DragonHeart
1996 · Directed by Rob Cohen
Original language: English
- fantasy
- action
- adventure
- drama
The story
In an ancient time when majestic fire-breathers soared through the skies, a knight named Bowen comes face to face and heart to heart with the last dragon on Earth, Draco. Taking up arms to suppress a tyrant king, Bowen soon realizes his task will be harder than he'd imagined: If he kills the king, Draco will die as well.
What it’s like
Warm, big-budget 1990s fantasy with a storybook sheen: broad sunlit landscapes of green valleys and craggy stone castles, sooty torchlit halls and ash-grey battlefields, all filmed in glossy, saturated mid-nineties digital-era color with plenty of sweeping crane shots and wide establishing frames. Dragon flight is the visual centrepiece, rendered with early CGI that looks more painterly than photoreal, and the score is full, swelling orchestral music with heroic brass and wistful strings. The vibe is earnest, adventurous and bittersweet, a comfortable Saturday-afternoon escape with a rainy-day-matinee warmth. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with frequent swordplay, a few tense pursuits and a steady stream of quips between a grizzled knight and a reluctant, wisecracking dragon. The emotional arc is a cynical man slowly softening toward a creature he was hired to kill, and a friendship built on mutual distrust. Intensity is moderate: sword fights and battle scenes with some bloodless wounds, scattered peril and a dark-edged villain, but no gore and no sexual content. It suits family viewing, fantasy fans, and anyone wanting a nostalgic, big-hearted adventure with a warm, slightly corny edge.
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