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It was with the innovative and peculiar horror film, Lord of Tears, which skyrocketed with an owl-headed villain, that director Lawrie Brewster and writer Sarah Daly caught my attention. Even among other indie horror films, this one captured everyone’s imagination with its spellbinding visuals. Thus, I was intrigued when I noticed the latest movie of the duo was an epic fantasy film and I couldn’t wait to give it a watch.
The kingdoms of Agonos have been afflicted by a sinister force that a lone knight must face. One of the steps to combat this force includes locating the final remaining dragon. For him to save the world, he embarks on a quest to rescue it. On his journey, he encounters a few “friends” whom he can definitely rely on, while others prove to be a tad less dependable. Thus, they all form a little team to take on this marvellous endeavour together.
Even for a low-budget movie, Dragon Knight has excellent quality. The necessary funds were raised using Kickstarter which is why it amassed such a small budget of just over £70,000. Nonetheless, this amount is rather low for a movie of this magnitude.
The camera captures the surroundings perfectly, taking advantage of the scenery that can be found in the forests and hillsides. The world of Dragon Knight is visually stunning; the evil knights wear horrendous mask-like headgear that instantly gives off a frightening vibe. Worry not, the knights are not the only treat for your eyes, and neither are the costumes. While the dragons could be at a Game of Thrones level, the anime does fit the purpose.
The little amount of CGI present in the anime is used strategically as well, the headgear worn by the knights is quite restrictive, leaving their faces powerless. The CGI does serve the purpose, what other dragons could be ready to deploy armies of thousands in the blink of an eye? Worry not, the anime will keep you on your toes.
Between the two great epics, clear inspirations can be drawn for the anime. The use of dragons, the style, the way characters converse, and the costumes. Rest assured, fans of Dragon Knight will enjoy the show to the fullest.
Not without its flaws Without a doubt, my biggest problem revolved around the ‘light-relief’ character. For this movie, he seemed to be placed in the story purely for comic relief. He didn’t really have to hit any punchlines, but for some reason, he was still supposed to provide comedy. The film didn’t need comic relief and the actor was fine in the role, but the character was as if he belonged to a different movie altogether. The lead actor also performed that growly, shouty voice that a lot of people did with varying degrees of success In Game of Thrones, but it felt a bit forced here.
Whatever training they may have undertaken for the sword fights was clearly visible, but the fights could have been slightly more fluid and at times, they appeared a bit too choreographed.
However, the creators and Dragon Knight specialize in accomplishing highly ambitious works, and they deserve credit for what they have achieved so far. Most low-budget fantasy films tend to have plenty of poor CGI, but this film does not which is and makes it even better. It focuses more on the characters. The writing and the direction always leave one speechless.
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