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Dragonslayer

Play trailer Poster for Dragonslayer PG 1981 1h 49m Fantasy Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A terrible dragon is terrorizing the medieval land of Urland in the 6th century. Representatives from the kingdom seek the assistance of the wizard Ulrich (Ralph Richardson) to defeat the dragon immediately -- Urland has been delivering virgins to appease the dragon, and their princess (Chloe Salaman) has rigged the lottery system they use in order to sacrifice herself next. But when Ulrich is killed, the task to confront the dragon falls to the wizard's apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol).
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Dragonslayer

Dragonslayer

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Critics Consensus

An atypically dark Disney adventure, Dragonslayer puts a realistic spin -- and some impressive special effects -- on a familiar tale.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 03/22/2023
4/4
Dragonslayer has withstood the test of time beautifully. Go to Full Review
Richard Schickel TIME Magazine 11/16/2014
This movie has two big things going for it -- the dragon and the man who masterminds its slaying. Go to Full Review
Ian Nathan Empire Magazine 11/26/2012
4/5
An unknown treasure of a fantasy film and well worth a look for fans of the genre. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 03/26/2023
3/4
Its pacing could be a little more brisk and its main characters a little more exciting, but Dragonslayer nevertheless earns its place in fantasy filmdom for featuring one of the best fire-breathing creatures ever committed to celluloid. Go to Full Review
Alan Jones Starburst 07/28/2022
Dragonslayer, with the aid of superior stop-motion animation, hand puppets and hydraulic body mechanisms superbly puts on celluloid one of the most spectacular creatures of myth which in turn totally immerses you in a world of fantasy. Go to Full Review
Kenneth Turan New West/California 11/03/2021
As much of a triumph as this creature is, Vermithrax can't carry the entire picture. No creature can, and it is the lapses in the human part of the equation that prevent Dragonslayer from being the picture it might have been. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Vincent S. @Vin_E_At_The_Movies 5d When I was a kid I loved the dragon, loved the darkness, the grimy and the dangerous feeling of dread. Revisiting it today I still love it all. See more Blu B Oct 1 A Deep Cut 80's Fantasy Classic. This has all the cliches you'd expect. A dragon, townspeople to be saved, wizards, a princess, and the heroes journey. In a sense it doesn't break any new ground but it does add some twists to the formula and does the basics overall well. The acting ins't bad. The poster is a bit misleading as it looks like a normal hero and they kind of don't meantion the dude is like a young Richard Simmons who is kind of out of place. But suprisingly the more it went on the more he kind of grew on me and I liked him. He went through hell basically. The girl is cool too and everyone else sin't abd. The dragon design is good too. The special effects are good overall too and creative. Everything else is pretty solid. It's kind of clunky a bit setting things up in the first half. But it finds a nice rhythm in the second half adding layers to the story with the Princess sacrificing herself, the romance, and the actual dragon fight. I do like the irony of how people would rather believe there is no magic and believe in a sacrifice instead. Kind of like our hero too who you'd never believe coud do this. It does jump around but it all makes sense suprisngly more than the first half which was just on the main hero. There isn't a lot of words either in the final 40 minutes or so either and it works to it's credit. Suprisingly gory at times too for a Walt Disney movie as well but it is the 80's. If your a fan of 80's fantasy movies or a big fan of any actors in this than give this a shot. It's Good. See more Aug 13 This show stands the test of time, well acted, scary with amazing special effects. Peter Eyre was a amazing actor that portrayed the wizard Casiodorus Rex amazingly. Cast well with light humor. See more Roberto T Mar 26 As good a this movie is, and it really is a perfect little fantasy, I wish it could be enhanced with modern graphics. See more Orlando C @orrman Jan 28 The most perfect pure fantasy movie ever put on film. The most visceral and realistic dragon ever conceived. And the story. What a multi-layered narrative that touches upon everything from class and privilege, gender bias, even christianity and paganism. A story so deeply rendered, the movie REQUIRES multiple viewings. You will catch something new or nuanced every time. The cast is pitch-perfect. Peter MacNicol is the perfect weenie-turned-hero-turned-spectator. Sir Ralph Richardson is whimsical and foreboding all at the same time. And Caitlin Clark. As many have mentioned, they saw this movie as a young teenager on VHS sometime during the '80s. I am no exception. I fell madly in love with Valerian (Clark) when I saw this movie. Such a delicate beauty. So don't let the release year (1981) fool you. This movie hasn't aged a bit and has only become more iconic and referential over the decades. One of the absolute best. See more Jonathan O 11/28/2024 It's King Kong meets JAWS in this incredible fun exiting thrilling fantasy film. The casting are marvelous and really incredible mechanical performance by Vermithrax the Dragon she's really frightening meanest dragon of all time. The vfx looks incredible and really great sound design and 15th oscar nominated musical score by Alex North and if you love Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons and Game of Thrones you gonna love this epic film. See more Read all reviews
Dragonslayer

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Movie Info

Synopsis A terrible dragon is terrorizing the medieval land of Urland in the 6th century. Representatives from the kingdom seek the assistance of the wizard Ulrich (Ralph Richardson) to defeat the dragon immediately -- Urland has been delivering virgins to appease the dragon, and their princess (Chloe Salaman) has rigged the lottery system they use in order to sacrifice herself next. But when Ulrich is killed, the task to confront the dragon falls to the wizard's apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol).
Director
Matthew Robbins
Producer
Hal Barwood
Screenwriter
Matthew Robbins, Hal Barwood
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 26, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 6, 2014
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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