I've seen quite only quite a few fantasy movies and only one involving a dragon. Not one of those movies have the magic that this animated movie has. This isn't just a simple hack and slash adventure that fantasy is too often stereotyped as. This is a deep, mature animated movie, and the characters are well developed. They speak and act naturally, and the knight has one of the better monologues I've ever seen in a movie. There is a deep philosophy hidden in this movie, too. Should Man stay with magic or move on to science? That is the dilemma facing the main character, a scientist who is fighting to save the realm of magic. And there is more than one scene that will touch your heart. This is an excellent animated movie that is mature enough for adults, yet kids of all ages can enjoy it. Rent it or buy it. Just watch it.
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pmcollectorboy24 September 2000
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arickrol29 January 2006I really enjoyed this film as a child. I had forgotten the name for many years, which was unfortunate. Recently, my mother recalled the title in order to show this film to her class. She had requested it from the library and was surprised that it doesn't exist in a DVD format.
I happened to find it laying about and watched it again. All the childhood memories poured back. It isn't often an adult will sit through a children's' film and enjoy what they see but I did.
I still searched online for a DVD format so I could make a purchase but no dice. I wish it would be put on DVD. -
xoid2421 February 2003An animated science-fiction movie that the whole family can probably enjoy. Wizards, dragons, and ogres are just a few of the many creatures you can find in this movie. I first watched this when I was a little kid, and I still enjoy digging it out from time to time and watching it again (some parts used to scare me bad!). Reminds me a lot of the Lord of the Rings. If you liked those books/movies, you'll probably like this too.
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Baroque1 March 2001When I saw this film at a local cinema, I was expecting a simple child's fare. What I got was a most profound experience.
A land ruled by magic is brought to a perilous crossroads, and an evil wizard (voiced magnificently by James Earl Jones) seeks to bring about war and chaos. The good wizard Carolinus (voiced by Harry Morgan) seeks help and finds a most unusual ally...a young fantasy game designer in 20th century North America.
The diologue is intelligent, the action is well-paced, the plot is believable, and the ending will touch your heart. Kids will be drawn by the storyline and the animation. Adults will enjoy the jokes about science and aeronautics of dragons' wings.
Strongly recommended for the fact that it shows the link between science and spirit. That and the fact that you don't normally hear Larry Storch, Henry Morgan, John Ritter and Victor Buono doing voices for animated films. -
LovefilmsALOT12 January 2006Not much for animation usually but this film changed all that. I first watched it when I was younger and until recently hadn't watched it for a while. But after seeing it again it gave me a hunger again and again. If you're into the mystical, fantasy escapism in films and if you love dragons and wizards then this is a definite must see. It has beautifully designed beasts (dragons, ogres, worms etc) not just in design but in naming and essence which is definitely worthy of the book by Peter Dickinson. I'm a complete dragon lover now and love nothing more than watching a film that drops you into a fantasy pool through narrative and colour. And if you're the kind of person who likes a good musical soundtrack to go with, then this is a definite yes. This should be seen by children and adults alike. It's definitely one of my favourites and after you've seen it I'm sure it'll be yours too!
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TheLittleSongbird24 February 2009This is a great film, and is never on anymore, why? The animation looks generally lovely, a little flat in places, but that is the only criticism I have of this movie. The title song is so hauntingly beautiful, I still have the song in my head and cannot get it out. The rest of the music is wonderful as well. The characters were amazing. Carolinus, Melisande and Oamadon especially. A friend has a villa in Spain, and has the video there. When I go to Spain, I always watch this, as well as my siblings. The voice talents were great, especially John Ritter and James Earl Jones(outstanding as Oamadon), the script is intelligent-Oamadon's big speech in the meeting between the four brothers is genuinely chilling- and the story is enchanting and surprisingly mature. Please bring this movie back, because I was enchanted as a child, and this along with Last Unicorn has so much magic to make it memorable. 9/10. Bethany Cox
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filmbuff-369 July 1999Good story and characters team up with good animation to bring an excellent tale of a group of heroes joining forces to fight off an evil sorcerer in the world of magic. John Ritter excels as the voice of Peter Dickenson, the modern day scientist who is transformed into a dragon and forced to go along on the journey. Great action all around, and likeable characters.
