Agreed. Sadly between the bad trailers, the overly nerdy title that put off non DnD players, and the release date (sandwiched between John Wick and Mario), this movie never stood a chance :(
@@languidlandscapelad2239Yet we’re talking about it. The rise of things like critical role and Baldur’s Gate 3 has really brought dnd into the mainstream. Idk, I have high hopes for the future.
I saw a lot of hate for this movie over wokeism, per usual with any blockbuster that isn’t macho-testosterone. Apparently this is a emasculating movie where the women overpower dudes or whatever bs, that and the nerdy specific demographic, and probably people just being tired of IP films, and the time it released, and bad marketing, it didn’t have a great chance
@@BuildinWings i dont rlly know if sleeper hits really exist that much anymore, algorithms are shit and don’t help you discover undiscovered cult classics as much as they just feed you comfort food. And since movie-watching is never rlly the same you dont have a resurgence in popularity through DVD sales like what happened with Predator or even the Thing in more notable cases.
Love how “Jarnathan” is such a DM name, a name the DM had to come up with on the spot for a throwaway npc that the party becomes weirdly obsessed with and ropes into their schenanigans.
And then the DM has to come up with a backstory for this character and give them more than one dimension and then the plot ends up revolving around this one-off NPC and you end up rewriting most of the campaign cause of it. Noooo, I definitely haven't been there before. 😅
Holga: Fantasy story with a non-evil step/replacement mother. No gaslighting. No jealousy. No imprisoning for magic hair. Holga is literally the parent that stepped in and stepped up.
"So that's the council. Now, you see--" "What about the other people?" "...what?" "The other people in the room? You said there were people behind us, guards and such." "Oh. Um.... well, that's Jarnathan and Bobbert. Cindyella is on her way."
Yay to more sweet depictions of women and men simply being friends. I loved Edgin and Holga's dynamic, with her helping to raise Kira, without any indication of lingering romantic feelings.
Yes! My eyes glaze over pretty much every time the "relationship turns romantic" trope rears its boring head. There is so much more to make stories about.
The best part was after Holga talked to her ex, Edgin sings a song to cheer her up and she joins in. I was preparing myself to cringe at him misreading her and getting a bad reaction, but she knew what he was trying to do and played along, and it was so heartwarming.
It reminds me of Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White as Sydney and Carmy in The Bear. Especially recently how people keep talking about them being a couple in the future, or the show implying a developing romantic relationship, people seem almost angry at others that want people this close not to be simply another romance. Because we really lack these sort of super close hetero male and female friendships. The only other great example I can think of is Clara and the 12th Doctor, who have one of the closest, most intimate and loving, completely platonic, friendships I've ever seen, their chemistry and love for each other is so evident in every word and look. As someone who's had a lot of trouble the past years finding close male friends becuz of stuff, I've realised what a world of difference it makes having close female friends as a guy. The amount of people online, or irl, who refuse to believe this is possible, or always making comments about 'poor guy being friendzoned' about social-media examples of it. I think as guys we can all benefit from being friends with women, it really helps cross the division and often bitter hatred between genders. Especially the amount of mystification and othering of women that happens from male influencers (often role models) in social media nowadays which is so damaging.
I spent the entire first watch praying to screenwriter gods to not do that! And they didn't. The almost complete absence of masc/fem platonic friendships in media sucks so bad and they created one of the most authentic friendships I've ever seen on screen. A truly lovely film in so many ways.
I remember being pleasantly surprised at the choice to make Holga's dynamic with her ex as accepting yet awkward. Like many failed relationships, she doesn't care about him romantically but still harbors a fondness for him. So she shares his joy at a new relationship while grappling with moving on herself, thus crafting a storyline more mature for the audience.
It's a very well done moment - sure they throw in a little bit of a joke in there about how her ex has a type, but ultimately it's a heartfelt, mature moment of acceptance.
@@ahstiasummers5583 Yeah, that's really the best part imo. This mutual sort of "it didn't work out between us, but you're still dear to me and I wish you all the happiness." A very nice and mature way to depict a breakup/closure, and quite rarely seen in movies I think.
My favorite line from Edgin talking to the disguised red wizard was definitely "I wasn't trying to bring your mom back, I was trying to bring my wife back." Being able to admit that there IS a difference there is so huge. It's what later makes Edgin choose to resurrect Holga instead of his wife. Because that WAS bringing her mom back.
Yeah, Edgin's stated motivation the whole time was to bring his daughter's mom back, and in the end that's what he actually does, despite acknowledging that he'd been lying/mistaken in his claims.
As a mother myself this is something my husband and I have talked about a bit. You tend to get lost in the parent role that you forget that you were a wife/husband first before you became a parent. You have to take time for your relationship once you have kids. I also think it's important that your kids grow up knowing that as well. Saying something like "don't treat my wife like that" instead of "don't treat your mother like that" can change the perspective of how your kids view you. Most kids and teens don't truly realize that their parents are also husband and wife and have a very special relationship with each other. Like you said, though, I love how they made that very distinct difference.
@@thebazile5253 I agree, I think it also applies to a lot of different relationships and their dynamics in general. Like parents will swear up and down to know you more than a spuse could for example. And in some ways that is true but in other ways it isnt, because there is a difference in that relationship.
@@nephicus339nah because this phrasing works for DnD as a game. Its literally a game about the experience not winning or losing. The moment you stop playing the game ends.
One interesting aspect of this movie that a number of D&D fans have noticed is how much the characters actually feel like they're people playing a character in an actual roleplaying game, and the way each failure manages to be sidestepped through the cunning of the party or gentle pushes from the plot like a DM would while playing a campaign. Definitely a nice touch.
And some not so gentle pushes when the plot goes sideways, and the GM had to course correct everything by introducing a GMPC in the form of Xenk to progress the campaign again. Then there is the GM suddenly pulling the Hither-Thither Staff out of nowhere after their bridge puzzle, which they probably spent hours/days working on, got totally wrecked before anyone could even try it, and the players then spent the rest of the campaign abusing the hell out of the OP item by using it for everything. No matter how much the GM tried making it as awkward as possible to use in scenarios to try to steer the players to use other mentions other than the Staff.
The speak with dead part is like when the party is so stubborn that they believe this is the correct way to solve the problem and the DM is trying their best to railroad them back into the right direction.
@@WillMachines The first one was the party forgetting to clarify they were metagaming with some of the questions, so they DM actually counted them. The rest of them was the DM having a bunch of fun making them ask more corpses questions over and over (especially the guy who turned out to be the brother of who they were looking for).
Underappreciated arc in Holga learning to accept people genuinely caring for her and allowing herself to show vulnerability 😭😭😭 her revival reaction gets me every time
I read somewhere that he walked over the rock because he was directed to walk in a straight line, and no one yelled cut, so he decided as a Paladin the thing to do would be to just walk over the rock in his straight line.
I really loved Holga visiting her ex, meeting his new love and having a respectful and healthy interaction there. It hurt, but she didn't needlessly hurt the person she loves just because she was hurting at the time. It was really good management of feelings and vulnerability without making Holga any less of a strong person. If anything shows she can hurt and still find the strength to treat others with dignity at that time and I was pretty impressed.
As a long time D&D player, YES, the game is best when its not taken too seriously. Literally last night, our party was holding off a massive swarm of spiders in a tunnel, when my rogue lost consciousness. And what did the party do? Yeeted my limp body further down the tunnel to get me out of harms way!! We all laughed so much that it hurt!!! So happy to see the movie embrace and understand that chaotic energy. Really deserved to be a box office smash.
The best part of that is that I assume they probably had to role a dice to see if they succeeded in yeeting you and being like, "please work, please work, please work". 😂
I DM'd a one shot recently and like any good DM, I had a red herring B plot going alongside the main plot. For some amazing reason, the dice "decided" that the party would uncover ALL the red herring breadcrumbs and completely miss out on ALL of the main plot breadcrumbs. When the final fight came along, one of them focused on catching the B plot traitor, while the rest of the party ended up helping the A plot traitor! This movie felt like it could easily have been a campaign my friends and I played or DM'd for. Complete with an overweight dragon, and DMPC's and plot devices that attempt to herd the player back into the A plot. As a DM and player, I live for those moments lol
I am playing a Weird West setting atm. I am the group's fighter and have this thing called "The Anger" where I can punch supernatural stuff and actually do physical damage. The other party members have holy weapons to use. We were in a bar and our group's talker sat down to negotiate a truce with the head of a group of vampires we were fighting with. I scanned the bar looking for signs of trouble but rolled badly and so saw two guys at the bar who acting kinda sketchy. I approached them and figured out that they were up to something. They spun me this story about the horses outside being afraid of creatures in the night. I said that I would accompany them outside to look but if they were lying I would bury both of them. They were lying. The two guys were vampires and I fought both of them but the worst part is that they were instructed to distract me while the patrons inside WHO WERE ALL VAMPIRES pinned down the rest of my party who were still sitting inside.
During a short campaign once, the DM asked everyone to make a character "completely different from what you normally play". I usually play high-int spellcasters, so this time I went with a low-int barbarian. He was from a desert tribe, so when someone mentioned "hill giants", he had no idea what they were; so he asked. And another party member decided to completely fuck with him by saying "they're giants the size of ENTIRE HILLS!" I rolled an int-based check (I don't remember if it was History or pure Int) and of course failed. So it became a running joke through the campaign that he was terrified of ever meeting a hill giant since they're "so huge". Fast-forward to when we actually *do* encounter some hill giants. My guy yells, "You lied! They're not as big as hills!" To which the other guy responded, "These are just BABIES!" Total BS, of course, but... I didn't even roll for it. Yep, my guy believed they were babies and nearly shat himself right there 😂
I 200% appreciate that they got the cast together, and ran them through a D&D campaign, to help them really understand just how a group functions. The fact that it is never about one singular person, but everyone working in concert, and I think that really clicks for the cast, with them understanding that none of them are the solitary big damn hero. That's not a thing in D&D, and it is awesome.
There are plenty of people who play and DM in TTRPGS that needed this movie because they need to understand how to create good stories where everyone has a part to play. No one can do it alone, and heroism comes in forms big and small. But most importantly, everyone is there to have fun.
