Geek Kingdom: D&D: Honour Among Thieves

My name is Liam Lavoie, and I’m here to bring you another issue of…

GEEK KINGDOM!

Many years ago, back in the long forgotten year of 2000, a monster was unleashed upon the unsuspecting masses, as Dungeons and Dragons was released in theaters. Based on the popular tabletop role-playing game of the same name, the film tried to capture the same magic that came from playing the game. However, it was destroyed by critics, banishing it from the world. While this putrid movie franchise came back from the grave twice in 2005 and 2012, it has since laid dormant for many years…until now, that is.

What is the movie about?

Before we talk about the movie, we should go over what Dungeons and Dragons is. As mentioned, D&D is a tabletop role playing game set in a fantasy world where people with extraordinary powers go on adventures to save the world from large threats. The characters are controlled by a group of people called Players, and are led along an adventure by the Dungeon Master, who controls the monsters, villains and NPC’s the characters meet on their journey. Now that the basics of D&D have been explained, it’s time to talk about the movie.

The movie begins with two criminals, Edgin the Bard and Holga the Barbarian, pleading their case to the prison wardens to see if they can be released. You see, Edgin and his crew were trying to steal an artifact that could bring Edgin’s dead wife back to life. However, the team is tricked by an evil wizard, who gets a dangerous artifact while allowing the criminals to be caught. Now, Edgin and Holga, along with some friends both old and new, must stop the wizard before it’s too late. 

Overall, the plot of the movie is nothing original, but it is well written, with lots of witty dialogue and, by the end, great character development. A lot of work was put in to make the characters lovable and relatable, and it truly does show.

How’s the cast?

One of the things this movie excels at is its casting. There are so many talented actors in the film, with Chris Pine playing the protagonist, Edgin, Michelle Rodriguez as the hulking barbarian Holga, and Hugh Grant playing the scheming charlatan Forge. Other actors include Rege-Jean Page as Xenk, Justice Smith as the sorcerer Simon, and Sophia Liilis as the druid Doric. Each actor brings their character to life, making them feel like real people, while also giving them their own special flair that makes them more interesting to watch.

What about the D&D part?

In the previous D&D movies, there was barely any connection to the game, other than the name of the movie. Fortunately, this entry fully embraces its source material, making it a real treat to watch for fans of the game. There are plenty of references to spells in the game, such as Time Stop, Chain Lightning and Shield, monsters such as the Displacer Beast and Red Dragon, and even a reference to the popular D&D web series Critical Role. Overall, the writers of this film truly know the ins and outs of the game system, along with some nods to the community, which make this movie feel like an authentic D&D experience.

The verdict…

I didn’t have high expectations for this movie going in. However, my perceptions changed completely once it was finished, revealing itself to be an entertaining film that pays homage to the things that make the game special. That’s why I’m giving this movie…

8/10!

I hope you enjoyed this movie review, and I’ll see you next time on…

GEEK KINGDOM!