Dragonslayer is a classic 1980s fantasy-adventure film made with the rise and popularity of the “Dungeons and Dragons” card game. This 4K Ultra HD release comes with an hour-long featurette, trailer, screen tests and commentary track.
Dragonslayer
(1981)
Genre(s): Fantasy, Adventure
Paramount | PG – 109 min. – $25.99 | March 21, 2023
Date Published: 05/29/2023 | Author: The Movieman
|
|
|||||||||||
Paramount provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE |
|
A terrible dragon is terrorizing the medieval land of Urland in the 6th century. Representatives from the kingdom seek the assistance of the wizard Ulrich (RALPH RICHARDSON) to defeat the dragon immediately — Urland has been delivering virgins to appease the dragon, and their princess (CHLOE SALAMAN) has rigged the lottery system they use in order to sacrifice herself next. But when Ulrich is killed, the task to confront the dragon falls to the wizard’s apprentice, Galen (PETER MACNICOL). |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4½/5 |
|
This release (which only has the 4K UHD disc) comes with a glossy slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Audio Commentary — Co-Writer/Director Matthew Robbins and Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The pair have a good report (they’ve worked together spanning 20+ years) and with del Toro he guides the track along with Robbins providing accounts on how the movie was made. Slayer of All Dragons (1:03:24) is a lengthy retrospective featurette split into five parts (with a play all option) and features Robbins and other crew members looking back at the production. These kind of featurettes unfortunately aren’t common especially from major distributors (as oppose to Shout Factory or Vinegar Syndrome) so it was a pleasant surprise. Rounding out things, there are a set of Screen Tests (15:42) and the Theatrical Trailer (1:58). |
VIDEO — 4¾/5 |
|
Dragonslayer comes to 4K Ultra HD where it’s presented with a 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio (the original theatrical AR was 2.39) and has been given a new 2160p high-definition transfer approved by director Matthew Robbins. The video here was aided by the option of either HDR10 or Dolby Vision, the latter my system is not currently set up to displayer. Either way, the picture here does look great with sharp detail throughout. There is a wide variety of colors from darker tones early on to bright, vibrant ones with the dragon slaying scenes which look beautiful. |
AUDIO – 5/5 |
|
The movie comes equipped with a strong and dynamic Dolby Atmos track. Dialogue comes across the center channel with great clarity and no discernible signs of pops, hisses or other audio ailments. Beyond that, the track really comes to life during the action sequences which envelops every speaker, providing immense depth. |