Dragonslayer - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Dragonslayer



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


​

Movie
1981’s Cult classic film Dragonslayer has been a LOOOOOOOOOONG time coming to the world of high definition. Fans have basically been clamoring for it ever since the Blu-ray format started, but for some odd reason Paramount has decided not to release the sword and sorcery adventure flick on Blu-ray, but instead waited till now and done a dual Blu-ray/4K release on the same date. Sadly they have also continued with the irritating habit of not including the Blu-ray in with the 4K as a combo pack so I can compare one against the other, but the 4K release (which also has a day and date 4K Steelbook as well) is a massive upgrade over my near 20 year old DVD, and manages to retain a very nice visual aesthetic aside from being a low budget 80s flick that was never a massive hit in theaters.

Set in sixth century England, the countryside is being terrorized by a giant flying creature known as Vermithrax Perojative (otherwise known as a dragon), and forcing the king to sacrifice a young virgin every 5 years to satiate it’s appetite. The country is tired of letting their young women get eaten by the leathery beast, and send a group of peasants to the sorcerer Ulrich (Ralph Richardson) to plead with the mystic to defeat the monster once and for all. Due to some unfortunate events, Ulrich is killed, leaving his powerful amulet and legacy to his apprentice Galen (Peter MacNicol, who will forever be Larry from the TV show Numb3rs in my mind) who must take up the responsibility.

However, Galen is still only a lowly apprentice. Which means that his puny abilities may not be all that is required to defeat the leathery dragon once and for all. That means your classic 80s fantasy heroes arc, with Galen in over his head, gets ridiculed by those around him when he’s shown to not be as powerful as proclaimed, and the general ramp up to his becoming the hero that he should have been all along. Don’t forget a side romance with a peasant named Valerian (Caitlin Clarke), some random side boob in the water (it is the 1980s) cheesy special effects (not bad for the time) and we have the makings for a cult classic that is as fun today as it was 42 years ago.

Dragonslayer is most definitely a cult film. It has all of the visual aesthetics of early 80s fantasy (foggy atmospheres, dark caverns, plastic physical scenery) and all of the bad storytelling of a fantasy inspired adult film. Well, OK, maybe not THAT bad. But it is pretty amusing to see the harsh editing cuts (the first 30 minutes are the worst in regards to that), time leaps, and general “OK, lets get on with this and not waste a second for back story” pacing of the story.

Still, the movie is harshly brutal for being PG (it would probably be PG-13 for tone and some violence, but the PG-13 rating hadn’t been invented for a few more years), with a really dark tone to it that is downright creepy at times (the death of the princess is pretty nasty). Back then fantasy was more of a guilty pleasure to the general public so it doesn’t get the awe and finesse of the genre that we would get in later years. Set pieces and clothing are rough and cheaply done, special effects are pretty wince worthy compared to today’s effects, but Dragonslayer still has an incredibly raw and earthy charm about it that keeps the film feeling fun and fresh. I honestly started this review not having seen it since my 2005 DVD purchase (had to pull up my Quicken records to verify that… I actually grabbed it from the $5 bargain bin at Walmart it looks like) and was completely blown away at how FUN the film managed to stay upon repeat viewings. I won’t go and say that it will rival Lord of the Rings, but it is a complete treat for those of us who grew up in the 80s and loved films like Dragonheart and the like.




Rating:

Rated PG by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

As I mentioned above, I REALLY would have loved for Paramount to include the new Blu-ray in with the 4K UHD as a combo pack so I could compare both transfers, but if the Blu-ray is anything like the 4K UHD, it is going to be stunning. Taken from the original 35mm negative and spruced up (without any changes to the special effects), it is a VERY filmic and textural image to enjoy. There’s a heavy layer of grain over the entire thing without being obtrusive, and the hazy/smokey look given to the picture is realized perfectly in 2160p. I didn’t notice any banding (outside of that one scene where the sky opens up with Ulrich for the final battle) and black crush is near non exitent. The gauzy tone showcases nice greens, tons and tons of earthy browns, and a grimly dark image that shines with the added HDR. Blacks are deep and inky, and even the brown/black mass that is the cave battle is perfectly realized on screen. Simply put, this is how catalog titles should be treated, and Paramount blew this one out of the park.