@@WolfeOracleFor sure and also does a decent amount to help people who struggle with rolling low and getting frustrated every time (I think most of us have had/still have that struggle). Just roll with the low roll and make it a character moment whether big or small and make a point of having fun no matter how the dice are treating you. Just this weekend my weird fleshwarp beastkin lionman dueled another party member for rights to some loot and got his ass handed to him with like 4-5 critical failures and I just had his hedonistic arrogant ass go into town to eat and drink his feelings and buy himself something shiny. And now I have a specific list of things that character NEEDS to process his butthurt: Food, drink/drugs, shopping/loot, and fighting and he needs them all without exception The low rolls can be just as fun as the high rolls and you getting upset a plan didn't work or lady luck just hates you that day is only going to bring you AND the whole table down
I am deeply impressed by how loyal this movie was to the soul of DnD while being 100% accessible to everyone who doesn't play DnD. It's a witty, artful, heartfelt movie and it deserves all the praise.
I really like that Forge telling the wardens that his mum is responsible for him being as he is is a semi-callback to Xenk saying “So you blame his mother for his corruption”
I was impressed by baby Kira's acting. She was always in the moment. Like when her father fell over, most babies facing at that angle probably wouldn't react but she fully looked out and down at him. I've rarely seen an on-screen baby be so in the moment.
Absolutely haha! I can only think of one other baby that was just SO expressive and that's the baby from that old 80s "Willow" movie. Honourable mention for baby Matilda
Totally agreed. But then I also want to recommend a Series of Unfortunate Events. The Netflix series with Neil Patrick Harris. The baby in that series is fantastic. The series is very good, period, but definitely applies to the subject of babies who really work well on camera.
What I love about the forestomping-on-your-face bit is that it feels SO true to the D&D experience as a DM. You'll practically spell out exactly what's happening for your players, and somehow they will STILL misinterpret it and go off in another direction you haven't planned for. It just fits so well!
I agree! While playing D&D I learned that sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and that’s okay. Go with the flow. And when you have a great DM and party, it can be a fantastic experience. 😊
Long time DM here. I endorse this whole-heartedly. You can wave enormous plot flags in front of players and they will just assume that it's flavour. And six months later, you get that awesome moment when you see the penny finally drop. This movie absolutely nailed it.
I started DM maybe like a year ago, and one of my friends who has DMed for much longer than me always manages to set something on fire, and then I have to figure out a way to make the quest work with a building’s charred remains as the setting.
Holga saying, "Why would you waste it on me?" is such a heartbreaking line to me. I'm so glad they all hugged her afterwards. On an unrelated note, someone suggested that if they do a sequel, they keep the main cast of actors and they all play totally different characters and I sincerely hope this happens (not that I don't love this gang, they're excellent.)
While that would be super meta and I would love it, there is NO way this happens. The very fact that this movie was made at all was a major miracle, let alone the quality of the cast and script...There is no way some Hollywood big wig would let them possibly spoil the franchise potential, let alone possibly have to use a new setting... Nah, ain't going to happen, but it would be great if it did.\
@@Tyfreaky13The potential IS in The what the comment says. The potential would be if they did something predictable. That being said, I’m not sure if the big wigs wouldn’t recognize the change as long as it’s a soft alter. I think the franchise will work either way no matter what they do. I just hope the writing stays just as good, clean and fun
@@davidharshman7645 Yeah, but did the hypothetical players even read their spell and ability descriptions, or did they skim them and make up the rest? I mean, it seems none of them realized that bards and druids are supposed to be spellcasters.
I did the same thing. It was an absolute blast and a good bonding experience. I'm the DM and when they were talking about tracing the loot, I went, OHHHHH, and one of my players turned around and told me "Don't you dare!!!" hahahaha We'll see friend, we'll see.
I absolutely Love the "never stop failing" speech because it really is the only way to move forward. If you give up, you've closed the door on whatever you want to happen, but as long as you keep trying, you're learning what to do and what Not to do. A new favorite quote of mine is "The Master has failed more times than the apprentice has even tried".
Another part that works for me is the line from Xenk from earlier in the movie, "I only ask that you consider that this plane we call 'life' is but one of many. ...To drag your lady-love back to her old life is to deprive her of her new one. " I imagine Chris Pine thinking about it, and bringing his wife back would not be in her best wishes. It is another layer to his unselfish act.
That line actually hit a chord with me. I'm D&D player, DM, and all, but also a writer and storyteller. One of my characters lost someone they loved. Couldn't let it go, between grief and guilt. She was dead for a long time, at least a year. Maybe more. (time is a funny, fuzzy concept sometimes). He poured over and researched, and researched, and dug, and ... finally managed to get together a true resurrection ritual/spell. He was able to bring her back. But she was... not happy about it. She came back... a little different, too. And she kind of hated him for resurrecting her. Which tore him apart all anew. It's been a decade and a half, but ... the ripples of those moments still echo on with him and lessons learned. He's got something better now, but I know his wife still sees a haunted look in his eyes from time to time. There have been so many mistakes, but he's learned much and doing much better now.
The funny thing too is that Holga is having her own set of emotional issues that she probably doesn't understand, but Edgin clearly outlines it for her in that beach scene. We're good at spotting other people's problems. Everyone should go to other people for help.
Edgin is an amazing rendition of the Bard; it completely ignores the class' traits, but adheres to them very closely _in spirit._ It would've been confusing for the uninitiated to have him handing out Inspiration (how do you even depict that visually?) and casting spells, like an actual D&D Bard. So instead, he Inspires his allies by having a very high emotional intelligence and knowing exactly what issues they have to get over in order to be the best they can be. The way he identifies Simon's problem and tells him exactly how to fix it is peak Bard.
Commenting a second time, but on the topic of grief, I feel like it's worth pointing out that Doric (the tiefling druid) also went through her own grief journey through this movie, albeit in the background since Edgin's grief was the primary focus of the movie. She mentions being distrustful of humans because she was born to humans and immediately abandoned for being a tiefling, even seeming to be mildly distrustful of Simon, who, as Simon himself points out, is only half-human (and I also think it's worth noting that Simon is half-human and half-elf, meaning Doric is very specifically looking at Simon's human side and/or the fact that he's a bad sorcerer). When Holga is resurrected, and it's worth noting that Holga is a human, Doric's overjoyed to see her alive. Additionally, Holga was the first person Doric saved from the gelatinous cube as part of the escape plan in the High Sun Games (granted this could've been out of convenience but still). Doric goes from "all humans are bad because my parents were humans and saw that I was a tiefling and immediately abandoned me" to "not all humans are bad, in fact I think I actually like some of them and I'm not gonna let my grief cloud my judgement of how humans act anymore" and I think that's a beautiful journey, regardless of how much it's in the background of the movie. Also, I would LOVE to see a second episode of Therapist Reacts on Honor Among Thieves focusing on the other characters, because I think there's a LOT that could be talked about (Simon's self-esteem, Holga's relationship with Marlamin, Xenk's whole character because honestly there's a lot lmao, Forge's relationship with Kira {which granted could be an entire episode on its own}, etc). Not sure if that's already planned or anything, but it is something I'd love to see.
I would love to see an episode on Forge's relationship to Kira and how it relates to narcissistic eradication of a parent- because that happened to me and I got very emotional at those parts. It was my grandmother who did it (long story) and after she died and I reunited with my dad and my whole family was talking about her being a narcissist, my mom found this thing that said "turning a child against its parent is one of the most severe forms of child abuse." So yeah, there's a lot there.
@@ahstiasummers5583 But Doric did have character development, she starts off hating and distrusting ALL humans and in the end she learns how to move past that and actually opens up.
As a casual D&D gamer I was surprised at how good this movie was. So glad I saw it in theaters. Fun fact, our paladin kept walking in that scene and going over the rock was because no one yelled CUT and so the actor just. Kept. Walking. And they just kept filming! It was so funny they left it in. The little comments from the others were also not scripted as they watched him.
As someone who's an AVID D&D player and DM... This movie works because it's a love letter to the game and those who play it. It's literally written to read as if this was someone's gaming session. All the weird goofs, like the paladin who's a Dungeon Master Player's Character (DMPC), the crazy prison break scene (and the subsequent Persuasion Check at the same time). This is the kind of tale and off the wall antics you get in a game.
One of my favorite things this movie did was that it respected the audience's intelligence. It didn't bother trying to explain every little D&D thing and left it to the D&D fans to enjoy and point out. It allowed people who knew nothing of the universe to just kinda be like "ooo this is a cool fantasy world with random fantasy things in it" and still just enjoy the approachable story.
I love how the movie finally shows he is responsible for his wife's death, and that's why he can't let it go. As someone who has lost things both having them unfairly taken from me and from my own sins and failures, it is indeed so much harder to let go when you know it was all your fault. The anger is just as intense, just self-directed, and the grief is 10x worse with nothing to chase after - no sense of justice/vengeance, no hope for getting back what was taken from you... and part of being stuck in the past, he did realize he had not only cost the love of his life her life, but his daughter, at the time, had lost her mother and he had no hope of "getting" another for her, he could not love another the way he had loved his wife, and because he was so obsessed that he couldn't replace Kira's mother, he had become completely blind that Holga just volunteered to do it with no strings attached. Holga was not just like a sister, she was an older sister. She had her own baggage, but she was more mature the entire time. Even when she hit rock bottom, she didn't drown herself in sorrow, even though she had nobody who needed her at first - he did, his own daughter. Holga cared for both of them to give herself purpose until Edgin was able to at least pull himself together enough to live again, even if he was still messing up because he was pursuing what was lost, and then became just Kira's mother and only his sister. It's a beautifully broken family.
I love that movie acknowledges that we all grieve differently and at different paces. She's accepted that passing of her mother, while he is still holding onto someone who isn't there anymore.
It’s mainly because she was too young to truly know her mother beyond what her father might have told her. It’s harder to grieve the loss of someone you never really knew. And she isn’t going to mourn the gap in her life because Holga filled it.
I remember reading somebody's assessment of this D&D movie on social media, and her comment was basically, "not only could I 'hear' the 'players' at the table this came from, but they wouldn't shut up throughout the entire movie." It was meant as a compliment. Basically, all the little moments in this movie are so true to D&D that it's easy to imagine the dice rolls and table talk and weird improv that led to what we're seeing on the screen.
Absolutely. My favorite example is when Simon breaks the bridge and there's an extended shot of Xenk glaring at him. It's a weird moment because, really, that sort of caustic exasperation is out of character for Xenk. But it works in the moment because it's not really Xenk glaring at Simon - it's the DM glaring at the player.
@@animeotaku307 I could imagine the DM’s begrudging admiration of the players coming up with the ‘stick portal on treasure’ plan, as well as the reverse heist they used to implement it. Like, “all right, I see where you’re going with that. Guess we’ll see how the dice rolls play out.” Later, after an entire session of rolling: “…Huh. I guess none of the convoy guards notice what you’re doing. They’re too busy chatting with each other.”
