Review of Dragonslayer (1981) by Jens S — 22 May 2012
This is one of the earliest fantasy films that dared to present a dragon and actually managed to pull it off. The story of the mage apprentice who has to step up to protect a realm from the fire-spitting monster is rather simplistic and we learn very little about the characters that inhibit it.
The film still has a very unique and somewhat disconcerting atmosphere, which makes up for a lot. It's also smart enough to hide the dragon from our sights for the longest time. Once it enters the scene, it's pretty damn convincing even by today's standards.
Even though the plot is far from generic and always keeps you uncertain about what's happening next, the movie does not manage to grip you entirely. Especially by today's standards it feels aged.
The dragon is still impressive, though.
This review of Dragonslayer (1981) was written by Jens S on 22 May 2012.
Dragonslayer has generally received positive reviews.
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