Dragonslayer

Finally, Disney's Dragonslayer (1981) was released on DVD. I had fond memories of the movie but hadn't seen it since high school. So, as soon as I saw it on Amazon, I had to buy it. This past weekend, I sat down and watched it. Did the movie live up to my memories? Yes. Yes it did. While this was a Disney movie, it is not a kids film. There are no musical numbers, no sidekicks there solely for comic relief. People die and the movie doesn't try to hide the deaths.

While the rear projection and matte shots are dated (particularly on a HD TV), the practical effects are still phenomenal. Vermithrax Pejorative is still one of the best movie dragons I've ever seen: from the stop motion model, to the life size claws, to the 40 foot full sized puppet and to the flamethrowers the effects team used to give the dragon its fire. It's not a perfect movie, but it is a good, fantasy movie. Much better than most, even ones made in last few years (*cough* Dungeons and Dragons *cough cough*).

I do have some issues with the movie, though. The movie takes place in the "dark ages", before Christianity became wide-spread. The costuming is nicer than most fantasy movies and better than most period films, but not perfect. The sword vs spear duel towards the end was terrible. The mirror like sword blades, a-la Excalibur, are a distraction. And too much furry boots and studded leather.

The dragon ran rampant throughout the kingdom. The King struck a bargain with the beast: two virgins a year and the dragon will stay in its lair. The virgins are selected by lottery from young maidens throughout the kingdom. After years of sacrificing young girls, a group of peasants set out to hire a powerful wizard to slay the dragon, and plot happens. The wizard is killed, but his apprentice swears to finish the job. The spear, Dragonslayer, is really, really cool and I wouldn't mind having one, but it would cost more than a mortgage payment.

The movie is good; as good as I remember it, but I have a major problem with it. How can a creature the size of a city bus, that flies, survive on two 90-100# girls per year. Warm blooded critters need, on average, 10 times their body weight in food per year: The bigger the critter, the bigger the pile of food required to keep it alive and mobile. How can a dragon live on only two people per year? If their metabolism is that efficient, why would dragons be a problem? They would eat a person (or a cow) and sleep for six months. What is the deal? And don't say magic. Everyone says magic. Is the kingdom giving the sacrificial virgins a last meal of enriched uranium? That would explain the fiery breath. And Godzilla. Is there something about virginity that powers dragons better than sheep or cows? There are no dragons anymore, so we can't ever find out. But until we figure out the thermodynamics of dragon, they will continue to fascinate us. In the mean time, check out Dragonslayer.