DragonHeart (1996)

The last dragon and a disillusioned dragonslaying Knight must cooperate to stop an evil King, who was given partial immortality.

Director:

Rob Cohen

Writers:

Patrick Read Johnson (story by), Charles Edward Pogue (story by)

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery, Dina Meyer

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Bowen
David Thewlis	...	Einon
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Gilbert
Dina Meyer	...	Kara
Jason Isaacs	...	Felton
Brian Thompson	...	Brok
Lee Oakes	...	Young Einon
Wolf Christian	...	Hewe
Terry O'Neill	...	Redbeard
Peter Hric	...	King Freyne
Eva Vejmelková	...	Felton's Minx (as Eva Vejmelkova)
Milan Bahúl	...	Swamp Village Chief (as Milan Bahul)
Sandra Kovacicova	...	Young Kara
Kyle Cohen	...	Boy in Field
Thom Baker	...	Aislinn's Chess Partner

Storyline

The young, sickly King Einon was wounded in a battle. In order for him to survive, he is healed by Draco, a dragon. Some years later, Bowen, a dragonslayer, encounters Draco. The two team up to form a travelling duo that perform an act, but the act is only known by themselves. Bowen supposedly "slays" Draco and then collects a reward from the town or village that he protects by killing the dragon who had been "terrorizing" them. From there, Bowen and Draco must save the entire kingdom from the rule of the now evil King Einon, who is part of Draco, and Draco a part of him.

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Plot Keywords:

dragon | king | knight | human dragon relationship | england | 

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Taglines:

You will believe.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the tie-in novelization, Gilbert has a slightly larger role in the final battle within Einon's castle. In the midst of Einon and Bowen's fight, Gilbert is wounded as he and Kara fend off guards in Einon's chamber before she leaves him to rest at his insistence. Gilbert returns to help the peasants open the gates. As Einon threatens to kill Kara in the courtyard, Gilbert and a group of peasants arrive on the scene.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the movie, when the king sets fire to the peasant's house, you can actually see the other side of the roof catching fire prematurely.

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Quotes

King Einon: [laughing] Well, well, well. It can't be. But it is! My old mentor. Still giving carving lessons?
Bowen: Get off your horse and I'll give you one.
King Einon: Time's not been kind to you, Bowen. You should never have broke with me.
Bowen: It was *you* who broke with me.
King Einon: And yet you return to me with this girl I lost.
Bowen: [Bowen looks at Kara. Kara shakes her head and raises her dagger] I think she wants to stay lost.
King Einon: Not her decision, I'm afraid!
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The UK releases have a sound effect substitution to get a "PG" rating. A neckbreak sound towards the finale of the film has been substituted with a punch sound effect.

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Connections

Referenced in Family Guy: Livin' on a Prayer (2012)

User Reviews

One of my all-time favorites

Ah, Dragonheart. I still love this film... I could talk about the top-notch special effects of the time and the inclusion of Sean Connery and Dennis Quaid, who performed their roles of noble dragon and despairing knight incredibly well...I guess I just did...but I think there's something else about this film that needs mentioning.

Dragonheart is an incredibly uplifting film. In a day when a lot of movies are chilling visions of the world around us, we need something to show us hope. Dragonheart, with its tale of a knight who lost his faith and a dragon who was trying to restore his honor, paints a beautiful picture of kindness, friendship, love, and sacrifice that never fails to inspire me. I am not a man given to displays of emotion, really...but the film makes me laugh and cry throughout everything.

And the soundtrack certainly helps. It is a textbook example of the proper use of a soundtrack to emphasize the plot and emotion. The beautiful "To the Stars" remains one of my absolute favorite songs. I can never listen to the soundtrack without seeing the movie happening again before my eyes.

Get the movie. And get the soundtrack. You'll love them both.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 May 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

DragonHeart

Filming Locations:

Bratislava, Slovakia

Box Office

Budget:

$57,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,027,150, 2 June 1996

Gross USA:

$51,367,375

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$115,267,375

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1