7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A King has made a pact with a dragon where he sacrifices virgins to it, and the dragon leaves his kingdom alone. An old wizard, and his keen young apprentice volunteer to kill the dragon and attempt to save the next virgin in line, the Kings own daughter.
Starring: Peter MacNicol, Ralph Richardson (I), John Hallam, Peter Eyre, Albert SalmiAdventure | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
English, English SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
It may not be quite fair to say "they don't make them like they used to" because the The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies really upped the Dragonslayer style and aesthetic, but for its day, on a much smaller budget and scale, without the backbone of a couple of cherished novel trilogies at its back, Dragonslayer did something rare in cinema: it made a dark Fantasy film that is well made, almost free of needless humor and nonsense, and managed to sort out well defined character exposition and narrative depth at the same time. The film is a complete package of storytelling, characters, pace, setting, special effects, photography sound...the entire cinema medium is well represented here, making Dragonslayer a near perfect example of what this medium is all about. Eh, they really don't make them like they used to.
Dragonslayer looks wonderful on Blu-ray. The picture is natural and organic, a prime example of a Blu-ray that captures a vintage film essence with striking command, efficiency, clarity, and accuracy. Grain is consistent in light density. It is beautiful and flattering, delivering a fine sense of cinema wonder in the home and presenting the film as it was meant to look and be seen. With no obvious digital manipulation of the grain, details are left intact, offering viewers substantial definition to the earthy rocks, weathered woods, various terrains, and period attire seen throughout the film. All are crisp, dense, clear, and robust, and the same can be said of faces, which capture fine hairs, pores, dirt, and blood with elegant complexity. Colors are a little flat, at times, looking slightly worn and faded. There is certainly not a significant feel for depth on display, but colors are grounded within the film's earthy palette. Black level depth is striking, in low light and in shadows, where black crush is never a problem and low light detail is wonderful. Skin tones are balanced against the film's visual style. Whites, especially the titles at film's start against the black screen, are beautifully bold and bright. There are no obvious source shortcomings and no immediately evident encode artifacts, either. This is the way a favorite catalogue release should look on Blu-ray.
Dragonslayer's Dolby Atmos audio mix is a beast. The track demonstrates it excellence in the opening moments. A prominent instrumental presentation, rich in low end extension, and seamless stage engagement are the hallmarks, all of them in practically perfect working order and balance. A few moments later, the stage is literally filled with screams, the first of many full bodied surround elements that seamlessly draw the listener into the film. Indeed, there is a sense of stage immersion and size at play here, and the track never fails to offer deep, prominent sound elements that pull the listener into both action and world ambience. The former is a treat with all of the prominent depth that is matched by clarity and, again, legitimate stage presence across the front and through the rears. Meanwhile, small ambient effects within castles and out in the world paint a vital sonic picture of what is happening through the film and pull the listener into each and every locale. The overhead speakers are not prominently engaged with discrete effect after discrete effect, but what they offer is a greater fullness, used to support existing content rather than place audio where it otherwise was previously absent. Dialogue is clear and center positioned throughout the film.
This Blu-ray release of Dragonslayer includes an audio commentary, a multi-part making-of, a trailer, and screen tests. A digital copy code is
included with purchase.
In many ways, they really don't make them like this anymore. Here is a film that is fully focused, completely immersive, and pretty well seamless. The acting is great, the characters are well drawn, the story is engaging, the photography and lighting are terrific, and the film's push to story and structure, aiming to satisfy its core audience rather than appeal to all viewers, really is something special in its sum. This is a great movie all around that plays extraordinarily well in 2023 and will assuredly play just as well in the decades to come. Parmount's Blu-ray is a treat. Video and audio are nearly perfect and the supplemental content is excellent, too. Dragonslayer earns my highest recommendation.
1982
1983
1958
Limited Edition to 3000 | SOLD OUT
1973
1986
Standard Edition
1984
1983
1982
Ray Harryhausen Signature Collection
1963
The Son of Kong
1933
1982
1977
Collector's Edition
1986
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1977
1984
Ultimate Edition
1985
1976
1977
1981
1989