Product Description

WHAT BEGINS AS A LIFE OR DEATH STRUGGLE BETWEEN TWO EVOLVES INTO A FRIENDSHIP THAT WILL CHANGE THE FACE OF THE MEDIEVAL WORLD. LONG AGO, WHEN MAJESTIC FIRE-BREATHERS SOARED THROUGH THE SKIES, THERE LIVED A KNIGHT WHO WOULD COME FACE TO FACE AND HEART TO HEART WITH THE MOST REMARKABLE CREATURE THAT EVER LIVED.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10015 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP. (MCA)
• Released on: 1998-03-31
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
In the closing paragraph of his 1996 review of Dragonheart, noted critic Roger Ebert summed up this adventurous fantasy quite nicely: "While no reasonable person over the age of 12 would presumably be able to take it seriously, there is nevertheless a lighthearted joy to it, a cheerfulness, an insouciance, that recalls the days when movies were content to be fun." That's precisely the quality that makes Dragonheart so appealing, despite the fact that it didn't exactly take flight and breathe fire at the box office. The movie takes itself seriously without sacrificing the wit and cleverness that make it so entertaining. It's about the last of the great dragon slayers, Bowen (Dennis Quaid), who teams up with the last of the great dragons, Draco (and voiced by Sean Connery), after they realize that killing each other would put them both out of business! So they devise a bogus dragon-slaying act that's a huge hit as they tour from village to village. Later, they must rouse the peasantry against the loutish Prince Einon (David Thewlis), whose life was once saved by Draco, but who now violates the "Old Code" of honor with a ruthless reign of terror. As Ebert rightly noted, Dragonheart is no masterpiece, and its story (which was originally conceived as a darker, more serious drama) isn't likely to capture everyone's heart (dragon or otherwise). But it's full of exciting action, witty dialogue, and gallant heroism, and in the presentation of a realistic talking dragon it's a milestone in computer-generated special effects, far surpassing the breakthroughs of Jurassic Park three years earlier. --Jeff Shannon.

Customer Reviews

"A knight is sworn to valor, his heart know only virtue."
I guess it helps if you place the review under the right movie. Somehow I posted this review under the other Dragonheart Movie, A New Beginning.

Dragonheart is one of my favorite movies, up there with The Last Unicorn. The music is good, the actors are fantastic, and the storyline actually has some thought to it.

Dennis Quaid is great as Bowen, the knight turned dragon slayer. He looks the part as well as acting thepart of a dragon slayer bound by the old code, who is trying to rid the world of dragons so the evil in his protégé, King Einon, will be defeated.

Sean Connery is great as the voice of Draco. According to the 'making of Dragonheart' feature on the DVD, the director had only Connery in mind for the voice, and spent 13 months trying to get the dragon to have facial and body actions that patterned Connery. I don't know if it's because Connery is so well known, or if it's because he can project life into Draco, but the dragon has a personality, and you can relate to it's sadness and fear throughout the movie.

Pete Postlethwaite is good as the monk/historian/bad poet. He gives a bit of comic relief to the movie,especially in the later fighting scenes. His inability to remember his own poetry is also funny.

Dina Meyer portrays the peasant Kara as a strong young woman who's willing to do almost anything todefeat King Einon and avenge the death of her father.

David Thewlis is an awesome bad guy. He's not a physically powerful man, but his brain makes up for his lack of brawn. Plus, he's creepy, which adds to the bad guy image. His heartlessness as King Einon and the fact he's causing a dragon to lose his soul makes you want to hate him throughout the movie.

The music is absolutely beautiful; Randy Edelman really created some wonderful music. A lot of people who haven't seen the movie might recognize the music, as it was used in the Trailer for Mulan and a few other movies.

I really love this movie, and I'm not sure if it's the music, the cast, or the fact that the story isn't a carbon copy of a lot of the dragon or knight movies out there, but there's something about Dragonheart that makes me watch it from time to time, and enjoy it each time.

Excellent movie, but get the Dolby Digital Version instead
If you are interested in this movie, buy the Collector's edition with Dolby Digital instead of this one as this DTS version offer nothing in special features and the sound is not much better than the Dolby Digital Version. And the most annoying part is when you put the disc inside your player, you are given an option to chose between DTS and Dolby Surround but you don't know which one is which as they just shift color when you chose and if you got it wrong, there is no way to get back to the option page, you have to stop the disc and open the drawer and insert the disc again. It is a pain.

The movie itself is excellent about a Dragon who gave half of his heart in order to save a dying prince. The prince turned out to be an evil king and it is up to a knight (Dennis Quaid) and the dragon (voiced by Sean Connery) to save the people. The special effect is great and the acting is good. David Thewlis is very good as the evil king. The picture quality is fine and the DTS sound is good but not much better than the feature loaded Dolby Digital version. Just go ahead skip the DTS version and get the collector's edition. They are the same price.

A marvellous tale!
This is a wonderful tale with the Dragon (Sean Connery) stealing the show. Dennis Quaid is a knight of the Auld Code trying to teach his young prince how to be a true warrior. Instead he is corrupted by his father. Almost killed in a peasant rebellion his mother takes him to an ancient castle where a Dragon, keeper of the Auld Ways resides. In order to save the boy, the Dragon gives him half of his heart in return for promising to grow up to respect the Auld Code.

He does not, instead turns out just like his father. Quaid blame the dragon and so be becomes a dragonslayer. Many years later he find the dragon (Connery having a field day!!) and instead of slaying him, realises he, too, was betrayed.

It is a wonderful tale for the whole family!! But the Dragon is is simply amazing!!