Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Review (2023) – An action packed, funny and entertaining tribute to the world of D&D!

We are counting down the days until THE DAY… but in the meantime… keeping with our theme for this month we are talking about a newer film called “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves!”

We knew that this film was going to be a fun one but we were surprised at just how much fun it was! We potatoes do have some experience with Dungeons and Dragons. Not a lot with the original game, but we have read the books and played other games, so we are familiar with the world! If you are someone who has more experience with the original game, or no experience at all, this movie may hit differently for you, but for us, it was a really good time!

Trigger warnings before we get into it! This film does have some violence, complex family themes, grief, depression and death. It is a fun and rich fantasy world, but it does possess some darker themes that it is important to be aware of.

We will do everything we can to not give too many spoilers in this review but there are likely to be some, so please take that into consideration and read cautiously.

Without further ado! Let’s get into it!

The movie begins with a shot of a tundra, surrounded by mountains and in the middle of an intense snow storm. Through the storm we can see the figure of some kind of carriage moving towards the camera.

It is a heavy duty sleigh, pulled by black horses heading to a tall, slender and foreboding building coming out of the ice. Medieval guards are posted at the gates of this building. They are wary, and ready to strike as a large orc in chains steps out of the sleigh.

The building is a prison! The guards guide the new prisoner to his cell and he walks inside…but the cell is occupied!

There are two people already in the cell and it is clear that they have been there for a while! Edgin (Chris Pine) the human laying in his cell bed and knitting, welcomes the orc to their cell. He introduces himself, his barbarian friend Holga (Michelle Rodriquez) and gives a tour of the cell that is short but hilarious!

The orc is delightfully surprised by the fact that one of the cells occupants is female…which of course leads the orc to somehow think that his advances would be…desired? Sigh. Edgin warns him that Holga does not like being interrupted when she is, “eating her potatoes.”

The orc does not listen, and well…he interrupts. He strokes Holga’s face…GROSS and she proceeds to kick his ass. We potatoes fully support this ass whooping. We do not care for interruptions when we are enjoying a good meal either…much less sexist, gross, threatening, and molesting interruptions!

Edgin is so used to Holga’s capabilities that he does not even look up from his knitting and he causally says some of our favorite lines in the whole film, “I think I’m gonna do this without fingers and make it a mitten. Who am I trying to impress?” We laughed hard at that, the way the line is so causally delivered after that thorough ass beating is brilliant!

We cut to later that day where we see both Holga and Edgin with big ice picks swinging away at large chunks of ice in a snowfield. Edgin is singing casually as they chip away at the ice, and also talks about his excitement for the Absolution Council which will be the next day!

Holga is skeptical but Edgin is convinced that with “Jarnathan” (Clayton Grover) on the council, that they have a good chance at being released from prison! Holga does not agree, but Edgin maintains his excited outlook.

Cut to the next day in the council chambers with one of the council members hitting a gavel against their desk. They are there to decide if Edgin and Holga deserve to be released and pardoned for the crimes of grand larceny and skullduggery.

Edgin is standing in front of them, and appears ready to give his statement…but there is an empty chair at the council table! Jarnathan is not there! Edgin questions why Jarnathan is not there, to which the councilors reply that he has been held up due to the weather.

Edgin asks if they can wait for Jarnathan…but the council is not having it and urge him to begin his statement. Edgin is hesitant, but if he does not begin his statement they will not allow him to give it at all. So Edgin tells his story.

Edgin is a bard and a former member of a group called the Harpers. The Harpers are a network of spies who swear an oath to fight tyranny, defend the oppressed and are not supposed to ask for anything in return. His wife Zia is supportive of the decision despite the risks and they manage to build a nice life for each other and their baby girl Kira.

But Edgin found himself wanting more…asking for nothing in return is something he struggled with, which is in our opinion, completely understandable! He is only human after all. We are going to get off track for a moment here to let you guys know that while he is telling his backstory…he keeps interrupting himself to ask about Jarnathan.

It is actually really funny, because he seems so casual about it but you can tell that for some reason, Jarnathan being there is important to him! Moving forward though!