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Like a lot of people, I first saw this movie when I was about 5 and couldn't stop watching it. It was smashing! I recently found another copy after 12 years and found it hadn't lost its touch. The animation is great and the voices are well chosen. James Earl Jones and John Ritter are superb! The movie is about 4 wizards losing their magic powers and suggest they build a new magical realm. The evil wizard Ommadon (JEJ) doesn't like the idea and threatens to destroy mankind. The green wizard Carolinus (voiced by 'M.a.s.h' Harry Morgan) inspires a quest to kill Ommadon and steal his powerful red crown. Soon enough he manages to round up Peter Dickenson (The guy who wrote the book) from the 20th century. A knight named Sir Orin Neville Smythe, Arak the wolf, Danielle of the woodlands, Smrgol the old dragon, Giles the Elf and soon its Lord of the Rings all over again. This has tons to offer. The science and philosophical side to the story is really clever and makes perfect sense. The action and story is fantastic with the quest involving Sand Mirks (Horrid little creatures who attack by the million!) Giant Worms, More dragons and the ultimate Ogre of Gormley Keep. He used to scare me to death. The nice kind of direction where you can only see his shadow and his face for a second until someone screams. Its frightening! I also found that Smrgol dying made me cry. Still, Smrgol and the Ogres castle-top fight scene is brill! Even if you aren't a fan of this stuff you will enjoy. I'd love to see you find a copy of this too. Well, 10 out of 10 anyway. I hear the call of my comrades. Ha ha ha!
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looie1 April 2005This is an interesting film done in an "offbeat" style. The animation is highly stylized and brightly colored, a stark contrast to the usually pastel and soft-edged Disney style. Some of the characters, such as "Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe," are -- well, cartoonish. I'm sure the parody of the knight-errant is well over the head of any child.
The story of the "quest" is simply told and unhurried. Plenty of time for children to enjoy the various side trips, such as Smrgal teaching Gorbash how to make dragon fire, or the two dragons getting drunk in the cellar of an inn and singing "Oh Susannah." The many scene breaks look like the movie was designed for commercial interruptions, a la television.
This is a niche film. Small children not too addicted to the Disney style will like it. Some of the conversation is stilted (again, everything about this film is very stylized, so the odd style of conversation is likely not unintentional) and you have to be able to accept it that way. Also, much of the conversation has double entendre or a level of humour that will go right by younger children, as when Gorbash asks Smrgal if he would really eat dwarfs and Smrgal replies, "Oh no, they are all hairy and tough, not worth picking out of your teeth."
My wife decidedly doesn't like this movie but I find it interesting enough in a curious way. And, of course, our five-year-old loves it. -
thewhiteladyofrohan18 July 2001A fantastic fantasy cartoon, as good as the book if not better, amazingly animated and voiced perfectly the film is entertaining and enchanting, the story has a Tolkien feel to it and very entertaining it is too I would recommend it to anyone who has ever had an imagination.
It's a great story of dragons and magic and good versus evil! -
I love this, it's just a lot of fun for those of us who never really grew out of goodies and baddies. If you love dragons and wizards etc you'll like it. I love macabre movies as a rule but the inner child (who is often to the fore) puts this on the A list with 'The Wind in the Willows' and the Narnia chronicles etc etc. I don't say the Lord of the Rings 'cause that's not for littlies and is another thing altogether. So HOORAY for stuff like this as we all need to be reminded to be NICE from time to time.
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IonicBreezeMachine7 January 2021Set in a world of medieval fantasy, The Green Wizard of Nature, Carolinus (Harry Morgan) begins to see magic dying out as man embraces logic over magic. Knowing that the change is inevitable Carolinus gathers his four brothers of Antiquity Lo Tae Zhao (Don Messick), Golden Wizard of Light and Air, Solarius (Paul Frees), Blue Wizard of Sea and Space, and Ommadon (James Earl Jones) Red Wizard of Black Magic and Forces of Evil to discuss the impending demise of magic. Carolinus proposes sequestering the magic realm from the world of man as a way of preserving magic which is supported by Zhao and Solarius, but Ommadon seeing this as weakness decides to fight against the impending change by encouraging mankind to use their technology and sciences to bring about an age of greed, hatred, and war that will bring about their destruction. Forbidden by Antiquity to engage in direct confrontation with each other Carolinus proposes sending a party on a quest to claim Ommadon's crown from which he draws his power. Antiquity chooses science expert/board game designer Peter Dickinson (John Ritter) from 1980s Boston as the champion to lead the quest and is brought by Carolinus to his time to do so. However when Ommadon's attempts to kill Peter result in Peter merging with a dragon, Peter must learn to use his unfamiliar dragon body to stop Ommadon's evil.
