Plot
Bowen, a knight of the Old Code, is hard at work teaching the next king to be honorable and just. This changes when his father, a tyrant, gets killed raiding a village of rebels. The boy is accidentally stabbed in the heart, and it looks like he's going to die. The queen decides that the only way to save her son, and possibly make him a good man, is to ask a dragon for help.
The dragon helps by giving half of his heart to the boy. It saves the boy's life, but instead of being a catalyst for good, the boy follows in his father's footsteps. He's an even worse tyrant than his father. Bowen becomes disgusted, and leaves the service of Einan. He believes that the dragon's heart is to blame for Einan's attitude. So, he becomes a dragon slayer for money.
One day, years later, Bowen comes along the last dragon alive. And by coincedence, it is the same dragon that saved Einan's life. However, Bowen doesn't learn this till later. Together, they start conning villages into paying Bowen for 'killing' the dragon. Bowen names the dragon Draco, and their con game is stalled by their meeting of Kara, a girl who just escaped from Einan's clutches.
After being joined by a strange monk named Brother Gilbert, Draco convinces Bowen that Einan must be stopped. That the Old Code must be upheld. The four convince Kara's village to fight Einan, and they attack the castle.
That's when they learn that if Draco is heart, then Einan is heart and vice-versa. In the final battle, Draco scrifices himself when Bowen plunges an axe into the dragon's heart.
My Thoughts
This was one of those movies that almost slipped under the radar. It was released with a far amount of fanfare, but I don't think it got the credit it deserved. Everyone in this film is so solid, especially Dennis Quaid. I'm a fan of Quaid's, for the most part, and this was one of the reasons why. The effects shots are pretty seamless, considering the fact that this was made in 96. Even 2002's Reign of Fire's dragons weren't quite as real as Draco. And getting Sean Connery to do the voice, and essentially tbe the templte for Draco in general, was genious.
Sometimes, movies are so much better without a huge star involved. Most of the cast is made up of character actors, like Quaid and Dina Meyer. This is the second movie I can remember Dina Meyer in, and I have enjoyed her in everything I've seen her in. Even Johnny Mnemonic, the Keanu Reeves dud in 95. This movie is instilled with enough wonder and modern effects as it can handle, and its an enjoyable fantasy tale.
