‘Dungeons & Dragons’ proves that fantasy role-playing games have place in movies
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Poster from Paramount Pictures and Hasbro Studios.
When I got to watch Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, it went beyond my expectations and provided me with a fabulous time because it remained faithful enough to the source material. It was funny without bordering on being silly.
The onscreen characters themselves are representative of some of the typical characters you would find in a normal Dungeons & Dragons quest, from Paladdin, Barb, Druid, Barbarian, and Sorcerer.
In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, two original characters were developed which are Holga Kilgore the Barbarian (Michelle Rodriguez) and Edgin Darvis the Bard (Chris Pine). They serve as the main protoganists in this movie.
The both of them are joined in their conquest by their allies in Simon Aumar The Wizard (Justice Smith), Xenk Yendar The Paladdin (Rege-Jean Page), Doric The Druid (Sophia Lillis) to save Bard’s daughter from the clutches of Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), who is the rogue and conman of the movie. Forge Filtzwilliam is being aided by Sofina The Red Wizard (Daisy Head).
There is so much interesting trivia, factoids, and surprises in this movie that whether you are a longtime player, someone who is new, or as in my case, someone who is only familiar with D&D, it will surely cater to everyone regardless of your knowledge of the history of D&D.
For me, this is how you do a big-screen adaptation of something that so many people cherish, value, and fondly recall because Dungeons & Dragons has been around since the 1970s. So, imagine how many generations have played Dungeons & Dragons and now, thanks in large part to this movie, are being introduced and would want to learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons.
Image from Paramount Pictures and Hasbro Studios.
In many ways, when a movie is this enjoyable, it reminds people why going to the cinema can never beat that movie experience instead of relying only on streaming.
To add to this, it has been a very long time since I have gotten to watch a movie that did not have some hidden socio-political message behind it, that did not force some narrative on moviegoers, and finally, a movie that was not super woke. This movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is as pure fun as it can be as it leaves out any political agenda.
While watching ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,’ you will see fantastic CGI, some practical effects, and special effects that are up to par with the best of them. You will also see onscreen characters that are charming, humorous, and wholesome to a large degree.
Plus, the screenplay itself is balanced meaning it is not overly simplified. Neither is too complex for anyone. I see the constant quality about this movie is all about balance.
For a movie that has a running time of more than 2 hours, there was not a scene that stalled or dragged on too long. It was evenly paced throughout, and nothing overstayed its welcome. It is a telling sign when a movie is great: you do not feel the time in the most literal sense. I am sure moviegoers know what I mean by that.
We are experiencing a resurgence of fantasy-based movies, and nothing embodies that more in decades past in the present than the success Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Forget the past movies of Dungeons & Dragons. This one has got it right.
I highly recommend watching ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.’
