Dragonheart: Review By Worth5Bucks

Dragonheart is a conflicting film; it has several great aspects to it but in the end they are overrun by the bad. I first saw this film when I was about ten. I remember liking it, but thing definitely change. Dragonheart isn't bad, but it isn't good. It belongs in the in-between forgettable film category.

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Plot Setup:

The movie opens with Dennis Quaid (Bowen) training Prince Einon. As Bowen teaches Einon he tells him how important honor is. But Einon has evil in his heart and doesn't actually listen to what Bowen tells him. You get an obnoxious vibe from Einon. In time, comes a battle where the king is killed and Einon has a life threatening wound. Einon is like a son to Bowen so Bowen is mad and he and the queen decide to take Einon to a dragon (we later know him as Draco). Draco's terms of agreement were that Einon would always have to be noble and just. Draco (Sean Connery) saves Einon by giving him a piece of his heart, hence the title.

Einon, now king, grows up to be unjust. This angers Bowen. But Bowen doesn't blame King Einon (David Thewlis), he believes that the dragon put a spell on him. Bowen now spends his days on the hunt for all dragons.

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Story:

The story was my favorite part of the movie. It was told in a format in which it seems passed down from generation to generation, so it doesn't seem quite like fact or fiction. The problem is that the overall execution of the rest of the movie around the story was poor. The screenplay was generic, and it failed to get the story across the way it should have been told.

Acting:

Dennis Quaid... Dennis Quaid. Let me think... Dennis Quaid's performance in this movie was actually not that bad. You can really tell he gives it his all. His all just isn't that good. The problem with Dennis Quaid, however, is now, has always been, and forever will be his voice. His character is really cool. But when you're in a film and everyone else sounds Scottish and you sound one hundred and ten percent American, a problem is created. I'm fairly confident that even if Dennis Quaid was raised in Scotland he would still sound American. I can only imagine how mad his accent coach must've got at him. His character, Bowen, is actually pretty cool. He looks awesome, but the moment he opens his mouth, it's all over. Unfortunately, Dennis Quaid's voice is like an interrupting fart, no matter what is going on, the mood is ruined.

One of the best things about the film was that Sean Connery was the voice of Draco (the Dragon if you're not smart enough to make that connection.) His voice is just so fun to listen to, unlike Bowen's. He really is the relief of the film. Another memorable performance was Pete Postlethwaite as Gilbert. I had first seen him in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and later in Clash of the Titans and to my surprise Inception. He's always had likable performances even though he's been in some pretty bad movies.

Directing:

Rob Cohen unfortunately has never made a good movie. Everything he does seems to have 3 stars or less stamped on its forehead. This is without a doubt the best film he's made, but unfortunately, there just isn't any shine or sparkle to his work.

Score:

The music in Dragonheart is actually very good. The problem is that it has almost no value as a score. The music rarely flow with the film, it was often a bore, and many times overdramatic. However, when listened to without the movie behind it, the main theme to Dragonheart "To the Stars" composed by Randy Edelman is incredible. His score was much, much better in The Last of the Mohicans.

Visuals:

The visuals weren't bad in Dragonheart; the problem is that the movie wasn't quite ready to be made. There were some shots that really had a lot of potential to be great, but not until the future could they have been. I will not deny that movies like Dragonheart are necessary in order for progress to be made for future movies and their visual effects.

Overall:

Dragonheart is ok, just ok. Because of its story, I would actually enjoy seeing a remake. With a better Bowen and a better budget this could be a very good film, as long as it's not directed by Rob Cohen. It's worth watching, but you won't feel much different after seeing it.