SXSW EXCLUSIVE: 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' Review [SXSW 2023]
A Rip-roaring, Dragon-sylaying, Undead-bashing, Owl-Bear Thrashing hell of a fun ride
In a time when fantasy is dominated by dramatic cruelty and epic grandeur, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves takes the route of earnest comedy and it could not have gone over better. After eight years of Game of Thrones and a season of House of Dragons made it its absolute mission to bleed every drop of fun out of the fantasy genre, a movie like this was needed in the worst way. In place of grand plans of betrayal and bloodshed we are given loosely laid plans for thievery that often result in “winging it.” As cliche and generalized as it is to say the first and most accurate adjective that can be used to describe the film is: fun. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is just a whole lot of fun. And not just fun for the diehard fans of the legendary tabletop RPG, which it is, but fun for any fan of the action-adventure genre. It was very clear that one of the main goals of Writer/Director team Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley was to neither alienate the fans of the game nor the general audience and to say the least it was a rousing success. The film may be light in wedding bloodshed and various counsels related to jewelry pieces of power but what it does have is bone crushing action, easily accessible comedy, and undoubtedly heroic adventure. A lot of it.
A movie as grand as this one, in a world as storied and epic as this one was bound to need a little assistance in the computer generated art department to be able to truly come to life. But that didn’t stop them from building practical sets. The blend of the two wasn’t as seamless as one would like but there was a definite tactile nature of the acting when on location or in a practical set. The land itself was filled with a plethora of different races and creatures, none of which were used as the butt of the joke aside from one very surprising cameo. This respect for the different races and creatures made the world feel lived in and historied in a way that is lost when fantasy takes the “fish out of water” route with their characters. The changing of scenery added a globe-trotting nature to the movie when in reality they weren't traveling very far around the map. This is largely because each location felt unique and different from the last, there was no real confusion of where they were at any given moment because each new area was so drastically different from the last. There were three separate forests in the film that could have easily looked the same but each one was unique emphasising that there was obvious care put into making sure you in the audience knew you were in a different location.
The party of thieves is obviously led by Chris Pine’s Edgin the Bard, but once the party grows it becomes much more of an ensemble piece. Pine has great chemistry with Michelle Rodriguez’s Holga the Barbarian which points to a long and storied friendship. Justice Smith playing Simon the Sorcerer could have been played just for laughs because of the character’s lack of confidence and self doubt but in the end his arc comes full circle and he is given a few very cheer-worthy character moments. Sophia Lillis is the only character that feels out of place but that is by design. She has no previous relationship with any of the characters except Simon but it is one she regrets. Her character is in the party reluctantly and is almost motivated purely by wanting to get it all over with so that she could get as far from these people as possible. No one had more fun making this movie than Hugh Grant as Forge the Rogue. Every second he is on screen he is stealing scenes, chewing up scenery, and hamming it up in a way that was purely in a way that only he can. He is a sneaky little devil with a killer smile and will end up a fan favorite. Then comes the game-changer, Xenk the Paladin played by the unforgettable Regé-Jean Page. Paladins are abit of a meme in Dungeons & Dragons which seems to be the basis for Page’s character. He is no-nonsense to a degree that would make Drax the Destroyer blush. He doesn’t spend much time with the party but it only adds to the character’s grandeur. He is a master of bad-assery and he absolutely knows it. Opposing the party is Sofina the Red Wizard played by Daisy Head. What truly sells her character is the absolute death glare she gives every single character in the film. Her eyes are filled with hatred and contempt for everyone which gives the party a great and undeniably powerful opposition.
The story is a simple enough heist. To get into a vault they need a special thing and require some special help to do so. The filmmakers use this to their benefit by filling in the blanks with one of the most important aspects of any D&D Character: Backstory. Motivation is solid for almost every character with enough time in between to really flesh out the histories of the party. As with any good D&D campaign there are a few twists and turns that don’t seem out of place or random. The overall construction of the plot was really just meant to get the absolute most of these characters with ample time to highlight the interpersonal dynamics. There is only one aspect of the villains plan that doesn’t make much sense. Or to put it accurately, it relies on a crowd to act in a calm and orderly fashion which is quite a large ask for any group of people. But the plot serves it’s purpose and allows the comedy to flow and the stars to shine.
The lesson to be learned from this movie is one of mass appeal, how to take a property with a large and complicated history and make it enjoyable for anyone choosing to watch. The hardcore will appreciate the lore and respect given to the source material and everyone will love the comedy, action, and adventure. There may be some out there that wished for a more serious take of this world, which is their right, but It would have been hard to stand out from the sea of Thrones and Rings that already bring that tone. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will succeed because it is nothing like those properties. It perfectly occupies that space that has been ignored by the fantasy genre since the 80’s classics like The Princess Bride and Willow. Really the only question to ask after leaving the theater will be: when does the next one come out