D&D is some of the most fun you can have with friends. Communal story telling goofy fun and sometimes things can get serious and tense. And sometimes someone makes a joke and we all relax. Sometimes things can get emotional and we are there together. It’s everyone’s story together and I love it
I disagree, but only because of a minor point. Tabletop RPGs is the most fun you can have with friends. There are a lot of RPGs that isn't D&D, and they are just as fun, if not more fun.
@@Piketom1 The list is too long, but here's a few examples, with the genre they emulate the best. Blades in the Dark for Heist movies, Savage Worlds for Action flicks, Powered by the Apocalypse for character -focused tv series, Dread for horror movies
Totally did not have this on my CinemaTherapy bingo card, but I’m so glad you guys decided to cover this one. I’ve only recently gotten into D&D, and you can tell that the people who made this movie really understand what makes the game great. Excellent episode as always.
One of my favorite quotes is from Lois McMaster-Bujold (science fiction & fantasy author). "Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself... Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will." Those words really shone a light on what was happening in my life when I read them. I've remembered them ever since. Glad to see Jonathan touch on the same thing.
Daisy Head does a phenomenal job as Genya in Shadow and Bone. Completely heartbreaking performance that just takes you on an emotional journey, mostly because of the little nuances and details in her performance. She's an awesome actress who absolutely deserves some recognition. Just wanted to put that out there.
Ikr!! She's so perfect for that role. She portrays Genya's grace and pain so well. Also the way she understands the character and how she talks about it in interviews is really good
She did a great job in this as well. Along with forever confusing my whether or not I’m attracted to evil necromancers. Used to be a no…. But now not sure lol
@@erichall090909 Absolutely (I didn't think I had to point that put tho, since most people here would be familiar with the movie and aware of her performance) and... same... Though I gotta say I find her more attractive with hair... and a little less toxic (you know, killing everyone could be a slight red flag).
It really says something about the quality of this movie, the writing, the acting, that a death scene with a super obvious solution still hits the emotional notes that it was going for. I went into this movie expecting a shallow but entertaining popcorn flick and got so much more.
One of those times where the death and subsequent revival wasn't just yay feel good happy ending but the emotional pay off to several characters growth and journey. Helga feeling worthy and accepted, Edgin letting go of his wife and moving on, and also the daughter getting what amounts to the mother/aunt figure she's had since infancy back instead of the mother I can't imagine she even remembers.
The best thing about this movie is that how much it *felt* like sitting down and playing a game with friends. And how many times your D&D group is a chosen family, which is reflected in the characters.
I absolutely love this movie, and while there are a million reasons why, I'm gonna limit myself to just two: First, Holga's Ten Second Death scene. It is so damn impactful, even if you _know_ what's about to happen, because it's still a sacrifice. Holga isn't coming back for free, she's coming back at the cost of Edgin's wife never coming back. So often a character will be brought back to life for the flimsiest of reasons, giving their death a sense of _negative_ weight. Hallmarks of such scenes include sweeping, emotional music, heavy focus on our brave/stoic hero(es) breaking down in tears, and the movie smacking us over the head with an anvil shouting "Hey. HEY! You need to be SAD during this scene! It's a _SAD SCENE!_ Start CRYING already!" Holga's death and revival was none of this. The second reason that I love Honor Among Thiece so much is more... _anecdotal:_ My first ever campaign was about my Rogue going on a quest to gain an audience/boon from the Mistress of Nightmares (aka Goddess of Misery/Suffering/Agony/Torture/etc), to get the soul of his fiancé back from her. In the process, he sinks further and further into the darkness, becoming crueler and more vicious, preferring to ghost ahead and attempt sneak-attack assassinations before initiative is rolled, rather than being the silent rearguard he'd been before his fiancé's death. The plan that I'd set up with the GM before the campaign began was that I would slowly slide down the scale from Good to Neutral (and potentially Evil), becoming nearly unrecognizable to my fiancé in my journey to reunite. Instead, our group had a year-long time skip, during which time the DM decided that my character had married a Priestess of the Sun Goddess (the Big Nice compared to the Goddess of Misery), and she'd given birth to twins. Without consulting me. And every time I tried to follow my original plan, this new DMPC would stop me, because she had an Unlimited number of Hold Person scrolls, with the absolutely rigged DC of 35 to resist (I'd need to roll _higher_ than a Nat 20 to reach that). The campaign rather quickly devolved into the DM and the other players all roleplaying romantic and lewd encounters. My character ended up saddled with _three wives_ because the DM was desperately trying to find the kink that would cause me to suddenly be okay with RPing hanky-panky with him. So watching the movie, felt like reliving that campaign, but with a better DM, a better moral/aesop, and a better ending all around. Very therapeutic after going through such a D&D nightmare.
I freaking love this movie. Went to see it with the group I play DND with, and it was a freaking RIOT. We went in costume, and left with a full size movie poster cause they liked our costumes so much💀 But fr, so much heart was put into this it’s crazy. I cried and laughed more than I had in weeks
Jono said, 'We do this with grief. We get so stuck in what we wanted and being angry and hurt that it's not there anymore.' Normal human emotions...but don't get stay there. So true. And getting to acceptance will bring you peace. And you don't only grieve people who have died, but also relationships that have ended.
The whole notion of not shaming failure and not tying worth to success will always remind me of Meet the Robinsons. That was one of my favorite movies growing up, and it has such a powerful message that really connected with me. It's why Edgin's "We must never stop failing" line hits so hard for me and for so many others. I'd love to see you guys cover Meet the Robinsons in the future, but this episode on one of my favorite movies in recent memory has also been extremely excellent. Keep up the great work, guys!
I saw this a few weeks after it came out and the absolute joy of seeing D&D being brought to life like this was euphoric. The sharing of the characters’ backstories, the hijinks of plans gone awry and rolling with the consequences, the monsters and the emotional conclusions for each of the characters arcs was so satisfying.
I absolutely LOVED the cinematography in the scene when he runs home and opens the door with the camera upside down. Because his world has been turned upside down. They snuck in some great emotional impact with touches like that several times.
I went into this movie having having extremely low expectations (my bros played dnd and I swore never to delve into it) I was blown away by how amazing it was. Part of why this movie is really good is a great ratio of practical effects to cgi. And I couldn’t breathe at the melting face part I was laughing so hard. And I never knew we needed a chunky dragon in our lives. It inspired me to make a joke character for the game if I was ever invited to play (Yote Everchonk, a chaotic neutral dragonborn bard)
Do it. Doo iiit. Play the game you coward. Delve in COWARD. You're making characters its already too late to unplunge. Also I relate I deadass didn't cave in and start playing tabletop until I was like 26-27 because I swore to never reach that level of nerdy but I was just in denial that I was already at that level of nerdy honestly
This movie was one of the best this year! It's unashamedly campy, but it is sincere, especially in these moments of family. It's the perfect kind of film to watch with friends or family, or when you are in a dark spot in your life. It sure was for me! I'd love coverage of Mario from the recent movie in the future, since he's a positive role model!
This movie really hit some deep stuff for me because my dad passed before I got to know him, but thankfully I had my grandpa step in and take on that fatherly role for me. So seeing Edgin deal with the grief of what was never gonna be and dreams of what could be stung. Especially since I also had a strained relationship with my only living parent like Kira, so seeing that reconsiliation at the end was real cathertic! ♥
This movie reminds me of Galaxy Quest, or Stardust, in that it is a funny, nonsensical story in a funny package but also a really deep, uplifting, and moving movie. This is most likely going to be one of those movies that I can come back to and watch at any stage of my life and enjoy it just as much as the first time I watched it.
As a DND player, this movie very accurately portrayed what a good campaign is like. You have serious heartfelt moments, but you also kill a hag by Sparta kicking her into her own cauldron (10/10 one of my favorite character kills). I hope you get to play at some point Jonathan!
I’m not one ro cry at everything/every movie but I feel it hits home when I do. I have and will continue to cry everytime at the memory montage of Holga and Kira. It hits home especially that realization she has when she returns and says “Don’t tell me you wasted it on me!”. The humility and then the realization of love as they both hug her and the rest follow.❤❤❤😭
As someone who’s about to play a serious campaign, even the most “serious” campaigns often have jokes, laughs, and just friends being idiots. We’re always idiots, that’s what makes dnd so fun!
You mentioned platonic relationships between the two main characters, but let's please acknowledge when Horga goes to see her ex, and they have a civilised conversation and wish only the best for each other. Needs to be more of that in movies. Not "we're apart but by the end of the movie we'll be back together". And the potato thing? Our group reckon that Horga's player, in a very early session, had a potato and just wanted to throw it at something, the DM finally let them do it, the throw was a critical success and now potatoes are her thing.
Something to remember about the dream sequence and the dragonfly, is that 'heaven' is a very real place in DnD, you can go there and come back again under the right circumstances. People who have died can communicate with the living, so the way I saw the dream was a direct message from his wife being like "you need to let me go, I can see all of your hurt, let me go"
As someone who has been playing D&D for the last 12+ years, I was geeking out this ENTIRE movie. It's so fun and absolutely feels like someone brought an actual campaign to the big screen. My friends and I had fun imagining where all of the ability checks were lol.
This movie is fantastic. I play some D&D so I got a lot of the references, but someone that has never even heard of D&D can still really enjoy this movie on its own, which is why it's so great. It really felt like a DnD session, random parts that didn't go right, bizarre ideas that worked, it was phenomenal. John Francis Daley is an avid gamer, so you can really see how his experiences influenced the movie and shaped the story. Just fantastic
I went to watch this movie with my "dad", who I call that but don't really consider one, since he left and moved to Europe to "follow his dreams" when I was 5 years old. At the time internet and instant communication weren't really a thing so I used to see him once every 5 years or so with the occasional long distance call (expensive) every few months. He came back to our country in 2019, when I was 22 years old, and was expecting me to cry and be very happy about it, but I actually didn't care if he was back or not. He was very sad when I didn't want to hug him or be "daughter like" with him, and I told him I didn't consider him a father, he's more like the annoying uncle everyone forces me to say hi to on every family meeting. At this point in my life, I've known and interacted with my friends, boyfriend, pets and even neighbors for longer that I've known and seen him, and he has never apologized for leaving either. Sometimes I accept his invitations to hang out to keep the peace in the family (hello latinamerican families 🤧), so I said yes when he told me he wanted us watch this movie. I know nothing of D&D, but was very surprised to see how the movie portraits the same issues and feelings I dealt with as a child when my dad left. It validated everything I felt and thought as I was growing up fatherless. He was very silent when the movie ended and left soon after, probably never thought he would be called out so much by a movie adaptation of a game he loves so much I guess. Sorry for the long rant comment, I just really liked this movie and the topics it talked about 😌😌
This episode means a lot to me because I consider D&D as my "supplemental therapy" I see my therapist once a week then lose myself into fantasy in between and just go bonkers with my imagination. I secretly think my therapist is using the campaigns i come up with as an alternative to rorschach tests, but I'm not even mad. I think it's brilliant. The fact that we finally got a good movie also makes this movie so wholesome.
