Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not as good as the original
Review: A New Beginning is a good movie with a good polt, but it has a long way to go before it can surpass the original. The writers did a good job in explaining how another dragon could be alive if Draco was the last. The story is heartwarming, and the action scenes are good. The animation isn't as good as the original either. THis is a great movie for kids to see as it has a good message, but if your looking for another original Dragonheart, then this isn't the mvoie for you!
Rating: 
Summary: A nice surprise
Review: After reading some of the reviews for this movie I wasn't expecting much but never-the-less I was curious to see how the movie compared to the first one. There were a lot of +'s for this version although there was not much reference to the original movie which had Sean Connery as the voice of Draco. In this movie, the voice of the dragon is done by Robbie Benson. You know him, the one who provided the voice of the Beast in Disney's animated version of Beauty & the Beast. I found the movie to be quite entertaining with an interesting Asian influence showing off some very nifty martial arts scenes. Other than that you have the evil character who plots to make himself invincible with the help of the dragon's heart. Nice twist for the ending. All in all I was pleased with the choice of movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Draco would not approve of this.
Review: After watching "Rising Sun" last night I had the luck to spot "Dragonheart: A New Beginning" on the Sci-fi channel. I've always been a fan of Dragons, and the original Dragonheart made such an impact on me that I just had to see this sequel, no matter the fact that it was billed as a 'family movie'. ... The original Dragonheart was a masterpiece of a comedic tragedy; it dealt with issues like fun, friendship, love and spirituality, yet it also covered racial violence, genocide, guilt, sacrifice, and death. The end is a tear-jerker for a lot of people. By contrast, "Dragonheart: A New Beginning" comes across as a movie that would be suitable for kids as young as 7-8 if they're not frightened by no-gore violence and characters getting put in "scary" situations. When I say no-gore violence I am specifically referring to the only "battle" seen in the movie where the only blood you see is on the tip of one spear. There are also a couple kung-fu fights. But, while there are a lot of bodies, you don't see any blood! Being a family movie, everything is naturally light-hearted and never too serious because most of the action is predictable. However, this comes back to bite it in the climax of the movie as some of the characters act way out of character. The main human character is Geoff (a stable boy at a monastery) who discovers and "makes friends with" the young na?ve dragon Drake. "Dragonheart: A New Beginning" comes in at 85 minutes in contrast to the 103 minutes of the original, and unfortunately you will notice it - there is not enough real character development between Drake and Geoff to show us why they would care for each other in the way that they do at the end. Up until the end, the relationship between the two is strictly kid/pet, with Geoff being cocky and self-centered and taking advantage of his close friendship to the na?ve dragon to advance himself, which the bad guy plays on. Eventually, the desires of the bad guy are revealed and Geoff ends up `saving' Drake from a deadly situation which Geoff got him into in the first place, and Drake saves him while they both escape. After their escape from the bad guy and directly up to the final confrontation is a long scene in which the secondary characters escape from their predicament and uncover another facet of the bad guy's plot. While the scene itself is decently done and doesn't need to be cut, it overwhelms the escape scene. It would have been much better for the entire movie if the escape scene beforehand had been expanded to show the forging of a true friendship between Geoff and Drake. As it is, in the climax when Drake makes his `fatal choice' between good and evil there is no indication that their kid/pet relationship has changed. A couple people have commented on "bad acting" but I have to disagree. If you look at how the actors show their emotions and believe in their characters it's easy to ignore any technical problems and forget that they're actors - a big plus. On the other hand, imperfect directing, scripting and editing have led to some nasty plot holes and characters getting out of character in moments that make you want to scream "WHY DOESN'T S/HE...?!". One example of a minor plot hole is when Drake discovers the typical knight/dragon relationship (i.e. dragonslaying) and the entire issue is swept under the rug. While we as the audience feel sorry for Drake as being the last of his kind and feel anger or guilt towards the activities which killed his race, we never really see Drake respond to the issue, which is a let-down for those of us interested in seeing the movie deal with more serious issues. Drake also gets FAR TOO LITTLE AIRTIME, making him seem to be a very two-dimensional character in contrast with the beautiful performance of Draco in the first film. On the technical side, the design of the dragon is very good, the locations and costumes are decently medieval, and the choreography is amazing for a direct-to-video film. Drake is well-animated most of the time, though his CGI never totally blends with the live-action characters in the way that Draco's did, and some additional CGI in the end seems below Drake's level of refinement. Overall, the movie's light-hearted tone and musical score, simplistic structure, predictability, transparent characters and surreal childish CGI dragon, not to mention the plot holes that keep it from standing up to the criticisms of adults, lead this movie to be a solid 4/5 star contender with the younger audience in general, 5/5 for being the only good dragon film for kids too young to handle the original Dragonheart, and a 3/5 for everyone else. Personally, I liked it. :)
Rating:
Summary: Direct-to-video "sequel" changes focus to target the young
