David McK (3372 KP) rated Dragonheart (1996) in Movies
Feb 28, 2021
I feel old.
I actually remember going to see this in the cinema when it first came out, and remember the buzz over the Special Effects created for the dragon (voiced by Sean Connery) in the wake of Jurassic Park: if I remember right, I think it may even have got an Academy nomination for the same.
Anyway, this is light family fantasy fare, with Connery (as previously mentioned) voicing the last Dragon alive, and with Dennis Quaid portraying a disillusioned knight who has vowed to wipe out all dragons, blaming the same for corrupting (or so he initially thinks) the son of a tyrant who grew up to be a tyrant himself (as portrayed by David Thewlis).
Also starring a - very young, pre Starship Troopers - Dina Meyers and Pete Postlethwaite, this is an enjoyable enough romp if nothing special!
Star Wars: Han Solo
Marjorie Liu and Mark Brooks (art)
8.3
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Everyone's favorite scoundrel goes Solo! Han is given a top-secret undercover mission for the...
Wicked & Wise
8.0
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Tabletop Game
Dragons compete in a variety of ways, but one of their favorite ways is playing by playing trick...
Tongues of Serpents (Temeraire #6)
8.0
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Convicted of treason despite thier heroic defense against Napoleon's invasion of England, Temeraire...
Piece of Shifter
7.0
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I’M COMING FOR UNDERBELLY CIRCUS… TO BURN IT TO THE GROUND. My whole life, I’ve wished for...
David McK (3372 KP) rated Two Necromancers, a Dragon, and a Vampire (The Unconventional Heroes #3) in Books
Dec 31, 2022
As if the title itself didn't give it away.
In fairness, the title should really be 'Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, an Elf, a Dragon, a Vampire and a Pirate fleet' to do so, but that would be a little bit unwieldy ...
Anyway, Timmy the Necromancer's 'Suicide Squad' alike entourage continues to grow in this, most notably with the addition of Spot the (baby) Dragon and with Amanda, the (ancient) vampire of the title, who has strong links to the past of some of those Timmy is working for.
As before, the result magical mayhem is an enjoyable enough read in it's own right, but unlikely to set the world on fire (we have the pyromaniac elf Avraniel for that ...)
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Pete's Dragon (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
39 years after the original, David Lowery brings us the re-invention of Pete’s Dragon. His aim was not to remake the original film, but to reinvent it. And that he did. PD opens up with a family traveling through a forest on a road trip. The young boy, Pete (Levi Alexander) is reading from a book about a lost puppy name Elliot. A tragic accident occurs, which leaves Pete by himself in the forest. As he starts to wander, a pack of wolves begins to close in on him, only to be thwarted by… you guessed it. A dragon.
Flash forward 6 years, and we now see an older Pete (Oakes Fegley) running around through the forest with Elliot, the dragon who he bonded with over the years. Pete happens upon a forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she is scouting the forest, unmarking trees that were marked for cut down. She’s not a rebel, just protecting the habitat of an owl. Turns out her fiancé, Jack (Wes Bentley), and his brother, Gavin (Karl Urban), run the company that is tearing down the forest. One day, they happen upon Pete and bring him home, but Pete misses Elliot, and Elliot misses Pete. In an effort to get back to him, Elliot is discovered by Gavin who wants to hunt down Pete and bring him in. Grace seeks assistance from her father, Meachum (Robert Redford), who was always thought of as a crazy old man with his wild story of a dragon he met so many years ago. Can they help save Elliot from Gavin and his men?
While a little darker than the original, I found that I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. There are some plot holes to consider, and a little unbelievable on how fast the story develops in time passed in the universe set up here, but you have to understand that this movie is geared toward children. And I think they did well in creating an entertaining film for children and nostalgic adults alike. In fact, this screening was the quietest family screening I have ever attended. There were plenty of kids in the audience, but they were captivated.
Keeping in mind that this is truly a children’s movie, my biggest gripe was the absence of my favorite scene from the original (scorched apples, anyone?). But all in all, it is definitely something to get out to theaters to see. Lowery had indicated that he chose the appearance for Elliot as he did because he wanted to portray a dragon you could hug. Success, Mr. Lowery. Success. Pete’s Dragon is good fun for the whole family, so what are you waiting for? Go see it, already.
Sw (9 KP) rated the PlayStation 3 version of Dragon Age II in Video Games
Jan 30, 2019