I'd forgotten Lorne scored this movie. He's doing Wheel of Time, and has done soooo good with it. And answering all our fan questions, which in this fandom can get super intense with all the unraveling we do of every single detail to pick things out
There's a second arc in it (no, not Doric, she's the PC that had her own arc in a bunch of one-on-ones with the DM before the actual game started) - Simon. Like...he's from a long line of wizardry, except he's a Wild Magic Sorcerer instead, which means he feels a lot of imposter syndrome and generally has dreadful self esteem. The Helm didn't reject him for being bad at magic. It rejected him because _he_ didn't think he deserved it.
I used to think D&D was super nerdy...until I actually watched my friends play a session. This movie sums up D&D so well. It's a bunch of friends coming together to tell a story, do really cool stuff, and just have fun. There's also been super emotional moments too. I've even heard of people using D&D for group therapy. Also, fun fact, the cast played some D&D together in preparation for this movie 😊
Interesting, the bug chosen to represent the wife is specifically a Damselfly. I think its a great detail, because the only time we see it is when he does and sees her in it, and how he needs to 'save' her from death. Very solid and sneaky metaphor.
I loved how so much of this movie was practical effects that didn't have to be. The bird judge guy at the start, the cat-person and the baby one (I think these were Tabaxi, don't quote me on that; there's like 5 different races of cat-people, DnD does that a lot with making like upwards of 3 different [blank] race with different caveats or technicalities, like lizard-people, fish-people, bird-people, cat-people, ELVES, there's like 5 of each of those things and they're all culturally and play differently) they're pretty-much insignificant to the entire rest of the movie, they could've just made them not-animal people, the judge could've been some other fantasy humanoid-race with wings, still practical effects and I love that.
This was just such a fun movie! It was light and fun and you're laughing all the way, yet it is very mature in its themes and then you're crying at the end. It's absolutely great.
I love this movie so much, and I love the shoutout to Daisy Head! She’s great in Shadow and Bone and she was awesome in this movie! I hope she gets bigger and better roles moving forward cause she’s just great!
24:19 i love how this is a reference to barbarian characters as well, considering they have high AC (armor), this is something they'd say when they get healed instead of the healer healing the mushier and more vulnerable characters in the party 😂
This dragonborn barbarian is first! ❤ i loved this film as a long time D&D gamer. Chris Pine is the PERFECT casting for a bard. Also three cheers for man/woman platonic friendship that's amazing!!
Something I love about Holga’s character is that even though she’s tough and bad ass, she’s still nurturing, loving, and gentle with the kid. So many characters like her are depicted as one sided and incapable of a softer side…. Or if they do have one it’s shown in moments of/as a sign of weakness.
Kind of wish we had included the bit where he was talking with the Paladin and discussed the metaphysical reasons why his plan may not be the best choice, i feel like that could have easily been included as a "what would your loved ones actually want from you after they are gone" discussion.
That's a tricky one as it veers more into theological realms than pragmatic concerns of dealing with things in the here and now more-or-less-known arena. There's less consensus about what those sorts of things mean. Not that it's an unworthy discussion, just that you'd wind up with some wildly different conversations with different belief systems.
Went to see this in cinemas with my family and we ended up having the entire room to ourselves minus ~3 other people! Just as well, because Da and I were constantly pointing at the screen like that one Leonardo DiCaprio meme every time we saw something familiar, and Ma was just happy that she was able to recognise one thing (which I think was the Displacer Beast?) LOL
@@sexydictator3241 Actually I'm pretty sure it was essentially empty in our case because it was during work hours on a Wednesday/Thursday (we'd all taken the day off); we went to see John Wick 4 later that same evening and it was more packed ^^
I put this movie on the other day expecting a fun fantasy adventure. Was not expecting to cry like a baby at the end 😭. Holga and Edgin's friendship was so well done.
The giving of the magic resurrection rock at the start received a lot of criticism because it gave the characters a free route out of the plot. But that's the key, the plot was answering the question of whether or not Edgin would use it.
ALAN, YOU ARE CORRECT! We need to fix Johnathan's lack of D&D Experience. I would be honored to run you guys (and your crew) through an adventure. And, yes, I subscribe to safe table practices.
I very much want to seen Hugh Grant & Anthony Head in something together, probably as brothers. They're so similar. I don't mean in looks, I mean in style. For instance, if they're going to play not villains, they have to go wide eyed, & smile very sparingly, but they have a natural affinity for scenery chewing villains. It would be so much fun.
As someone who loves movies and loves dungeons and dragons, I ADORED this movie. It was exactly what it needed to be and was a blast from start to finish. And IT HAD PRACTICAL EFFECTS. THAT WERE FUN. Just loved it
One thing I loved about this movie is that it 100% felt like there were people behind each character rolling dice and making decisions. Like I could see where dice were rolling up as Nat 20 or as a 1, lol. Or where the DM flubbed things for the sake of continuing the story. 😂
Like many people, I saw this with my D&D crew. We all enjoyed it but I think I got the most out of it. The jokes rolled a nat 20 on my sense of humour, the action scenes were technically sophisticated, and the whole movie was so vibrant and fun. It really struck a tone that most movies don't even go looking for anymore and that's a real shame.
dnd is totally about group story telling and having fun... BUT damn does it just punch you in the gut when your character/story has a truly meaningful moment. I literally tear up every time I remember my gloom stalker ranger. RIP Zelneth
👒🔍 Download June’s Journey for free now using my link: woo.ga/2en0bf
What an amazing movie 😊
Check out Miss Fisher's murder mysteries if you like that stuff.
And yes, play D&D, or some other RPG
Society should have treated this like it was The Mummy for the 2020's. It's so good at being what it is, and should be absolutely iconic.
Agreed. Sadly between the bad trailers, the overly nerdy title that put off non DnD players, and the release date (sandwiched between John Wick and Mario), this movie never stood a chance :(
@@languidlandscapelad2239Yet we’re talking about it. The rise of things like critical role and Baldur’s Gate 3 has really brought dnd into the mainstream. Idk, I have high hopes for the future.
I saw a lot of hate for this movie over wokeism, per usual with any blockbuster that isn’t macho-testosterone. Apparently this is a emasculating movie where the women overpower dudes or whatever bs, that and the nerdy specific demographic, and probably people just being tired of IP films, and the time it released, and bad marketing, it didn’t have a great chance
@@BuildinWings i dont rlly know if sleeper hits really exist that much anymore, algorithms are shit and don’t help you discover undiscovered cult classics as much as they just feed you comfort food. And since movie-watching is never rlly the same you dont have a resurgence in popularity through DVD sales like what happened with Predator or even the Thing in more notable cases.
@@GuineaPigEveryday
To be fair the Director and/or writer(s) did say they love emasculating men before the movie released
Love how “Jarnathan” is such a DM name, a name the DM had to come up with on the spot for a throwaway npc that the party becomes weirdly obsessed with and ropes into their schenanigans.
I can totally see it
And then the DM has to come up with a backstory for this character and give them more than one dimension and then the plot ends up revolving around this one-off NPC and you end up rewriting most of the campaign cause of it. Noooo, I definitely haven't been there before. 😅
It's like 'Jimothy', which should pretty much be set on fire and stomped on.
@@kaisam2361 DM: goddammit, guys, this wasn't supposed to happen
tbh though that's like half of DnD campaigns.
most of the movie felt like that, I could see in my head all the times that were a low roll or failed save, or players just being sstupid
Holga: Fantasy story with a non-evil step/replacement mother. No gaslighting. No jealousy. No imprisoning for magic hair. Holga is literally the parent that stepped in and stepped up.
:')
I love that she stepped up to become a mother for the sake of the child. Not because she had romantic feelings for the child's father.
Special props to Michelle Rodriguez for playing Holga too. She was FANTASTIC in the role.
@@christianali5431no
She was meant for this part straight up.
Jarnathan is clearly just the Dungeon Master needing to think up a name on the spot because they forgot how many NPCs they needed.
My kids and I still scream Jarnathan!!! randomly when one of use does something a little disastrous like drop our drink.
And then the players latch onto the name and just repeat it and won't let it go😅
Oh my gosh this is WAY too close to my DM soul.
I felt bad for him tho
"So that's the council. Now, you see--"
"What about the other people?"
"...what?"
"The other people in the room? You said there were people behind us, guards and such."
"Oh. Um.... well, that's Jarnathan and Bobbert. Cindyella is on her way."
Yay to more sweet depictions of women and men simply being friends. I loved Edgin and Holga's dynamic, with her helping to raise Kira, without any indication of lingering romantic feelings.
I know right?!!!
I like how she saw him and was sorry for the baby. And that even though she is though barbarian, she can also be so nice, caring and motherly.
Yes! My eyes glaze over pretty much every time the "relationship turns romantic" trope rears its boring head. There is so much more to make stories about.
The best part was after Holga talked to her ex, Edgin sings a song to cheer her up and she joins in. I was preparing myself to cringe at him misreading her and getting a bad reaction, but she knew what he was trying to do and played along, and it was so heartwarming.
It reminds me of Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White as Sydney and Carmy in The Bear. Especially recently how people keep talking about them being a couple in the future, or the show implying a developing romantic relationship, people seem almost angry at others that want people this close not to be simply another romance. Because we really lack these sort of super close hetero male and female friendships. The only other great example I can think of is Clara and the 12th Doctor, who have one of the closest, most intimate and loving, completely platonic, friendships I've ever seen, their chemistry and love for each other is so evident in every word and look. As someone who's had a lot of trouble the past years finding close male friends becuz of stuff, I've realised what a world of difference it makes having close female friends as a guy. The amount of people online, or irl, who refuse to believe this is possible, or always making comments about 'poor guy being friendzoned' about social-media examples of it. I think as guys we can all benefit from being friends with women, it really helps cross the division and often bitter hatred between genders. Especially the amount of mystification and othering of women that happens from male influencers (often role models) in social media nowadays which is so damaging.
The friendship between Holga and Edgin not being ruined to make it into a weird romance at the end is such a beautiful thing.
