The world has a great love for dragons. This is evident by the frequent usage of them in films over the years. If I asked you right this second to name a dragon film, the most likely responses would be Dragonheart, How to Train Your Dragon or Pete’s Dragon. In rare circumstances people would name The Flight of Dragons which is something that pleases me a lot because as much as I like those other films, I believe that this little charming '80s animated film deserves much more popularity and praise.
The film is based on the novel The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson and it is set in a world of magic. The plot concerns four magician brothers and the predicament of the world they are living in, which is falling victim to science more than magic which is stunting their powers. Ommadon (James Earl Jones), the evil one of the four, has different plans for the world but the other three cannot wage war against him because of a pact made a long time ago. So Carolinus, the magician of the Earth, has to arrange a quest to stop Ommadon and finds a hero in a game designer from the 20th century.
Don’t be fooled by the vibrant and cheerful poster for this film because it is in fact a dark, fantastical tale with rather adult themes spread throughout. 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. And then we come to James Earl Jones who is, as we well know, an inspired villain as always. He adds a malicious tone to the already malicious and maniacal character he is voicing. To be fair, all of the cast add characterisation to their counterparts, although Jones certainly stands out.
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