The Flight of Dragons

I've seen quite only quite a few fantasy movies and only one involving a dragon. Not one of those movies have the magic that this animated movie has. This isn't just a simple hack and slash adventure that fantasy is too often stereotyped as. This is a deep, mature animated movie, and the characters are well developed. They speak and act naturally, and the knight has one of the better monologues I've ever seen in a movie. There is a deep philosophy hidden in this movie, too. Should Man stay with magic or move on to science? That is the dilemma facing the main character, a scientist who is fighting to save the realm of magic. And there is more than one scene that will touch your heart. This is an excellent animated movie that is mature enough for adults, yet kids of all ages can enjoy it. Rent it or buy it. Just watch it.

Set in a world of medieval fantasy, The Green Wizard of Nature, Carolinus (Harry Morgan) begins to see magic dying out as man embraces logic over magic. Knowing that the change is inevitable Carolinus gathers his four brothers of Antiquity Lo Tae Zhao (Don Messick), Golden Wizard of Light and Air, Solarius (Paul Frees), Blue Wizard of Sea and Space, and Ommadon (James Earl Jones) Red Wizard of Black Magic and Forces of Evil to discuss the impending demise of magic. Carolinus proposes sequestering the magic realm from the world of man as a way of preserving magic which is supported by Zhao and Solarius, but Ommadon seeing this as weakness decides to fight against the impending change by encouraging mankind to use their technology and sciences to bring about an age of greed, hatred, and war that will bring about their destruction. Forbidden by Antiquity to engage in direct confrontation with each other Carolinus proposes sending a party on a quest to claim Ommadon's crown from which he draws his power. Antiquity chooses science expert/board game designer Peter Dickinson (John Ritter) from 1980s Boston as the champion to lead the quest and is brought by Carolinus to his time to do so. However when Ommadon's attempts to kill Peter result in Peter merging with a dragon, Peter must learn to use his unfamiliar dragon body to stop Ommadon's evil.

Released in 1982 through video distribution and ABC's Saturday Night Movie, The Flight of Dragons went on to have a small but devoted cult following thanks to its runs on cable TV after its initial release (Particularly on HBO) that made it a staple of many peoples' childhoods. Revisiting a fond childhood memory can sometimes be a slap to the face where we find ourselves thinking "why did I ever like this?" and then there's those other revisits to the past where "there's more details here than I remember catching the first time". The Flight of Dragons is an example of the latter.

The movie is at its core a straightforward quest movie with a simple set up of good versus evil, but what distinguishes The Flight of Dragons from other movies/stories of a similar ilk is its attention to detail and its characters. Carolinus is easily one of my favorite movie wizards who plays a kind and gentle man, but also one who isn't afraid of confrontation or cracking a joke or two. Harry Morgan does a great job voicing Carolinus and brings both the humor and sterness that he's well known for. John Ritter is also quite well cast as Peter Dickinson who although a man of science has a love and affinity for fantasy and magic. Peter is very much a fantasy fan who gets to experience his dream of living an actual fantasy adventure. The movie feels very genuine in Peter's adventure in that despite him having a bookish appearance his love of fantasy is never used as a butt for jokes and is treated uncharacteristically respectfully for the time (Just see Mazes and Monsters for an example of just how bad fantasy enthusiasts could be portrayed). James Earl Jones' commanding voice makes Ommadon a formidable and imposing threat and a really great villain that you love to hate.

The movie does have one or two drawbacks. The animation while still really good and possessing some really eye catching art can occasionally show some of the awkward motions or head scratching designs that Rankin Bass was known for, but most of the time the visual hiccups aren't that noticeable. Some of the voice work can also be a little spotty in places as well and some of the dialog can also feel a little clumsy, but these are very minor nitpicks.

The Flight of Dragons is one of those rare childhood favorites that is even better upon re-visitation as an adult. While the movie can be enjoyed by children for its quest based good vs evil narrative, there's some nice hidden layers within the movie's magic vs technology subtext that addresses man's need for imagination in combination with logic and knowledge. It's a movie that deserves more attention and should be considered a classic of the fantasy genre.

When I saw this film at a local cinema, I was expecting a simple child's fare. What I got was a most profound experience.

A land ruled by magic is brought to a perilous crossroads, and an evil wizard (voiced magnificently by James Earl Jones) seeks to bring about war and chaos. The good wizard Carolinus (voiced by Harry Morgan) seeks help and finds a most unusual ally...a young fantasy game designer in 20th century North America.

The diologue is intelligent, the action is well-paced, the plot is believable, and the ending will touch your heart. Kids will be drawn by the storyline and the animation. Adults will enjoy the jokes about science and aeronautics of dragons' wings.

Strongly recommended for the fact that it shows the link between science and spirit. That and the fact that you don't normally hear Larry Storch, Henry Morgan, John Ritter and Victor Buono doing voices for animated films.

The Flight of Dragons. To this day, I still get excited when I hear that title. I remember when I was first introduced to this exceptional cinema work. I wasn't more than 7 or so. For the first time, my family had the pleasure of having cable. It was one of those ancient cable boxes (I'm 17 now, if that clues you in on anything), but it was cable. I was watching the Disney Channel, and my mother was taping The Flight of Dragons. I liked it, but as with many other obsessions of mine, I didn't grow to love this movie until years later. I don't know what it is about this movie that keeps me coming back, time and time again. Is it the storyline? A man, with "one foot in the realm of magic, the other in the realm of science". It must have enthralled me, in some way. Dragons, warriors, mythical battles? There's nothing to turn me off there.

The characters. The plot. I can't put a finger on what turns me on to this movie. However, I believe this is a timeless classic that I will most certainly be showing my kids one day. I hope they will get as much out of it as I did.

This movie was great. I watched it over and over and over again as a kid, and it basically introduced me to fantasy. The voices are so talented, including the late John Ritter and James Earl Jones. And the story is so creative! A great movie for children and adults alike.