Honor Among Thieves Is The Movie We Needed

Movies that meet expectations are a rare sight these days! And this new Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of them. But it does more than not just disappoint. It delivered more than I expected and restored my faith a little in movies, in general. And the genre in particular, which has lacked well-made high-budget productions.

Why do I say that? Well, recent shows have been plagued by politics (Lord of the Rings series) or bad writing (the disastrous Game of Thrones finale). And we needed a big hit such as this one to show other studios how it should be done, and that big money can be made if done right. Box office results are not yet in at the time of writing this, but I'm hoping for huge numbers.

Anyway, let me just mention some of the reasons you should watch this one. First, comedy. This movie was incredibly funny! So much so that I smiled and laughed throughout its entirety. Ranging from slapstick moments such as a smack to the head to more nuanced ones. For example, the scene where Xenk Yendar, the Paladin, is portrayed as a great savior who rescues or better yet, delivers a baby out of a big fish's mouth. Meanwhile, the whole scene has a nativity, angelic-like vibe to it.

Well, I don't know what you'll make out of that description but it was great subtle humor. Also, the fat dragon scene had the whole audience laughing for real! And how can I forget the zombies? Man, that was hilarious!

A Sword and Sorcery Comedy

Honor Among Thieves is also packed with great action scenes. And one of the best, if not the best involves the Paladin, who slices through foes with his shiny golden sword like in my wildest fantasies. :-)

It is also commendable that they managed to create a fun fantasy adventure regardless of anyone's ability to know what a Paladin is. Or how things work in Dungeons & Dragons, videogames, or whatever. So even if you don't know any of the jargon of the pen and paper stuff I assure you you will enjoy this production.

One can only imagine how good this movie must be for actual tabletop D&D players. Or viewers of the original D&D cartoon. They must have noticed oodles of easter eggs and details that I have missed. Maybe I'll catch more on my second viewing!

The casting is also well done with my mentions going towards Michelle Rodriguez as the barbarian - perfection and Regé-Jean Page as the Paladin - divine!

Regé-Jean Page is The Paladin

So did I mention there is an actor in this movie that they hired to play a Paladin? To behave like a Paladin? Be called a Paladin? Be armored up like a Paladin, and demolish enemies like an effing Paladin? I don't know about you but this is like a dream come true. Outside of video games, this is the first time I've experienced this. And I loved it!

On the more negative side, I would have wanted to hear more lines, especially from the Druid girl. It felt a little lackluster in that department. But there's so much visual wackiness going on at all times that you won't have any time to notice any of it. And, was it just me, or was it weird hearing expressions such as "Baldur’s Gate" or "Neverwinter" spoken out in sentences in a movie? They felt a little forced in the dialog just so they could checkmark it and move along to the next item. Anyway, there are a million things I could praise or critique in this movie, but what would be the point of that? The takeaway I want to give here is that you need to vote with your wallet on this one and go see it in the cinema. I, for one, want to see more of this and less of the superhero crap that comes out.

If you're still on the fence about this one let me just finally mention who the composer for this movie was: Lorne Balfe. And that is the man who created one of the most epic soundtracks I have ever heard, the one for the Mission: Impossible - Fallout movie. I mean, if that's not enough, then nothing is!