Dragonslayer

In the early 1980s there was a spate of fantasy movies -- ranging from movies like "Conan the Barbarian" and "Excalibur", to distinctly B-grade productions like "The Sword and the Sorceror", and "Hawk the Slayer". This was probably due to the phenomenal success of "Star Wars", as science fiction and fantasy have always marched pretty closely beside one another as genres. "Dragonslayer" was one of the better films of this type, and the movie's lack of financial success is frankly inexplicable to me. The best guess I can make to account for it is that the movie is not so action packed as "Star Wars" or "Conan the Barbarian", and not quite so fast paced, so perhaps audiences were let down by that. But it's still a great movie. The production values are second to none. The film perfectly captures the look of the Dark Ages -- the early medieval period, no more than a century or two after the fall of the Roman Empire. This was a time when records were scanty, many communities were more isolated than at any time before or since, Christianity was a new religion, and just one faith among many, and a time when people really believed in magic and the supernatural. It is the PERFECT setting for such a movie. The cast is superbly chosen. Peter MacNicol makes a good Galen, who is naive, brash, and possesses the arrogant confidence of youth, but who finally comes to understand he didn't have it all as completely figured out as he thought. Ralph Richardson, in one of his last roles, is superb as the wise old sorceror. Peter Eyre is thoroughly believable as the weak-willed king of Urland (presumably one of the smaller kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England) who has made what he sincerely believes is the best bargain he can make with an invincible supernatural creature. John Hallam is a charismatic, though ultimately villanous king's henchman. And Caitlin Clarke is cast perfectly as a woman who is just barely androgynous enough to pass for a boy, and yet just barely attractive enough to pass for a romantic interest for Peter MacNicol's character. What is most surprising, perhaps, is the dragon. It was breathtaking in 1981. Today it still looks pretty good. Obviously, it's not quite as realistic as today's CGI creatures. But given the limitations of pre-CGI special effects, it's still really impressive, and doesn't look completely dated like, for example, the 1933 Kong does. The "go-motion" techniques they used to film the dragon Vermithrax would be superseded by CGI effects before too many years had passed, but they were still a huge improvement on the stop motion animation that was previously the only way to put such mythical creatures on the screen. This movie benefits from a really good story, great special effects, a first rate cast, and cinematography that is positively superlative. It should have done better at the box office. Some movies just don't get fully appreciated till later. "Bladerunner" is another such movie. While this movie has not been as influential as "Bladerunner", it has, like that movie, been more appreciated since it was released than it was at the time of its debut. Great fantasy movies are really pretty thin on the ground. This movie is one of the better ones.

Even when you consider this movie was made in 1981 and you have current movies like Reign of Fire and Eragon to contend with Dragonslayer beats them all. Not only do you have the coolest dragon ever, but you also have a very well written story with plenty of parallels moving alongside the main plot. Add to that a fantastic setting and talented cast and you have not only the best dragon movie, but also one of the best fantasy movies made so far. Lets start with the dragon, Vermithrax Perjorative (cool name eh?). This is simply the best-designed dragon to ever reach the silver screen. From the conceptual design to how ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) made it come to life, Vermithrax is a delight to behold. Granted most of the dragon sequences are filmed using stop motion effects, but the process used makes the movements very fluid and believable. The dragon design itself is not the only beautiful thing about it. The way they tease you will a little shot of the tail here and a claw there makes seeing the dragon all that more satisfying at the final scenes. The dragon is definitely a treat to behold. The rest of the special effects (non-dragon related) are subtle and effective. Perfect for a movie of this sort. The story is as well designed as the dragon. Everything falls into place like it should. This is very refreshing when many Hollywood movies tend to throw a scene in just to appease what they think the audience wants. Dragonslayer is all substance without any of that fluff. I particularly like some of the underlying subjects like the rise of Christianity and the end of the age of magic. The story is complimented by what I consider one of the most detailed and accurate settings for a medieval dragon story I have ever seen. You really feel like you are in the Dark Ages. The acting, from both veteran and young actors, is compelling and believable without any of the camp many fantasy films fall victim to. The one thing I didn't really enjoy was the soundtrack. Granted it was done very professionally and the music is definitely befitting of the movie theme, I just found it more distracting than anything else on most of the scenes. There is no melody or pace set to the music. It just flies off all over the place like a mad scientist's experiment. I know most people who like Dragonslayer love the music. I just can't say that I am one of them. Too bad the DVD treatment isn't as good. No special features to speak of. No commentary tracks. Nothing special at all. Would be nice to at least see a remastered version sometime in the future. Compelling story, wonderful sets and location shots, talented and effective acting, spectacular special effects (especially considering when it was made), and a kick butt dragon design make Dragonslayer required viewing for any fantasy movie fan. This is especially true if you are into the swords and sorcery type or into dragons. If you want to see a really good story done really well then this too is the movie for you. Action fans might or might not get into it depending on how much action you really need, but there is probably not enough action for you testosterone freaks out there. All I can say is when you see this movie get ready to put away every preconceived notion you had on what a REAL dragon movie should be like.

The Movie: Amazing. Practical effects are off the charts. They don't make them like this anymore. The Disc: Outstanding picture and sound. Dolby for the win! The Case: Impeccable. Fantastic artwork worthy of this film. Collectors should love this!

Dvd que se ve y se escucha... Como un dvd, es lo que hay. Película maravillosa. Con perfecto CASTELLANO. RECOMENDABLE para quien la quiera y amantes del cine de fantasía. 80s total.

Awesome! Really enjoyed watching this with my kids.

tolle verkäufer, super

Il film è un cult del fantasy anni 80 ! L'unica pecca è che lo schermo è piccolo

Still an enjoyable movie. Happy with purchase.