Critics Consensus: An atypically dark Disney adventure, Dragonslayer puts a realistic spin -- and some impressive special effects -- on a familiar tale. Looking for something hilarious? I really didn't expect to enjoy this movie as much as I did, but I did enjoy it and I think you and your family will too. I love everything here - living characters and non-flat humour spiced with bit of absurd, high dynamics and even touching drama. The acting is on- point but some of the British humor and bad dialogue through the majority of scenes continues to bring this title to a grinding halt. "[3], Due to its limited theatrical release, Dragonslayer was not widely reviewed. Ergo, don't be a massive root vegetable and knock plot holes in a film you can't even be bothered to watch! :(. Sandoval and Leslie have a garage sale, then leave for a roadtrip to Arizona and Portland, Oregon. 2. One day, Zambini disappears and visions appear showing the last dragon soon to be slayed. If, however, you like family films, I see no reason why you wouldn't like this one. I note one reviewer in particular (not naming any names) who had a braindead list of supposedly unanswered questions pertaining to the plot (which is fairly simple and not entirely unpredictable, but that didn't bother me), all of which were, so far as I could see, answered by the conclusion of the film. 3. He runs the employment agency Kazam that has two full time wizards. I instantly went online to see if it was available to purchase as a dvd for my collection but sadly it was never released for the US, just the UK. When they return, Leslie goes back to school and Sandoval begins working at a bowling alley next to Disneyland. At one point he is sleeping in a tent in a friend's backyard. The Great Zambini recruits young orphan Jennifer Strange. Why not press play on The Hole in the Ground? The world created by Jasper Fforde is very interesting and well brought to screen by director Jamie Magnus Stone, writer Tom Edge and crew. Rating it for myself I'd probably give it 7 or 8, as it was witty and warm-hearted and silly and great holiday viewing, but not as action-packed as I'd hope (though I imagine it had 1/20th of the budget of a Harry Potter or whatnot). Actors also do a good job and make their characters very alive. What a great movie and plot! He spends a lot of time with his girlfriend, Leslie. Rotten Tomatoes® 86%. Magical barrier stones protect and define Dragonlands. Let your fellow fans know in the comments. Art direction and locations are also appropriate for bringind the desired atmosphere. She is taken to King Snodd and pushed to take Sir Grifflon as her assistant. I watched this with my family, aged six to eighty. It was shot in various California towns as well as Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden. He skates in the pool a short time before a neighbor threatens to call the police. This movie reminds that feeling of something wonderful is not made of expensive CGI or forced loud epic but of story itself and pure mastery of storyteller. Dragons are dying out and so is magic. For a "Big-Budget" TV Movie, The Last Dragonslayer has some interesting ideas but the narrative is vague with very little action. It is kind and not stupid movie, real brilliant among fantasy movies of last years. This was available as a stream on a ROKU channel during the holidays. With a little work this could have been the Christmas drama worth watching, but with the hit and miss effects and mixed time periods, this gets a 3 star in my book. Browsing the nooks and crannies of its library can feel like being trapped in a Blockbuster store the size of… well… an Amazon warehouse. Good old fashioned fun. There is only one dragon left, and when it is slain then magic will end. It has a good pace as far as I'm concerned, but if you have the attention span of a goldfish and require something to explode every 5 seconds or so, or endless quick-fire dialogue and slick, snappy rejoiners, then maybe give it a miss. At the tattoo parlour, Leslie flips through a skateboard book in which Sandoval is pictured as representative of "odd". Might we suggest The Overnight? [6], Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave it an "A−",[7] the Village Voice called it 'A new kind of youth movie for these uncertain times'[8] and indieWire described it as 'the cinematic equivalent of punk rock candy.'[9]. "Recession-Ravaged Yards, Inviting Skaters to Drop In", "'Dragonslayer: A Subculture of Random Hedomism, "'Wiesman meets Malick and punk rock in fascinating Skater Doc "Dragonslayer", "Best Coast, Thee Oh Sees, Real Estate Get Onboard for 'Dragonslayer' Soundtrack", "SXSW: 'Natural Selection,' 'Dragonslayer,' Win Jury Prizes at 2011 Awards Ceremony", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dragonslayer_(2011_film)&oldid=872962999, Articles with dead external links from December 2016, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Eddy Current and the Suppression Ring - "Hey Mum", Little Girls - Golden Triangle - "Prize Fighter", 2011 SXSW Film Festival: Grand Jury Winner, Documentary Feature Competition, 2011 SXSW Film Festival: Best Cinematography (Eric Koretz), Documentary Feature Competition, 2011 Hot Docs Film Festival: Best International Feature, This page was last edited on 10 December 2018, at 09:25. Sandoval usually stays with friends. The film follows Josh "Skreech" Sandoval, a skateboarder living in California. Nice student project... wait what do you mean this is not a student project? Awards Very clever, charming, amusing, funny and unique fantasy movie! And we grouped the guide into genre categories so you can find exactly what you’re in the mood for, stat. The Last Dragonslayer (2016) 40. Toward the end of the film, Sandoval and Josh "Peacock" Henderson are interviewed on The Daily Habit where they discuss the effect the recession has had on the availability of empty pools. It has has enough dragons, wizards, villains, magic and mayhem to keep the kids enthralled, but it is all done in such a clever, quirky, tongue-in-cheek way that adults should enjoy it too. This may well suit a supermarket chain. It was directed by Tristan Patterson and won the best documentary prize at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival[1] and Best International Feature at Hot Docs.[2]. If you go in expecting it to be a blow-you-away Hollywood blockbuster then you just won't enjoy it. The film begins with Sandoval cleaning out a pool behind an abandoned house. Dragonslayer (1981) Rotten Tomatoes® 86%. Maybe I'm prejudiced because I'm British and so is this film (yes, I'm looking at you again, Hollywood), but I'm mightily bored of identikit LA feisty/angsty/hormonal teens dressed up with some special effects to let us all know we're watching a fantasy film, and The Last Dragonslayer at least looks and feels different from that. because that hasn't been done before. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 88% based on reviews from 17 critics. According to Patterson, Sandoval had this style that was all his own and he had this instinct for what he did. Sandoval also visits his infant son, Sid, and his ex-girlfriend, Angela. Okay, it's obviously low budget for an effects film, and doesn't have any A-list actors in it, but it has wit and charm aplenty. [4] It was a Critic's Pick by The New York Times , [5] and the Los Angeles Times . Metacritic Reviews. After receiving a phone call from his mother, he says that he had not heard from her in six months, and before that had not heard from her in a year.