In The Days Of Dragons
Just over twenty years ago, Dragonheart was released in theaters. It told the story of Bowen, a knight of the Old Code, and Draco, believed to be the last living dragon on Earth, who join forces to take on the evil King Einon, a tyrant that has a unique connection with both Bowen and Draco. Along for the adventure are Kara, a peasant girl hungry for revenge against Einon, and Brother Gilbert, a monk who records Bowen’s adventures in the hopes of becoming a great poet.
The film featured an amazing cast including a few well established actors such as Dennis Quaid (Bowen), Julie Christie (Queen Aislinn, Einon’s mother), and Sir Sean Connery as the voice of Draco. Many of the other cast members were just beginning to make their mark in cinema. David Thewlis (Einon), Pete Postlethwaite (Gilbert), Jason Isaacs (Lord Felton), and Dina Meyer (Kara) would all go on to establish solid careers of their own within the next few years after being in Dragonheart. The movie also featured some solid supporting work from character actors Brian Thompson (Brok) and Terry O’Neill.
With CGI still in its infancy, the film was considered a technical wonder. Combining practical effects with CGI, Industrial Light & Magic, under the guidance of Phil Tippett, did a wonderful job of bringing Draco to life. Yes, there were obvious moments in the film where Draco looked fake, but the dragon’s overall look and actions were very convincing for 1996 and hold up well to this day. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Best Visual Effects, losing out to Independence Day.
I remember watching this film at the theater. There was a childlike wonder to it that seemed to be missing in other contemporary action and fantasy films in the 1990’s. This was a fun movie that didn’t attempt to take itself too seriously but was still enjoyable to watch. It wasn’t a perfect movie, but the acting was solid and the effects were amazing for their time. The music was inspiring and the action was well-paced as well.
The film cleared 115 million dollars in returns, making back just a little more than double its production costs. As the years passed, it built a cult following that became large and vocal enough to warrant a direct-to-DVD sequel entitled Dragonheart: A New Beginning, and then two prequels would follow, keeping the Dragonheart name in the back of fans’ minds. Rumor has it that Universal is fishing around for ideas about a remake of the original film.
Dragonheart is a fun film that deserves a second look. If you haven’t seen the film yet, it’s currently available on Amazon Prime and on Blu-ray/DVD. You won’t regret watching this film if you love fantasy and adventure. It’s also an excellent film to watch with your family.
As always, thanks for checking out my post. For my fellow U.S. citizens, happy Thanksgiving. I plan on posting about my recent trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival very soon and be on the lookout for my review of DC Universe’s Titans in just a few days!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 