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Parents' Guide to

Dragonslayer

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Vintage fantasy epic is great, despite a too-graphic death.

Movie PG 1981 108 minutes
Dragonslayer Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Amber S.
Amber S. Parent of 11 and 13-year-old
October 22, 2022
age 2+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
skullcracken
skullcracken Adult
June 5, 2019
age 13+

Good action adventure movie for kids 12+ and a well-timed fast forward

This is a great movie but for Disney and a PG movie there is one scene that is pivotal but should be edited. This movie has a swimming scene that shows the lead character's bare butt, a possibly accidental underwater frontal nude male shot, and an underwater bare butt and side breast shot of a female.
See all 9 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (2 ):

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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

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.

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