DAWN OF THE DRAGONSLAYER

Starring
Richard McWilliams, Nicola Posener, Philip Brodie

Directed By
Anne Black

Screenplay By
Anne Black, Justin Partridge, Kynan Griffin

Produced By
Justin Partridge, Jennifer Kirkham, Brad Johnson, Jesse Mandujano, Kynan Griffin, Maclain Nelson


Official synopsis:
Will and his father live a simple and pastoral life in the mountains, unconcerned with the goings-on of the neighboring lowlands. When Will’s father is killed by a dragon, Will must journey down the mountain and use a mysterious family connection from years earlier to start squiring for Sterling, a once-wealthy land owner and knight. Unwelcomed for his backward, mountain ways, Will is put to work on the struggling farm. He soon befriends Sterling’s headstrong daughter Kate, and the two of them begin working together to uncover the secrets of their families’ connection and to prepare Will for his final battle with the dragon, in which he will avenge his father’s death and prove himself a man.


Review:
DAWN OF THE DRAGONSLAYER was a pleasant surprise to me as it turned out to be a much richer film then I had anticipated. I was expecting it to be more of a straightforward sword and sorcery thriller instead at its base is a very tender love story and this added development is what truly elevates it. The screenplay does not force the romance between Will and Kate but instead allows it to grow organically. The leads have a nice chemistry together which helps. Richard McWilliams plays Will as confident but with enough humility to make him a vulnerable and likable hero. As Kate, Nicola Posener manages to portray a headstrong heroine but yet her character does not come across as anachronistically modern as is often the case. This achievement is helped by the fine screenplay by Anne Black, Justin Partridge, and Kynan Griffin that helps create the period feeling through the dialogue and story points that seem quite authentic.

Although it was the love story that really connected with me, there is plenty of action and director Anne Black handles those scenes just as adroitly. The dragon had a nice design to it and the special effects were very well done and did not come across as “computery” as is often the case if you watch a film of this genre on the SyFy channel. I also liked how in the climatic battle, the dragon came across as a cunning opponent. The cinematography is breathtaking and the rich Irish landscape is used to full effect. The lush score by Panu Aalito beautifully highlights the action scenes and nicely underscores the emotional scenes. It is one of the better ones that I have head in a while and I hope it becomes available commercially.

I highly recommend DAWN OF THE DRAGONSLAYER. Director Anne Black’s next film also involves dragons and I hope that it is a direct sequel and the story of Kate and Will deserves to be continued.

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6 Comments:

1. Please get the names of the people in the movie correct, Richard McWilliams plays Will, Nicola Posener plays Kate for a start, this is the actor Richard McWilliams writing, thanks for the good review otherwise

   Posted by Richard McWilliams on 10/03 at 05:32 PM

2. My apologies. It has been corrected.

   Posted by raymac on 10/03 at 09:46 PM

3. Thanks for the review. I was on the fence about watching this movie but on a lonely night like this one, I think I’ll give it a shot.

   Posted by Greg Covington on 01/28 at 08:56 PM

4. Movie sounds interesting and one I would like to see.  Is it available anywhere in the United States?  All I can track down is a Region 2 DVD.

   Posted by Sean Jump on 03/05 at 07:11 PM

5. i have only seen bits of the film..is it a love story?

   Posted by colin on 06/22 at 12:19 PM

6. Just watched this great film on Netflix. So glad I found it. I will share this film with others. I really liked Will and Kate, but Kate’s aunt was truly a wonderful character. 
   I would love to find more films with Richard McWilliams in them. He is quite a good actor, and pretty darn cute

   Posted by Karra on 02/16 at 04:49 AM