This is a production which should be required viewing for any film student. It is a virtual masterpiece of stop motion photography illustrating a dark and malevolent plot, bolstered by wonderful thespian execution and sensible yet creative direction. The finished product is presented to the viewer with a believable sort of style which draws you in and allows the suspension of reality necessary to truly enjoy any fantasy.
The characters are well introduced without boring you or taking you to a place where you don't wish to be. Peter McNichol was very young here, but shows great promise nonetheless.
The king has sealed a dark treaty with the Dragon. There will be a lottery every month to determine which girl is to be a living sacrifice to their Dark Lord, and he will in turn not burn their village to cinders. But there is treachery afoot; duplicitous acts, secrets. When the village grows tired of losing its young, they go in search of a great wizard to vanquish their Dragon Lord.
Normally, I would not praise a movie which portrays the Dragon as the personification of Evil. I feel that judgment is wrong and misplaced. However, as far as good Dragon movies go, they are so few and far between that I cannot omit this work from the list.
If you like dragons, I highly suggest Sleeping Beauty, Pete's Dragon, DragonWorld, Reign of Fire, the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Dragonheart, Dungeons & Dragons (though these dragons are a bit weak), Dragon Storm (Made for TV), Dragonheart 2: A New Beginning (but only half-heartedly), Quest for Camelot, King Ghidora (there are several of these kaiju movies out there, some with Godzilla, some without), Jackie Chan's "The Medallion," Shrek, Shrek 3-D, Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (a basilisk is considered of Dragonkind), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Puff the Magick Dragon (1978 short), the Black Cauldron, the Sword in the Stone, or the Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958).
It rates an 8.9/10 on the "B" scale.
That's a 7.1/10 on the "A" scale from...
the Fiend :.
4 out of 6 found this helpful