Dragonslayer (1981)

84% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
59% of users liked it
(22,842 ratings)

A special-effects laden medieval fantasy adventure, Dragonslayer centers on the attempts of a young sorcerer's apprentice to defeat a vicious dragon and save a lovely young maiden. Peter MacNicol stars as the young Galen, an aspiring magician under the tutelage of the aging Ulrich (Ralph… More A special-effects laden medieval fantasy adventure, Dragonslayer centers on the attempts of a young sorcerer's apprentice to defeat a vicious dragon and save a lovely young maiden. Peter MacNicol stars as the young Galen, an aspiring magician under the tutelage of the aging Ulrich (Ralph Richardson). A nearby village turns to the pair for help when their leader begins proffering sacrifices of young virgins to satisfy a vicious dragon. The two immediately set out for battle, becoming even more determined when a courageous princess offers to sacrifice herself to the creature. Unfortunately, Ulrich's failing abilities force Galen into the center of the conflict, where the uncertain young boy must prove himself under fire. The suitably mythic if somewhat predictable story is told straightforwardly, culminating in a spectacular battle against the beast, featuring Academy Award-nominated visual effects. Despite its visual flair and relatively positive reviews, the film received mediocre response at the box office, as some criticized the film's violence as too intense for its intended younger audiences. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Matthew Robbins
Written By: Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jun 26, 1981 Wide
On DVD: Oct 21, 2003
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Tale of a sorcerer's apprentice and a dragon.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Saint George and the '80s
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
entertaining adventure
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Looked far better when released due to tech aspects.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Tim S

This is not as terrible a film as I originally believed it to be. Actually I never really thought it was that terrible at all, but I may have been being a bit generous just because I enjoy these kinds of movies. The pace of the film is incredibly slow and lacks any sort leading… More
This is not as terrible a film as I originally believed it to be. Actually I never really thought it was that terrible at all, but I may have been being a bit generous just because I enjoy these kinds of movies. The pace of the film is incredibly slow and lacks any sort leading character or protagonist for the audience to relate to or have things explained for them. Not all films need this sort of thing, but in a film like this, it's absolutely necessary. The effects work is fantastic and the story is pretty good, but it creeps along without a proper focus. The gore peppered throughout the film is also a bit jarring. Now, I like gore, but it feels out of character for what the filmmakers were trying to achieve with this. It tries to play things realistically and just let the gore be the gore, but it doesn't work well within the confines of a PG-rated environment. Personally, I enjoy it, but it is problematical, and contains definite allusions to J.R.R. Tolkien - intentional or not. :)
AJ V

A predictable, old story about having to slay a dragon, nothing new. It is exciting, though, and somewhat humorous. Overall, it's okay.
Alexis N

Lord Of The Rings + Star Wars + Legend + Willow = this pretty good for '81 but mostly annoying movie.
Conner R

It's no masterpiece, but it is essentially the only good dragon movie around. The sets and overall look of the movie is flawless and really sells it as a medieval fantasy. It's also extremely violent for no real reason which is an added bonus. While the lead actor is… More
It's no masterpiece, but it is essentially the only good dragon movie around. The sets and overall look of the movie is flawless and really sells it as a medieval fantasy. It's also extremely violent for no real reason which is an added bonus. While the lead actor is terrible and in no way conveys a hero, the rest of the cast is great. Caitlin Clarke should have taken both roles as she is easily the best character in the whole movie. The dragon effects are great, they beat anything that was done before or since. It's a fun movie that has some very worthwhile elements and is essential to any fan of Dragons.
Justin Y

Dragonslayer is one medieval age dragon film that is better than it looks. It isn't a masterpiece, but it isn't a waste of a watch.The story is a decent one, with nothing really out of the ordinary. An evil dragon must be slain. The pacing of… More
Dragonslayer is one medieval age dragon film that is better than it looks. It isn't a masterpiece, but it isn't a waste of a watch.The story is a decent one, with nothing really out of the ordinary. An evil dragon must be slain. The pacing of this 105 minute picture is moderate, with most of the action appearing at the end. This is no surprise. One of the problems here is that there is a lot of time spent with the main characters, and yet there still seems to be not enough development for them.The creature and special effects aren't too bad. There are times when they are superb (for its time) and there are times when they aren't. The dragon itself tends to stay partially hidden until the latter parts of the film, which is a little bit of a disappointment. It's almost like the movie wants to save it all for the end, but it isn't necessary in this story.The team of Walt Disney and Paramount come together to produce this picture and this is where many are thrown off. The rating is PG, but this is too generous. There is partial nudity and the violence is pretty darn bloody if I may say so. This is not a fun family Disney film.A younger Peter MacNicol and pretty Caitlin Clarke are OK at carrying this picture. Ralph Richardson is the most impressive as Ulrich the magician.Many people will feel the need to pass this up and that is a shame because this isn't all that bad. Sci-fi/fantasy fans should give this a try.
Stephen M

Combining elements of "Star Wars", "The Hobbit" and "King Kong", to name just three points of reference, this sword and sorcery fantasy wins no prizes for originality. However, it has much to recommend it, not least a tremendous visual feel for the Dark… More
Combining elements of "Star Wars", "The Hobbit" and "King Kong", to name just three points of reference, this sword and sorcery fantasy wins no prizes for originality. However, it has much to recommend it, not least a tremendous visual feel for the Dark Ages, helped by good sets and excellent use of Scottish and Welsh locations. The effects work is generally superb and still looks great today. Though the cast is a bit dull on the whole, Peter MacNicol and Caitlin Clarke are appealing as the young leads. One aspect of the plot I liked a lot was how we see the first rumblings of Christianity beginning to supplant the prevailing pagan, magical traditions. All in all, this is agreeably dark and subversive for a Disney movie and superior to, for example, Ridley Scott's "Legend".
Lafe F

Dark and Dull. There's no fantasy here, only black smoke and a dismal medieval setting. There are no other monsters except the Dragon, so it's not much fun.
xGary X

I'm not a big fan of this genre, but this is really rather good. Much more intelligently written than most of this type, and the production design has a nicely convincing period feel. Anybody who mistakes Caitlin Clarke for a man must be blind, though!
Steve K

The best dragon ever put to screen, bar none.
Doctor S

Phil Tippett's dragon is great, Peter MacNicol completely sucks wizard wiener, get any halfway decent actor in the role and they would've had an '80s fantasy mini-classic. Also appearing is The Emperor himself Ian McDiarmid!
Marion R

Too bad it isn't even watchable enough for a replay
Sean S

The dragon is pretty genuinely scary. Keeps the tension high.