I spent the entire first watch praying to screenwriter gods to not do that! And they didn't. The almost complete absence of masc/fem platonic friendships in media sucks so bad and they created one of the most authentic friendships I've ever seen on screen. A truly lovely film in so many ways.
I remember being pleasantly surprised at the choice to make Holga's dynamic with her ex as accepting yet awkward. Like many failed relationships, she doesn't care about him romantically but still harbors a fondness for him. So she shares his joy at a new relationship while grappling with moving on herself, thus crafting a storyline more mature for the audience.
Yeah, something about it felt so real and, like many scenes in the movie, I could sympathize with because I've been there.
It's a very well done moment - sure they throw in a little bit of a joke in there about how her ex has a type, but ultimately it's a heartfelt, mature moment of acceptance.
And the very mature “I love you and I wish you to find the same joy in life that I found”
@@ahstiasummers5583 Yeah, that's really the best part imo. This mutual sort of "it didn't work out between us, but you're still dear to me and I wish you all the happiness." A very nice and mature way to depict a breakup/closure, and quite rarely seen in movies I think.
I feel a tiny bit stupid having just realized that both Halgu and his wife were killed by a red wizards blade.🤯😳
My favorite line from Edgin talking to the disguised red wizard was definitely "I wasn't trying to bring your mom back, I was trying to bring my wife back." Being able to admit that there IS a difference there is so huge. It's what later makes Edgin choose to resurrect Holga instead of his wife. Because that WAS bringing her mom back.
Yeah, Edgin's stated motivation the whole time was to bring his daughter's mom back, and in the end that's what he actually does, despite acknowledging that he'd been lying/mistaken in his claims.
As a mother myself this is something my husband and I have talked about a bit. You tend to get lost in the parent role that you forget that you were a wife/husband first before you became a parent. You have to take time for your relationship once you have kids. I also think it's important that your kids grow up knowing that as well. Saying something like "don't treat my wife like that" instead of "don't treat your mother like that" can change the perspective of how your kids view you. Most kids and teens don't truly realize that their parents are also husband and wife and have a very special relationship with each other.
Like you said, though, I love how they made that very distinct difference.
@@thebazile5253 I agree, I think it also applies to a lot of different relationships and their dynamics in general. Like parents will swear up and down to know you more than a spuse could for example. And in some ways that is true but in other ways it isnt, because there is a difference in that relationship.
That made me ugly cry in the theater
His realization that he was doing it for himself and not for her.
I LOVE this movie!!!! When he says “we can never stop failing because the minute we do, we’ve failed” has been SO instrumental to my mental health ❤❤
I love it too
:)
I prefer Schwarzenegger's phrasing, if I'm being honest.
"Trying and not succeeding is not failing; not even trying, that is failing." (paraphrasing)
@@nephicus339nah because this phrasing works for DnD as a game. Its literally a game about the experience not winning or losing. The moment you stop playing the game ends.
Ikr. I added this to my very small pile with Zuko's speech to Sokka about failing during the Boiling Rock 2-parter. Another great moment
Edgin finally figuring out that "his wife" and "Kira's mom" are different people kicked me in the chest, let me tell ya!
One interesting aspect of this movie that a number of D&D fans have noticed is how much the characters actually feel like they're people playing a character in an actual roleplaying game, and the way each failure manages to be sidestepped through the cunning of the party or gentle pushes from the plot like a DM would while playing a campaign. Definitely a nice touch.
I know right?
And some not so gentle pushes when the plot goes sideways, and the GM had to course correct everything by introducing a GMPC in the form of Xenk to progress the campaign again. Then there is the GM suddenly pulling the Hither-Thither Staff out of nowhere after their bridge puzzle, which they probably spent hours/days working on, got totally wrecked before anyone could even try it, and the players then spent the rest of the campaign abusing the hell out of the OP item by using it for everything. No matter how much the GM tried making it as awkward as possible to use in scenarios to try to steer the players to use other mentions other than the Staff.
@@Urzarel My brain could see the GM face palming so many times in the movie. Also could tell when a character rolls a 20 and a 1.
The speak with dead part is like when the party is so stubborn that they believe this is the correct way to solve the problem and the DM is trying their best to railroad them back into the right direction.
@@WillMachines The first one was the party forgetting to clarify they were metagaming with some of the questions, so they DM actually counted them. The rest of them was the DM having a bunch of fun making them ask more corpses questions over and over (especially the guy who turned out to be the brother of who they were looking for).
Underappreciated arc in Holga learning to accept people genuinely caring for her and allowing herself to show vulnerability 😭😭😭 her revival reaction gets me every time
Also when they all hug her and she grins like an idiot despite being "not a hugger" is an underplayed detail.
Holga's really resgined to being no one's first choice and it's so heartbreaking!
I read somewhere that he walked over the rock because he was directed to walk in a straight line, and no one yelled cut, so he decided as a Paladin the thing to do would be to just walk over the rock in his straight line.
Yeah, he does the total "overpowered NPC needs to leave NOW because the DM realized his mistake" exit.
omg really??? I hope thats true
It also plays really well into his character being very literal-minded and direct
Correction, they did yell cut but he didn't hear it so they kept rolling anyway
Sigma paladin
I really loved Holga visiting her ex, meeting his new love and having a respectful and healthy interaction there. It hurt, but she didn't needlessly hurt the person she loves just because she was hurting at the time. It was really good management of feelings and vulnerability without making Holga any less of a strong person. If anything shows she can hurt and still find the strength to treat others with dignity at that time and I was pretty impressed.
As a long time D&D player, YES, the game is best when its not taken too seriously. Literally last night, our party was holding off a massive swarm of spiders in a tunnel, when my rogue lost consciousness. And what did the party do? Yeeted my limp body further down the tunnel to get me out of harms way!! We all laughed so much that it hurt!!! So happy to see the movie embrace and understand that chaotic energy. Really deserved to be a box office smash.
The best part of that is that I assume they probably had to role a dice to see if they succeeded in yeeting you and being like, "please work, please work, please work". 😂
I DM'd a one shot recently and like any good DM, I had a red herring B plot going alongside the main plot. For some amazing reason, the dice "decided" that the party would uncover ALL the red herring breadcrumbs and completely miss out on ALL of the main plot breadcrumbs. When the final fight came along, one of them focused on catching the B plot traitor, while the rest of the party ended up helping the A plot traitor!
This movie felt like it could easily have been a campaign my friends and I played or DM'd for. Complete with an overweight dragon, and DMPC's and plot devices that attempt to herd the player back into the A plot.
As a DM and player, I live for those moments lol
I am playing a Weird West setting atm. I am the group's fighter and have this thing called "The Anger" where I can punch supernatural stuff and actually do physical damage. The other party members have holy weapons to use. We were in a bar and our group's talker sat down to negotiate a truce with the head of a group of vampires we were fighting with. I scanned the bar looking for signs of trouble but rolled badly and so saw two guys at the bar who acting kinda sketchy. I approached them and figured out that they were up to something. They spun me this story about the horses outside being afraid of creatures in the night. I said that I would accompany them outside to look but if they were lying I would bury both of them. They were lying. The two guys were vampires and I fought both of them but the worst part is that they were instructed to distract me while the patrons inside WHO WERE ALL VAMPIRES pinned down the rest of my party who were still sitting inside.
@@DomIstKrieg As a GM, that is evil, and I am not taking notes, why would you think that?
During a short campaign once, the DM asked everyone to make a character "completely different from what you normally play". I usually play high-int spellcasters, so this time I went with a low-int barbarian. He was from a desert tribe, so when someone mentioned "hill giants", he had no idea what they were; so he asked. And another party member decided to completely fuck with him by saying "they're giants the size of ENTIRE HILLS!" I rolled an int-based check (I don't remember if it was History or pure Int) and of course failed. So it became a running joke through the campaign that he was terrified of ever meeting a hill giant since they're "so huge".
Fast-forward to when we actually *do* encounter some hill giants. My guy yells, "You lied! They're not as big as hills!" To which the other guy responded, "These are just BABIES!" Total BS, of course, but... I didn't even roll for it. Yep, my guy believed they were babies and nearly shat himself right there 😂
I 200% appreciate that they got the cast together, and ran them through a D&D campaign, to help them really understand just how a group functions. The fact that it is never about one singular person, but everyone working in concert, and I think that really clicks for the cast, with them understanding that none of them are the solitary big damn hero. That's not a thing in D&D, and it is awesome.
I love how Chris’s character keeps struggling with the ropes in the alley fight. You can just see the D20 coming up 1 and 2 every time it’s his turn.
There are plenty of people who play and DM in TTRPGS that needed this movie because they need to understand how to create good stories where everyone has a part to play. No one can do it alone, and heroism comes in forms big and small. But most importantly, everyone is there to have fun.
@@WolfeOracleFor sure and also does a decent amount to help people who struggle with rolling low and getting frustrated every time (I think most of us have had/still have that struggle). Just roll with the low roll and make it a character moment whether big or small and make a point of having fun no matter how the dice are treating you.
Just this weekend my weird fleshwarp beastkin lionman dueled another party member for rights to some loot and got his ass handed to him with like 4-5 critical failures and I just had his hedonistic arrogant ass go into town to eat and drink his feelings and buy himself something shiny. And now I have a specific list of things that character NEEDS to process his butthurt: Food, drink/drugs, shopping/loot, and fighting and he needs them all without exception
The low rolls can be just as fun as the high rolls and you getting upset a plan didn't work or lady luck just hates you that day is only going to bring you AND the whole table down
It's why I think this is really the perfect D&D movie.
I am deeply impressed by how loyal this movie was to the soul of DnD while being 100% accessible to everyone who doesn't play DnD. It's a witty, artful, heartfelt movie and it deserves all the praise.
I really like that Forge telling the wardens that his mum is responsible for him being as he is is a semi-callback to Xenk saying “So you blame his mother for his corruption”
OMGGGG i never noticed that, that's a hilarious callback. thank you for bringing this to my attention and making me love this movie even more
Lmao that's fantastic 😂
I was impressed by baby Kira's acting. She was always in the moment. Like when her father fell over, most babies facing at that angle probably wouldn't react but she fully looked out and down at him. I've rarely seen an on-screen baby be so in the moment.
It made it that much funnier too
Absolutely haha! I can only think of one other baby that was just SO expressive and that's the baby from that old 80s "Willow" movie.
Honourable mention for baby Matilda
She was wondering which famous Chris it was...
i never noticed how scared she looked when holga glared over the potato, but the way she lifts her head to look at edgin fall over kills me EVERY TIME
Totally agreed. But then I also want to recommend a Series of Unfortunate Events. The Netflix series with Neil Patrick Harris. The baby in that series is fantastic. The series is very good, period, but definitely applies to the subject of babies who really work well on camera.
