Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse Blu-ray Movie Review

Not much dragon, not much heart.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 25, 2015

If a movie is a "feature" and a sequel is a "follow-up," then with the release of a third movie, it's safe to call the collective a "franchise" (fourth, fifth, and further films may usually be labeled "fluff"). Fitting, since the further down the list one goes the closer to an "F" grade the movies get. In this case, there was first Dragonheart, a generally well-received film that, for its time, was a spectacle of digital wizardry meets live action entertainment. The second film, the direct-to-video Dragonheart: A New Beginning, was nowhere near as popular, nor as entertaining, as the fan-favorite first film from Director Rob Cohen. Now officially a "franchise" that's destined to exist in the realm of straight-to-video cash-ins, the world of Dragonheart returns to the (small) screen with Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse, a middling but passably entertaining yarn about a young man desperate for knighthood and his otherworldly dragon with whom he shares an intimate bond. Various battles, a bit of mischief, and a whiff of romance follow in a capable but generally underwhelming third entry that only whets the appetite to revisit the first, and superior, picture.

A new Cadbury Easter treat is born.

A young man named Gareth (Julian Morris) wishes for nothing more than to become a knight. Even though he's the best candidate, he's rejected and his elders demand payment to bestow the title upon him. When a meteor crashes beyond the city walls that's rumored to be of great value, he sets out to investigate. He finds several golden eggs, is ambushed and gravely wounded, and all but one of the eggs are taken for nefarious purposes. He hopes the last egg will serve as his payment for knighthood. His wounds are healed by a large talking dragon he names Drago (voiced by Ben Kingsley) and the two become not only close, but in some ways, one. Gareth is taken in by a band of rebels, including Lorne (Jassa Ahluwalia) and the warrior Rhonu (Tamzin Merchant). As they adventure, Gareth comes to realize that a knightly title alone does not make one a true knight.

Quick edits, shaky handheld action scenes, a needlessly complex story, dull characters, and too little dragon define Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse, a movie that satisfies general DTV requirements but never excels beyond general expectations. The movie feels endlessly chaotic, whether in its over-pumped action scenes or its underwhelming dramatic structure. It's uneven, absent much substance, and content to trudge through general genre and timeframe cliché. It centers on the relationship between a wannabe hero and his more grounded dragon companion with whom he shares a special, yea, heartfelt, bond. Their relationship rarely extends beyond the superficial, and even when it does -- in this case literally -- it feels more like a convenient plot device rather than a truly complex symbiosis. Along the way, Gareth learns that it's not a title bestowed upon an individual but rather what an individual says and does that makes him unique. He needs not someone's blessing to be great but rather the desire and fortitude to create his own greatness. Certainly a helping hand -- even if it's a scaly, alien one -- doesn't hurt, but the film shows, in true been there, done that fashion, that courage comes from the heart, not a piece of paper signed by some noble who only wants a bagful of treasure in his pocket, not a truly good man at his side.

The real treat, however, is Ben Kingsley voicing the digital character Drago, the large, scaly dragon that isn't center to the movie but certainly center to the story. Kingsley injects a commendable balance, presence, and gravitas to the part, adhering to basic standard but still finding a unique voice for a character of whom much is expected, particularly following in the footsteps of the legendary Sean Connery, who voiced the dragon in the original 1996 picture. Yet even with Kingsley's precision vocalization, the character -- along with the rest of its human companions -- never quite finds a real, complex, unique center, playing off genre type rather than discovering new avenues of character evolution. Fortunately, the digital effects are generally quite good and convincing. The dragon blends into the environment with a commendably realistic presence and sense of volume and weight, supported by very fine outward details that sell the illusion. Battle scenes are largely unimaginative, defined by all of that shaky cam chaos noted above, but like the rest of the movie they satisfy the requirements of straightforward DTV entertainment, particularly for what is now the third film in the Dragonheart universe that's nearing two decades in age.

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse's 1080p transfer, sourced from the original digital photography, offers a generally pleasing and robust image. For the most part, the movie is earthy and gray. Colors, beyond red blood, golden accents on the eggs, and lush green fields, are stale and cold by design. Fortunately, the brighter spots excel while the more drab bits look fine in the film's greater context. Details are strong and complex, particularly leather armor, frayed clothing edges, and facial details seen in the many close-up shots. Black levels push a little too bright at times but never go too far down that path and likewise never revert to heavy-handed crush. Minor banding and a couple of excessively noisy shots are present but not at all distracting. On the whole, this is a good, clean, positive transfer from Universal.

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse soars onto Blu-ray with an aggressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that only mildly pushes to excess. For the most part, it's lively and energetic, spilling music and sound from every speaker, including a very healthy, robust surround support element. Musical clarity is generally strong with only the most powerful bits seeming to get a bit messy and unkempt. Likewise, big, robust action scenes fill the stage with exciting spurts of sonic mayhem. Crashing rocks, flying debris, and the general chaos of battle are richly detailed and alive, if not a bit over pumped for added effect. Bass is strong and tends to shake the theater seats but maintains a solid balance between strength and unnecessary force. Gentle ambience occasionally supports some of the quieter moments where the environment demands it. Dialogue is clean and efficient with a balanced front-center placement. All in all, this is a high yield and entertaining track from Universal that only suffers from a few bursts of excess.

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse contains only one supplement. Bringing Drago to Life (1080p, 4:12) takes a short look at Ben Kingsley's voice work, his pleasure with voicing the character, and the story's themes. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a DVD copy of the film as well as a voucher for an iTunes/UV digital copy.

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse isn't the least bit creative. The characters are flat and uninteresting, the action isn't particularly unique, and the drama and ultimate resolution aren't particularly challenging. Still, the film finds solid footing as simple entertainment that's supported by good digital dragon effects, balanced and passionate voice work from Ben Kingsley, and passable performances by the human actors in the lead roles. It's nowhere near as good as the original but it's more than a step up from the middle film in the franchise. Universal's Blu-ray release of Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse features good video and aggressive audio. One short extra is included. This release will likely be best enjoyed as a rental.