Review of Dragonslayer (1981) by Nick F — 18 Feb 2010
Still the definitive dragon movie by far, this classic movie boasts a great cast, solid production values and a rousing score by Alex North. You wouldn't guess the unconventional casting of Peter MacNicol as the lead, but he really owns the movie as the brash and smart newly minted sorcerer.
Sir Ralph Richardson is perfect as the old wizard and brings a solemnity to his battle with dragon; the final curtain call for the age of magic. The movie builds into its narrative a fascinatingly potent undercurrent of the introduction of Christianity and the demise of the old pagan ways.
The final scene where the audience has seen the last wizard battle possibly the last dragon and have the credit taken by the power of prayer to God and then the official pronouncement of the king having slayed it with his sword is a very droll commentary on how history is often written with less truth to it then we would think.
The score by Alex North is a perfect accompaniment to the action onscreen. The dragon itself is fantastic to look at. The movies teases us with glimpses here and there, like Jaws or Alien, leaving the full reveal of the dragon till late in the movie.
The appearance of dragon babies is an unexpected surprise as are many little moments in the movie, beginning with the return of the wizard at the end. Enough can not be said about how really good this movie still is, despite its dated FX, they remain visually interesting enough to math this movie up against the likes of later dragon movies such as Reign of Fire or Dragonheart.
The movie is a must-own for any fantasy film buff and one of the highlights of classic 80s fantasy.
This review of Dragonslayer (1981) was written by Nick F on 18 Feb 2010.
Dragonslayer has generally received positive reviews.
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