The tone of this movie is astoundingly good. It's not serious, usually, but it's always _earnest._ It invites you to play along
What I love about the forestomping-on-your-face bit is that it feels SO true to the D&D experience as a DM. You'll practically spell out exactly what's happening for your players, and somehow they will STILL misinterpret it and go off in another direction you haven't planned for. It just fits so well!
I agree! While playing D&D I learned that sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and that’s okay. Go with the flow. And when you have a great DM and party, it can be a fantastic experience. 😊
Long time DM here. I endorse this whole-heartedly. You can wave enormous plot flags in front of players and they will just assume that it's flavour. And six months later, you get that awesome moment when you see the penny finally drop.
This movie absolutely nailed it.
I started DM maybe like a year ago, and one of my friends who has DMed for much longer than me always manages to set something on fire, and then I have to figure out a way to make the quest work with a building’s charred remains as the setting.
@@ltn6995 Put them in a Dwarven city. Stone doesn't burn. 😁
@@StormhavenGaming - The red dragons beg to differ. Or at least they create lava with how hot their breath is... :D
Holga saying, "Why would you waste it on me?" is such a heartbreaking line to me. I'm so glad they all hugged her afterwards.
On an unrelated note, someone suggested that if they do a sequel, they keep the main cast of actors and they all play totally different characters and I sincerely hope this happens (not that I don't love this gang, they're excellent.)
I would love that. It would be so good.
Omg that would be perfect
While that would be super meta and I would love it, there is NO way this happens. The very fact that this movie was made at all was a major miracle, let alone the quality of the cast and script...There is no way some Hollywood big wig would let them possibly spoil the franchise potential, let alone possibly have to use a new setting... Nah, ain't going to happen, but it would be great if it did.\
And have the old characters cameo at some point with no acknowledgment that they are played by the same actors
@@Tyfreaky13The potential IS in The what the comment says. The potential would be if they did something predictable. That being said, I’m not sure if the big wigs wouldn’t recognize the change as long as it’s a soft alter. I think the franchise will work either way no matter what they do. I just hope the writing stays just as good, clean and fun
I went to see this in theaters with my DND party. The laughs we had, oh my gosh, especially in the graveyard scene. This movie was so great😂
That must've been so fun!!
I did the same thing. I got a lot of fun out of joking about all the rule inaccuracies.
@@caltheuntitled8021If they had followed the rules, it's how we would have known it wasn't real D&D.
@@davidharshman7645 Yeah, but did the hypothetical players even read their spell and ability descriptions, or did they skim them and make up the rest? I mean, it seems none of them realized that bards and druids are supposed to be spellcasters.
I did the same thing. It was an absolute blast and a good bonding experience. I'm the DM and when they were talking about tracing the loot, I went, OHHHHH, and one of my players turned around and told me "Don't you dare!!!" hahahaha We'll see friend, we'll see.
I absolutely Love the "never stop failing" speech because it really is the only way to move forward.
If you give up, you've closed the door on whatever you want to happen, but as long as you keep trying, you're learning what to do and what Not to do.
A new favorite quote of mine is "The Master has failed more times than the apprentice has even tried".
Another part that works for me is the line from Xenk from earlier in the movie, "I only ask that you consider that this plane we call 'life' is but one of many. ...To drag your lady-love back to her old life is to deprive her of her new one. " I imagine Chris Pine thinking about it, and bringing his wife back would not be in her best wishes. It is another layer to his unselfish act.
That line actually hit a chord with me. I'm D&D player, DM, and all, but also a writer and storyteller. One of my characters lost someone they loved. Couldn't let it go, between grief and guilt. She was dead for a long time, at least a year. Maybe more. (time is a funny, fuzzy concept sometimes). He poured over and researched, and researched, and dug, and ... finally managed to get together a true resurrection ritual/spell. He was able to bring her back. But she was... not happy about it. She came back... a little different, too. And she kind of hated him for resurrecting her. Which tore him apart all anew. It's been a decade and a half, but ... the ripples of those moments still echo on with him and lessons learned. He's got something better now, but I know his wife still sees a haunted look in his eyes from time to time. There have been so many mistakes, but he's learned much and doing much better now.
The funny thing too is that Holga is having her own set of emotional issues that she probably doesn't understand, but Edgin clearly outlines it for her in that beach scene. We're good at spotting other people's problems. Everyone should go to other people for help.
Edgin is an amazing rendition of the Bard; it completely ignores the class' traits, but adheres to them very closely _in spirit._ It would've been confusing for the uninitiated to have him handing out Inspiration (how do you even depict that visually?) and casting spells, like an actual D&D Bard. So instead, he Inspires his allies by having a very high emotional intelligence and knowing exactly what issues they have to get over in order to be the best they can be. The way he identifies Simon's problem and tells him exactly how to fix it is peak Bard.
Commenting a second time, but on the topic of grief, I feel like it's worth pointing out that Doric (the tiefling druid) also went through her own grief journey through this movie, albeit in the background since Edgin's grief was the primary focus of the movie.
She mentions being distrustful of humans because she was born to humans and immediately abandoned for being a tiefling, even seeming to be mildly distrustful of Simon, who, as Simon himself points out, is only half-human (and I also think it's worth noting that Simon is half-human and half-elf, meaning Doric is very specifically looking at Simon's human side and/or the fact that he's a bad sorcerer). When Holga is resurrected, and it's worth noting that Holga is a human, Doric's overjoyed to see her alive. Additionally, Holga was the first person Doric saved from the gelatinous cube as part of the escape plan in the High Sun Games (granted this could've been out of convenience but still). Doric goes from "all humans are bad because my parents were humans and saw that I was a tiefling and immediately abandoned me" to "not all humans are bad, in fact I think I actually like some of them and I'm not gonna let my grief cloud my judgement of how humans act anymore" and I think that's a beautiful journey, regardless of how much it's in the background of the movie.
Also, I would LOVE to see a second episode of Therapist Reacts on Honor Among Thieves focusing on the other characters, because I think there's a LOT that could be talked about (Simon's self-esteem, Holga's relationship with Marlamin, Xenk's whole character because honestly there's a lot lmao, Forge's relationship with Kira {which granted could be an entire episode on its own}, etc). Not sure if that's already planned or anything, but it is something I'd love to see.
Agreed. I want to see more on the movies characters.
I would love to see an episode on Forge's relationship to Kira and how it relates to narcissistic eradication of a parent- because that happened to me and I got very emotional at those parts. It was my grandmother who did it (long story) and after she died and I reunited with my dad and my whole family was talking about her being a narcissist, my mom found this thing that said "turning a child against its parent is one of the most severe forms of child abuse." So yeah, there's a lot there.
Yes to all of these
Or as another RUclips said “Doric is the only one without any character development because she’s too busy getting sh1t done”
@@ahstiasummers5583 But Doric did have character development, she starts off hating and distrusting ALL humans and in the end she learns how to move past that and actually opens up.
As a casual D&D gamer I was surprised at how good this movie was. So glad I saw it in theaters. Fun fact, our paladin kept walking in that scene and going over the rock was because no one yelled CUT and so the actor just. Kept. Walking. And they just kept filming! It was so funny they left it in. The little comments from the others were also not scripted as they watched him.
Is that true? Haha, that makes it even better 🤣🥰
@@Tman001100Who cares if it's true or not? It's too perfect to not accept as true. D&D beautiful apocrypha.
As someone who's been on both sides of the table for 20+ years now, this movie was absolutely the best movie of the year for me
As someone who's an AVID D&D player and DM... This movie works because it's a love letter to the game and those who play it. It's literally written to read as if this was someone's gaming session. All the weird goofs, like the paladin who's a Dungeon Master Player's Character (DMPC), the crazy prison break scene (and the subsequent Persuasion Check at the same time). This is the kind of tale and off the wall antics you get in a game.
One of my favorite things this movie did was that it respected the audience's intelligence. It didn't bother trying to explain every little D&D thing and left it to the D&D fans to enjoy and point out. It allowed people who knew nothing of the universe to just kinda be like "ooo this is a cool fantasy world with random fantasy things in it" and still just enjoy the approachable story.
Holga is the ride-or-die friend we all need and can't believe we earned/deserved.
I love how the movie finally shows he is responsible for his wife's death, and that's why he can't let it go. As someone who has lost things both having them unfairly taken from me and from my own sins and failures, it is indeed so much harder to let go when you know it was all your fault. The anger is just as intense, just self-directed, and the grief is 10x worse with nothing to chase after - no sense of justice/vengeance, no hope for getting back what was taken from you... and part of being stuck in the past, he did realize he had not only cost the love of his life her life, but his daughter, at the time, had lost her mother and he had no hope of "getting" another for her, he could not love another the way he had loved his wife, and because he was so obsessed that he couldn't replace Kira's mother, he had become completely blind that Holga just volunteered to do it with no strings attached. Holga was not just like a sister, she was an older sister. She had her own baggage, but she was more mature the entire time. Even when she hit rock bottom, she didn't drown herself in sorrow, even though she had nobody who needed her at first - he did, his own daughter. Holga cared for both of them to give herself purpose until Edgin was able to at least pull himself together enough to live again, even if he was still messing up because he was pursuing what was lost, and then became just Kira's mother and only his sister. It's a beautifully broken family.
I know Simon wasn’t talked about much here, but I really like his arc of gaining confidence (maybe because I relate a little too much to it)
Same! Also because I've played wild magic sorcerers the most so seeing his journey was extra fun.
I love that movie acknowledges that we all grieve differently and at different paces. She's accepted that passing of her mother, while he is still holding onto someone who isn't there anymore.
It’s mainly because she was too young to truly know her mother beyond what her father might have told her. It’s harder to grieve the loss of someone you never really knew. And she isn’t going to mourn the gap in her life because Holga filled it.
I don't think that's a fair comparison given that she was literally a baby when her mother died. She has no memory of her.
I remember reading somebody's assessment of this D&D movie on social media, and her comment was basically, "not only could I 'hear' the 'players' at the table this came from, but they wouldn't shut up throughout the entire movie." It was meant as a compliment. Basically, all the little moments in this movie are so true to D&D that it's easy to imagine the dice rolls and table talk and weird improv that led to what we're seeing on the screen.
Absolutely. My favorite example is when Simon breaks the bridge and there's an extended shot of Xenk glaring at him. It's a weird moment because, really, that sort of caustic exasperation is out of character for Xenk. But it works in the moment because it's not really Xenk glaring at Simon - it's the DM glaring at the player.
