Roll for charisma, strength, wit, action, adventure, humor, and excitement with “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves!” Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Hugh Grant headline a genuinely fun and wildly entertaining should-have-been-huge blockbuster – and you don’t have to be a “Dungeons and Dragons” fan to enjoy it. One of the most popular franchises of all time in tabletop gaming finally gets a genuine crack at a truly cinematic adaptation. After the disastrously bad 2000 film, the likes of a “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” felt like a long shot. Thankfully as the gaming community has grown exponentially over the last two decades, the time was right for a new take on familiar material with a pair of filmmakers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley who clearly love the source material but know how to make a film everyone can enjoy.
The film picks up with our clever hero Edgin (Chris Pine) and his warrior friend Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) pleading their case for clemency having served two years in prison. After making a daring escape, the duo set off on a quest to recover a talisman of resurrection and reunite Edgin with his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman). Only problem is their old friend Forge (Hugh Grant) has aligned himself with the evil red wizard Sofina (Daisy Head) to enrich his own pockets and keep the talisman for himself and Kira as his daughter. For our thieves to accomplish their mission they’re going to need a little help from the struggling magician Simon (Justice Smith) and the tiefling Doric (Sophia Lillis) to break in, rescue Kira, get the talisman, and maybe make off with Forge’s treasure if there’s time.
Some bad movies make gobs of cash at the box office while great flicks roll short. I don’t get why some movies are hits and others aren’t but “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” deserved a bigger box office take than it managed to conjure up. Granted I am guilty of not seeing this film in theaters. Despite good reviews and word of mouth, I just couldn’t make time and then I was never really sold on the trailers. After watching through I feel the trailers did a pretty pisspoor job of showcasing exactly what this movie was going to be. Suffice it to say, I had a blast with this movie. Honor Among Thieves was far better than the movie the trailers sold. It’s also a damn shame Wizards of the Coast had their issues with D&D that may have influenced some true fans to stay away. Which is a damn shame because this movie is a love letter to gamers of all ages. Top to bottom the cast is great playing their respective roles and character functions with aplomb. It’s a grand fantasy with the scale of Lord of the Rings but the fun and excitement of a heist movie like Ocens11 and with the action of an Indiana Jones movie. My lone complaint really is that the film feels a little long and could have been tightened up a bit, but that’s a small triviality compared to the rest of the show. I do hope this film takes off on streaming and home video, I’m ready to roll again (sequel) with this particular band of heroes.
The Blu Ray is a marvel to behold, though I suspect that the 4K version is even better. Sound is wonderful even though with the Blu Ray, you don’t get a Dolby Atmos track. Still, it will give your speakers a great workout. The surround and front channels get plenty of attention for the biggest and most exciting action sequences – and there are a lot of those. From the opening escape to the dungeon pits to the final battle with Sofina, there are some great channel movement and object-based effects moving and swirling around the front/center, side, and rear channels.
If you’re in need of a damn good time at the movies, “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” delivers. You don’t need to play the game to feel the love and fun of gathering your best friends and allies for a grand adventure. The cast is great, the action exciting, and the jokes are genuinely funny. This should have been a bigger hit at the box office because we deserve a sequel. If you’re looking to add another disc to the collection, this Blu-ray conjures up a beautiful transfer and an amazing Dolby Surround mix. “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a winner!
