Dragonslayer

Rating:
Summary: A must see....
Review: With all of the high tech special effect films out these days, it is very easy to forget about a movie that is over 20 years old. If you never seen this movie and you enjoy dragon stories, don't hesitate buying this one!!! It is not overly violent or gross ( although the baby dragons in the cave chewing on that ankle was a little chilling ) the story does not fall into that type of meyhem. Even by today's standards if you are looking for a good late night dragon movie buy some popcorn and buy this DVD. You will be glad you did!!

Rating:
Summary: DVD a bit Non-Standard??
Review: First of all, this IS a truly great movie. A good demonstration of how some gems can get lost in the dross. The favorable reviews here prove the point -- we can safely disregard that one who just doesn't "get it."

However, of all the DVD's I own, this is the only one that gives me trouble on my CyberHome CH-DVD500 player. Namely:

I CAN'T TURN OFF THE ENGLISH SUBTITLES!!!!!

They intrude beneath the picture no matter what I do. Perhaps this is a quirk of my player, but if you have the same problem, POST IT HERE and on epinions.com. And write Paramount.

Rating:
Summary: "Yes, this is the house of Ulrich and no, he won't see you!"
Review: In 1981, Matthew Robbins directed and co-wrote the medieval fantasy "Dragonslayer". The film begins with an aging wizard, Ulrich (Ralph Richardon, who played Alexander Gromeko in the 1965 classic "Doctor Zhivago"), busily working on spells in his home known as Kragenmoor. Living with him are his assistant/apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol, in his big-screen film debut), and his groundskeeper, Hodge (Sydney Bromley). Visitors from the far away country of Urland come to Kragenmoor seeking help to rid their land of a fierce and aging dragon. Their king, Casiodorus Rex (Peter Eyre) made a pact with the dragon years earlier that involves semiannual human sacrifices to the dragon. The visitors are lead by an outspoken individual named Valerian (Caitlin Clarke, in her big screen film debut). Initially reluctant, Ulrich agrees to travel back with them to Urland to do battle with the dragon, but more visitors from Urland arrive who are lead by one of the king's soldiers, Tyrian (John Hallam). Following an altercation between Ulrich and Tyrian, Galen decides to travel to Urland to fight the dragon himself.

The cinematography in "Dragonslayer" is often dark and bleak, especially with the scenes of Urland. This creates an overall feeling of despair as that is how its citizens feel living in fear of the dragon and not knowing who the next sacrificial victim will be. Filmed long before the availability of computer-generated graphics, the special effects in "Dragonslayer" are quite good relying upon Phil Tippett's stop-motion filming. The story is engaging, as are the principal characters. Other memorable characters include Princess Elspeth (Chloe Salaman), Greil (Albert Salmi), Valerian's Father (Emrys James), Horsrik (Roger Kemp) and Brother Jacobus (Ian McDiarmid). Some viewers may find the story slow, but plot twists and numerous suspenseful scenes (such as the selection of the next sacrificial victim, the scenes in the caves, and the ending scenes) make "Dragonslayer" a very entertaining film.

"Dragonslayer" earned two Oscar nominations for Best Special Effects (Phil Tippett) and Best Original Music (Alex North). Overall, I rate "Dragonslayer" with 5 out of 5 stars. I applaud Paramount Pictures for releasing "Dragonslayer" in widescreen format (I had not seen it in widescreen since its original release in 1981) and highly recommend purchase of the film on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Dragonslayer!!!
Review: Wow, it's about time! Dragonslayer, man! Remember Dragonslayer? If you had HBO back in the good ol' days, you most likely saw this many, many times along with The Beastmaster. This is THE dragon flick. It's everything you could hope for in a fantasy film. This is no wimpy dragon flick. Hollywood loves to throw all these friendly dragons into their films anymore, which is extremely irritating. You won't see some human loving dragon with Sean Connery's voice in this one! It may be PG rated, but it is quite dark, serious, and very violent. Your kids won't be wishing with all their hearts to fly with this dragon in the Land of Art, I can tell ya that right now! She ain't white and fluffy and willing to take you beyond the boundaries of Fantasia either. This dragon is pissed. This dragon is burning the village virgins to a cinder, and letting her kids chomp away at the princess. This is the kind of dragon from fairy tales, this sucker is scary! This dragon is probably the scariest and best looking put on film. The effects were pretty good for 82 , and the dragon is still creepy and convincing. The dragon doesn't have much screen time, but that's fine considering a very good story is fed to us. There are some decent performances too, especially Ralph Richardson as the wizard. I have not seen an actor since that fits the role of a wizard the way Ralph does here. Sorry, Mr. McKellen. Now that it's here, get it. It's the perfect addition to your fantasy flick collection, and will easily find a spot between Krull and Conan The Destroyer.

Rating:
Summary: "Dragon" Slays Me
Review: DRAGONSLAYER was a favorite of mine when it came out in theaters, and, having just watched it again, it is still a fantastic film.

It's a little odd to see Peter MacNicol in the hero role after observing his toilet fascination for the last few years on Ally McBeal! Caitlin Clarke plays a girl playing a boy. (The 80's was the decade of cross-dressing! We had TOOTSIE, YENTL, VICTOR VICTORIA and DRAGONSLAYER!) Ralph Richardson is venerable and perfectly wizardly.

