Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Blu-ray Review
“Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” needs to be seen by more people.
Although mostly an ensemble piece, the central character of “Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a bard named Edgin. At one time he was a married man and a member of the peacekeeper Harper group, but life was cruel to him. He lost his wife and wound up turning to a life of crime (thievery to be exact) with his daughter Kira, a budding sorcerer (Simon), a fierce barbarian (Holga) and a not so trustworthy conman Forge. Edgin’s life takes yet another detour after a job goes south and results in Edgin and Holga going to prison. Years later, the 2 escape and find that Forge has become a Lord who has raised Edgin’s daughter. It turns out Forge and the Red Wizard Sofina screwed over Edgin and company big time and have taken Kira. In order to exact revenge and get his daughter back, Edgin plots to rob Forge, but he needs to round up a new team to help him that includes Simon and a shapeshifting druid named Doric.
It’s no secret that the fantasy genre is the hardest to nail in both film and TV. Look at the disastrous 2000 “Dungeons And Dragons” as a prime example. Thankfully, writing and directing team John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein really cracked the code here and made a delightful fantasy adventure that perfectly captures the roleplaying game experience.
You don’t have to be a D&D fan or an RPG player to get wrapped up in the mythology here because Daley and Goldstein really lay everything out for you in a seemingly effortless fashion. Granted, they might have crammed a bit too much in (there are a boatload of references to boot), but there was a lot of world building that needed to be done. All of the D&D essentials are here- the characters, the battles, the travels, the teamwork, the decision making, the puzzles, the quests, the quirky weird fantasy elements, the big bad (which is admittedly the movie’s weak link) and, of course, the life threatening scenarios. On top of that, the 2 really reward viewers with a healthy dose of humor, action sequences, and yes, even an overweight dragon named Themberchaud.
Visually, the movie contains a splendid mixture of make-up and creature effects, CGI, and practical sets. The entire production team went all out on making this world come to life in a bold new way on screen. More films should follow this model instead of just assaulting you with pure CGI.
Chris Pine doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a leading man. Whether he’s playing Captain Kirk or a sarcastic bard like he is here, he’s always funny and charming. There are a few scenes (including his comments on Xenk’s walking) that had me cracking up. Speaking of Xenk, Rege-Jean Page of “Bridgerton” fame gives arguably his best film performance to date with a scene stealing performance. The rest of the cast (Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, and Sophia Lillis) all shine too. It’s nice to see that this is the type of movie where every character gets to have their moments.
It’s a shame “Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” underperformed at the box office because this is the type of blockbuster and franchise we need more of. It’s a crowd pleaser through and through. Hopefully, it will find more of an audience on home video.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? A lovely and colorful transfer. Note: This title is also available on 4K>
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? As one might expect, the Atmos track delivers a thrilling audio experience (especially during action scenes).
Extras:
* Digital copy
* “From Dice To Dragons: Honoring The Lore”- Writers/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein explain their approach to the film over behind-the-scenes footage and film clips. Other cast/crew interviews are included.
* “Rogues’ Gallery: The Heroes Of Dungeons And Dragons”- A rundown of the characters.
* 1 deleted scene and 5 extended scenes.
* A nearly 7 minute gag reel.
* “Broadswords, Battleaxes and Badass Brawls”- A behind-the-scenes look at the action, stunts, and fights.
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