A Critical Hit!
Directed by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Written by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Michael Gilio
Cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Rege Jean Page, Daisy Head
Swift shot: They finally made a D&D movie for D&D players! The other Dungeons & Dragons attempt was decent enough, but I can barely remember it. With Honor Among Thieves, I can feel a real franchise has been created.
I recently reacquired my passion for D&D through the eyes and soul of my son. A few years ago we got into Magic: The Gathering, or MTG to the initiates. It’s a fun card game inspired heavily by Dungeons & Dragons.
I must confess I was born the same year D&D came out, and I can recall the first time I saw it as a kid at a Summer camp. My best friend busted out all these weird dice, including one shaped like a pyramid, and I was forever intrigued.
After that, I dabbled heavily in D&D. I would ride my bike to the local library after school and play with some random people. There was a guy in his twenties, or thirties, who knows, but he was just “an adult” – a chaperone, I guess, who was the Dungeon Master, or DM. I can still remember the unfortunate fate of my cleric, alas his name escapes me. He’s just another legend now, lost to the annals of lore.
But, this isn’t my story, it’s the story of the Bard, Edgin (Pine) and his cohorts, as they go on perilous quests to reunite Edgin with his lost love, Zia (Georgia Landers). He’s joined by the barbarian outcast, Holga (Rodriguez) who is also seeking some closure of her own. Through the whims of fate, Edgin and Holga have basically raised young Kira (Chloe Coleman) and included her in many of their adventures.
When the story starts, Edgin and Holga are prisoners being held at the infamous Revel’s End in Icewind Dale. Immediately we learn what to expect from this movie, as this opening scene intersperses serious story-telling with quick wit and style. And the first of many, many stories is retold by our plucky Bard.
If you’ve ever played a store-bought campaign for D&D, you know that there are stories for everything. From the mundane to the extraordinary, every detail has a history and a reason for being. This is what gives the characters depth and goes a long way in world-building.
For example, if I tell you to pick up a 12-pack of Cokes for me, that’s not a story. But, if I tell you how the vendor’s driver was nearly crushed by a pallet of Cokes and only one pack remained, and I need you to pick up “the one that remains” well, you get the idea, right? Everything has lore in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and it might get tedious for the average movie-goer. But, again, this movie wasn’t made for them, it was made for RPGers.
Back to the main story, Edgin and Holga used to team up with con artist extraordinaire, Forge, a role that was literally written for Hugh Grant. He doesn’t seem to add much to the equation, but he becomes pivotal to the story itself. They also employ a diffident half-elf sorcerer, Simon (Smith) who has been pining for a Tiefling girl, Doric (Lillis). But a seemingly ill-fitting member of their group is the stoic Red Wizard of Thay, Sofina (Head).
She hires the group to steal a tablet of resurrection. And what starts out as a simple heist turns into betrayal. Well, come to think of it, almost all heists should have some level of betrayal. And that is how our heroes ended up in their predicament at the beginning of the film.
Naturally (or more accurately, unnaturally) they escape from Revel’s End, or there would be no movie. And once freed, they set out to reconnect with Forge at Neverwinter and get their daughter, Kira back.
It’s after this encounter that they discover not everything is as it seems in Neverwinter, and they have to get the band back together and recruit some new members.
I can’t give away too much more without spoiling some nice little reveals and one cameo that you have to see on the big screen!
But they do pick up the aforementioned Tiefling, Doric who has some fantastic surprises of her own.
In the end, there are dungeons and there is a dragon, a very famous dragon, in fact. His entrance is bound to leave an impression, and if you want to know more about him, I had my own Bard do some research for you.
Perhaps my only real criticism of the film is the music seemed off to me. A few scenes suffered slightly, because the tone shift wasn’t matched up correctly. I did appreciate the little in-story madrigals by the Bard, and how heartily Holga got into them. But overall, the music wasn’t the best part of this otherwise flawless film.
The tone of Honor Among Thieves is what I loved most about the movie, it never truly takes itself too seriously.
With so many wonderful characters, layered rich stories, and brilliant, engaging, and hilarious storytelling, D&D: Honor Among Thieves is a must-see! Don’t roll the dice and skip on this one, folks!!
