Monday, March 25, 2013

Dragonheart Review











Dragonheart


Release Date: 12th December 1996 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Rating: M

Runtime: 103 minutes


Budget: $57,000,000

Box Office Gross: $115,267,375 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
When the young, weak King Einon gets wounded in battle, a dragon named Draco heals him by giving him a part of himself that's now inside him. However, it turned Einon into a bloodthirsty king, or so it seems. Twelve years later, a dragonslayer called Bowen encounters Draco, and the two team up as a travelling duo, where they perform an act only known by themselves. Supposedly, Bowen slays Draco repeatedly for the reward money he collects from the villagers. Bowen and Draco have to save the kingdom from the tyrannical rule of the now-evil King Einon, who still has a part of Draco and part of him connected to Draco.


Cast
Dennis Quaid - Bowen
Sean Connery - Draco (Voice)
David Thewlis - King Einon
Lee Oakes - Young Einon
Pete Postlethwaite - Gilbert
of Glockenspur
Jason Isaacs - Lord Felton
Julie Christie - Queen Aislinn
Dina Meyer - Kara
Peter Hric - King Freyne
Brian Thompson - Brok
Terry O'Neill - Redbeard
Peter Hric - King Freyne
Eva Vejmelkova - Felton's Minx
Milan Bahul - Swamp Village Chief
Sandra Kovacicova - Young Kara
Kyle Cohen - Boy in Field
Thom Baker - Aislinn's Chess Partner
John Gielgud - King Arthur (Voice) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Rob Cohen
Story/Executive Producer - Patrick Read Johnson
Story/Screenplay - Charles Edward Progue
Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -
Herbert W. Gains
Producer - Raffaella De Laurentiis
Co-Producer/Second Second Assistant
Director - Hester Hargett
Casting Director - Margery Simkin
Production Designer - Benjamin Fernandez
Supervising Art Director - Maria-Teresa Barbasso
Art Director - Ján Svoboda
Dragon Designs - Phil Tippett
Set Decorator - Giorgio Desideri
Costume Designers - Thomas Casterline
and Anna B. Sheppard
Makeup Supervisor - Giannetto De Rossi
Chief Hair Stylist - Mirella De Rossi
Director of Photography - David Eggby
Second Unit Director of Photography/
Camera Operator - Buzz Feitshans IV
Camera Operator - Igor Meglic
Stunt Coordinator - Paul Weston
Sword Trainer/Choreographer - Kiyoshi Yamasaki
Special Effects Supervisor - Kit West
Special Effects Coordinator - John Baker
Microlight Coordinator - Brian Johnson
Visual Effects Supervisor - Scott Squires
Visual Effects Pre-Production Co-Supervisor -
Alex Sieden
Visual Effects Producer - Judith Weaver
Effects Producer - John Swallow
Visual Effects Art Directors - Mark Moore
and Craig Lewis (Uncredited)
Digital Effects Supervisors - Euan K. MacDonald
and Kevin Rafferty
Matte Painter: Illusion Arts - Bill Taylor
Character Animation Supervisor - James Straus
Supervising Digital Effects Artist - Barry Armour
Supervising Character Animators - Rob Coleman
and Doug Smith
Lead Digital Character Modeller - Paul Giacoppo
Concept Artists - David Dozoretz
and Jonathan Rothbart
Film Editor - Peter Amundson
First Assistant Editor - John M. Taylor
Supervising Sound Editor - Richard L. Anderson
Special Sounds Designer - John Pospisil
Re-Recording Mixers - Michael C. Casper,
Daniel J. Leahy and Bill Varney
Dragon Foley Artists - John Roesch
and Hilda Hodges
Music - Randy Edelman


Awards

1997 Academy Awards
Best Visual Effects - Scott Squires, Phil Tippett,
James Straus and Kit West (Nominated)


Review
As a teenager, I used to think DRAGONHEART was overrated since I thought the movie introduced me to David Thewlis's character as the hero instead of Dennis Quaid's. However, David's role turns out to be a bloodthirsty villainous king, and Quaid is the leading protagonist. Now I realise it was a great fantasy movie by director Rob Cohen. Fitted together are the solid acting of Quaid and Thewlis and the appropriated and applied comical slapstick. The well-known music by Randy Edelman and, most importantly, the dragon character Draco, brought to life by CGI and the voice of Sean Connery.

DRAGONHEART was surprisingly entertaining but a lively and pleasant flick that keeps the heart and takes viewers on an unforgettable journey.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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2 comments:

  1. I've loved DragonHeart since I was a kid, being somewhat of a guilty pleasure, with Draco being one of my favorite film dragons. After I found out about the novelization, I just had to get my hands on it and it was more than worth it. It's the true version of DragonHeart and one of the best novelizations I've ever read!


    The book fleshes out the characters, the world, and the story while the film only scratched the surface and dumbed some things down to be more family-friendly. From learning about the film's development process, it's a shame that Universal messed it up as the film could have been more. The movie ought to be remade based on the book, with Sean Connery returning to voice Draco and Liam Neeson as Bowen. Remake petition link - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/919/037/836/remake-dragonheart/.

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    Replies
    1. To be fair, I never read the novelisation but I definitely appreciate the movie for what it is and though I agree of what you said about Dragonheart.

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