Parents' Guide to

Dragonheart: Vengeance

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

So-so fantasy sequel has violence and peril.

Movie PG-13 2020 97 minutes
Dragonheart: Vengeance Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 1 parent review

Muffbeasley
Muffbeasley Adult
November 28, 2020
age 11+

It’s ok for some children

Violence

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In DRAGONHEART: VENGEANCE, Lukas is a young farmer who has just witnessed his family getting murdered by four barbarians. Eager for revenge, he goes into a nearby village ruled by the greedy and duplicitous King Razvan. While searching for a mercenary willing to help him achieve his revenge, Lukas meets Darius (Joseph Millson) in a seedy tavern, but must flee when a drunken brawl breaks out and the authorities have arrived to arrest everyone involved. Lukas learns from the blacksmith that he might get assistance from the dragon of the realm, who has been banished by King Razvan for not helping him in his time of need. Lukas finds the dragon, Siveth (Helena Bonham Carter), and is shocked to discover that the dragon is female. Siveth initially refuses, but Darius finds him and begins to teach Lukas how to fight with a sword. Together, they embark on a quest to kill the four barbarians: The Bear, The Wolf, The Snake, and The Scorpion. Soon, they discover that Siveth has joined them, and is actively helping them on their quest. They soon realize that King Razvan is actively supporting the barbarians' killing and marauding of the countryside, and Lukas, Darius, and Siveth must find a way to stop the barbarians and the king, and also prove to the citizens that Siveth had never abandoned them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

This is standard medieval fantasy fare, enjoyable enough in spite of the substandard CGI and general low-budget air to it. There are plenty of world-building backstories, reluctant heroes and heroines who eventually do the right thing, and sword battles set to rousing soundtracks. There are times when the clunky dialogue and awkward attempts at humor make this seem like it's a parody of medieval adventure movies. The story meanders, but never falls apart, and finds a way to stay mostly focused on the central themes of revenge and doing the right thing.

The dragon's CGI qualities are slightly less cheap-looking than in the previous Dragonheart sequels, but it still comes across as substandard special effects work. While it might be possible for some to suspend disbelief over this for the sake of the story, the cheesiness of the dragon's appearance could easily be the last straw for those who aren't fans of this genre and movie franchise. The acting isn't terrible, but there just isn't a lot to work with in this story. For instance, if your character is called "The Snake," there's no getting around that you're going to have to hiss and slither. Overall, while the central story of Dragonheart: Vengeance might have worked on its own terms, there's too much swirling around it in the action, dialogue, and production values that ultimately distract from enjoying it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about medieval fantasy movies. How does Dragonheart: Vengeance compare to other medieval fantasies?

  • Have you seen the other Dragonheart movies? How does this one compare? Why do you think so many sequels get made, and why are they usually not as good as the original?

  • Did the violence seem necessary for the movie, or did it seem too graphic? Why?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate