The Cranky Critic reviewsDRAGONHEART
Starring: Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Dina Meyer, Pete
Postlethwaite and Sean Connery's voice
Directed by: Rob Cohen
"Suggested" Ticket Price: $7.00
Cranky settled into his theater seat for "Dragonheart," the second
special effects laden extravaganza of the summer season. The
buzz I had heard before the preview had not been good, but the
buzz was off the mark. "Dragonheart" was fun.
Before the calendar year went into triple digits (ie. Before the
year 1000), the Land was still full of Dragons. Ancient
creatures that were old when Man was young; who had watched over
the rise of man, these Dragons lived by a Code of Honor that they
taught to the warrior knights:
-
A knight is sworn to valor.
His heart knows only virtue.
His blade defends the helpless.
His word speaks only the truth.
His wrath undoes the weak.
As set up in the prolog, it is a time when Knights and Kings have
forgotten, or turned their backs on, the Old Code. So, when
there is only one Dragon left, it is in his best interest to make
a deal with the best of the Dragon-slaying knights. Nowadays we
call it blackmail -- the knight protects towns from the Dragon,
in exchange for a bag of gold. The Dragon pretends to be killed
by the knight and the merry pair tromp off to the next vulnerable
town. It's a good con, and it's only part of the story of
"Dragonheart." The rest of the story includes an evil King kept
alive by a piece of a Dragon's heart, a beautiful redhead in the
style of "Xena: Warrior Princes," and a trip to King Arthur's
Avalon.
Dennis Quaid plays Bowen, the good knight, rock solid straight.
David Thewlis, as evil King Einon, delivers the same kind of
intense performance that he did in "Naked." It's the kind of
over the top work that makes you wonder if his tongue is not
planted firmly in cheek. Pete Postlethwaite also goes over the
top as Brother Gilbert, a monk whose sole purpose is to serve as
comic relief. Bits and pieces will remind you of other movies
set in the Dark Ages that you may have seen in the past year.
"Braveheart" is liberally stolen from. "Rob Roy" had some
influence. Something approximating the voice of Alec Guiness (a
la Obi-Wan Kenobi) shows up as the ghost of King Arthur.
Kara, played by the more than lovely Dina Meyer, goes from
swinging hatchets to slinging full size battle axes, without the
musculature to lift the suckers. It's the kind of thing that, in
fantasy, doesn't matter.
It all pales besides the warm and funny performance by Sean
Connery as the voice of Draco the Dragon, and the spectacular
effects by Industrial Light and Magic.
We have progressed so far in special effects technology that the
Dragon is all over this thing. In the dark. In broad daylight.
Flying, walking, swooping, drooling -- that isn't a pretty sight,
but it fits the story perfectly. Draco/Connery steals the show
in "Dragonheart," with effects that made me utter "cool" out
loud. A delightful script allows him seemingly off the cuff
comments that made the audience laugh. It is a bravura vocal
performance.
Like ILM's earlier special effects work this year on "Twister,"
the work is perfect. The Dragon effects and animation looks
real; it interacts with real scenery and actors and is entirely
believable. The scenery and cinematography is gorgeous, and
though the movie tends to lean a bit towards the gross and
violent -- the aforementioned dragon spittle and battle scenes --
it is not too much. Just the kind of thing I would have adored
at age 15.
In summary: The effects are perfect and Sean Connery's
performance fits them to a tee. It is worth the ticket price
just for his performance.
It costs $8.50 for a first run ticket to a movie here
in New York City. For "Dragonheart," Cranky would have paid....
$7.00
I enjoyed it.
The Cranky Critic (tm) and (c) 1996 Chuck Schwartz. All Rights Reserved.
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