12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Movie Despite A Few Weaknesses, August 27, 2006
This review is from: George and the Dragon (DVD)
I will admit, this movie has a few weaknesses, but those should not stand in the way of the strengths.
"George and the Dragon," which also appeared on the Sci-Fi channel under the title "Dragon Sword," REALLY reminded me of the dragon stories I used to read and watch when I was a kid and young adult. However, it's told in a way that appeals to adults as well. It follows the quest of George (James Purefoy), a knight who just returned from the Crusades. George is the ideal crusade knight: battle savvy, honorable, and loyal. After visiting his family, George's father sends him on a quest to find the dragon that George's father tangled with years before. George, who believes dragons are extinct and his father was just telling a fairy tale, finds his own quest. The king's daughter, Princess Lunna (Piper Parabo), has gone missing, and her father offers George a fortune to help find her. Despite the opportunity for wealth and fortune, George only wants an acre of land, two cows, and rest from over fifteen years spent fighting overseas. Meanwhile, the princess finds a quest of her own - to protect a dragon's egg.
The most important thing to realize is that this is very much about the characters instead of the dragons. It's about the struggles of the characters and the way they handle those struggles. It's also about honor and friendship. The movie does have an amazing cast, and I'm not talking about the "big names" here like Val Kilmer and Patrick Swayze. I'll admit, this definitely did not represent their best acting - at all. I'm talking about an amazing cast, like James Purefoy and Piper Parabo, who are able to pull off their roles despite the weaknesses of the movie. These characters have a wonderful on-screen relationship as they banter back and forth, and James Purefoy excels in this role. It's not hard to see why he got the part as the Black Prince of Wales in "A Knight's Tale." In fact, if you liked him in that role, definitely catch him in this movie (which was released three years after "A Knight's Tale").
Be warned, however: the beginning of this movie gets off to a bit of a slow start. In fact, the beginning almost seems like a cross between "Dragonheart" and "Monty Python" thanks to the skateboarding monk and a few other . . . moments. Some of the fight scenes were lacking, but others were actually impressive. Despite the slow start and some of the low-budget fighting sequences, the film is completely worth it. It takes off and manages to stand out as an awesome fantasy movie that comes from a genre notorious for ridiculous content.
This was a great popcorn movie. It told an entertaining and touching tale of courage, friendship, and honor (despite some of the occasional . . . goofy moments). Overlook those and the rest of the movie has a lot to offer! It is a great movie that the entire family can enjoy.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cute--with an interesting ending, May 17, 2007
This review is from: George and the Dragon (DVD)
Definitely glad I didn't buy the film, but it was great for a watch. With all the CGI available now, I was really disappointed we saw so little of the dragon herself. The human action just wasn't enough to keep me intrigued all the way through.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too much George, too little dragon, May 7, 2007
This review is from: George and the Dragon (DVD)
The barely-even-released George and the Dragon is better than its troubled post-production history implies, but despite being considerably more competent the best that can really be said of it is that it's harmless. Aside from some miscasting and weak performances - take a bow Michael Clarke Duncan, Joan `Pantomime Dame' Plowright and a WTF-are-you-doing-here Patrick Swayze looking like Medieval Texas trailer trash - the biggest problem is that there's too much George, too little dragon. James Purefoy's pleasant enough in a Pierce Brosnan TV-movie sort of way, but there's a notable lack of dragon slaying (he spends most of the time protecting an unhatched dragon's egg) and far too many ideas borrowed from other films, not least Val Kilmer's unbilled cameo as the Dread Pirate Roberts - sorry, El Cabillo - sporting another of his collection of bad Irish accents. The highlight is a horse defecating continually through a love scene in the end credits out-takes.
Unlike the fullframe US DVD, the German PAL DVD offers a good 2.35:1 widescreen transfer with optional English soundtrack, trailer, brief interview with director Tom Reeve and behind the scenes footage.
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