DRAGON RIDER, Germany, 2020. Voices of Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Felicity Jones, Freddie Highmore, Patrick Stewart, Nonso Anozie, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Stephen Hogan, David Brooks. Directed by Tomer Eshed. 92 minutes. Rated PG (Mild fantasy themes and animated violence).
During the action of this film, the audience sees a cinema with a huge poster for How to Train Your Dragon. It actually leads to a young man, a young thief, to be mistaken for the hero of that film, leading him to become the Dragon Rider.
However, this film is based on a story by German writer, Cornelia Funke (author of Inkheart, Thief Lord, both of which were made into films in 2008 and 2006, respectively).
While the opening of the film goes back to the old days of dragons, it moves up to the present. The dragons are trying to survive, hidden away from humans, but they watch with growing alarm, the encroaching clearing of forests and the building of houses and industry. What are they to do to survive? Should they attack the humans? An old veteran dragon does remember the story of the Rim of Heaven, a haven for dragons.
The central character of this story is Firedrake, a young and awkward dragon, late for meetings, but inspired by the story of the Rim of Heaven. His friend is a young brown creature, Sorrell, who loathes any human. Firedrake sets out to find the Rim of Heaven.
And so, this turns into a quest – Firedrake and Sorrell, swooping over the countryside, into the city – which is where they see the poster for How to Train Your Dragon and see young Ben, who is being pursued after stealing a necklace from a jeweller’s shop. Firedrake puts it to Ben (over Sorrell’s anti-human objections) that he is the Dragon Rider who can lead them to the Rim.
For audiences who enjoy this kind of quest, an encounter with an archaeologist in the desert, a visit to a genie who grants wishes only after the correct question is asked, who does give them an indication of where they might search for the Rim. There is also a long detour to India (with some stereotypes of Indian characters and accents) and an indication that they fly into the mountains.
In the meantime, there is a mechanical Dragon created in past eras who is also on the quest, using a little human creature as a spy travelling with the group – and, this being the 21st-century, they use iPads mission (and the Dragon, Nettlebeck, has been using it for dating sites).
So, Ben walking out to Sorrell’s disgust, returning, helping with the fight against Nettlebeck, finding the Rim – and finding that it is truly a Heaven for dinosaurs.
There is a top-quality British voice cast: Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Firedrake, Freddie Highmore as Ben, Felicity Jones rather fierce as Sorrell, Patrick Stewart as Nettlebeck.
Entertaining for younger audiences.
Roadshow
Released 2 January
Peter Malone MSC is an associate Jesuit Media