Dragonheart (1996)

Dragonheart was a thrill to finally watch. It is the movie that gave us, right after Jurassic Park, the first computer-generated character in Draco, the dragon (voiced by Sean Connery). Frankly, any movie that has Sean Connery in it is a different kind of movie. I have always liked Randy Quaid too. Here, he is Bowen, a former knight of the Crusades who has lived by King Arthur’s knightly code: “A knight is sworn to valor. His heart knows only virtue. His blade defends the helpless. His might upholds the weak. His word speaks only truth. His wrath undoes the wicked.” It has not worked out well for him in the end, however, and a dragon offers him an alternative to their stalemate: Join forces to survive together (just not in a way you would expect). Draco (the name is given to him by Bowen as they get to know each other) does not want to kill needlessly either. (He explains a knight’s skeletal arm that Bowen found rotting between his teeth in this way: “I merely chewed in self-defense. I didn’t swallow.”) The young, prideful king whose fate is intricately bound with theirs is less puissant and more pissant. The aerial dimension to their newfound quest adds a thrill to every development. Don’t overlook Pete Postlethwaite as an errant monk and would-be bard who turns out to be a natural with projectiles, and don’t forget Dina Meyer, whose courage outshines the usurper king (and many villages full of peasants). It is true that Dragonheart holds a candle to courage and chivalry while Peter Jackson (King Kong, The Hobbit) fills the screen with hours of visceral, whirling dervishes of death – but knightliness is not about adrenaline and slaughter – it is about courage and sacrifice. None better than Dragonheart reminds us of this. 5 stars. (3-11-2016, posted 3-14-2016)