Dragonheart (1996)
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A disillusioned knight and a dragon form an unlikely partnership to defraud villagers while seeking to overcome the tyranny of a king who shares the dragon's heart.
The story
In 984 A.D., the knight Sir Bowen mentors Saxon Prince Einon in the Old Code, hoping the boy will become a just ruler. However, after Einon's father is killed by rebels, a peasant girl accidentally wounds Einon's heart. A dragon saves the prince's life by replacing his wounded heart with half of his own. Instead of becoming a just ruler, Einon becomes a cruel tyrant, enslaving the rebels and blinding the girl's father. Believing the dragon's heart has corrupted the prince, Bowen swears vengeance on all dragons, leading him to hunt them nearly to extinction.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Twelve years after his oath, Bowen has become a skilled dragonslayer. He eventually stalks a dragon to its cave, only to discover it is the one who saved Einon. The two form a partnership to defraud villagers with staged dragon "slayings". Meanwhile, Kara seeks revenge on the tyrant Einon. After a failed assassination attempt, she is imprisoned. During a confrontation between Bowen and Einon, the dragon Draco intervenes, revealing his half-heart to Einon, who flees in fear. Bowen, Kara, and a monk named Gilbert eventually join forces with Draco to organize a peasant army against Einon. During the final battle, Gilbert strikes Einon with an arrow, causing Draco to fall and be captured. To save the kingdom, Bowen is forced to throw an axe into Draco's exposed half-heart, killing both Draco and Einon. Draco's soul joins his fellow dragons to become a new star, while Bowen and Kara lead the kingdom into an era of peace.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Cohen
- Writers
- Charles Edward Pogue · screenplay; Charles Edward Pogue · story; Patrick Read Johnson · story
- Cast and characters
- Dennis Quaid · Sir Bowen; David Thewlis · King Einon; Pete Postlethwaite · Brother Gilbert of Glockenspur; Dina Meyer · Kara; Sean Connery · Draco the Dragon; Julie Christie · Queen Aislinn; Jason Isaacs · Lord Felton; John Gielgud · King Arthur
- Genres
- fantasy adventure; action; adventure
- Themes
- idealism vs. corruption; redemption; chivalry; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- gritty; fantasy; emotional
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy action; revenge; sword and sorcery; Arthurian myth
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original story by Patrick Read Johnson and Charles Edward Pogue
- Franchise connections
- Dragonheart
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the premise, visual effects, and character development but panning the script as confusing and clichéd. It was a box-office success, earning $115 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 47%
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · 1996 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was dedicated to the memory of Steve Price and Irwin Cohen.; Draco was the first dragon ILM made capable of human speech.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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