The best thing about DRAGONSLAYER is its script. The script unfolds in a smart, concise way. It even brings in the theme of magic vs. Christianity.

The effects still hold up. The dragon's head is obviously a big puppet, but director Matthew Robbins gets around the technical problems and gives us lots of point-of-view shots to hide the dragon until the last part of the movie.

My only gripe with the DVD is the quality of the print used. There are some obvious blue streaks down the middle of the film in several places. The film looks very grainy in several places, too. Otherwise, I'm pleased with the DVD - no extras, though.

Rating:
Summary: DVD Review
Review: Finally available on DVD at a bargain price, Paramount have done this film proud with a great image transfer. Sound, although 5.1, is lightweight with little surround sound but is clear. No extras, but so what at this price. The "Editorial Reviews" here is spot on, I'd just add that this is one of the best Fantasy films ever.
Reviewed on a 100" projector.

Rating:
Summary: A SUPERB film that proves CGI isn't everything!
Review: I've been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD for what seems like an eternity, and I had a sneaking feeling that "Reign of Fire" (which I slept through) would rekindle (pun intended) interest in DRAGONSLAYER enough to force Paramount into paying some way overdue attention to it.
This is a fantastic film with a cohesive story and absolutely staggering special effects, with nary a computer in sight! The dragon in this film comes across just as nicely as that in ROF, if not better. How can it be better than CGI? Well, CGI is ultimately a soulless bunch of bits and bytes, and lacking in real tangibility. This creature was an actual physical object, which adds to the realism in a way computer graphics simply cannot. You know a lot of blood and sweat went into these effects, and it shows. Watching the dragon stalking through her cavern as she chases after the apprentice is extremely creepy, and completely believable. The baby dragons don't come off quite as good--being too small to render with "Go-Motion" they had to use high-tech puppets--but they are acceptable. And the climax is far better, and more satisfyingly gory, than ROF.
The FX go beyond just the dragon, though, with various bits of sorcery from the old mage and the apprentice. Of course, the special effect on occasion may have been a string, but it was a very well-hidden string, and that means alot!
The acting is strong, the soundtrack is great, and the scenery completely takes you back to the Dark Ages. DRAGONSLAYER is second only to LOTR in fantasy filmdom, and is the supreme dragon movie for the ages. Please promptly rid your collection of Dragonheart, Reign of Fire, and whatever else is out there that gives the genre a bad name, because DRAGONSLAYER 'is' the genre. >>>>>>>
UPDATE: Just got the DVD and all I can say is WOW for the film (looks much better than my VHS), and BOO! to Paramount for not including so much as a trailer on this dvd. There are no extras whatsoever, which is pathetic, but that's typical of Paramount. The picture and sound are great, though.

Rating:
Summary: the best epic fantasy film prior to "Lord of the Rings'
Review: I am glad that "Dragonslayer" is set to be released on DVD, as it is truly a great lost classic that deserves to be seen. It was a box office failure when it was released, but thankfully it has developed a following. Unlike many fantasy films of the 1980's, "Dragonslayer" holds up today. While the special effects are (still) impressive and the production design is gritty, the film's secret weapon is the story. It is set up so that you think you know what will happen...and it doesn't. "Dragonslayer" sets up and then decontructs fantasy cliches. All in all, a great film that is worth checking out if you are a fan of fantasy and adventure.

Rating:
Summary: Gritty fantasy with perfect pitch
Review: The great strength of Dragonslayer is it's committment and belief in the subject matter. Never once does the director wink at the audience and throw in some campy humor. The ambience and drama is very serious and the great cast of characters are intensely caught up in the adventure.
Some reviewers have praised the special effects, which are a welcome relief from some of the sorry digital animation we have been seeing lately. But I want to comment on the wonderful score. Every time Vermithrax (the dragon) appears there is an awesome cacophany of horns that just nails you to your seat.
All told, this is an awesome old-school fantasy film if that's your bag. And it's far superior to the fantasy films to follow like Legend, Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
I'm buying this for nostalgia's sake, but something tells me my eleven year old daughter will add it to her favorites list.

Rating:
Summary: About time...
Review: I am in my late twenties, and I remember when this movie came out when I was a young child...I was completely enthralled with it. To this day it is the most realistic dragon I have ever seen in a fantasy film...most newer movies, in my honest opinion use digital special effects TOO much...you can get fast action sequences that way-but you lose the "real" feeling of the dragon. I personally feel that digital characters and sequences are best used with a very light hand for the best effect. In the close up shots of the dragon in Dragonslayer, you see every slimy scale, the facial expressions...and it looks real. This was not a digital image...this was old fashioned puppeteering and sculpting of a creature that looks as if it is really living and breathing.
The story is a good one...with beautiful costuming, breathtaking backgrounds, and a nice soundtrack. There are some very memorable lines, some good action, and the underlying story of magic vs. Christianity. There is also cameo by Ian McDiarmid as well-most often known as the Emperor/Senator Palpatine from the Star Wars movies-where he plays a Christian Holy Man who faces the dragon.
This was a favorite movie of mine as a child, and I actually married a man who ended up being just as enthralled with it as I was...we have our vhs copy viewed to the point of it almost falling apart-I am thrilled that it is finally being released on dvd.
If you are a sci-fi and fantasy movie lover...please add this one to your collection!