Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Frequent medieval violence in engaging stand-alone sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse
What's the Story?
Gareth (Julian Morris) is a squire for a corrupt feudal warlord safely ensconced south of Hadrian's Wall; the warlord extorts money from all the peasants under the guise of protecting them from the vicious nomadic tribes kept out by the Wall. Gareth dreams of becoming a knight, but after he doesn't extort payment from a kind potter, he is forced out of being a squire until he comes up with 100 crowns. That night, a comet lands on earth. Gareth decides to venture north in the hopes of fielding an army to overthrow the warlord, and this is when he meets the dragon who landed via the comet. After protecting the dragon's eggs, Gareth forms a bond with the dragon; they share the same heart in their different bodies and feel one another's physical pain, and the dragon now has the gift of speech. Gareth names him Drago (voiced by Ben Kingsley), and together, they work with a tribe trying to rid themselves of the tyranny and enslavement that exists throughout the countryside, while trying to rescue Drago and his eggs from evil sorcery.
Is It Any Good?
DRAGONHEART 3: THE SORCERER'S CURSE is an enjoyable medieval fantasy movie that is a stand-alone sequel in the Dragonheart franchise. Some aspects of the story have been done to death (evil sorcerers, evil feudal warlords, Braveheart-style warriors screaming into battle), but there is enough excitement and originality to overcome the innate shortcomings of the fantasy genre, and the result is an engaging story with plenty of action.
The continual medieval violence, along with the nightmarish look of the CGI dragon (even with Ben Kingsley's reassuring voice) and two gratuitous lines concerning the lead female character's vagina from one of the bad guys, make this movie best for teens and older.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about medieval fantasy movies. How is this one similar to and different from other movies with sword fights, spells, fire-breathing dragons, and the like?
What parts of the movie seem historically accurate?
How is violence shown? Does it seem glamorized and gratuitous, or does it seem pertinent to the overall story?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 24, 2015
- Cast : Julian Morris , Tamzin Merchant , Jassa Ahluwalia
- Director : Colin Teague
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Studios
- Genre : Fantasy
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality.
- Last updated : July 16, 2020
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