Edgin made some enemies during his time with the Harpers…which led to his wife being murdered by a group of undead called the Red Wizards. His daughter, Kira, survived the attack, but Edgin found himself alone, and grieving with an infant to boot.

Edgin is unable to cope and falls into a bottle. This is where he meets Holga who has also found herself at the bottom of a bottle. Holga has been banished by her tribe for falling in love with an outsider. Holga fell apart without her tribe despite being in love.

But she took pity on Kira…Edgin was in bad shape and Kira needed someone to actually raise her and parent her. Holga stepped up, and she and Edgin became such good friends that Edgin describes them as brother and sister.

They found themselves strapped for cash, and with no truly honest way of earning any. So, they became thieves! They would take young Kira (Sophia Nell-Huntley) with them on their heists and they grew their party! Adding a sorcerer named Simon (Justice Smith), and a con man named Forge (Hugh Grant).

They may have been a group of thieves but they were thieves with morals. They only robbed from the wealthy, and they never hurt anyone on their heists. But…Edgin is still grieving and missing his wife. Forge convinces Edgin to go on a big heist to steal an item that has the power to bring his wife back from the dead!

Edgin is easily persuaded to go on this especially risky mission. Kira (Chloe Coleman) does not want him to go on this heist, but Edgin promises her that it will be the last one. While attempting to execute the raid, Edgin and Holga are caught and imprisoned in Icewind Dale which is where they are now. Forge and Simon were able to escape and avoid imprisonment.

Edgin is determined to get out, find Kira and be a better father to her. After completing his statement Jarnathan shows up, and despite them being given a formal pardon…Edgin and Holga escape the prison in the most silly of ways.

They steal some horses and manage to make their way back to Kira and Forge! Kira is glad to see her father…but she is angry and hesitant. In her mind Edgin left her despite her protests and got himself arrested. Edgin does not admit to wronging Kira, and Kira is frustrated with him to say the least.

Kira takes them to see Forge. Forge has become Lord of Nerverwinter, a large, bustling city in this world, and he has also become a sort of father figure to Kira. Edgin and Holga meet with a charismatic and seemingly welcoming Forge, who seems eager to see and speak to them!

Edgin and Holga discover that Forge is also still working with the sorceress Sofina, who was present for the heist that went wrong, leading to Edgin and Holga being locked up. They also discover that Forge has been lying to Kira about what the heist was actually about!

Forge is actually in league with the suspicious Sofina and has no intention of helping Edgin at all…or with returning Edgin’s daughter! Forge has taken a liking to fatherhood…he akins it to being like a god…this gave us the ICK something fierce. GROSS Forge.

This is a truly ICKY part of the film. Listening to Forge describe parenthood and how thrilling it is to control someone, to mold someone in your image, and to feel like a god…made us barf in our mouths a little bit.

This is unfortunately more common than many may think, and it is not a valid reason AT ALL to be a parent. Parenthood is difficult, and comes with a lot of challenges. But what a parent is essentially doing…is creating a whole new person.

Your child is a whole new human. A whole new person. An individual. They are NOT an extension of their parent. Forge is a crappy parent to say the least, but we digress!

Forge has both Edgin and Holga taken away…asking that they be put back in prison. Sofina tells the guards to kill them!

We are going to start wrapping things up here as we do not want to give too much of this fun movie away! Edgin and Holga manage to free themselves from Forge’s guards and set out to get Kira back! Essentially they end up having multiple quests throughout the film, the main ones being saving Kira, revenge on Forge, and some world saving as well... They find their old pal Simon along the way, a Druid named Doric (Sophia Lillis) and a Paladin named Xenk (Rege-Jean Page). They rebuild their party, and set out to on their quests!

This movie is just a genuinely fun time! Even if you are someone who knows nothing about the world of D&D you will still find a lot of laughs, action and general amusement from this film!

While we love this movie as a whole, there are some things that we feel need to be addressed specifically the lack of accountability that we see from Edgin.

