D&D Movie/TV D&D: Honor Among Thieves Open Discussion [Full Spoilers]

[M_Natas]

Anyone else shipping Simon and Doric, or Doron? what do you think?

For me, that came out of nowhere. In the novel Doric had no interest in Simon at all and the movie really didn't show any love chemistry between the two.

 

[M_Natas]

I loved it. So much fun.

My nitpicks:
Where are the body guards for the rich? The rich guys were all like, look, she's chanting, no biggie.....
There were no others capable of fighting back in the Emerald Enclave?
The didn't help the paladin fight, just stood there?
The bard couldn't do anything (which I get was the point, but he did almost nothing, I get it, it was the bit)
Really, my issue was the same one I have with most cop shows...where are all the other people in the world (not for the plot, but for all the stuff on the side).

It's a typical D&D campaign . The other heros got killed in the maze.

They traveled at the speed like the producers of GoT were show running across the area.
To be clear, these are tiny nitpicks, and didn't bother me at all.

They traveld at the speed of the story. Thats true. It is a D&D Trope. "Oh, you travel from Neverwinter to Baldurs Gate just fine, you are now there" says the DM. That what makes it a D&D movie , concentrating on the important part.

What I loved most:
The attunement scenes. Really, this should 100% be part of the rules somehow. I'm totally using this in a future campaign.
All the little easter eggs.
The plan for breaking into the vault, and its execution.
The fight scenes were all very well choreographed and executed.
The bigby's hands fight was great.

The fight scenes were perfect. First of all every action scene was different, and they escalated. Second of all, often they had to outsmart the enemy or run. In to many "Fantasy"/Superhero movies of today it ist just 10 minutes of people punching each other harder, here, they had to think, work together, and now, that they will loose in direct confrontation. The end fight was probably the best action scene ever. And also: you always know what's going on. The action is not confusing, you can follow it and that's also what modern action movies fail to do often. The action is perfect.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

It's a typical D&D campaign . The other heros got killed in the maze.

They traveld at the speed of the story. Thats true. It is a D&D Trope. "Oh, you travel from Neverwinter to Baldurs Gate just fine, you are now there" says the DM. That what makes it a D&D movie , concentrating on the important part.

The fight scenes were perfect. First of all every action scene was different, and they escalated. Second of all, often they had to outsmart the enemy or run. In to many "Fantasy"/Superhero movies of today it ist just 10 minutes of people punching each other harder, here, they had to think, work together, and now, that they will loose in direct confrontation. The end fight was probably the best action scene ever. And also: you always know what's going on. The action is not confusing, you can follow it and that's also what modern action movies fail to do often. The action is perfect.

I can't second it enough.

I really liked the fighting choreography and the amount of time spent in most scenes. It really fit the D&D feel.
Go there, explore a bit, have a nice encounter or two. Also making up plans along the way. Finding random stuff. Having random knowledge quite handy.


It realy is a movie that does what it was supposed to do: represent D&D.

 

[Dire Bare]

Doric itself was fine. In an ensemble can't not everybody itself can get the same amount of detail.
But the movie continued the same problem I had with Druid's Call. The main threat to her elven home is not really explained. In the novel it was unresolved which made the book incomplete (which I didn't like). While it was resolved in the movie, it didn't get anymore detail. Maybe it was explained in passing ans I have missed it, but why and who are the people lodging the forest? Like this whole part needed another two minutes to just get cleared up. Maybe another one of this fu Flashbacks done right ... (also the Druid's Call was a good young adult novel, but the Druid School part was so shallow and the learning of magic so ... boring and undetailed... it is sad).
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But I have to say, the tie in novels enhance the movie experience. Like ... in Star Trek 2009, the tie in comic was necessary to understand the villian and have him make sense, making Star Trek 2009 a bad movie, here the Tie In Novels are not necessary to understand the plot, but if you read them, the movie will become better. It's like having the right wine with a good meal. An improvement. That's done right.
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All in all, Honor Among Thieves is the perfect representation of a d&d campaign on the big screen. As a D&D movie it is a Nat 20, as a conventional fantasy movie maybe a 17/20. Because it Breaks the Hollywood Story formula and if the would have been more Conservative with the story structure it would have ceased to be a D&D movie and just become a generic gantasy movie.

They do talk about how Forge and Sofina are behind the loggers in the Neverwinter forest . . . but don't give it much time or development, or a reason other than profit. Which is enough, but the movie should have given that subplot just a little more sunshine. In the novel, "Druid's Call", they purposefully keep the identity and purpose of the loggers unknown . . . but it was obvious that the new lord of Neverwinter was behind the chaos. They may as well have given that more sunlight in the novel as well.

