasy elements you read. And for those who know Drizzt (I guess he might be the most famous literary character from this region), there is also the Underdark.

Have you watched the movie? Did you enjoy it? What did you like the most? Have you decided to go and watch the movie? What pushes you to go? Please comment down below using the colosseum emoji!