Dragon Crusaders

From the few films I've seen from the SyFy channel and The Asylum in the past few weeks I must admit DRAGON CRUSADERS was surprisingly entertaining in an odd way, don't get me wrong its not a gem that's for sure but out of all the others that included films like 2012 MOBY DICK and TITANIC 2, this film had a sense fun to it despite the fact the effects weren't ground breaking in any way, the costume designs weren't very accurate in terms of historical detail and the acting and the dialog needed a little work.

The one character who steels the show is a sword wielding woman about 4 feet tall who kicks butt like nobody's business and looks good while she does it and the dragons actually look okay despite the film's obvious low budget.

Honest opinion, the only thing that really sucks about films from The Asylum and SyFy is the fact that they get the film to a certain stage and by that I mean we all know the production value of their films and they all had the potential of being hugely entertaining but their main problem is not the cheap looking CG or the acting, its their scripts, if they would just put a little bit more effort into writing a better script for a film it would be so much better, they don't need that multi million dollar budget to make a film entertaining, they just need a good script and that's all.

Overall, DRAGON CRUSADERS won't please a huge audience but if you're willing to give the film critic inside you the day off its very entertaining.

Why was this film even made?

Did the people who made it watch it as a serious piece of work and think people were going to love it? It maybe fits into the 'so bad, its funny' category. The budget is so low it really doesn't give the film a chance. I would think from the point of view of someone that knows nothing about making films that the fantasy genre is the one genre you cant get away with a low budget?

Another tip if your going to make a film set in medieval times don't shoot the film in ruined castles as they wouldn't have been ruined at that time! Also use old stuff in general.....the pirates boat they board looks like what it is a brand new holiday cruiser. The type of boat you might hire for a boating holiday not one you would expect cut throat pirates to be on. Did the pirates in between raping and pillaging do some nice sightseeing making sure they maintain the boat to a high standard?!?

The cgi is poor. The gargoyles remind me of the ones off ghostbusters.

In conclusion this film looks like a group of middle aged office staff on an outward bound course running about waving puny looking axes and swords at each other. The script is non descript play the movie on mute and make your own up it will be better. The acting is bad but its a bad film so maybe the actors didn't have much chance either!

the only highlight for me was the tiny sword woman she was hot!

I can't believe this film actually made it through production. I thought there was a recession going on in the world but there still seams to be people out there with money to throw away (albeit a miserly sum). The whole thing feels like a Live Roleplaying session on a weekend. Every single close up of a weapon supposedly hacking or stabbing, pathetically portrayed worse than beginners stage night at the local primary school. The actors are so cardboard, they could be recycled for cereal packets. The CGI could well have been done by a self taught enthusiast in their bedroom late one night. The sounds of people running in terror, gives the impression of crowds fleeing, then the camera pans around and 4 to 5 is all there is. They should be running for their lives, but a gaintily trot is all your given. The only realism of the whole thing is the horses, and they act better too.

A bunch of Knights Templar on the run after breaking with their king come across a village being attacked by pirates. After some argument about whether or not they should intervene or be on their merry way before the kings men catch up to them they decide to help out. Later they learn that one of the villagers, a young woman, is being held captive aboard the pirate ship. They commandeer a boat and go out to get her not realizing she has cursed the ship with an amateurish attempt at magic. Anyone who has spilled blood and boards the ship is cursed to become a gargoyle. It never occurred to this not-too-astute novice witch that those who have spilled blood and board the ship might do so on her behalf. And so unwittingly she cursed her rescuers, the Knights Templar, who must now odyssey for a cure.

Well now, lets see.....what did I like about this movie? On the up side I thought the dragons looked okay. As well, there was a not-bad-looking agile swordswoman about 4 feet tall who likes to strike a pose after she kills. On the down side, the movie seems budget-challenged; one gets the impression that the dragons and effects siphoned off most of their funds leaving little left over for a better wardrobe for the Knights Templar (their Knight Templar outfits looked like something handed out by a homeless shelter) and a tighter script (especially better lines for the Knight Templar who liked to crack wise; he was so not funny).

Listen, these are working people on a budget who are making an effort to entertain and make a living. I appreciate that. But certainly a little better script and directing could have given their limited resources more mileage since we all know that tons of money cannot save a bad script, and that, conversely, limited funds can go a long way with a good one. Hmmm, so lets see: 1 star for effort + 1 star for the dragons + 1 star for the sword-wielding short chick + 1 star for the movie in general. That's my rational folks. 4 stars. Love, Boloxxxi.

I was interested in seeing Dragon Crusaders because the title was one of those titles that immediately makes you want to see it, as this seemed like my kind of movie, and the cover actually made it look fun. I was also dubious though seeing as it was from SyFy/The Asylum, notorious for making bottom-of-the-barrel type movies.

Seeing Dragon Crusaders for myself, it is not a good movie. However it could have been worse, you could have been watching something like Battle of Los Angeles, Quantum Apocalypse, Alien vs Hunter or Titanic II. Dragon Crusaders is made tolerable by some nice scenery, the tiny swords-woman(played very well by Cecily Fay) who really did kick ass and some good looking dragons, even if I would have liked to have seen more of them.

Conversely, apart from the scenery I could tell Dragon Crusaders was shot on a low budget. The camera shots are haphazard, or at least some of them are, and the costume design while not bad in look were inauthentic in detail, especially with the knights, the heavy red lipstick and the hair extensions, not to mention the sweat pants for the pirates. The dialogue also is never sure whether it wants to be in Old English or in the language of today, this jars with the setting and comes across as stilted.

The action has moments where it is spirited, but overall I found it a little too hectic and eager to please particularly with the tumbling, screaming, kick boxing and wire spinning. There are also goofs that are very noticeable, such as the business with the quiver of arrows for two reasons, one that many are used yet the numbers in the quiver don't change and also where it should be empty but in the next scene it's full. The props are just as jarring as the costuming, they look cheap and seem more at home on a Halloween display than a swords and sorcery tale.

Story-wise it is disappointing, the idea is good but too much time is spent on the action and when something other than that happens it is rushed, a longer length might've sufficed perhaps, so you don't engage with it. The characters are cardboard thin, the direction is sloppy in some scenes and erratic in others and the acting doesn't fare much better, with Dylan Jones an uncharismatic lead and Simon Lloyd Roberts equally unmemorable. Fay is the sole bright spot.

All in all, not a good movie, but if I were to choose between watching this and watching something like Titanic II again, I would pick this easily. 4/10 Bethany Cox