@@rgallitanAnd then the DM has to say “that stick Holga picked up is magic” in order to get the party across. Only for them to abuse it afterwards.
And to say more: each character battle scenes shots are around 6 seconds and in initiative order!
@@animeotaku307 I could imagine the DM’s begrudging admiration of the players coming up with the ‘stick portal on treasure’ plan, as well as the reverse heist they used to implement it. Like, “all right, I see where you’re going with that. Guess we’ll see how the dice rolls play out.”
Later, after an entire session of rolling: “…Huh. I guess none of the convoy guards notice what you’re doing. They’re too busy chatting with each other.”
D&D is some of the most fun you can have with friends. Communal story telling goofy fun and sometimes things can get serious and tense. And sometimes someone makes a joke and we all relax. Sometimes things can get emotional and we are there together. It’s everyone’s story together and I love it
I know right?
The fun of the game is in doing crazy shit because why not
I disagree, but only because of a minor point. Tabletop RPGs is the most fun you can have with friends. There are a lot of RPGs that isn't D&D, and they are just as fun, if not more fun.
@@lucbrisson2Scion is a great example. Playing as demigods is a ton of fun.
@@Piketom1 The list is too long, but here's a few examples, with the genre they emulate the best. Blades in the Dark for Heist movies, Savage Worlds for Action flicks, Powered by the Apocalypse for character -focused tv series, Dread for horror movies
he made mittens, to his daughter who lives in the town called 'Neverwinter' I love that so much.
Totally did not have this on my CinemaTherapy bingo card, but I’m so glad you guys decided to cover this one. I’ve only recently gotten into D&D, and you can tell that the people who made this movie really understand what makes the game great.
Excellent episode as always.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
One of my favorite quotes is from Lois McMaster-Bujold (science fiction & fantasy author). "Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself... Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will." Those words really shone a light on what was happening in my life when I read them. I've remembered them ever since. Glad to see Jonathan touch on the same thing.
As told to Miles Vorkosigan by his father.
Now there’s a series I’d love to see someone take a real crack at producing.
That and "My home is not a place, it is people." Such good writing...
@@Saje3D Same! I have no idea who they'd cast as Miles, though.
@@templarw20 It's great to go on an unrelated (non-book) site, mention a quote, and have people recognize it!
Daisy Head does a phenomenal job as Genya in Shadow and Bone. Completely heartbreaking performance that just takes you on an emotional journey, mostly because of the little nuances and details in her performance. She's an awesome actress who absolutely deserves some recognition. Just wanted to put that out there.
Ikr!! She's so perfect for that role. She portrays Genya's grace and pain so well. Also the way she understands the character and how she talks about it in interviews is really good
She did a great job in this as well. Along with forever confusing my whether or not I’m attracted to evil necromancers. Used to be a no…. But now not sure lol
@@erichall090909 Absolutely (I didn't think I had to point that put tho, since most people here would be familiar with the movie and aware of her performance) and... same... Though I gotta say I find her more attractive with hair... and a little less toxic (you know, killing everyone could be a slight red flag).
Oh I knew I recognized her from somewhere! She is a phenomenal actor, had no idea she had such a range
I LOVE her as Genya. She was also in one episode of the Sandman and I so hope she will get more and more chances to show off her talent.
I really appreciate how you guys subtitle your videos. It's such a time-consuming thing to do but incredibly valuable for those who need it.
Our caption writer, Anna, is amazing! She's always credited in video descriptions. 😊
@@CinemaTherapyShow I'm very thankful to Anna then :D
It really says something about the quality of this movie, the writing, the acting, that a death scene with a super obvious solution still hits the emotional notes that it was going for. I went into this movie expecting a shallow but entertaining popcorn flick and got so much more.
One of those times where the death and subsequent revival wasn't just yay feel good happy ending but the emotional pay off to several characters growth and journey. Helga feeling worthy and accepted, Edgin letting go of his wife and moving on, and also the daughter getting what amounts to the mother/aunt figure she's had since infancy back instead of the mother I can't imagine she even remembers.
The best thing about this movie is that how much it *felt* like sitting down and playing a game with friends. And how many times your D&D group is a chosen family, which is reflected in the characters.
As a D&D player, I bet Alan and Jonathan would be really fun to play with if they ever tried it out! (Or more than dabbled, in Alan’s case)
I agree with you
BUT WE JUST APPROVED YOUR PARDON! is probably my favorite moment.
I absolutely love this movie, and while there are a million reasons why, I'm gonna limit myself to just two:
First, Holga's Ten Second Death scene. It is so damn impactful, even if you _know_ what's about to happen, because it's still a sacrifice. Holga isn't coming back for free, she's coming back at the cost of Edgin's wife never coming back. So often a character will be brought back to life for the flimsiest of reasons, giving their death a sense of _negative_ weight. Hallmarks of such scenes include sweeping, emotional music, heavy focus on our brave/stoic hero(es) breaking down in tears, and the movie smacking us over the head with an anvil shouting "Hey. HEY! You need to be SAD during this scene! It's a _SAD SCENE!_ Start CRYING already!" Holga's death and revival was none of this.
The second reason that I love Honor Among Thiece so much is more... _anecdotal:_
My first ever campaign was about my Rogue going on a quest to gain an audience/boon from the Mistress of Nightmares (aka Goddess of Misery/Suffering/Agony/Torture/etc), to get the soul of his fiancé back from her. In the process, he sinks further and further into the darkness, becoming crueler and more vicious, preferring to ghost ahead and attempt sneak-attack assassinations before initiative is rolled, rather than being the silent rearguard he'd been before his fiancé's death. The plan that I'd set up with the GM before the campaign began was that I would slowly slide down the scale from Good to Neutral (and potentially Evil), becoming nearly unrecognizable to my fiancé in my journey to reunite.
Instead, our group had a year-long time skip, during which time the DM decided that my character had married a Priestess of the Sun Goddess (the Big Nice compared to the Goddess of Misery), and she'd given birth to twins. Without consulting me. And every time I tried to follow my original plan, this new DMPC would stop me, because she had an Unlimited number of Hold Person scrolls, with the absolutely rigged DC of 35 to resist (I'd need to roll _higher_ than a Nat 20 to reach that). The campaign rather quickly devolved into the DM and the other players all roleplaying romantic and lewd encounters. My character ended up saddled with _three wives_ because the DM was desperately trying to find the kink that would cause me to suddenly be okay with RPing hanky-panky with him.
So watching the movie, felt like reliving that campaign, but with a better DM, a better moral/aesop, and a better ending all around. Very therapeutic after going through such a D&D nightmare.
I freaking love this movie. Went to see it with the group I play DND with, and it was a freaking RIOT. We went in costume, and left with a full size movie poster cause they liked our costumes so much💀 But fr, so much heart was put into this it’s crazy. I cried and laughed more than I had in weeks
Jono said, 'We do this with grief. We get so stuck in what we wanted and being angry and hurt that it's not there anymore.' Normal human emotions...but don't get stay there. So true. And getting to acceptance will bring you peace. And you don't only grieve people who have died, but also relationships that have ended.
The whole notion of not shaming failure and not tying worth to success will always remind me of Meet the Robinsons. That was one of my favorite movies growing up, and it has such a powerful message that really connected with me. It's why Edgin's "We must never stop failing" line hits so hard for me and for so many others. I'd love to see you guys cover Meet the Robinsons in the future, but this episode on one of my favorite movies in recent memory has also been extremely excellent. Keep up the great work, guys!
I saw this a few weeks after it came out and the absolute joy of seeing D&D being brought to life like this was euphoric. The sharing of the characters’ backstories, the hijinks of plans gone awry and rolling with the consequences, the monsters and the emotional conclusions for each of the characters arcs was so satisfying.
I absolutely LOVED the cinematography in the scene when he runs home and opens the door with the camera upside down. Because his world has been turned upside down. They snuck in some great emotional impact with touches like that several times.
I went into this movie having having extremely low expectations (my bros played dnd and I swore never to delve into it) I was blown away by how amazing it was. Part of why this movie is really good is a great ratio of practical effects to cgi. And I couldn’t breathe at the melting face part I was laughing so hard. And I never knew we needed a chunky dragon in our lives. It inspired me to make a joke character for the game if I was ever invited to play (Yote Everchonk, a chaotic neutral dragonborn bard)
I hope Yote Everchunk gets his day, and you finally get to play.
Do it. Doo iiit. Play the game you coward. Delve in COWARD. You're making characters its already too late to unplunge.
Also I relate I deadass didn't cave in and start playing tabletop until I was like 26-27 because I swore to never reach that level of nerdy but I was just in denial that I was already at that level of nerdy honestly
My father died 3 month ago and hearing your prospective on grief is rather comforting. This was a great episode!
❤❤❤
I’m so sorry for your loss and may your father rest in peace ❤😢
Talking about tone: The scene where Holga is heartbroken and Edgin sings to her could have broken the movie, but it hits PERFECT.
You guys need to do another part on Simon's confidence and living up to the expectations set by his ancestor Elminster
I LOVE Holga and Edgin's friendship! It was so genuine.
I know what you mean!!!!
Daisy Head is amazing as Genya in Shadow and Bone. On that note, The Darkling would make a great subject for a Villain Therapy episode
While we're on the D&D kick, Vox Machina and the importance of found family would be an amazing video to have!
I second this! There's so much to talk about with VM. And M9. And BH. Maybe over on Mended Light, because this *is* a movie channel.
Critical Role episodes are like 4 hours long, and there’s over a hundred of them per season. I don’t think it’s feasible to cover.
@@TheShanicpower Good thing there's a cartoon for Vox and one coming for the Nein ;)
@@rhokesh4391cartoon carries a stigma to it that doesn’t fit TLOVM, I’d just call it an animated series.
I agree!!!!
This movie was one of the best this year! It's unashamedly campy, but it is sincere, especially in these moments of family. It's the perfect kind of film to watch with friends or family, or when you are in a dark spot in your life. It sure was for me!
I'd love coverage of Mario from the recent movie in the future, since he's a positive role model!
This movie was an example of laughing with the audience instead of at them. That’s why the camp worked so well.
I wish more directors realized that making a movie campy doesn’t mean that you have to only be campy.
Absolute shame that it "bombed" and we're very much unlikely to ever see a sequel
This movie really hit some deep stuff for me because my dad passed before I got to know him, but thankfully I had my grandpa step in and take on that fatherly role for me. So seeing Edgin deal with the grief of what was never gonna be and dreams of what could be stung. Especially since I also had a strained relationship with my only living parent like Kira, so seeing that reconsiliation at the end was real cathertic! ♥
This movie reminds me of Galaxy Quest, or Stardust, in that it is a funny, nonsensical story in a funny package but also a really deep, uplifting, and moving movie. This is most likely going to be one of those movies that I can come back to and watch at any stage of my life and enjoy it just as much as the first time I watched it.