Released in 1982 through video distribution and ABC's Saturday Night Movie, The Flight of Dragons went on to have a small but devoted cult following thanks to its runs on cable TV after its initial release (Particularly on HBO) that made it a staple of many peoples' childhoods. Revisiting a fond childhood memory can sometimes be a slap to the face where we find ourselves thinking "why did I ever like this?" and then there's those other revisits to the past where "there's more details here than I remember catching the first time". The Flight of Dragons is an example of the latter.
The movie is at its core a straightforward quest movie with a simple set up of good versus evil, but what distinguishes The Flight of Dragons from other movies/stories of a similar ilk is its attention to detail and its characters. Carolinus is easily one of my favorite movie wizards who plays a kind and gentle man, but also one who isn't afraid of confrontation or cracking a joke or two. Harry Morgan does a great job voicing Carolinus and brings both the humor and sterness that he's well known for. John Ritter is also quite well cast as Peter Dickinson who although a man of science has a love and affinity for fantasy and magic. Peter is very much a fantasy fan who gets to experience his dream of living an actual fantasy adventure. The movie feels very genuine in Peter's adventure in that despite him having a bookish appearance his love of fantasy is never used as a butt for jokes and is treated uncharacteristically respectfully for the time (Just see Mazes and Monsters for an example of just how bad fantasy enthusiasts could be portrayed). James Earl Jones' commanding voice makes Ommadon a formidable and imposing threat and a really great villain that you love to hate.
The movie does have one or two drawbacks. The animation while still really good and possessing some really eye catching art can occasionally show some of the awkward motions or head scratching designs that Rankin Bass was known for, but most of the time the visual hiccups aren't that noticeable. Some of the voice work can also be a little spotty in places as well and some of the dialog can also feel a little clumsy, but these are very minor nitpicks.
The Flight of Dragons is one of those rare childhood favorites that is even better upon re-visitation as an adult. While the movie can be enjoyed by children for its quest based good vs evil narrative, there's some nice hidden layers within the movie's magic vs technology subtext that addresses man's need for imagination in combination with logic and knowledge. It's a movie that deserves more attention and should be considered a classic of the fantasy genre. -
bounty-hunter-Kabarakh22 June 2009I only watched "Flight of Dragons" already being in adult. "The Last Unicorn", another Rankin/Bass production, is one of my dearest movies as long as I can remember. So one day, I thought the makers must have been producing something similar. And indeed, in the same year as "The Last Unicorn" "Flight of Dragons" was produced. "Flight of Dragons" fascinated me from the beginning, just by having a wonderful theme song (again like "The Last Unicorn" does). And I knew, this would be a movie of my taste. But it does not work in every way for me. It could be a bit more fast-paced. More detailed drawings and a bit more depth in background-sounds would have given the movie a more tangible feeling, though I am aware this is a video-production. (Spoiler) Finally, the conclusion of the last battle is not to my taste. After all, I am fan of fantasy and magic. Science is my work, and still I don't want to see science beat magic. On the other hand do I like the suggestion, that there is still magic in our today's world. (Spoiler end) Fact is "sword and magic"-fantasy is absolutely underrepresented when we discard all the worthless trash made without heart. This story and movie has heart for certain and therefore should be a must watch for friends of the genre.
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as a child i saw this movie and loved it. i should have just cherished the memory and foregone seeing it as an adult. it was almost painful to watch. the only good thing about it was that it was unintentionally hilarious at times. i would definitely recommend it for children, but adults beware!
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CrystalBlueSilver5 April 2004The Flight of Dragons. To this day, I still get excited when I hear that title. I remember when I was first introduced to this exceptional cinema work. I wasn't more than 7 or so. For the first time, my family had the pleasure of having cable. It was one of those ancient cable boxes (I'm 17 now, if that clues you in on anything), but it was cable. I was watching the Disney Channel, and my mother was taping The Flight of Dragons. I liked it, but as with many other obsessions of mine, I didn't grow to love this movie until years later. I don't know what it is about this movie that keeps me coming back, time and time again. Is it the storyline? A man, with "one foot in the realm of magic, the other in the realm of science". It must have enthralled me, in some way. Dragons, warriors, mythical battles? There's nothing to turn me off there.
The characters. The plot. I can't put a finger on what turns me on to this movie. However, I believe this is a timeless classic that I will most certainly be showing my kids one day. I hope they will get as much out of it as I did. -
Nightingale_san10 December 2004Some people might not like this movie. I have loved this movie forever. If you liked Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn then you will LOVE this movie.
Spoiler!
The basic plot is that this guy is transported to a land of magic. Where wizards and dragons are real. The thing is he only believes in the world of logic. There a wizard is fighting with another wizard about the fate of this world. They decide that the fate of this world will depend on the guy who only believes in order and logic. Depending upon his actions are all the people he meets along the way. It has a love story, and a brilliant ending which explains why there are no dragons or magic today...
If anyone knows of a DVD copy please contact me!
Nightingale_san -
RodVar1 September 2008I remember this movie from when I was a kid. Watching it with my siblings and neighbors over and over. Even though we were kids, our English fluency was extremely limited and no subtitles were available, we loved it!
It was beautiful! The story was really amazing, the animation ahead of it's time, and the actors who provided the voices for the characters were outstanding.
What exactly is stopping WB from releasing it on DVD? A lot of us would buy and share it with a new generation, and so the Flight of Dragons story would live on... -
shinobiung2 December 2011If you think this is a cartoon for kids, then your in for a surprise, its every part the adults fighting fantasy that every dungeons and dragons epic was. But its done in such a way that any family member can watch.
The acting and cast is first grade without the ridiculous accents that cheap actors cant shake off and don't seem to want to when voice acting. Its sad that the world of Disney has cheapened the animation genre with over the top cheesy adaptations making monstrosities of classic tales and even factual histories into pop up musicals. Then people discovered Manga which was soon ruined by excessive nudity and cheap sex sells titles. I'm glad to say this timeless "flight of dragons" brings back animation and "art" to the level deserving of mass viewing.
As with all stories, it must be believable and amazing at the same time, without being predictable. You must have guessed I'm a sceptic since decades of disappointing films, movies and cartoons. But Flight of Dragons has lasted 30 years strong, and now my children watch it and everyone I introduced this animation to has passed it on too. And no matter how many times I watch it, I am always captivated by the swooping musical score and the sincerity of the way Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr want to transport you to their love of the books they have an obvious fanaticism to. I hope unlike G.Lucas and Steve.S they will keep their cast of expert animators and artists. -
Theshapeshifter4 April 2006"The Flight of Dragons" is indeed an odd story. The story involves a Boston writer who is taken into a world of fancy. He is turned into a dragon. And he must save the mythological world from certain doom at the hands of a fellow dragon, who is a madman and plans to turn the world into a dilapidated ruin run by machinery and all magic will disappear. Every dragon is set out to try and help the forces of good, and all seems lost until the Boston writer comes along to save the day. The story packs some good action and it appears to be quite amusing at times, perhaps due to the humor being so very crisp. Overall, the animation is classic in appearance, and the story is fresh, so this film is a highly good watch.
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dndowling9 February 2020I always believe in giving a movie credit when it takes risks and FOD takes risks. It's a fantasy film that uses a fish out of water, unlikely hero's journey and integrates science into a genre that is known for doing it's darn best to make you forget about things like the laws of physics. FOD dares to try and explain the workings of a world that is changing. This idea works in the beginning when the hero is turned into a dragon and teaches the other characters how dragons fly and breath fire through science and explanations of logic as opposed to magic. The characters themselves work well together and the incomparable James Earl Jones shines as the evil overlord, Ommadon. There are themes of honor, loyalty, and acceptance. The animation is charming, in true Rankin/Bass Production style. The music is memorable and fits well. I suppose the only fault is its conclusion. The film is structured around a world that is moving from magic into science, from creatures into man. It would have been nice to see man and reason overcome magic and creatures actually using science and reason. Instead it falls into a trap that another film, 1994's The Pagemaster fell into. The Pagemaster tried to get kids into reading, but instead of exploring the source material or why reading is importnat, it just name dropped. FOD does likewise. Whereas the protagonist could have built a weapon using science, or rallied his friends around a trap of technology to defeat the evil magic, the protagonist simply recites professions and formulas. He literally just screams them. That's how evil is defeated. A bizarre and unfulfilling end that brought down an otherwise interesting and sincerely done film. The only other downside is the updated Warner Brothers Classics Collection cover art, which suffers the same fate as many Don Bluth creations (most notably, Secret of Nimh) that attempted to Disney-fy the animation in order to better appeal to small children. The cover art is now more colorful, cartoony, and the eyes are made bigger with added, overbearing smiles. It's terrible, but Flight of Dragons is worth the watch.
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bgx90-70-7658192 June 2011"The Flight of Dragons" is finally being offered on DVD! Amazon is selling copies of the film on DVD-R discs using their Create Space service. These are legitimate, licensed copies. According to Amazon, copies of works sold through Create Space are made from original sources, so the picture and sound should be better than any bootleg available. So, if you've been looking for this film on DVD, just go to Amazon and search for "the flight of dragons DVD", and buy it directly from Amazon (not from the marketplace). I've already ordered my copy and can't wait to watch it. Create Space is licensed by the studio that owns the film to do this, so if the studio sees that there is a demand for the film, maybe we will see a normal DVD or Blu Ray release in the future.
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Rectangular_businessman4 February 2023If memory serves me right, there was a time when Flight of Dragons was among the highest rated animations titles on Imdb. I remember seeing it a long time ago: There were several parts of the story I forgot (Such as the main character merging with a dragon for most part of the movie.) Howver, I do remember most of the main characters dying during a battle near to its conclusion (Though they obviously were brought back to life at the end) and the way in which the main character defeated the villain by just merely quoting a bunch of random scientific facts. A bit anti-climatic, to be honest,but still, this was a rather decent Tolkien-esque 80s fantasy quest, appropiate for all the family, without insulting the intelligence of kids.
Maybe the execution was a bit uneven, and some moments were a bit cheesy, but still worth-watching anyway. -
niccutts9 March 2005I watched this film over and over again when I was a kid on and just watched it now maybe 20 years since I last saw it. Its magic has transcended the years and it really has a beautiful innocence that can appeal to children and adults alike. This is the kind of film that can remind you of what it was like to dream and inspire you to seek out those dreams. The plot is simplistic but the themes of magic vs logic are really allegorical and make you think "why should I be content with what I've got when there's so much more to be had?". All sounds a bit profound I know but I think the value in this movie is really found when you watch it as an adult having seen it first when you were a child. Show it to your kids and keep it alive- its been deleted now but that kind of imaginative and rich film should never die.
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kerorogio14 May 2021I saw this work for the first time only in adulthood and I think it should be contextualized for its age and appreciated for its thinking outside the classical schemes, but it has undeniably aged. The protagonist is a know-it-all with a weak air, but with a classy appearance (to justify Melisande), one who despite everything has kept his child's heart and loves the fantasy setting. The film tries to justify magic under a scientific eye, and it is undeniably interesting, but science becomes an inevitable executioner. Aside from the fact that dragons look like creatures that are easy to beat here, selling them as a sort of airship is just sad and some might even see a tiny provocation in the transmutation of milk.
The iconography is quite clear, classic, the two couples that are created are attractive, the other few remaining characters are between the ugly and the non-human. Mostly the fellowship journey develops decently, up to the explosion of the monster worm, despite having too little time to properly develop the characters that will join, with the exception of Sir Orrin, who is probably the best character along with the old Smrgol.
In general, "The Flight of Dragon" is a film that is worth seeing for personal culture, but which could be disappointing the expectations of new viewers, due to its hasty ending, totally devoid of any epic, in an ambiguous invitation to become adults... and with a use questionable about the loot.
Probably, the Peter Dickinson novel, from which the film is based, will be better. ...Probably. -
sol-21 April 2016Concerned about the prospects of logic and magic existing side-by-side in harmony, a Medieval wizard summons the help of a twentieth century board gamer inventor who believes in dragons in this popular animated feature film. The movie is adapted from two separate books about dragons: one that speculates the existence of dragons and their biology, and the other a more straightforward fantasy adventure yarn. Memorable as many of the action sequences are, the film is at its best when channeling the more speculative book. The pseudoscience behind dragons, how they breath fire and how they fly is endlessly fascinating. The film also crosses some curious science fiction territory as the game board inventor also gets to experience how a dragon mind works after the wizard accidentally melds him with a dragon. The vast majority of the film though channels the adventure tale, which is significantly less interesting, especially as the characters keep droning on about science versus magic. That said, the film offers some thought-provoking notions in terms of the role of magic in human evolution, such as the idea that television screens were inspired by the crystal balls of fortune tellers and that planes resulted from fairies inspiring humankind to consider flight. The film benefits from some decent vocal work too. Only Harry Morgan disappoints due to the distinctive nature of his voice; he always sounds like Col. Potter from 'M*A*S*H'. James Earl Jones is especially good as the chief villain and John Ritter is perfect as the easily excited protagonist.