The adventures of Dork Knight and the Ben Kingsley dragon.
As with “Scorpion King 4,” I am once more obligated
to ask how we got to the point where a “Dragonheart 3” was necessary.
Like “Scorpion King 4,” “The Sorcerer’s Curse” is so
far distanced from its previous installments that there’s no way it was riding
on some kind of momentum. Unlike that series however, I question Universal’s
logic in busting out a franchise so long in retirement that people born after
its inaugural film could be legal adults. That’s not even factoring its previous
sequel, nearing 15 years in age.
Unfortunately, “Dragonheart 3’s” most critical
difference that separates it from “Scorpion King 4” is that, ironic or otherwise,
it’s not nearly as fun to watch.
This is the admirable but sadly accurate result of a
film crew that actually tried to take all of their garbage material and make
legitimate gold out of it. Their efforts don’t necessarily fall on deaf ears
but a direct to video prequel to a cult classic that was essentially a medieval
fantasy buddy comedy starring Sean Connery as a dragon was not exactly destined
for greatness.
It doesn’t quite help that said prequel opens up
with a narrated setup regarding a war between the Celts and the Brits, having
little to nothing to do with the actual plot of the film itself.
Julian Morris finds himself as a young squire named
Gareth determined prove his worth as a knight by seeking out a mysterious comet
and helping the oppressed Celts that lie beyond the wall in order to do
something nobody actually cares about because let’s be honest, you’re only
reading this or watching the movie itself because Ben Kingsley plays a dragon.
That dragon in question has a regal British accent
and is named Drago, IwayI different from Sean Connery’s regal Scottish accented
dragon named Draco. In all seriousness, though I joke about the film’s clearly
watered down nature and problem with sequelitis, the chemistry between Morris
and Kingsley is easily the sole reason to watch “The Sorcerer’s Curse.”
Similar to David Thewlis in the original film,
Drago, in order to save Gareth’s life, has offered a portion of his heart to
make him virtually immortal as long as the dragon lives. Because of this, the
two share a bond that sets their connection apart from the relationships of the
rest of the cast and their chemistry sells that bonds development wonderfully.
I cared more about watching these 2 argue by hitting themselves in an effort to
inflict pain on one another than I did about anything regarding his attempts to
bribe his way into knighthood, befriend the oppressed populace, or romance of a
foxy Irish redhead whose only real character trait is being a foxy Irish redhead.
Not that there’s anything wrong with foxy Irish redheads.
I can’t exactly bring myself to crucify the film
crew or actors for any of “Dragonheart 3’s” actual flaws. This script is so dry
and dull that it’s carried only on the talent of its cast and direction, which
could only do but so much.
For a direct to video release, the CGI on Drago is
shockingly good. It’s not exactly winning academy awards but for a home market
release, it never dips into being unconvincing within the context of the film.
And once more, similarly to “Dragonfyre,” I do have to reward the film bonus
points for sincerity. In a world of “Sharknadoes” and “Birdemics,” it’s nice to
see somebody actually putting forth a bit of effort, whether it pays off or
not.
Setting aside all notions of ironic enjoyment, “Dragonheart
3” would probably be best suited to kids with a budding interest in fantasy.
For fun Friday B-flick viewing pleasure, its serviceable enough and full of
qualities that are genuinely good, even if the product as a whole isn’t quite
worth the full sum of its parts. Here’s to hoping for “Dragonheart 4.”
2 Shatners
Bottom Line: “Dragonheart 3” may have delivered on
my low expectations but by the time it ended, it actually made me hope for
better.
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