I ADORE this movie, I’m so hopeful it gets the right amount of attention on streaming and home video sales to justify a sequel someday
As a DND player, this movie very accurately portrayed what a good campaign is like. You have serious heartfelt moments, but you also kill a hag by Sparta kicking her into her own cauldron (10/10 one of my favorite character kills). I hope you get to play at some point Jonathan!
I’m not one ro cry at everything/every movie but I feel it hits home when I do. I have and will continue to cry everytime at the memory montage of Holga and Kira. It hits home especially that realization she has when she returns and says “Don’t tell me you wasted it on me!”. The humility and then the realization of love as they both hug her and the rest follow.❤❤❤😭
As someone who’s about to play a serious campaign, even the most “serious” campaigns often have jokes, laughs, and just friends being idiots. We’re always idiots, that’s what makes dnd so fun!
You mentioned platonic relationships between the two main characters, but let's please acknowledge when Horga goes to see her ex, and they have a civilised conversation and wish only the best for each other. Needs to be more of that in movies. Not "we're apart but by the end of the movie we'll be back together".
And the potato thing? Our group reckon that Horga's player, in a very early session, had a potato and just wanted to throw it at something, the DM finally let them do it, the throw was a critical success and now potatoes are her thing.
Something to remember about the dream sequence and the dragonfly, is that 'heaven' is a very real place in DnD, you can go there and come back again under the right circumstances. People who have died can communicate with the living, so the way I saw the dream was a direct message from his wife being like "you need to let me go, I can see all of your hurt, let me go"
As someone who has been playing D&D for the last 12+ years, I was geeking out this ENTIRE movie. It's so fun and absolutely feels like someone brought an actual campaign to the big screen. My friends and I had fun imagining where all of the ability checks were lol.
I can understand that
This movie is fantastic. I play some D&D so I got a lot of the references, but someone that has never even heard of D&D can still really enjoy this movie on its own, which is why it's so great. It really felt like a DnD session, random parts that didn't go right, bizarre ideas that worked, it was phenomenal. John Francis Daley is an avid gamer, so you can really see how his experiences influenced the movie and shaped the story. Just fantastic
I went to watch this movie with my "dad", who I call that but don't really consider one, since he left and moved to Europe to "follow his dreams" when I was 5 years old. At the time internet and instant communication weren't really a thing so I used to see him once every 5 years or so with the occasional long distance call (expensive) every few months. He came back to our country in 2019, when I was 22 years old, and was expecting me to cry and be very happy about it, but I actually didn't care if he was back or not. He was very sad when I didn't want to hug him or be "daughter like" with him, and I told him I didn't consider him a father, he's more like the annoying uncle everyone forces me to say hi to on every family meeting. At this point in my life, I've known and interacted with my friends, boyfriend, pets and even neighbors for longer that I've known and seen him, and he has never apologized for leaving either. Sometimes I accept his invitations to hang out to keep the peace in the family (hello latinamerican families 🤧), so I said yes when he told me he wanted us watch this movie. I know nothing of D&D, but was very surprised to see how the movie portraits the same issues and feelings I dealt with as a child when my dad left. It validated everything I felt and thought as I was growing up fatherless. He was very silent when the movie ended and left soon after, probably never thought he would be called out so much by a movie adaptation of a game he loves so much I guess. Sorry for the long rant comment, I just really liked this movie and the topics it talked about 😌😌
This episode means a lot to me because I consider D&D as my "supplemental therapy"
I see my therapist once a week then lose myself into fantasy in between and just go bonkers with my imagination. I secretly think my therapist is using the campaigns i come up with as an alternative to rorschach tests, but I'm not even mad. I think it's brilliant.
The fact that we finally got a good movie also makes this movie so wholesome.
I'd forgotten Lorne scored this movie. He's doing Wheel of Time, and has done soooo good with it. And answering all our fan questions, which in this fandom can get super intense with all the unraveling we do of every single detail to pick things out
The music in Wheel of Time is gorgeous. didn't know it was the same composer. But wow. Also, I actually wanna see season 3 of WoT now.
@@tearstoneactual9773 Yeah, Lorne has just been AMAZING. You might want to watch the interview he did on the Dusty Wheel.
There's a second arc in it (no, not Doric, she's the PC that had her own arc in a bunch of one-on-ones with the DM before the actual game started) - Simon. Like...he's from a long line of wizardry, except he's a Wild Magic Sorcerer instead, which means he feels a lot of imposter syndrome and generally has dreadful self esteem. The Helm didn't reject him for being bad at magic. It rejected him because _he_ didn't think he deserved it.
I used to think D&D was super nerdy...until I actually watched my friends play a session. This movie sums up D&D so well. It's a bunch of friends coming together to tell a story, do really cool stuff, and just have fun. There's also been super emotional moments too. I've even heard of people using D&D for group therapy. Also, fun fact, the cast played some D&D together in preparation for this movie 😊
Interesting, the bug chosen to represent the wife is specifically a Damselfly. I think its a great detail, because the only time we see it is when he does and sees her in it, and how he needs to 'save' her from death. Very solid and sneaky metaphor.
Sorry, that bug is a dragonfly. Damselflies fold their wings when not in flight, that one doesn't.
I loved how so much of this movie was practical effects that didn't have to be. The bird judge guy at the start, the cat-person and the baby one (I think these were Tabaxi, don't quote me on that; there's like 5 different races of cat-people, DnD does that a lot with making like upwards of 3 different [blank] race with different caveats or technicalities, like lizard-people, fish-people, bird-people, cat-people, ELVES, there's like 5 of each of those things and they're all culturally and play differently) they're pretty-much insignificant to the entire rest of the movie, they could've just made them not-animal people, the judge could've been some other fantasy humanoid-race with wings, still practical effects and I love that.
This was just such a fun movie! It was light and fun and you're laughing all the way, yet it is very mature in its themes and then you're crying at the end. It's absolutely great.
A wise octopus once said “the difference between the novice and the master is that the master has failed more times than the novice has tried”.
I love this movie so much, and I love the shoutout to Daisy Head! She’s great in Shadow and Bone and she was awesome in this movie! I hope she gets bigger and better roles moving forward cause she’s just great!
Can we have an episode focusing on Simon and self-doubt? I loved his journey too.
24:19 i love how this is a reference to barbarian characters as well, considering they have high AC (armor), this is something they'd say when they get healed instead of the healer healing the mushier and more vulnerable characters in the party 😂
This dragonborn barbarian is first! ❤ i loved this film as a long time D&D gamer. Chris Pine is the PERFECT casting for a bard. Also three cheers for man/woman platonic friendship that's amazing!!
I know what you mean
I think that is is tragic that this movie did not do better at the theaters. It was such a great movie.
Regé-Jean Page's Paladin was amazing. Just perfect casting.
Something I love about Holga’s character is that even though she’s tough and bad ass, she’s still nurturing, loving, and gentle with the kid.
So many characters like her are depicted as one sided and incapable of a softer side…. Or if they do have one it’s shown in moments of/as a sign of weakness.
Kind of wish we had included the bit where he was talking with the Paladin and discussed the metaphysical reasons why his plan may not be the best choice, i feel like that could have easily been included as a "what would your loved ones actually want from you after they are gone" discussion.
That's a tricky one as it veers more into theological realms than pragmatic concerns of dealing with things in the here and now more-or-less-known arena. There's less consensus about what those sorts of things mean. Not that it's an unworthy discussion, just that you'd wind up with some wildly different conversations with different belief systems.
I want to see a 5 episode miniseries of Dabblers & Dadbods where they go on an epic, cinematic adventure about trauma and feelings.
Went to see this in cinemas with my family and we ended up having the entire room to ourselves minus ~3 other people! Just as well, because Da and I were constantly pointing at the screen like that one Leonardo DiCaprio meme every time we saw something familiar, and Ma was just happy that she was able to recognise one thing (which I think was the Displacer Beast?) LOL
That was me during the High Sun games. The other team you see behind them is based on the 80s cartoon too, so I think I may squealed a little. :o
@@j.munday7913 Hehe, always fun to spot little details and get excited over them :D
Sucks the theater was so empty. This movie deserved more money at the box office. 😔
@@sexydictator3241 Actually I'm pretty sure it was essentially empty in our case because it was during work hours on a Wednesday/Thursday (we'd all taken the day off); we went to see John Wick 4 later that same evening and it was more packed ^^
I put this movie on the other day expecting a fun fantasy adventure. Was not expecting to cry like a baby at the end 😭. Holga and Edgin's friendship was so well done.
The giving of the magic resurrection rock at the start received a lot of criticism because it gave the characters a free route out of the plot. But that's the key, the plot was answering the question of whether or not Edgin would use it.
Ms Head does a good job in Shadow & bones too, a really dynamic & complicated character. She stands out
ALAN, YOU ARE CORRECT! We need to fix Johnathan's lack of D&D Experience. I would be honored to run you guys (and your crew) through an adventure. And, yes, I subscribe to safe table practices.
20:39 "...because most of us are messed up on multiple levels"
I probably laughed way to hard at this 😅too true
I very much want to seen Hugh Grant & Anthony Head in something together, probably as brothers. They're so similar. I don't mean in looks, I mean in style. For instance, if they're going to play not villains, they have to go wide eyed, & smile very sparingly, but they have a natural affinity for scenery chewing villains. It would be so much fun.
As someone who loves movies and loves dungeons and dragons, I ADORED this movie. It was exactly what it needed to be and was a blast from start to finish. And IT HAD PRACTICAL EFFECTS. THAT WERE FUN. Just loved it
One thing I loved about this movie is that it 100% felt like there were people behind each character rolling dice and making decisions. Like I could see where dice were rolling up as Nat 20 or as a 1, lol. Or where the DM flubbed things for the sake of continuing the story. 😂
Like many people, I saw this with my D&D crew. We all enjoyed it but I think I got the most out of it. The jokes rolled a nat 20 on my sense of humour, the action scenes were technically sophisticated, and the whole movie was so vibrant and fun. It really struck a tone that most movies don't even go looking for anymore and that's a real shame.
dnd is totally about group story telling and having fun... BUT damn does it just punch you in the gut when your character/story has a truly meaningful moment. I literally tear up every time I remember my gloom stalker ranger. RIP Zelneth