I Finally Watched Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons and Dragons has more history with cinema than you might think. Most of it bad. There was the original theatrical film, as well as two direct to DVD sequels. The world’s favorite TTRPG is no stranger to movies.

It is, however, a stranger to good movies. At least it was. Then we got this one.

When a job goes wrong, thieves Edgin and Holga are arrested. Two years later, they manage to escape, only to find themselves betrayed by their once ally, Forge, who has poisoned Edgin’s daughter against him and allied himself with the same red sorceress that got them arrested. Now the two must put a crew together to rob Forge and rescue Edgin’s daughter!

This movie captures the magic that makes D&D so special. That magic being fun. Our characters are goofy idiots who get into crazy situations. There’s a whole chase scene with a chubby red dragon! It’s a rollercoaster and it’s energy is downright infectious!

Yet it doesn’t discard everything for comedy. There are plenty of more grounded, serious moments throughout the film. Moments of genuine emotion and growth for just about every character. I’m amazed with how invested I became in these characters by the end of the film!

Except the druid. She never really gets anything. Which is a shame, since she has the coolest introductory scene.

Pacing is this movie’s greatest strength. The whole story rolls along smoothly, each event lasting as long as we need. Emotional moments aren’t rushed out the door for the next scene, comedic scenes are given the space they need for maximum effect, and action scenes never drag their feet. There’s never a dull moment!

D&D lore nerds are in for a treat, as several popular locations and monsters are faithfully brought to life. Neverwinter, the Underdark, Harpers, and so many more are adapted to the screen. Even the monsters are faithful, such as the displacer beast creating an illusory duplicate of itself or the gelatinous cube.

Finally, let’s talk villains. This movie has got some truly compelling and loathsome antagonists! Forge is a master of lies and manipulation, always going for the throat in using someone’s loved ones against them. Sofina is creepy and intimidating, making for a thrilling final battle. You legitimately want to see the bad guys get their comeuppance here.

Now, onto the visuals. This is a pretty good looking movie! There’s some really impressive cinematography and the special effects all look really good. It isn’t all just CGI either; there are plenty of real costumes and animatronics here, too!

This movie has a real hard-on for establishing shots. There are a lot of them, but I really like that! It gives a scale to the world, making this adventure feel that much larger and more dramatic.

Though I have to wonder: are these locations accurate to the map of the Sword Coast? I’d love to hear from lore experts on that.

Musically, this movie is pretty dope. It’s got some really interesting and catchy tunes mixed in there. It isn’t a particularly memorable or impressive score, but it fits the film perfectly.

I loved ‘Honor Among Thieves.’ It was a rock solid adventure/heist movie that brought Dungeons and Dragons to life surprisingly well! It’s genuinely fun and engaging from beginning to end! If you haven’t checked it out yet, I’d highly encourage doing so!

Who would’ve thought we’d live in a world with a good D&D movie. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get more good ones!

Just… maybe don’t do a direct sequel. Something new, with some new characters and a new story. Maybe keep the same actors; that way, it’s a new campaign with the same group!