Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves [4K Ultra HD]

Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley

Cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page

Release Date: May 30, 2023

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 8/10
Disc Rating: 8.5/10

Synopsis:

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 in this hilarious and action-packed adventure.

Please Note: Paramount Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray I reviewed in this Post. The opinions I share are my own.

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ brings the world of fantasy to life and accompanies a band of unlikely individuals who join forces in an attempt to pull off a massive heist with the intention of destroying a trader’s influence, saving a young girl and potentially stopping evil from reigning; plus of course making a whole lot of money in the process. The only issue for this group of ragtag criminals and their friends both new and old is that they lack experience, talent and numbers; but then again what ridiculous and rewarding heist ever succeeded for those unwilling to try.

Directed by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley (Game Night, Vacation) from a screenplay written by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Michael Gilio, and a story by Chris McKay & Michael Gilio, directors Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley do a great job at the helm of ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ guiding along the fun and visually impressive ride with care and style. The film’s cast includes Chris Pine (Don’t Worry Darling), Michelle Rodriguez (Fast X), Regé-Jean Page (The Gray Man), Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Dominion), Sophia Lillis (It 2017), Chloe Coleman (65), Daisy Head (Wrong Turn 2021) and Hugh Grant (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), with the majority each offering solid or at least fitting performances for the most part in their respective roles and many helping tremendously to make this one become as fun as it is.

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is a wildly enjoyable and action-packed good time that’s loaded with laughs and visually spectacular sights throughout, and it should prove just as fun regardless of whether you’re at all familiar with the world of Dungeons & Dragons as a whole or have no knowledge of it whatsoever let alone how it works. The film finds a perfect balance that should bring in fans of the game and give them plenty of nods and tidbits to uncover and appreciate within, while never making things even slightly confusing for those who are new to the world and doing so in a way that shouldn’t insult or trouble viewers on either end which isn’t always an easy task with something that’s based on a massively popular property such as this.

Populated with colorful and amusing characters and providing them with a quest that’s both selfish and noble at the same time, then serving up an explosive ride throughout that’s filled with beautiful effects, memorable action sequences and even a surprising amount of heart at its core to back it all up. The movie is swiftly guided along by directors Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and their careful work behind the scenes is greatly boosted every step of the way by a well-selected cast that’s led by Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and a charmingly despicable Hugh Grant.

Overall, ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is a swiftly paced, visually splendid and humorous ride filled with adventure, heart and excitement around nearly every turn. Benefitting from a smart approach that finds a fitting balance that works for fans and newcomers to the world, and it should leave both with a grin on their face. ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ is highly recommended regardless of whether or not you might be familiar with the material already. If you tend to enjoy a visually notable and consistently funny fantasy epic populated with countless creatures, magic and enjoyable characters then this one should be well worth the time and cost of a rental to give a chance. Those simply interested in purchasing a copy of the film in 4K Ultra HD should not be disappointed by what the release has to offer either including impressive video and audio presentations with more than an hour of enjoyable bonus material on top of it.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10, presented in its original 2.39:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks magnificent altogether and provides a clean, sharp and beautifully detailed presentation from start to finish that never suffers from any unexpected faults to be uncovered along the way. It delivers beautifully throughout and offers impressive detail and clarity across the board, with everything from character clothing and facial details to the landscapes and creatures looking sharp and immaculately detailed. The Dolby Vision addition only improves upon it all and delivers a wonderful color palette that consistently stands out, paired with deep, seemingly endless black levels that are absent of crush or any other potential flaws. Overall, this is a fantastic Ultra High Definition video presentation that delivers impressively every step of the way and should easily thrill both fans and newcomers.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack is quite outstanding in its own right and offers a crisp, clean and notably aggressive audio presentation throughout. It constantly takes full advantage of all seven available channels in order to send creatures and spells, along with action effects, nature elements and a whole lot more consistently whipping throughout the various speakers at every fitting opportunity, while always making certain that all dialogue and other audio elements that may be occurring simultaneously remain clean and fully audible every step of the way. Overall, this is a wonderful Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that perfectly complements the fun onscreen and should not disappoint in the slightest.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ features a nice collection of bonus content that includes some ‘Deleted and Extended Scenes’ from the movie (running approximately 10 minutes in length altogether), along with a ‘Gag Reel’ (running approximately 7 minutes) and various Behind the Scenes Featurettes that feature interviews/comments with the cast and crew, plus behind the scenes footage and more. The included Featurettes are ‘From Dice to Dragons: Honoring the Lore’ (running approximately 11 minutes in length), ‘Rogues’ Gallery: The Heroes of Dungeons & Dragons’ (running approximately 11 minutes), ‘Fantastic Foes’ (approximately 11 minutes), ‘The Bestiary’ (9 minutes), ‘Forging the Forgotten Realms’ (8 minutes), and ‘Broadswords, Battleaxes & Badass Brawls’ (9 minutes).

*Please note: The above images were provided by Paramount and are not reflective of the actual 4K Ultra HD release or its quality. A standard Blu-ray copy of the film was not included in the release that could be used for screenshots therefore the above publicity stills were utilized. They are all the property of Paramount and any other respective owners.

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Film Rating: 8/10
Disc Rating: 8.5/10

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‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ Arrives Home on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD May 30, 2023 & is Now Available on Digital from eOne & Paramount Home Entertainment

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