Review: After watching "Rising Sun" last night I had the luck to spot "Dragonheart: A New Beginning" on the Sci-fi channel. I've always been a fan of Dragons, and the original Dragonheart made such an impact on me that I just had to see this sequel, no matter the fact that it was billed as a 'family movie'. ... The original Dragonheart was a masterpiece of a comedic tragedy; it dealt with issues like fun, friendship, love and spirituality, yet it also covered racial violence, genocide, guilt, sacrifice, and death. The end is a tear-jerker for a lot of people. By contrast, "Dragonheart: A New Beginning" comes across as a movie that would be suitable for kids as young as 7-8 if they're not frightened by no-gore violence and characters getting put in "scary" situations. When I say no-gore violence I am specifically referring to the only "battle" seen in the movie where the only blood you see is on the tip of one spear. There are also a couple kung-fu fights. But, while there are a lot of bodies, you don't see any blood! Being a family movie, everything is naturally light-hearted and never too serious because most of the action is predictable. However, this comes back to bite it in the climax of the movie as some of the characters act way out of character. The main human character is Geoff (a stable boy at a monastery) who discovers and "makes friends with" the young naïve dragon Drake. "Dragonheart: A New Beginning" comes in at 85 minutes in contrast to the 103 minutes of the original, and unfortunately you will notice it - there is not enough real character development between Drake and Geoff to show us why they would care for each other in the way that they do at the end. Up until the end, the relationship between the two is strictly kid/pet, with Geoff being cocky and self-centered and taking advantage of his close friendship to the naïve dragon to advance himself, which the bad guy plays on. Eventually, the desires of the bad guy are revealed and Geoff ends up 'saving' Drake from a deadly situation which Geoff got him into in the first place, and Drake saves him while they both escape. After their escape from the bad guy and directly up to the final confrontation is a long scene in which the secondary characters escape from their predicament and uncover another facet of the bad guy's plot. While the scene itself is decently done and doesn't need to be cut, it overwhelms the escape scene. It would have been much better for the entire movie if the escape scene beforehand had been expanded to show the forging of a true friendship between Geoff and Drake. As it is, in the climax when Drake makes his 'fatal choice' between good and evil there is no indication that their kid/pet relationship has changed. A couple people have commented on "bad acting" but I have to disagree. If you look at how the actors show their emotions and believe in their characters it's easy to ignore any technical problems and forget that they're actors - a big plus. On the other hand, imperfect directing, scripting and editing have led to some nasty plot holes and characters getting out of character in moments that make you want to scream "WHY DOESN'T S/HE...?!". One example of a minor plot hole is when Drake discovers the typical knight/dragon relationship (i.e. dragonslaying) and the entire issue is swept under the rug. While we as the audience feel sorry for Drake as being the last of his kind and feel anger or guilt towards the activities which killed his race, we never really see Drake respond to the issue, which is a let-down for those of us interested in seeing the movie deal with more serious issues. Drake also gets FAR TOO LITTLE AIRTIME, making him seem to be a very two-dimensional character in contrast with the beautiful performance of Draco in the first film. On the technical side, the design of the dragon is very good, the locations and costumes are decently medieval, and the choreography is amazing for a direct-to-video film. Drake is well-animated most of the time, though his CGI never totally blends with the live-action characters in the way that Draco's did, and some additional CGI in the end seems below Drake's level of refinement. Overall, the movie's light-hearted tone and musical score, simplistic structure, predictability, transparent characters and surreal childish CGI dragon, not to mention the plot holes that keep it from standing up to the criticisms of adults, lead this movie to be a solid 4/5 star contender with the younger audience in general, 5/5 for being the only good dragon film for kids too young to handle the original Dragonheart, and a 3/5 for everyone else. Personally, I liked it. :)
Rating: 
Summary: Made me cry, again
Review: An awsome DVD that is almost garunteed to touch your heart. The sequal of the movie/DVD, Dragonheart, it will make you fall in love with dragons, if you aren't already. Includes sword fighting, martial arts, and a dragon breathing fire and ice. A must see..especially if you catch your self bored all the time......
Rating:
Summary: An odd little sequel that really isn't a sequel at all
Review: An odd little sequel that really isn't a sequel at all. The original DRAGONHEART was a surprisingly sweet film Staring Dennis Quaid as a reluctant, down on his luck knight of old, at first battling, then eventually joining forces with a real live dragon (voiced by Sean Connery). This movie keeps the name and the dragon concept but loses everything else. Made for kids, this is the story of Geoffrey (Chris Masterson), a young stable boy, who dreams of being a knight. By chance, he discovers and befriends a scaly, rascally dragon named Drake (voiced by Robby Benson). Together, with some help from a mysterious Asian man and his feisty kung-fu fighting ward, they seek to free their kingdom from the evil influence of a ne'er do well advisor hell-bent on destroying Drake and taking over the realm. I can't honestly see why this film was made except maybe to capitalize on the kid popularity of the original film, but it's a second rate movie at best with some lighthearted moments thrown in here and there. It's not that this is a bad film - it's just a bit redundant. I'd stick with the original to show your kids. Or better yet, go introduce them to Harry Potter instead.
Rating:
Summary: I thought Draco was the _last_ dragon . . .
