5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick is recreated in a world where Captain Ahab and his crew search for a Great White Dragon.
Starring: Danny Glover, Vinnie Jones, Corey Sevier, Sofia Pernas, Larry BagbyAction | 100% |
Adventure | 41% |
Fantasy | 41% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Age of the Dragons is a promising idea betrayed by subpar execution—and that's being kind. It takes a certain type of bravado to translate Herman Melville's Moby Dick to a fantasy realm of dragons, because the essence of Moby Dick was its grounding of Ahab's mythic struggle with the White Whale in the nitty-gritty realism of the 19th Century whaling trade. To remake the story for an imaginary world, a filmmaker would have to imagine that alternate landscape, then bring it to life, with a degree and depth of detail on the scale of the Harry Potter series or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Canadian director Ryan Little did not have anywhere near the budget for such an endeavor. Judging by what was accomplished with the money he had, there was a deficit of imagination as well.
The Great White Dragon
Age of the Dragons is unique in my reviewing experience or, indeed, viewing experience, for having no credited cinematographer. Close inspection of the credits reveals that the camera operator was T.C. Christensen, a member of the A.S.C., who probably supervised the lighting but declined to take the credit for reasons at which one can only guess (but a review of his biography at Wikipedia may provide a clue). According to the commentary, the film was shot with the Red One system, and the image on ARC Entertainment's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray is consistent with other Red One productions I've reviewed to date. The picture is clean and detailed, with excellent depth of field and a complete absence of video noise. This doesn't always work to the film's advantage, because it mercilessly reveals the limits of the production design and constantly draws the eye's attention to the carefully arranged hair on Ishmael, the obviously machined clothing worn by Rachel, and the generally faux medieval quality of the entire production. I sometimes felt like I was watching an episode of the original Star Trek series, in which the crew had beamed down to a primitive dragon planet. For a "period" piece (as the director describes it in the commentary), a softer, more film-like look might have created a more appropriate atmosphere, but the Blu-ray obviously reflects the intended look, for better or worse. Colors are appropriately strong, and they have been deliberately oversaturated for Ahab's recollections of his childhood trauma, in keeping with the primal emotions those memories evoke. Some light banding is occasionally visible, but it is minimal and passes quickly.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix has numerous interesting surround effects, including the occasional voice off-screen, the sound of dragon wings flapping from left to right, the sound of harpoons flying, a flock of bats and various ambient forest sounds. The track's dynamic range, including its bass extension, is enough to lend credibility to the activity of giant wings and the roar of fiery breath from the CGI creatures, which are used sparingly but effectively. The dialogue is always clear, which has the unfortunate effect of drawing attention to how contemporary a lot of it sounds, if not in substance, then in delivery. This is an instance where a more artificial, stylized approach might have been more effective, assuming one has the kind of classically trained actors capable of delivering it, as was often the case in the various Star Trek series. Here, however, even in the voiceover passages drawn directly from Melville's text, the intonations are so at odds with the words that they hardly register. Anyone familiar with Shakespeare spoken by actors who don't really understand the text they're reciting will recognize the sensation. The musical score is by J. Bateman, who has worked with Little on several other films. It's a perfectly serviceable score, but there's only so much a composer can add to a film.
There is a memorable exchange in Star Trek: First Contact in which Alfre Woodard's character, Lily, accuses Captain Picard of behaving like Ahab; Picard is momentarily stunned into silence, but then begins quoting Moby Dick to Lily, who is embarrassed to have to admit she never actually read it. One gets that feeling about many of the people involved in Age of the Dragons. No doubt some of them have read Moby Dick, but far too many seem only to have heard about it secondhand or seen the movie. They know it's an adventure yarn about whaling (which is how many of Melville's contemporaries dismissed it); so why not make an adventure yarn about dragon slaying? Well, the latter has been done, and there's no good reason to bring Ahab and Ishmael into it unless doing so adds intellectual heft and spiritual depth, which didn't happen here. The Blu-ray is technically acceptable, but I can't recommend the film.
2005
DVD Packaging
2011
2017
2010
2011
2015
Unrated Director's Cut
2007
Director's Cut
1986
1997
2011
2005
2009
2011
2011
Collector's Edition
1985
2018
2014
Standard Edition
1982
2013
2014