Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In an ancient time when majestic fire-breathers soared through the skies, a knight named Bowen comes face to face and heart to heart with the last dragon on Earth, Draco. Taking up arms to suppress a tyrant king, Bowen soon realizes his task will be harder than he'd imagined: If he kills the king, Draco will die as well.
DragonHeart is a mid-90s fantasy adventure with a charming central conceit — the bond between a dragonslayer and the last dragon — elevated enormously by Sean Connery's memorable voice performance as Draco. The plot is serviceable but fairly conventional good-vs-evil medieval fare with a telegraphed twist about the dragon's connection to the villain. Acting is uneven; Dennis Quaid is adequate but flat, and David Thewlis chews scenery cartoonishly as the evil king, while Connery's voice work is the clear highlight. Cinematography is competent period-fantasy work, nothing especially distinctive but functional and occasionally sweeping. Novelty gets a modest bump for the Draco-Bowen buddy dynamic and the genuinely inventive narrative mechanic tying the dragon's fate to the king's, which was fresh for its time. The ending delivers emotional resonance with Draco's sacrifice, providing a satisfying if bittersweet conclusion that lands better than the rest of the film might suggest.