Audio:

I was honestly not expecting a Dolby Atmos track in this release. Most of the time for older catalog releases Paramount sticks with a 5.1 mix in Dolby TrueHD, but this is a full done Atmos remix, and it’s actually really really good. The mix was always front heavy with the DVD and that is still present, but the surrounds have been unfolded a good bit, allowing the battles and flapping of dragon wings to come through nicely in the side channels. I didn’t notice a TON of discrete overhead usage, but ambient score cues and some of the dragon wings when battling at the end of the movie do show up above us. The bass is rather punchy and aggressive too, adding some serious power to the cave battle and accentuating the score evenly. It’s a rich and decently layered mix that is more than just an expanded 2.0 track made for a quick buck. Said Atmos track is one that actually surprised me in a very pleasant way.





Extras:

• NEW Commentary by Director Matthew Robbins & Guillermo del Toro
• NEW The Slayer of All Dragons - Step back in time with director/co-writer Matthew Robbins, dragon supervisor Phil Tippett, and ILM's visual effects master Dennis Muren as they revisit DRAGONSLAYER. Their stories and memories take viewers deep into the dragon's fiery lair as they recount the challenging journey from concept to screen.
• NEW Welcome to Cragganmore - A look back at the impact of Star Wars and its visual effects on Hollywood, the origin of DRAGONSLAYER and its screenplay, and the film's casting.
• NEW A Long Way to Urland - Pre-production begins in England as the film takes shape. The young filmmakers seek gritty medieval realism through the production design, cinematography, and costumes.
• NEW Vermithrax Pejorative - The filmmakers take on the daunting task of bringing a dragon to life like never before, utilizing every ounce of movie magic available including Phil Tippett's breakthrough go-motion animation, cutting-edge practical animatronics, visual effects, and compositing.
• NEW Into the Lake of Fire - Production woes at every turn, horrific baby dragons, and the challenge of creating Vermithrax's iconic lair plague the filmmakers. Phil Tippett offers a mini-masterclass on crafting powerful creature performance through detailed animation.
• NEW The Final Battle - The team faces the unique challenges of the film's stage-bound climax, filmed entirely against a blue screen. Director Matthew Robbins looks back on the incredible work done in the final stages of film editing, the beautifully dense sound design, and Alex North's amazing score, which utilized pieces from his legendary unused 2001: A Space Odyssey score.
• NEW Screen Tests
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Final Score: ​

Dragonslayer has been long forgotten by myself for many years, and to be honest, it’s not going to be remembered by MOST of the film loving society except for hardcore 80s fantasy fans. That being said, it has garnered a rather impressive cult following over the years, and being that Paramount’s mediocre DVD was all we had to tide us over for the past 20+ years, I’m more than ecstatic to see that they FINALLY have released it on Blu-ray and 4K UHD with a new 4k remaster to enjoy. Said remaster is quite the looker and the Atmos track is more than impressive. Not to mention a ton of brand new extras for this release. Definitely worth checking out at the least if you’re a fantasy fan.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson
Directed by: Matthew Robbins
Written by: Matthew Robbins, Hal Barwood
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), French DD 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG
Runtime: 109 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: March 21st, 2023

Recommendation: Check it Out

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I don't remember this one for some reason.. Will check it out.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I remember the video game more than the movie, but I just bought this on Kaleidescape to check out. I had recorded it off-air in my Plex library, but I'm not going to waste time on that 480i pan & scan copy now that this is available. I was 9 when this came out, and the perfect age and the perfect level of nerdy for it. I'm actually pretty excited to watch it now. I love that they put a serious effort into a remaster.

 

[JStewart]

I had just started my first business and was peddling hi-fi, VHS, Laser Disc and Beta part-time in the early 80s to keep the lights on.
I have no idea how many times I watched this movie or parts of it. I know years after I still liked it. Guess it’s time to watch it one more time.