My son and I watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves over the Memorial Day weekend and really enjoyed it. I honestly didn’t expect it to be very good.
But it was fantastic!
And, to be honest, I’m not even sure what makes it fantastic.
Okay, let me back up a bit before I try to figure that out. Even as much of a fantasy fan as I am – generally speaking – I’ve never been that big on the D&D stuff. Definitely never played the table games. And only have a passing acquaintance with the movies that have been made in the past. Of course most of those have been B-movies if not straight to cable types. Has there actually been an A-list D&D movie before now? My son was even mentioning past cartoons and I don’t think I ever watched any of them either.
Also, my son really likes the Vox Machina series which is literally based on a live action tabletop D&D game of some online fame. But while I sort of enjoyed the first season of that, I’m not even sure I want to watch the second.
So, yeah, all that may have all colored my expectations going into this.
What made this one different? Well, first let me say that the entire package was great. The scenery, the characters and the monsters were very well done at the same time that they all screamed D&D type fantasy. So you knew what you were watching… and yet. Yes, and yet, there was one thing that elevated this one way past being simply another D&D type fantasy.
And that was the storytelling.
The story that was told was very typical of D&D and yet it was so much more. It had twists and turns that were unexpected. I found myself caring what happened to the gang and almost worried that things wouldn’t turn out well. I’m not even going to say whether everything did work out, either.
What I will say is that I wouldn’t mind seeing another of their adventures. Big win for whoever put this one together.
Oh, one more thing, there is also this unforgettable Paladin character… as much as I love Chris Pine, the Paladin actor was phenomenal.