The article was originally published in November 2009.
Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro is currently at work on the two-part movie version of The Hobbit [editor's note: he since left the production]. Recently he talked to ComingSoon.net about his plans for the all-important look of the dragon, Smaug.
“The way Tolkien wrote it, already, is magnificent,” del Toro said. “It’s already a fantastic character. So, obviously, dragons, you ask every person what their best favorite dragon is, they will give you a different answer. In my mind, what we’re going to attempt on the design of this creature and the creation of this creature needs to push the envelope beyond anything you’ve ever seen on that kind of creature.”
Del Toro referred to the relatively few dragons that have been put on film over the years — not surprising given the costs involved. “One of the best and one of the strongest landmarks that almost nobody can overcome is Dragonslayer [a 1981 movie]. The design of the Vermithrax Pejorative is perhaps one of the most perfect creature designs ever made….I am bursting at the seams about spilling the beans [about our dragon], but I won’t because I would be shot.”
In anticipation of the movie, TheTorchOnline.com looks at — and rates — the most famous dragons that have existed on film, rating them from worst to best:
Dragonheart (1996)
GGI was newer, and we were all understandably excited. But it’s scary how quickly CGI can look dated. (The dragon in the Dragonheart sequel is downright laughable now.)
Dragon Rating: 2 Torches (Out of Five)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
A nice try, but too many horns (and actually a wyvern, not a dragon at all).
Dragon Rating: Three Torches (Out of Five)
The Hobbit (1977)
A little clunky now, but it made a strong impression on me at the time:
Dragon Rating: Three Torches (Out of Five)
Beowulf (2007)
Crappy movie, decent dragon, even if it doesn’t quite like a dragon “should”:
Dragon Rating: Three and Half Torches (Out of Five)
Eragon (2006)
Does anyone else think it looks like the Loch Ness Monster?
Dragon Rating: 4 Torches (out of Five)
Reign of Fire (2002)
Another bad movie with good dragons.
Dragon Rating: Four Torches (Out of Five)
The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad
Gotta love a classic. Yeah, it look s a little hackneyed by modern standards, but remember: Ray Harryhausen did this all in stop-motion, often by himself.
Dragon Rating: Four and a Half Torches (Out of Five)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Technically this is a “winged nazgul,” or a ringwraith on a perodactyl, not a dragon at all, but like everything about the LOTR’s movies, it’s still flawless.
Dragon Rating: Five Torches (Out of Five)
Dragonslayer (1981)
Del Toro is right: this is still the gold standard of movie dragons — and it was even done in an era before CGI. How the hell did they do it?
Five Torches (Out of Five)
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- Guillermo Del Toro Casts Self in THE HOBBIT, Describes Smaug
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- Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis to Return for THE HOBBIT
- Will Peter Jackson Direct THE HOBBIT?
- The Poison Pen: Why Guillermo del Toro REALLY Left THE HOBBIT
To those asking how “Dragonslayer” was done: it was the then brand-new technology of go-motion. Like stop-motion, it consists of successive single-frame shots of a posed model: however, the model actually moves very slightly *while each frame is filmed*, giving it a fluidity and realism that stop-motion lacks. Primitive forms were used in the first Terminator film and in the Wallace and Gromit franchise; the more sophisticated go-motion seen in Dragonslayer was developed for The Empire Strikes Back, but seldom got used because CGI swiftly supplanted it.
I quite liked Reign of Fire! Dragonslayer remains the classic, however. (The dragon scene in Ilya Muromets is fun, but not worth sitting through the rest of the movie for.)
I’m actually old enough to have seen “Dragonslayer” in the theater. I was just into high school & a Tolkien & Lewis geek. I’m still a Tolkien & Lewis geek. But the movie rocked!! Truly as is said, the gold standard in dragons. And the scenes with the dragon are still spooky & scary even to this day.
Glad to see so many people remember the movie fondly.
Good list, but what about “Flight of the Dragons?”
I’m glad someone remembers and likes Dragonslayer! This film absolutely rocks! The dragon animaiton was so real, and the film was so full of great ideas! Although I just stumbled into it by chance in TV many years ago and never have seen it again, i still remember many scenes vividly.
There are some movie dragons which should have been included at least for historical significance, even if they would perhaps not have earned top ranks. I’m thinking of Fafnir in the Nibelungen: Siegfred’s Death silent by Fritz Lang, which was a really “monstrous” technical archivement, and of Falkor in the Neverending Story (good movie, crappy dragon?).
What dragons / movies would YOU like to see included?
What about the dragon in the Studio Ghibli adapation “Tales from Earthsea”?
I mostly concerned myself with live-action dragons. Animated ones could be a whole separate article!
You forgot the dragon in “Sleeping Beauty” which I just got to watch again — very scary! And I’m glad to see “Dragonslayer” get good attention, I liked that movie a lot.
But I must disagree about the Harry Potter dragon — AWESOME!
I find myself unable to disagree with any of the ratings or comments in the original post. And anyone who hasn’t seen Dragonslayer, correct this omission ASAP.
Poor Pete’s Dragon. I still love you. But I’m corny like that!
Reign of Terror wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either! And the dragons rocked!
Agreed.
Excellent list! I don’t have any interest for Pete’s Dragon,The Hobbit, and Beowulf. But after reading your post, I’m going to NetFlix: The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Dragonslayer.
Here’s my torch rating:
Dragonheart - 3 torches. I liked it, but didn’t love so I would never see it again.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 4 torches. I was taken by surprise with their dragon. I loved it. I only gave it 4 torches because it’s not my favorite Harry Potter movie and the dragon isn’t in there very long.
Eragon - 4 torches. This movie was Blu-ray purchase for me. I read the book and liked it, but I really love the movie.
Reign of Fire + 5 torches. Again, this was another Blu-ray for me. I loved this show because of the dragons and find myself re-watching this more than Eragon.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - 5 torches. Blu-ray for me. While Two Towers isn’t my favorite in the trilogy. The dragons made the show for me.
Shrek (2001) - 4 torches
Good calls.
It holds up pretty well and the dragon still looks GREAT!
Man, haven’t thought about it in a while, but “Dragonslayer” really was a great film; I need to get the DVD of that one. It made quite an impression on me when I was younger; I remember that it was the first film I ever went to see by myself. (Okay, I was a teenager, but still!—before then I always went to the movies with family members.)
Ohhh, the dragon in Eragon annoyed me so much! Too snaky. Definitely more of a Loch Ness look, I agree. I thought the Hungarian Horntail from Harry Potter was depicted pretty well, personally, though that scene just irritates me overall in its pointless and huge departure from the book, lol.
I am a huge fan of dragons- I think they are fascinating and interesting. On that note, I have to wonder….how is it possible that I have not seen “Dragonslayer”?
(hides in shame and goes to watch it)
Well get thee to your Netflix queue!
I have to agree with your observations — when I first read the title, I knew that the best movie dragon was from Dragonslayer … to this day, still my favorite film worm!
Susan sarandan turns into a pretty cool dragon at the end of Enchanted.
Whaddaya think? Three and a half torches? I remember it looking pretty cool.
I love it! Dragonslayer —- YES!