Dawn of the Dragonslayer (2011) Reviews

• Very good for a B-flick

  blanknamedstuff2012-01-16

  Live action movies with the word "dragon" in the title have a long history of being disappointing budget films. This is not one of the rare exceptions but for what it is, it's entertaining. The scenery and sets are very well done. The dialogue is natural and the actors pull it off well. The costumes are pretty good too with a few minor issues. For example - when Kate is helping Will put on the livery it looks and sounds like she's using a snap rather than a button. The plot is obvious and predictable but that is to be expected in a B-flick. Also expect the dragon to look unfinished. The shape and color of it look great but the texture is too cartoonish, the shadows are wrong, etc. and the actors' eye lines are a bit off in spots. All in all it's definitely worth watching one time but I won't be putting it in my collection.

• Surprisingly Good

  muffspam2012-02-23

  I don't review movies, but I felt compelled to review this one due to the low rating it received overall. With that being said, I felt this was a very good movie. I didn't expect much before watching it, low budget, nerdy, etc… You get all that, but it was put together in a very pleasing fashion. The acting was above par (Nicola Posener) and quite believable if you were to place yourself in that world/time period. The only thing that this movie could have done better would have been the CG on the dragon, but hey its low budget. I didn't bother me, it's still a good story. Overall, if you need a movie to watch and are at all interested in the fantasy genre, check this movie out.

• This film seems to be love-it-or-hate-it, with few people in between.

  snakepaws2012-11-29

  For those interested in a fantasy epic akin to Lord of the Rings, with huge battles and action sequences, you may want to give this one a pass and stop reading here. If you don't mind a medieval romance film with a hint of fantasy and a dragon, then this might be for you. The writing is good, and the sets and wardrobe are also well done. The filming locations in Ireland are breathtaking. The actors and actresses suit their roles, and the chemistry between the leads is fantastic. Their on-screen relationship blossoms naturally, without feeling forced. Despite what some people on here may groan about with regard to the special effects, the dragon is actually quite good. It doesn't have that typical "SyFy Original" feel to it. But it doesn't have that Hollywood-budget finesse either. You can tell this was a passion-film, with all persons involved working to make a quality film they could be proud to release with the budget and equipment they had to work with. The IMDb score does not reflect the true quality of Dawn of the Dragonslayer. My rating of 7/10 is based on this film alone, and not my feelings for it when compared to other films.

• Worth watching as a DVD rental, though it will not be a theater blockbuster.

  ecjfla44-266-4625142012-01-15

  This movie got better as it went along. Not being bogged down with big name actors went a long way towards making it a decent film. It was realistic enough to get he feel it seemed to be going for, it was in places a bit to "clean" but not too much. Richard McWilliams, played the part of the reluctant hero very well, and Ian Cullen made a believable desperate lord. Nicola Posener as Kate did a wonderful job, not a ravishing beauty, but a lovely young girl fit for the part. The scenery was very nice, shot on location is Ireland this was nice and gave the film the gritty realism it needed. The dragon was well done, and all in all not the worst dragon I have seen in a film. The character of Rogan Ap Cynan, the handsome yet scheming and treacherous lord, played by Philip Brodie was done well enough to make you enjoy his role in the movie as well as his exit. All in all the acting was good, the story held my attention, the action was believable and not over the top. It has all the elements needed for a story of this type, with deceit, envy, rage, loyalty and passion. It also has something missing in a lot of films of this genre, a plot, and it lacked something included far too often in films these days, gratuitous nudity and language. I would recommend this as a good, worth watching DVD rental, though it will not be a theater blockbuster.

• What a good surprise

  chiffry2012-03-04

  This is the first review I leave on IMDb, but I thought this movie deserved it. Not that it's better than any other I've seen, but because the current punctuation (around 3 stars) is undeserved. First of all, I believe this movie has been released pretty much straight away into DVD/Blueray. That tells you something - it is not a blockbuster, so don't expect it! I can only guess that people rating it very low were expecting to watch a big Hollywood production. Well, it's not, but it's so nice to know that movies can still be made without famous stars or big bucks. I started watching and thought "well, here's something to watch on a Sunday afternoon when there's nothing else". I was wrong. I have actually paid to go to the cinema and watch overrated movies that were much worse than this one. The acting is good, the main character - an almost unknown actor - delivers good quality acting. The storyline is good, and the special effects considering this is a low budget movie are great! The scenery is beautiful and I was expecting the dragon to be awful, but it was another little good surprise. Come on people, give it a chance, you'll enjoy it.