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A very enjoyable 80s fantasy movie which I inexplicably missed ever seeing before, notable for a legit masterpiece of an animatronic/"go-motion" dragon. Forget CGI dragons, Vermithrax is the real thing.
Peter MacNicol plays Galen, the young apprentice of an elderly wizard, Ralph Richardson. When an expedition headed by Valerian (Caitlin Clarke, unconvincingly disguised as a boy) comes to beg the wizard to slay the dragon, the wizard meets with the usual fate of mentors, and Galen and Valerian head off to slay the dragon themselves.
This has more and a more interesting plot than I expected. The dragon is basically just an extremely dangerous animal, but its presence has created a whole bunch of political and social effects. Some people use its existence to seize power and a lottery for virgin sacrifices has multiple unanticipated consequences, but in the midst of all those complications, there's still the problem of how to deal with that damn dragon.
Lots of fun despite a hilariously bombastic score. MacNicol and Clarke are charming. And did I mention that the dragon is great? The dragon is GREAT.
Free on Amazon Prime.
Peter MacNicol plays Galen, the young apprentice of an elderly wizard, Ralph Richardson. When an expedition headed by Valerian (Caitlin Clarke, unconvincingly disguised as a boy) comes to beg the wizard to slay the dragon, the wizard meets with the usual fate of mentors, and Galen and Valerian head off to slay the dragon themselves.
This has more and a more interesting plot than I expected. The dragon is basically just an extremely dangerous animal, but its presence has created a whole bunch of political and social effects. Some people use its existence to seize power and a lottery for virgin sacrifices has multiple unanticipated consequences, but in the midst of all those complications, there's still the problem of how to deal with that damn dragon.
Lots of fun despite a hilariously bombastic score. MacNicol and Clarke are charming. And did I mention that the dragon is great? The dragon is GREAT.
Free on Amazon Prime.
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