D&D Movie/TV The D&D Movie Reviews Are Coming In

While Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves doesn't come out until March 31st, reviewers have seen early screenings--and so far at least—it's all almost all overwhelmingly positive.

Of course, while those who follow genre movie news will know that's not an unusual pattern among early screenings, with things starting to settle down a bit later, Rotten Tomatoes currently has the movie at 100%. We can expect that to drop.

[UPDATE -- the Rotten Tomatoes score is now starting to drop and was at 92% at the time of this edit.]
[UPDATE -- now 84%.]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves | Rotten Tomatoes

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the...

www.rottentomatoes.com

Hollywood Reporter said "An adaptation that will appeal to the nostalgic side of existing fans and entertain those whose eyes glaze over at the mention of Dungeon Masters, bards or druids." Variety's verdict was "It’s at once cheesy and charming, synthetic and spectacular, cozily derivative and rambunctiously inventive, a processed piece of junk-culture joy that, by the end, may bring a tear to your eye." Den of Geek says "At last, here is a crowdpleaser that actually pleases, and not least of all because the stakes are as small as an evening with some mates going on "a quest" by way of a 20-sided die." And Total Film speaks of "A Pine-fuelled mix of humour, handsome settings and high-stakes action turns the beloved board game into a big-screen treat."

Other outlets agree. According to Polygon "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is everything a D&D fan could want" and The Wrap says "This Hilarious Epic Fantasy Is a Total Blast". Deadline also gives it a positive review, saying "With renewed interest in the fantasy genre, it’s good to see something outside of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones getting it right and having a good time. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is also one of the better game adaptations to hit theaters due to all of the elements coming together — a strong cast, a decent story, dynamic direction and pleasing special effects."

Rolling Stone is a little more tempered, however, observing that "‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ Proves Chris Pine Can Save Anything" but warns that "no matter how much the creators confess their love of the game, all of those shout-outs to creatures, character types, campaign details and so on feel like annoying distractions."

RogerEbert.com feels that "The film often feels like it’s faking what the creators love about the game instead of trying to translate it from one medium to another."

But so far, so good! We'll have to wait to see if the trend holds up once the movie is out, but for those hoping we'll finally have a decent D&D movie--it looks like there is hope to be had!

 

[Ogre Mage]

I enjoyed the film. Some random thoughts which include minor spoilers:

*The movie is an action comedy and heist film.

*I could tell the creators were familiar with D&D. At times I was thinking -- That's resilient sphere. That's scorching ray. Oops, that was a failed saving throw.

*Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez have good chemistry together.

*The actors were cast so they could lean into what they do best. Chris Pine is a charming rascal, Hugh Grant is a smarmy upper-class villain, Rege-Jean Page is so intense the Duke he played on Bridgerton seems relaxed by comparison. Michelle Rodriguez is Vasquez with a battleaxe.

*Daisy Head was delightfully creepy in her Red Wizard role.

*Incredible sequence of the druid Doric (Sophia Lillis) fleeing the castle while shapeshifting from one animal to another. Don't go to the bathroom when this starts.

*So many Easter eggs I lost count but my favorite was the nod to the 1980s D&D cartoon.

*Honor Among Thieves wiped away the painful repressed memories I have of that 2000 film that shall not be named.

 

[Dire Bare]

Yeah, kind of a fun plug for theaters. I thought it was a little awkward how it was produced (all the angles of people not looking at the camera, even though they were talking directly to us). My favorite part was just Hugh Grant, who was projecting a very "I am contractually obligated to be here" sort of vibe in that segment, which I found funny (and added to my enjoyment of the segment). All the others seemed to be at least trying.

But . . . Chris Pine and crew told me I was a hero!! Just for showing up to watch the film where it was meant to be seen, in the theatre!!

That was oddly shot and full of cringe . . . but the movie was so good I had forgotten all about it until you brought it up . . . .

 

[Dire Bare]

A major part of Hugh Grant's charm is that he always gives off that energy but makes it fun.

Grant was so damn charming in this film, I was rooting for him all the way to the end! Not to win, of course, but I really wanted him to saunter off into the sunset in search of his next grift.

 

[Mistwell]

 

[Mistwell]

I listened to the audio book of the prequel and, surprisingly, I really enjoyed it! It was a lot of fun, has heart, and is very D&D. Even though, in the book, the Bard was basically just a face-man and leader who left the magic and weapons to others most of the time. It was well worth reading/listening too. WAY better than most movie-tie-ins I've read. And it has me caring about the characters (or at least some of them) going into the movie.

 

[SteveC]

Let me give my review: it's a definite "see in the theater" film for me. I enjoyed it and would recommend it, but I sort of had my expectations set too high by some comments by people who saw it early. It's a good film, but not great. I liked Chris Pine a ton, and thought he managed to play a bard as something that wasn't annoying.

There are a lot of practical effects, some of which are questionable, and some of the CGI is not good, but in general the look and feel (especially the locations they shot from) are excellent.

I think you will enjoy the movie more if you have tempered expectations, but I definitely recommend it.