Set in sixth-century England, an ill-tempered, fire-breathing creature — ominously known as Vermithrax Pejorative — terrorizes its citizens until a young sorcerer’s apprentice named Galen (Peter MacNicol) is reluctantly tasked with confronting the beast. For Galen to succeed, it will take more than magic to defeat the dragon.
In a summer filled with blockbusters, including “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Superman II,” “Stripes,” “For Your Eyes Only,” and “The Cannonball Run,” Paramount and Disney’s collaboration, 1981’s “Dragonslayer,” was expected to be a big hit, but it underperformed, grossing just over $14 million in the US with an estimated budget of $18 million. It’s evident that every penny of its budget appears onscreen, and while the acting, for the most part, is fine, the film’s special effects are what have endured all these years.
When Urland, a kingdom in sixth-century England, is being terrorized by Vermithrax Pejorative, a 400-year-old dragon, they call on Sorceror Ulrich of Cragganmore (Ralph Richardson) to assist them. He agrees but dies before reaching the dragon’s lair, and the dangerous quest falls on the shoulders of his young apprentice Galen Bradwarden (Peter MacNicol). With an entire kingdom hanging in the balance, Galen must use all of his resources and try to remember everything Ulrich taught him; otherwise, he and the people of Urland will meet their demise.
The movie looks fantastic, and the 4K transfer is breathtaking, retaining the movie’s original 2:39:1 aspect ratio, exquisitely complemented by a stellar new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Shot by cinematographer Derek Vanlint, who lensed one of the best sci-fi horrors ever, “Alien,” the film’s dark and ominous locales hearken back to the 1979 classic, following in Ridley Scott’s footsteps by not showing the dragon all at once, instead, we see it in increments, which works for the narrative and builds up the tension nicely until the film’s finale when Galen takes on the dragon with everything he has.
This was made before CGI, so the special effects utilized were models ranging from miniatures to full-size. The filmmakers also relinquished the industry standard stop-motion animation techniques. Instead, they went with a brand new method called “go-motion,” a term coined by Phil Tippett, which was a variation of stop-motion animation that incorporated motion blur into each frame involving motion and removed the jerkiness typical in prior stop-motion films such as “Jason and the Argonauts” and “Clash of the Titans.” When the film was released in 1981, audiences were awe-struck at the legitimacy of the dragon and were blown away.
As an independent filmmaker for almost 40 years, I believe one of the essential elements of any film is its soundtrack. While composer Alex North was given the task of scoring “Dragonslayer,” no stranger to big-budget movies as he had scored “Spartacus,” “Cleopatra,” and the TV miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man,” I found his rendition here to be absolutely horrendous. The soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award (North lost to Vangelis for “Chariots of Fire”), but even with that recognition, music is subjective, and it literally took me out of the movie quite a few times.
Instead of an enchanting and rousing score filled with danger and excitement, we are privy to one that is so chaotic and inharmonious that its sharp, screeching chords, abrasive strings, and jarring timpani remove you from the viewing experience, quite the opposite of what a composer and their work are supposed to do. You should become immersed in the emotion of whatever scene is transpiring onscreen, not covering your ears or turning the volume down. Sadly, this aspect takes away from the overall movie instead of adding to it.
Guillermo del Toro has stated that Vermithrax Pejorative is his favorite cinematic dragon, while George R. R. Martin said “Dragonslayer” was his fifth-best fantasy film of all time and had the best dragon ever put on film along with the coolest dragon name. If you’ve never seen the movie, I would recommend watching it and especially checking out the behind-the-scenes special features, which give a great insight into how they designed the dragon and brought it to life.
The “Dragonslayer” 4K Ultra HD™ Limited-Edition SteelBook includes the film on 4K Ultra HD™, special features, and boasts collectible packaging with a removable O-sleeve featuring an image of the theatrical poster, which, when removed, reveals original artwork of the final battle with Vermithrax Pejorative. The package also includes access to a Digital copy of the film.
The 4K Ultra HD™ release includes the film on 4K Ultra HD™, the bonus content and access to a Digital copy of the film. The Blu-ray™ consists of the movie in high definition, along with the bonus content and access to a Digital copy of the film.
Now available on a Limited Edition Collector’s 4K Ultra HD™ SteelBook, and on Blu-ray™