Simon and Doric's interactions in the novels were a bit weird. Simon had very little effect on the plot of "Druid's Call", he just shows up awkwardly two or three times and basically does what he did in the film. Simon: "Remember me?" Doric: "Who are you again?" Which, in the film, did get a laugh from me! I did get the impression that Simon was sweet on Doric in the novel, but she was so uninterested he couldn't dredge up the courage to say anything to her about his feelings. But that was all more implied than explained. Simon feeling like he was courting Doric, without really doing so, while Doric was barely aware of his existence, seems in tune with both of their characters, both in the novel and film. I've known guys like that . . . totally smitten with someone who doesn't seem to know they exist, and convinced this is a major relationship in their lives . . . . heck, I think I may have been that guy at least once, or thrice . . . .

 

[M_Natas]

They do talk about how Forge and Sofina are behind the loggers in the Neverwinter forest . . . but don't give it much time or development, or a reason other than profit. Which is enough, but the movie should have given that subplot just a little more sunshine. In the novel, "Druid's Call", they purposefully keep the identity and purpose of the loggers unknown . . . but it was obvious that the new lord of Neverwinter was behind the chaos. They may as well have given that more sunlight in the novel as well.

Then I must have missed it in the movie, that Forge and Sofina are behind it. I mean, just one more minute explaining why they need to cut so much wood in order to build the arena would have been fine.

Simon and Doric's interactions in the novels were a bit weird. Simon had very little effect on the plot of "Druid's Call", he just shows up awkwardly two or three times and basically does what he did in the film. Simon: "Remember me?" Doric: "Who are you again?" Which, in the film, did get a laugh from me! I did get the impression that Simon was sweet on Doric in the novel, but she was so uninterested he couldn't dredge up the courage to say anything to her about his feelings. But that was all more implied than explained. Simon feeling like he was courting Doric, without really doing so, while Doric was barely aware of his existence, seems in tune with both of their characters, both in the novel and film. I've known guys like that . . . totally smitten with someone who doesn't seem to know they exist, and convinced this is a major relationship in their lives . . . . heck, I think I may have been that guy at least once, or thrice . . . .

Yeah, I felt Simon having a crush on Doric, but Doric didn't seem to have any romantic interest in Simon (or anybody) at all. Which made the young adult novel so more refreshing. Them just going out at the end of the movie doesn't feel natural or earned.

 

[M_Natas]

Anyone else surprised that Forge didn't get a repdemption arc? Maybe it's just because I read the prequel before seeing the film, but I was convinced he'd turn on Sofina at the end (perhaps because he really did care for Bug).

I think Forge is a player character turned NPC.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Then I must have missed it in the movie, that Forge and Sofina are behind it. I mean, just one more minute explaining why they need to cut so much wood in order to build the arena would have been fine.

Yeah, I felt Simon having a crush on Doric, but Doric didn't seem to have any romantic interest in Simon (or anybody) at all. Which made the young adult novel so more refreshing. Them just going out at the end of the movie doesn't feel natural or earned.

It made a refreshing change from Bioware....

 

[Dire Bare]

Then I must have missed it in the movie, that Forge and Sofina are behind it. I mean, just one more minute explaining why they need to cut so much wood in order to build the arena would have been fine.

Yeah, I felt Simon having a crush on Doric, but Doric didn't seem to have any romantic interest in Simon (or anybody) at all. Which made the young adult novel so more refreshing. Them just going out at the end of the movie doesn't feel natural or earned.

Eh, it didn't bother me, but . . . it wasn't necessary, and probably would have been better if skipped.

Doric spent very little time with Simon in the novel, and during the movie got to see in Simon what Edgin sees, someone who just needs to find the self-confidence to grow into their potential. So, she's willing to give him a shot . . . but that's as far as it gets in the film.

If there is a sequel with the same characters, I would LOVE it if Simon and Doric have one disastrous date in-between films, and just continue on as friends. I dated a girl for a brief time, it didn't work out, but we became good friends . . . . and she would give me all sorts of grief over how much of an idiot I was during our brief relationship (good naturedly). I can see that being a potentially fun interaction between these two characters.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Has anyone mentioned that for something that was stated as "not setting up a sequel" it absolutely set up a sequel? They established Szass Tam as a Palpatine-level Big Bad, and left it open.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Then I must have missed it in the movie, that Forge and Sofina are behind it. I mean, just one more minute explaining why they need to cut so much wood in order to build the arena would have been fine.

It's the whole reason Doric agrees to sign on!

As for why, Forge's motivation is only ever one thing: money. Timber is a valuable commodity - housing, ship-building, fuel.