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Plot Summary
A special-effects laden medieval fantasy adventure, Dragonslayer centers on the attempts of a young sorcerer's apprentice to defeat a vicious dragon and save a lovely young maiden. Peter MacNicol stars as the young Galen, an aspiring magician under the tutelage of the aging Ulrich (Ralph Richardson). A nearby village turns to the pair for help when their leader begins proffering sacrifices of young virgins to satisfy a vicious dragon. The two immediately set out for battle, becoming even more determined when a courageous princess offers to sacrifice herself to the creature. Unfortunately, Ulrich's failing abilities force Galen into the center of the conflict, where the uncertain young boy must prove himself under fire. The suitably mythic if somewhat predictable story is told straightforwardly, culminating in a spectacular battle against the beast, featuring Academy Award-nominated visual effects. Despite its visual flair and relatively positive reviews, the film received mediocre response at the box office, as some criticized the film's violence as too intense for its intended younger audiences.
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Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
85%- Reviews Counted: 27
- Fresh: 23
- Rotten: 4
- Average Rating: 6.7/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: Mr. Robbins's overall accomplishment is one of creating a mood, and he does this well enough to make up for the film's occasional cumbersomeness.
Rotten: A well intentioned fantasy with some wonderful special effects, Dragonslayer falls somewhat short on continuously intriguing adventure.
Fresh: The scenes involving the dragon are first-rate. The beast is one of the meanest, ugliest, most reprehensible creatures I've ever seen in a film, and when it breathes flames it looks like it's really breathing flames.
Fresh: The film excels as a visual exercise, as a study in adolescent psychology, and even as astute political analysis.
Customer Reviews
great fantasy film
I disagree with the person who wrote saying this is not complex... actually I think it's so much more subtle and complex than most fantasy films, so much darker and organic in texture. I have been haunted by this film since seeing it as a child back in the 80s. For one thing, the cast is absolutely fantastic. And the effects, although without any use of computers, are somehow more poetic and powerful than films that digitally create the dragons. Lastly, the soundtrack is really strange and gorgeous. It's a moody film that will stick with you for a long time to come. I highly recommend it.
Excellent, a hidden gem.
A well acted movie, this film has a very well balanced sense of very good english acting with very well filmed and believable special effects. Maybe this gets lost on modern (read young) viewers, but I think is so well done that it will stand the test of time and modern computer-graphics that tends to at this point seem kind of cliche. That being said, the movie has so much to offer otherwise, the story and acting I think carries itself anyway. A great movie that is even more fun since so few people seem to know about it. If you have never heard of this movie, that is the perfect time to watch something that will surprise you.
One of my favorite movies
This is one of my favorite movies of all time, especially of this genre. This movie has such a rich, realistic feel to it. Like if these times ever existed, this is what it would have been like. The fact that it was made so long ago and feels better than many of today's movies is amazing. Excellent story, excellent acting, excellent effects; I highly recommend it. And as somebody else put, "a hidden gem." Really.
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