The Flight of Dragons

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The Flight of Dragons

US DVD Cover
Directed by Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Fumihiko Takayama
Katsuhisa Yamada
Produced by Rankin/Bass
Written by Romeo Muller (Screenplay)
Peter Dickinson (Novel)
Gordon R. Dickson (Novel)
Starring John Ritter
Bob McFadden
Don Messick
James Earl Jones
Music by Maury Laws
Don McLean
Distributed by ABC
Warner Bros.
Release date(s) August 17, 1982 Video Release (UK)
August 3, 1986 (USA)
Running time 92 min.
Country  United States
 Japan
Language English

The Flight of Dragons is a 1982 animated movie produced by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. and loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson with the novel The Dragon and the George (1976) by Gordon R. Dickson. The film centres upon a quest undertaken to stop an evil wizard who plans to rule the world by dark magic. A major theme within the story is the question of whether science and magic can co-exist. This is told mostly through the experience of character Peter Dickinson, drawn from the 20th Century into the magical realm.

Released direct to video, it was aired as an ABC 'Movie of the Week' in 1986, and released by Warner Brothers as a made-to-order DVD in the US on 17 November 2009 as part of the "Warner Archive Collection".[1] [2]

The opening song is sung by Don McLean.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The opening title.


The 'Green Wizard' Carolinus (Harry Morgan) discovers magic failing as humanity emphasise science, and summons his colleagues Lo Tae Zhao (Don Messick) the Golden Wizard; Solarius (Paul Frees) the Blue Wizard; and Ommadon (James Earl Jones) the Red Wizard, accompanied by their dragons Shen Tsu, Lunarian, and Bryagh (James Gregory), to whom he explains that the world's magic is dying and outlines a plan to save it by creating a 'Last Realm of Magic' wherein all magical beings can live, hidden from the rest of the world. Rather than join the others, Ommadon instead offers to take control of the world himself; whereupon the other wizards decide to seize and destroy Ommadon's crown, the source of his powers, and volunteer Carolinus's dragon Gorbash (Bob McFadden when not Ritter-as-Peter) along with the knight Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe (Bob McFadden), to do so. Requiring a third protagonist, Carolinus summons Peter Dickinson (John Ritter), whom he finds in a pawnshop explaining a game he has created whose pieces resemble the wizards and Gorbash. Having arrived in the past, Peter becomes enamoured of Princess Milisande (Alexandra Stoddart), Carolinus's adopted daughter.

Ommadon, learning the others' plan, sends his dragon Bryagh to capture Peter; whereupon Carolinus casts a spell to save him, which mistakenly combines Peter's mind with the body of Gorbash. Knowing nothing about being a dragon or about magic, Peter is mentored by an older dragon named Smrgol (James Gregory). During their journey they are joined by the wolf Aragh (Victor Buono); a woodland elf named Giles; and the archer 'Danielle of the Woodlands' (Nellie Bellflower). The dichotomy of magic and science appears when Smrgol teaches Peter how to be a dragon in magical terms, whilst Peter explains them with principles of science; and in later approaches of each character to similar subjects. In Carolinus's home Princess Milisande falls into a trance and views the protagonists magically from afar. At an inn near Ommadon's realm, an Ogre captures Sir Orrin and Danielle. Smrgol teaches how to defeat the Ogre; but must come to his rescue. After killing the Ogre, Smrgol dies of his injuries. When Ommadon sends an army of dragons against the protagonists, Giles plays a flute given to Carolinus by Lo Tae Zhao which puts them all to sleep, except Bryagh, who seems to kill Giles and Danielle but is slain by Sir Orrin. When Ommadon appears on the battlefield, Peter separates himself from Gorbash to confront him, and it is Peter's explanations of science against Ommadon's declarations of magic that destroy the latter; whereupon the others are restored to life and the 'Last Realm of Magic' takes shape.

Peter returns to his own time, taking the flute and a shield given by Solarius, which he sells to the pawn shop owner. He is then joined by Princess Milisande, who comes bearing Ommadon's crown, and the two embrace.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Crew

Producers Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Associate producers Masaki Iizuka, Lee Dannacher
Screenplay by Romeo Muller
Based on The Flight of Dragons by Peter Dickinson
Additional story material from The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson
Design by Wayne Anderson
Original score by Maury Laws
Title song by Jules Bass, Maury Laws
Title song performed by Don McLean
Additional material written by Jeffrey Walker
Animation coordinator Toru Hara
Storyboard and Animation directors Katsuhisa Yamada, Fumihiko Takayama

[edit] Reviews

Filmsy.com said of the film, "Animated fantasy films geared for family viewing just aren’t made like this anymore... The voice acting in this movie is excellent, to say the least... Though the animation might seem a bit “dated”, it remains beautiful by 1982 standards",[3] "The dialogue is surprisingly intelligent and may confuse some children but it is nice to see an animated film that will stimulate adult minds a little... The voice cast are all great and I can’t find a single fault with any of them",[4] whilst 'The Unknown Movies' said "There may not be a strong constant thread in The Flight Of Dragons, but all its moments of warmth, imagination, and interest combine to make magic".[5]

Other reviews were less positive: "I'm sure fans of The Flight of Dragons, sick of looking at crappy downloads or worn VHS copies, will be satisfied with what's here, but if you didn't grow up with this one, it's best left alone".[6]

[edit] Distribution

Various VHS editions of the film have been released since its debut in 1982. There was also a LaserDisc release from which some VHS copies were produced. The LaserDisc release was made by PolyGram Video,there was also a Betamax release. A DVD was released (available only in the U.S.) under the Warner Archive brand on November 17, 2009.

[edit] Soundtrack

The original score was composed by Maury Laws. The film's theme song, also entitled "The Flight of Dragons", was written and composed by Jules Bass and Maury Laws, and performed by Don McLean. An official soundtrack was never released.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.wbshop.com/Flight-of-the-Dragons-The/1000179884,default,pd.html?cgid=
  2. ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VA5A0C/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0Y02SHW5T4Y4X738AYAC&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
  3. ^ http://www.filmsy.com/reviews/the-flight-of-dragons/
  4. ^ http://blogcritics.org/video/article/movie-review-the-flight-of-dragons/
  5. ^ http://www.badmovieplanet.com/unknownmovies/reviews/rev302.html
  6. ^ http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/flightdragons.php

[edit] External links

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