Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10
Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Joseph Millson, Jack Kane, Arturo Muselli, Carolina Carlsson, Tam Williams, Richard Ashton, Ross O’Hennessy, Cameron Jack, Fabienne Piolini-Castle, Alexandru Roza, James Longshore, Vlad Radescu, Edourd Philipponnat, Anisoara Doroftei, Daniel Iordan, Silvia Gisca, Fanel Ursu, Tomas Otto Ghela, Diana Vladu, Mihai Verbintschi,
Dragons never really go out of style, never really lose their place in the subconscious of humanity, it could be wishful thinking that the representations presented to us in song and stories, of tales as old as our inherited memory, can either define us in unity or the craving to understand that there is more to this life than what we have created; or it is the fear they symbolise, the destruction, the fire, the scorched earth that reminds us of ourselves at our very worst. Whatever the reason, dragons have never stopped fascinating us.
The dichotomy between the two states of mind, of fear, of the terror, and the hope for magical illusion is arguably always captured on screen with balance, only in the extremes such as Pete’s Dragon and Reign Of Fire are these states so diametrically opposed, and yet in even the most benign of cinematic releases the sense of incompleteness, of the lack of personality can damage our hope for such tales of adventure and heroism in a world that reminds us of what we have lost in our ever-increasing war against nature.
To follow in the footsteps of giants though is to perhaps court folly, the popular one-off film that sires a multitude of sequels is not always the best way to keep interest in a subject, and in the 2020 prequel to the 1996 fantasy epic, Dragonheart, the flame is passed on once again to a different director and set of actors to whom do at least create a film in which the tale is enjoyable, even if in effect nothing has changed since Sean Connery provided the voice of the original dragon in the series.
Dragonheart: Vengeance only differs in the central theme, that vengeance is itself, as noted by the poets, only prepares you to dig two graves, that by hunting down which caused you harm and to watch it die, is to see your own soul wither under the darkness you place it in; and if the sense of morality in which is offered is not enough to dissuade you in your effort, then the fact that the film itself is not as thrilling as the original, despite its enjoyable presence, should be enough to not place your faith too much in sequels that have nothing new to offer.
Perhaps that is a little unfair, for certainly Director Ivan Silvestri brings an element of dynamic to the film, and in Joseph Millson as the sell sword Darius and Caroline Carlsson as The Snake offer much in the human quality behind the overall story, and the humour to be found within provided by some of the action sequences provide are gracefully depicted, make Dragonheart: Vengeance a film to get your friendly dragon fix, even if it understandably misses the beating heart set out by its illustrious forebear.
An enjoyable romp through the eyes of fantasy, but one that won’t change your life or your perception of the genre.
Ian D. Hall