The newest fantasy adventure to hit theaters, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” exceeded box office projections by several million dollars – and it’s no surprise, considering I shared my silver screen experience with just about every D&D nerd in Peoria.
The fantastical story follows human bard Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and Elk barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) through their misadventures. The film opens with an exposition dump in the form of a trial, which is usually something to be avoided for its tediousness. Pine does well to balance the monologue with humor while engagingly setting up Edgin and Holga’s story.
The relationship between those two was particularly interesting. After the death of Edgin’s wife, Holga helped him raise his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman). Their relationship remains platonic while poking fun at the idea of them getting together several times. It was a breath of fresh air to see a platonic man and woman pairing raise a child together on the big screen without some underlying tension.
Once the duo successfully escapes from prison, the audience is introduced to the Forgotten Realms through gorgeous sweeping wide shots. Seeing this film in IMAX is definitely the right choice, as it truly immerses you in the view of a hawk soaring over tundras, grasslands, volcanoes and beaches.
As with any adventure, there were definitely some logistical issues with how far the pair was able to travel in such short amounts of time, but those technicalities didn’t ruin the beauty of it all.
The plot really begins when they arrive back in Edgin’s village to find that Kira is missing. They make an educated guess that she is still with their old party member and partner in crime, Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), who promised to take care of her. As it turns out, Forge and his terrifying counterpart Sofina (Daisy Head) are holding Kira prisoner, and trying to get Kira back is what sets the leads on their quest.
Head had a standout performance in this film. Playing an evil wizard can bounce between scary and corny, and Head managed to make Sofina terrifying. Amongst the colorful backdrop of the world and other characters, Sofina’s presence was genuinely unnerving without being out of place. I feared for the characters on-screen with her until the very end.
Another notable performance was Regė-Jean Page as Xenk Yendar, a famed human paladin. Page was with the party for the least amount of time, but had a strongly developed character and had great moments with the rest of the cast that made him feel like he belonged.
My favorite part of this character was his sense of humor. His deadpan demeanor could lead you to think he was too serious and brooding, but the teasing chemistry Page develops with Pine makes it lighthearted. Their begrudging respect for each other is entertaining and heartwarming.
Some critics have said that Xenk was too overpowered and that his departure from the party was shoehorned into even the playing field, which very well may have been entirely the point. What Dungeon Master hasn’t introduced a cool non-player character in order to move the plot along, then realized that it would totally mess up their plans? It felt true to the source material, and while Page was there, he was absolutely killer.
The costumes must be highlighted, as they were absolutely stunning. Non-human races, such as the bird-man Jarnathan (Clayton Grover), were created with a combination of practical and digital effects. Jarnathan the aarakocra was a feat of animatronics. Grover wore a rig that weighed close to 600 pounds, which had to be connected to the ceiling to help support it.
This fantastical, yet grounded, setting was a beautiful backdrop for the fun adventure story of these characters, and while “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” didn’t break any box office records, there are still talks of sequels. I would be interested in following these characters as they embark on new adventures or meet new characters in this world.