Review: Blech. That's probably the best thing I can say about this video. The original movie "DragonHeart", of which I am a huge fan, is a movie with an interesting premise: the last dragonslayer and the last dragon team up together to defeat an evil king and free his people from slavery. Aided by a fiery peasant girl and a priest, they ultimately bring victory . . . at a cost. (Check out the movie reviews at Amazon.com for a more detailed plot.) One of the neatest things about "DragonHeart" was the simple premise of the last dragon and the last dragon-slayer together. So, I ask you, how can there be a sequel to the movie when it was about the _last_ dragon? There are no more dragons in the world after "DragonHeart"; just in the stars and in our hearts. It quite upset me to see the producer cheapen the effects and meanings in the first movie in order to produce a rather cheezy sequel. The plot is simple; a young boy training for knighthood meets a young dragon, Drake. Don't ask me where _he_ came from; _Draco_ was the _last_ dragon in DragonHeart! There is a problem----the dragonette can't fly. Together, they must learn how the dragon is to fly, but also overcome an evil ruler. Not the most fascinating plot, but it's certainly a sad substitute for the original movie. Not to mention the fact that the special effects are no where near as magical as in the first movie; at times Drake almost appears to have a black outline around him, and his movements are jerky and sometimes unnatural. I will say this, the acting seems decent; but the actors are not given much to work with! I have a great respect for the writer, Charles Edward Pogue, who did the first movie. I don't believe he wrote the plot or script for the second movie, and I'm willing to bet it wasn't anything he ever had in mind. This movie, quite simply, does not fit in the DragonHeart-Universe; the two movies are not compatible. Who needs a sequel like that? When a cheaply-done, childish sequel like this comes along, it will definetly ruin the effects of the original. So if you want more DragonHeart, read the novelization of the first movie; an excellent book, in some ways better than the film. But don't waste your time with this movie. Draco would _not_ approve.
Rating:
Summary: Different from the original, but still fun.
Review: Do not expect a re-telling of the original film. This sequel is clearly intended for a younger audience, and, when viewed with that in mind, there is still much to enjoy about the film. I liked that the film makers included some good messages for younger viewers about family, friendship, sacrifice, and cautionary messages about the dangers of ambition and prejudice. The cast does a fine job, without exception, and they are clearly having fun with the material. The characters are quite likeable and I liked that they included a strong female lead (played by Rona Figueroa). The martial arts and swordplay sequences are great. The action is toned down in deferrence to young viewers though parents should be cautioned that there are two stabbings which might disturb very young children. My only grumble is that I would have liked to have seen the film spend a bit more time further developing the characters and a bit more to the film's surprise climax (and there are some good surprise twists in this film). A good film if you want something fun or if you want something you can watch and then discuss with your children.
Rating:
Summary: "A knight is sworn to valor. His heart knows only virtue."
Review: Dragonheart is one of my favorite movies, up there with The Last Unicorn. The music is good, the actors are fantastic, and the storyline actually has some thought to it. Dennis Quaid is great as Bowen, the knight turned dragon slayer. He looks the part as well as acting the part of a dragon slayer bound by the old code, who is trying to rid the world of dragons so the evil in his protégé, King Einon, will be defeated. Sean Connery is great as the voice of Draco. According to the 'making of Dragonheart' feature on the DVD, the director had only Connery in mind for the voice, and spent 13 months trying to get the dragon to have facial and body actions that patterned Connery. I don't know if it's because Connery is so well known, or if it's because he can project life into Draco, but the dragon has a personality, and you can relate to it's sadness and fear throughout the movie. Pete Postlethwaite is good as the monk/historian/bad poet. He gives a bit of comic relief to the movie, especially in the later fighting scenes. His inability to remember his own poetry is also funny. Dina Meyer portrays the peasant Kara as a strong young woman who's willing to do almost anything to defeat King Einon and avenge the death of her father. David Thewlis is an awesome bad guy. He's not a physically powerful man, but his brain makes up for his lack of brawn. Plus, he's creepy, which adds to the bad guy image. His heartlessness as King Einon and the fact he's causing a dragon to lose his soul makes you want to hate him throughout the movie. The music is absolutely beautiful; Randy Edelman really created some wonderful music. A lot of people who haven't seen the movie might recognize the music, as it was used in the Trailer for Mulan and a few other movies. I really love this movie, and I'm not sure if it's the music, the cast, or the fact that the story isn't a carbon copy of a lot of the dragon or knight movies out there, but there's something about Dragonheart that makes me watch it from time to time, and enjoy it each time.
Rating:
Summary: Better than your average made for video releases
Review: Dragonheart part 1 is one of my all time favorite movies. When I heard that part 2 was a direct to video release, I didn't know what to expect. I was quite impressed though. The plot is excellent, it is only the unknown actors shoddy acting that ruins things. The animation is quite mediocre, not up to par with the original. The dragon drake, looks like he's come out of a cartoon. Drake is voiced by Robby Benson, while good, he seems lame compared to Sean Connery's Draco. Considering the fact that I liked the plot, I wish they had made this a big budget, made for the silver screen release. A good plot is ruined by bad acting and low production costs. I mean Dragonheart is one of my favorites and I wish they had spent some more money on the sequel. Having said that, this is a good movie to rent. Dunno if i'd buy it though but it is definitely worth watching.
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