Edgin does not take real accountability for how he has harmed his daughter. This, of course, upsets Kira. Edgin needs to take genuine accountability for the choices he has made and how they have affected Kira. He did not have to go on that heist, he was urged not to…and yet he still went out of a misguided idea that he could maybe bring his wife back to life.

While that may be understandable to a point…it is still self-absorbed and misguided. Kira needs her father and she needs Holga…Zia would just be a stranger to her anyway. This was not about giving Kira her mother back at all…it was about Edgin and his grief.

While we can hold space for Edgin’s grief. It still, in our opinion, did not make it OK for him to not consider his daughter. Kira and Holga are his family too. Setting that aside, Edgin does not admit to his daughter that he messed up. That he made the wrong decision or that his behavior was harmful.

It is common to think that a simple apology is all it takes in order to be accountable for your wrong doings…but that is not necessarily true. Real accountability goes beyond simple words. Real accountability involves taking responsibility for one's actions, decisions, and their consequences, both positive and negative.

It means acknowledging one's role in a situation, being transparent about one's behavior, and making efforts to rectify any harm caused. Accountability is not just about admitting mistakes but also actively working to prevent their recurrence and learning from them. It's a crucial component of personal growth, and healthy relationships.

Edgin does not do this at all. He tries to play off his imprisonment as a heist that simply went wrong…but he made choices. He chose to leave his daughter. He chose to take this huge risk knowing that if they got caught, the consequences would be severe. He chose to do so anyway, and he is not the only one who paid the price.

Kira paid the price too. Kira lost the only family she knew. Kira got stuck in an unhealthy and toxic relationship with Forge, a narcissist who views her as a source of supply and validation for himself instead of the individual that she is.

The absence of accountability from others, especially from your parents or caregivers, can have real lasting effects on your mental health. This can include trust issues, low self-esteem, emotional distress, and difficulty in conflict resolution. Recognizing the importance of accountability and actively striving to implement it is crucial. Edgin fails here and we wish that he didn’t. We get a glimpses of it…we even get kind of close to it at one point! But he talks to the wrong person and he does not say what he needs to say Kira.

Accountability is not easy. It is difficult, vulnerable, and incredibly intimidating. But it is worth it and it is brave. Change is not easy, it takes a lot of work, and a real desire to be better. To do better. But your loved ones will appreciate it and your relationships will benefit from it.

We potatoes know firsthand how difficult this can be. A licensed therapist is extremely beneficial and we could not recommend them more. A good therapist is worth their weight in gold. But we understand that not everyone has access to therapy or has the resources for therapy, etc. But if you can, we highly encourage you to do so.

If you are brave enough to take accountability for your actions, to seek out therapy and work hard to grow as a person, as Edgin in this movie should have…we salute you! You are a marvel and we hope you are as proud of you as we are!

Overall, the movie is well acted, and the casting is absolutely phenomenal in our opinion! The story is fun, well-paced, with a lot of great jokes and entertaining action! You can tell that whoever wrote this definitely has an appreciation for the world of D&D.

We thoroughly enjoyed this movie and we recommend it! Is it a master piece? No. But you will enjoy yourself! If you are someone who appreciates silliness, humor, fun characters and whimsy then you will love this film!

We give this movie 4 out of 5 Dungeons and Dragons cocktails!

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Drinking Game

Take a sip anytime:

1.     Anyone mentions "Jarnathan"

2.     Anyone says "Harper"

3.     Anyone says "Red Wizard"

4.     Anyone says "Plan"

5.     Anyone sings

6.     Anyone drinks

7.     Edgin plays his lute

8.     Edgin hits someone with his lute

9.     Holga is a badass

10.  Holga calls Kira “Bug”

11.  Simon doubts himself

12.  Simon performs magic

13.  Doric uses wildshape (Turns into another creature)

14.  Forge is insufferable

15.  Forge lies

16.  Xenk doesn't understand something

17.  There's a reference or call back to classic D&D

18. There's a potato on screen

What did you think? Did you like the movie? Did you hate it? What movies should we watch? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know here in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly!