Back in 1981, Disney and Paramount released an epic fantasy film that, well, didn’t do so well at the box office. However, it was nominated for two Academy Awards for Visual Effects and Original Score.  The film was written and directed by Matthew Robins, co-written by Hal Barwood and stars Peter MacNicol (Galen Bradwarden), Caitlin Clarke (Valerian), and Ralph Richardson (Ulrich). Ian McDiarmid, the Emperor from Star Wars, also makes an appearance! The music was composed by Alex North and will surely send you off to the fantasy realm, where dragons are real!

Check out this awesome trailer! Oh, and you can also rent it.

A Brief Review

Summary: The kingdom of Urland is kept safe, so long as a virgin girl is sacrificed to a mighty dragon. The people have had enough! A few villagers seek out a sorcerer brave enough to slay the dragon. The road is long and the clock is ticking for the next sacrifice to be chosen.

Characters:  I’ll only mention two characters for this review, Galen and Casiodorus.

Galen– the sorcerer’s apprentice. He longs to be powerful in the art of magic. When the path before him turns to darkness, he is the light that conquers the darkness.

Casiodorus Rex– The king of Urland. He’s made a deal with the devil, responsible for creating a lottery to select the sacrifice to feed the dragon and keep his kingdom safe.

Overall Thoughts: This is one of my favorite films of all time… I believe I made that clear earlier. It’s for sure a classic fantasy film loaded with magic, adventure, and hope. While some of the effects don’t hold up, the puppetry sure does. The coolest looking dragon to ever be seen on screen. Dragonslayer is certainly film you’ll want to watch over and over!

The music is fantastic! If you’re lucky, you may be able to find a copy of the soundtrack on amazon or eBay. The gritty look of the film is texture I miss in films today. Everything is so clean and polished looking. A huge thing that makes this film work, and why I think it’s classic that will never get old, is the simplicity of the story. Film doesn’t always have to be puzzle.

Rating: I give this film an A+

I love this film

DragonSlayer is one of my favorite films ever made. I dare say it’s my second favorite of all time, behind Ghostbusters. A shock to fans who probably assumed it was Star Wars! The film was released in 1981, so the effects by Industrial Light and Magic don’t all hold up today, though some of the visuals most definitely do. There have been more than a handful of dragons appering in film over the last few decades, but none are as impressive as Vermithrax Pejorative!

Click HERE to check out my Top 10 MUST WATCH Horror Films.