Dragonslayer Movie Poster Image

Dragonslayer

age 10+
(i)

 

Vintage fantasy epic is great, despite a too-graphic death.
Watch
Write a review
See all 7 user reviews
  • Review Date: January 10, 2005
  • Rated: PG
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Release Year: 1981
  • Running Time: 108 minutes

What parents need to know

Positive messages

A princess sacrifices herself in the name of nobility and fairness; however, in a subversion of movie cliches, she is not then saved gloriously by the hero but instead perishes in a horrible and graphic way. The movie also sexualizes the "virgin sacrifice" theme, with attractive young women in floaty white garments serving as sacrifices to the dragon.

Positive role models

Most of the characters, including main characters Galen and Valerian, are fighting the evil dragon to prevent it from harming humans. Against such a terrible threat, most of the characters look noble in contrast. The character of the king, however, is slippery and double-dealing and meets a terrible comeuppance by the movie's end.

Violence

The dragon is quite realistic and scary and may horrify younger or sensitive viewers. For a fantasy movie about a dragon, the violence is lower than modern levels, but at one point a human is incinerated by the dragon's breath and we see him shrieking in the flames. At another point, a noble princess we expect to be saved is instead killed by baby dragons, who gnaw on her legs and tear off her foot as we see the white bone sticking out. Beloved characters die suddenly onscreen, one from being stabbed in a tense and scary scene.

Sex

There are brief instances of nudity, such as when Galen dives into the water and we see him nude from the rear; he then discovers Valerian is a female by glimpsing her naked body from the side as we see a flash of side-breast and buttocks. The girls sacrificed to the dragons are virgins; the movie doesn't explain what a virgin is, but children may ask.

Language

No cursing and only the mildest epithets: "You fool!"

Consumerism
Not applicable
Drinking, drugs, & smoking

At a festive party, there are references to drinking ale and guests wave cups in the air and toast each other.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Dragonslayer is a 1981 fantasy film and is one of the best swords and sorcery movies out there. The movie really builds up the tension, and viewers see bursts of smoke and fire, falling rocks, a shaking ground and other indications that something big is lurking for the first half of the film. When we finally see the dragon, it's quite terrifying and realistic as it looms over our hero, blasts him with fire, and flies menacingly over him in the sky. There's one moment of horrifying violence: A princess who nobly offered herself up as a sacrifice isn't saved by the hero as the viewer expects but is instead dispatched by the dragon's young, who hideously gnaw on her legs, exposing bone. All that said, Dragonslayer is still fresh and believable, by turns charming and scary, and a wonderful whole-family viewing choice for parents and older kids who enjoy medieval settings, magic, and dragons.

What's the story?

DRAGONSLAYER follows the quest of sorcerer's apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNichol), who sets out to kill a dragon and stop a cycle in which virginal girls are sacrificed in order to keep the beast from destroying an entire kingdom. Galen makes a valiant attempt at killing the dragon, but when the beast returns, Princess Elspeth discovers that her father, the King, has kept his daughter's name off of the list of girls to be sacrificed. As another sacrifice day draws near, Elspeth puts her name on the list and Galen decides to battle the dragon again, unaware the creature is guarding a nest filled with eggs that are on the verge of hatching.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

This medieval fantasy-adventure is filled with moral dilemmas, giving kids a lot to think about. For example, the king negotiated a terrible deal with the dragon, but it was better for his people than the uncertainty they had before. This poses the question, when the community is at risk, how do you decide what to do? And, Galen doesn't know what he doesn't know. He thinks because he knows a few tricks, he has enough magic to defeat the dragon. He's wrong, of course, and the princess dies because of his mistake. But when the time comes, and he has to know the right moment to destroy the amulet, he is able to trust himself, and he gets it right. Dragonslayer also reveals a world in which religion eventually replaces magic.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how to decide whether to fight, compromise, or run. How have you seen those questions presented?

  • Do you think this movie seems dated, or does it stand the test of time? Is it a classic?

  • If the movie was remade, who would you cast in the various roles?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:June 26, 1981
DVD release date:October 21, 2003
Cast:Caitlin Clarke, Peter MacNicol, Ralph Richardson
Director:Matthew Robbins
Studio:Paramount Pictures
Genre:Fantasy
Topics:Magic and fantasy, Adventures
Run time:108 minutes
MPAA rating:PG

This review of Dragonslayer was written by

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

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

About these links

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. Thank you for your support.

Read more

About Our Rating System

The age displayed for each title is the minimum one for which it's developmentally appropriate. We recently updated all of our reviews to show only this age, rather than the multi-color "slider." Get more information about our ratings.

Great handpicked alternatives

For kids who love fantasy

Best Fantasy Movies
Books About Magic
See all recommended movie lists

Browse more movies

Top advice and articles

What parents and kids say

See all user reviews

Share your thoughts with other parents and kids Write a user review

A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines

Adult Written byDr3w November 9, 2011
age 18+

Disney Made This?

I think I should mention that the above-mentioned nudity is very brief. You see the guy's bare bottom VERY clearly as he jumps into the lake, and then a murky underwater shot of the woman where nothing is too clearly defined, yet her breasts and bottom are semi-visible. I actually turned the movie off at that point, but I thought I should mention that the nudity is not as explicit or prolonged as I would have expected from reading the reviews here. Still, not appropriate for our family, so I don't think I'll be recommending this film. Also, the intensity level of this film is fairly high with some gory scenes included. Despite the Disney label, this is not a movie for the family.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 
Adult Written byjace August 17, 2010
age 17+

beware, nudity and intense disturbing violence

nudity, in a PG movie!!!??
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 
Parent Written byjason6311 October 2, 2015
age 9+

A classic, though could disturb younger viewers

This is a thrilling, moody fantasy movie that I fondly remembered from my own adolescent years. The dragon effects from ILM were a landmark for stop-motion. I was perhaps too eager for my young boys (my youngest is a mature 6 year old who loves all things to do with dragons) to enjoy it too. Keep in mind that this PG movie pre-dated the existence of the PG13 rating, which it certainly would've earned had the rating existed. A few other reviewers thought the *very* brief nudity was problematic, which I personally thought was inconsequential. At my boys' ages a bare bottom elicits all kinds of laughter; and the half-second of murky underwater female "nudity" hardly even registered on their radar. What did concern me was the gory scene with the baby dragons and the princess' body. I had both my boys cover their eyes during that scene; and my youngest was very happy to be in my wife's lap then. To an adult I'm sure it looks almost comical: over-the-top bright red rubbery body parts, but it is pretty severe I think for a child to be viewing a disembodied human foot in the mouth of a feeding dragon. We had my 6 year old sleep in our room in case of any nightmares, but he did fine. Both kids loved the movie but if I'm honest with myself I think 9 is probably the youngest age a parent would want to watch this movie.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 

See all user reviews

Poll

Did our review help you make an informed decision about this product?