I by no means thought I might see an excellent Dungeons & Dragons film in my lifetime. When Honor Among Thieves comes out subsequent 12 months, I nonetheless may not have. But the film has earned my goodwill, and that’s as a result of it has an Owlbear in it.

That’s it. Just the Owlbear. That’s all I wanted. For you laypeople who haven’t seen the latest Honor Among Thieves trailer, an Owlbear is—anticipate it—a bear that has an owl’s head. It’s one in all Dungeons & Dragons’ best-loved monsters, however not like the fan-favorite Displacer Beast (a panther with tentacles that tasks its picture a couple of toes away) and Gelatinous Cube (what it says on the tin, apart from it slowly murders individuals who have the misfortune to fall into it), each of which are additionally within the film, the Owlbear is beloved as a result of it’s so damned goofy. It appears ridiculous. It is ridiculous. It is mindless, and the owl head doesn’t make the creature any extra formidable than a daily bear apart from giving it talons and a beak, which is a lateral transfer at greatest from a bear’s claws and fangs. It’s simply an extra-big, extra-angry bear that occurs to have a hen head. And I adore it.

For me, it represents the perfect parts of taking part in D&D: being artistic and having enjoyable. It’s not that the tales informed in role-playing sport classes can’t be solemn or emotionally transferring, however we’ve got an abundance of fantasy tales these days that take themselves with an unrelenting seriousness. Fantasy is allowed to be enjoyable, and people are my favourite RPG classes—hanging with mates, taking part in a sport, cheering collectively at each Critical Success, and laughing ruefully at each Critical Fail.

Again, this film may suck. It’s intentionally aping Marvel movies, it’s undoubtedly a cash-grab after Stranger Things popularized it, the story may find yourself being horrible, it might be nothing greater than craven fanservice, or it may even mock the supply materials and the nerds that love the sport, which might infuriate me to no finish. However.

The world of nerdery will be dispiriting these days, largely due to poisonous followers and celebrities who grow to be monsters. But simply seeing that dumb, magnificent owlbear on that display was a second of pure nerdy pleasure for me, and a strong reminder there’ll all the time be moments like that, even when they really feel few and much between.

G/O Media could get a fee

30% off

Canon Pixma MG3620

A school important
Part of Amazon’s Off to College Essentials, this Canon Pixma makes use of wi-fi to print out of your cellphone, laptop computer, or pill

And sure, I do know within the film it’s a Tiefling Druid who wildshapes into an Owlbear. It’s nonetheless an Owlbear. And Owlbears rule.

Want extra io9 information? Check out when to count on the newest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on movie and TV, and every little thing it is advisable learn about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.