With the massive critical and financial success of
the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, epic fantasy adventure is big again, and
every major studio is dusting off their properties. In 1981, amidst a
flood of sword and sorcery flicks like CONAN THE BARBARIAN, THE DARK
CRYSTAL, and LABYRINTH, Paramount released DRAGONSLAYER to general
audiences, staring a young Peter MacNichol who went on to success on the
ALLY MCBEAL TV show. MacNichol stars as Galen, a wizard’s apprentice.
DRAGONSLAYER was MacNichol’s first big screen performance. His
additional genre credits include GHOSTBUSTERS 2, ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES,
and DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT. Co-star Caitlin Clark can be seen in
CROCODILE DUNDEE, THE STEPFORD HUSBANDS, and BLOWN AWAY. British actor
Sir Ralph Richardson rounds out the cast as Ulrich, the elder Wizard.
Some of Ralph Richardson’s best work includes the 1972 TALES FROM THE
CRYPT, WHO SLEW AUNTIE ROO, and TIME BANDITS. Paramount gambled a put a
lot of money into the production (including hiring the expensive
Industrial Light and Magic to handle the special effects).
Unfortunately, the movie failed to make a dent at the summer 1981 box
office, relinquishing DRAGONSLAYER to cult status for what seemed like
aeons. But in 2003, Paramount released DRAGONSLAYER in all its
widescreen glory on DVD.
Back in the Dark Ages, dragons rule the lands,
with one dragon in particular, Vermithrax Perjorative, terrorizing the
people of the kingdom known as Urland. The King of Urland strikes a
bargain with the dragon. In exchange for sparing the Kingdom and it’s
citizens, The King promises to deliver a bevy of virgins as a sacrifice
to the hungry dragon and it’s offspring. He forces his people to hold
a lottery, with the beloved daughters selected as the sacrificial lambs.
The people of Urland don’t take well to this situation thrust upon
them, and they go to Castle Cragmore and implore that the wizard Ulrich
(Sir Ralph Richardson). When the King hears of this insubordination, he
fears that Ulrich might actually have the power to stop the winged
beast. The King has an assassin kill the wizard. With the elder wizard
out of the way, his teenage apprentice Galen vows to not only avenge his
masters death, but to destroy the dragon all by himself. Luckily, Galen
meets an unwilling accomplish in Valerian (a villager’s daughter
seeking to escape the virgin lottery by dressing as a man). Galen and
Valeria must contend not only with the dragon, but the corrupt King as
well.
DRAGONSLAYER is an extremely well crafted film,
which has strengths on several levels. First of all, the story and
acting are very character driven and well acted. DRAGONSLAYER benefits
from having a rather plain-looking cast as opposed to the Brat Pack
types that were annoyingly popular at the time of filming. Like Ian
McKennan in LORD OF THE RINGS, Sir Ralph Richardson steals the show as
Ulrich the Wizard. There is no glamour in DRAGONSLAYER, and that it
another winning aspect. Creator/director Matthew Robbins filmed
DRAGONSLAYER in the actual English moors and countryside, adding an aura
of authenticity to the fantastical elements. It also helps that the
movie features dynamic cinematography jammed pack with authentic
production design and locales—all of it real photography and not
computer effects. Director Robbins imbued the movie with a sense of
darkness to match the primal Middle Age settings. Just check out the
mist covered landscapes and torch lit castle interiors. Another main
focus of this motion picture is the dragon itself, brought to life in a
very realistic manner courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic. I find the
effects work here much more organic than the cartoony CGI effects that
are common today.
Paramount releases DRAGONSLAYER in the original
2:35:1 widescreen ratio, with 16x9 enhancement. I must say, this
transfer culled from a polished film source is possibly one of the best
remastering jobs of 2003. DRAGONSLAYER features truly awesome
cinematography and authentic production design, which together make for
a true visual feast. The sharpness and depth of image is absolutely
stunning, with superb details. Daylight scenes are bold and natural
while night scenes are appropriately dark to match the tone of
DRAGONSLAYER. Black levels are perfect. Occasional grain and some dirt
are the only setbacks. You can select from two audio choices, Dolby
Digital 2.0 and 5.1. The good news is the DD 2.0 track is clean, clear,
and powerful as a DD 2.0 track can be. The bad news is the DD 5.1 sounds
only a little better than the 2.0 track. The DD 5.1 is thin on depth,
directionality, and bass. Everything comes from the front soundstage
with nothing coming through in the rears. Still, the dialog , sound
effects, and score (for both 5.1 and 2.0) are anchored in the front
soundstage with great fidelity and clarity. Paramount put a lot of work
into restoring DRAGONSLAYER for DVD, yet they left out any extras—there
is not even a trailer here.
DRAGONSLAYER is a true triumph of fantasy
filmmaking and is clearly a league above current fantasy fare like THE
SCORPION KING, DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, or REIGN OF FIRE. DRAGONSLAYER
offers a better script, superior acting, and an air of authenticity that
few modern filmmakers can touch (with the exception perhaps of Peter
Jackson). Paramount’s DVD is something of a mixed bag. The film
presentation itself is nothing short of monumental. However, the Dolby
Digital 5.1 track is a bit of a disappointment and the folks at
Paramount didn’t even include a trailer. Had they enhanced the DD 5.1
track more and perhaps included some extras, this might have made for a
killer special edition.
DRAGONSLAYER
is available from DVDEmpire.com
