Dragonheart - Collector's Edition

Starring:Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Dina Meyer, Jason Isaacs, Brian Thompson, Lee Oakes, Wolf Christian, Terry O'Neill, Eva VejmelkovÃ¡, Milan BahÃºl, Peter Hric, Sandra Kovacicova, Kyle Cohen, Thom Baker, Julie Christie, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Buddy Quaid
Director: Rob Cohen
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

In the closing paragraph of his 1996 review of Dragonheart, noted critic Roger Ebert summed up this adventurous fantasy quite nicely: "While no reasonable person over the age of 12 would presumably be able to take it seriously, there is nevertheless a lighthearted joy to it, a cheerfulness, an insouciance, that recalls the days when movies were content to be fun." That's precisely the quality that makes Dragonheart so appealing, despite the fact that it didn't exactly take flight and breathe fire at the box office. The movie takes itself seriously without sacrificing the wit and cleverness that make it so entertaining. It's about the last of the great dragon slayers, Bowen (Dennis Quaid), who teams up with the last of the great dragons, Draco (and voiced by Sean Connery), after they realize that killing each other would put them both out of business! So they devise a bogus dragon-slaying act that's a huge hit as they tour from village to village. Later, they must rouse the peasantry against the loutish Prince Einon (David Thewlis), whose life was once saved by Draco, but who now violates the "Old Code" of honor with a ruthless reign of terror. As Ebert rightly noted, Dragonheart is no masterpiece, and its story (which was originally conceived as a darker, more serious drama) isn't likely to capture everyone's heart (dragon or otherwise). But it's full of exciting action, witty dialogue, and gallant heroism, and in the presentation of a realistic talking dragon it's a milestone in computer-generated special effects, far surpassing the breakthroughs of Jurassic Park three years earlier. --Jeff Shannon.

Customer Reviews:

Dont rent from Amazon.......2007-01-12

I rented this, and once downloaded it stated that my client license was up. Tech support couldnt help me, and instead just refunded my money. It was nothing but a waste of time.

Great action.......2006-02-14

While not as good as the Mummy, this movie is really great because of the violent action. Kicks the quinn out of the kiddie kid kid sequel.

A earth shattering brake through!!!!.......2006-02-13

I thought it was great!! What I mean to say is, that I thought computerziation was at its best,(to a certain excetent). Like in that one secen, when Draco was trying to eat Bowen; but besides that, I thought it pretty good!!

DTS does work - Great Movie!.......2006-01-21

To get to the DTS encoding you must click on the 5.1 selection instead. It then jumps to DTS. I discovered this after a little experimentation. It's just a glitch in the DVD, but DTS DOES work! The move has superb visual effects and sound. Well worth the price!

A Classic Dragon Fantasy Film.......2005-08-05

Plot: In a revoltion by the village against his father/the King, Enion -- the young Prince and apprentice of knight Bowen (Dennis Quaid) -- is injured. As the injury could be fatal, the Queen rushes him to a dragon with the request of it's healing power. To do so, the dragon must give half of his heart to the Prince (and, of course, he does). Yet once Enion bcomes King, he disregards any teachings of the Old Code from Bowen and becomes a cruel and corrupt young man, bringing only choas to his time of reign. From here, feeling that the dragon is the reason for Enion's rebellion, Bowen vows to slay every single dragon left in existence. But once he comes upon the last dragon left (Sean Connery with vocal duties only, as the dragon is CGI), he finds him impossible to defeat. They resort to friendship instead, and Bowen gives the dragon a name: Draco (after the constellation). They team up, traveling village to village, having Bowen to pretend he slays an evil dragon (Draco) that is inhabiting whichever current village they are working (this humorous scam being done for money, of course). But soon, the past catches up to both of them and they run into the old village now cruelly run by Enion. They, with the assistance of the villagers, decide to over-run Enion and his small army. With the help of Draco, it seems possible. But Enion ends up capturing Draco. Bowen must kill Enion and save Draco, but discovers a connection between the two that makes such a task much more difficult than he'd imagined. I've given most of the plot here, but I won't say too much about this part, because it is indeed the center of the climatic drama. All I can say is that Bowen must choose between two very difficult decisions!

Dragonheart succeeds in not only a humorous and fantastic movie, but also a heart-warming one. The ending (supported by the wonderful score) brought tears to my eyes, and the story is one that will stick with any viewer for quite some time. Although the CGI dragon is a turn-off to some, be assured that for the effects available at the time, these guys used the best. Also, as for the DVD, there are some great special features including inside looks at Draco, the effects, the story, etc. This is an adventure/fantasy film perfect for almost any age and I would certainly recommend at least a rental. If you're into dragons or just fantasy in general, Dragonheart is a must-see!

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