Dragonheart

 ((Adventure fable -- Color))

By TODD MCCARTHY

A Universal release of a Raffaella De Laurentiis production. Produced by De Laurentiis. Executive producers, David Rotman, Patrick Read Johnson. Co-producer, Hester Hargett. Directed by Rob Cohen. Screenplay, Charles Edward Pogue, story by Patrick Read Johnson, Pogue.
 
Bowen ... Dennis Quaid Einon ... David Thewlis Gilbert ... Pete Postlethwaite Kara ... Dina Meyer Aislinn ... Julie Christie Voice of Draco ... Sean Connery Felton ... Jason Isaacs Brok ... Brian Thompson Young Einon ...Lee Oakes Hewe ... Wolf Christian Redbeard ... Terry O'Neill This story of the Last Dragon on Earth feels like a patchwork of any number of ancient myths and oft-told tales, but it features a noble beast at its center that is more beneficent, intelligent and expressive than any of the humans on view. Thanks to this superbly rendered dragon, which actually gives a highly creditable performance, this otherwise bland account of strife in medieval times carries some broad-based appeal. All the same, kids through early teens will constitute by far the most responsive audience for this mildly engaging hodgepodge, pegging it as a mid-level summer B.O. entry that will have trouble standing up against higher-profile releases.
 

Freely mixing elements from Arthurian legend, "Robin Hood,""Siegfried,""Don Quixote" and assorted other Anglo and Germanic myths, director Rob Cohen has pulled together a simple yarn of an itinerant dragonslayer who decides to team with his prey to rid the land of an evil ruler who has betrayed them both. Tale's poignancy stems from the fact that fire-breathing, armor-plated, high-flying creature is the last of its kind; when he dies, dragons will have passed entirely from Earth.

The added complication in Charles Edward Pogue's screenplay is that, because the dragon once gave the young sovereign half its heart so that the monarch could survive a grievous injury, their fates are intertwined; if one

dies, the other will expire as well. This is the upshot of an elaborate opening sequence in which a tyrannical king is killed in a peasant uprising and his wounded son Einon is provided with the dragon's heart that will save his life only on the promise that he will rule mercifully.

Fat chance. Twelve years later, Einon (David Thewlis) has become worse than his father. Wandering the realm, Bowen (Dennis Quaid), who was once young Einon's tutor in swordsmanship, encounters the Sancho Panza-like monk and poet Gilbert (Pete Postlethwaite) while hunting the few remaining dragons that terrorize the countryside. Bowen is an adherent of the Old Code, or those Arthurian standards that seem outmoded in the 10th century, and while not oblivious to the oppression of Einon's regime, he is more concerned with pursuing his quest for the monsters.

After roping and cornering a magnificent specimen, Bowen and the beast, which speaks with the inimitable burr and persuasiveness of none other than Sean Connery, find themselves in a standoff and come to a cleverly capitalistic business arrangement by which the dragon, Draco, will threaten a village and Bowen will appear to vanquish it, thereby earning a cash reward.

The scheme works only up to a point, and matters are complicated by rebel girl Kara (Dina Meyer), who wants revenge on Einon for killing her father. Predictable incidents ensue, including a duel between Bowen and his grown-up former student, Einon's capture of Kara, the king's betrayal of his mother (Julie Christie), the inevitable battle between the monarch's well-armed forces and the ragtag peasants and, ultimately, the tragic showdown that will spell the joint fates of Einon and Draco.

Everything here has been seen plenty of times before, except for the exceptionally sophisticated, wise and well-spoken dragon. Draco is a creature who, in addition to scorching the Earth with his fiery breath and chomping on knights who have the audacity to try to slay him, can comfortably share a campfire chat with a man and engage in philosophical discussions of mortality and fate.

Conceived with Connery in mind, the imposing behemoth even "acts" with some of the performer's well-known facial expressions, which are adroitly matched to the dialogue and Connery's elegant delivery of it. Charming but not overly cute, Draco is a complete success.

Not surprisingly, he easily dominates his human co-stars. Quaid, adopting a light, not quite identifiable brogue and wearing long hair and a short beard, is a solid presence whose energy keeps things briskly moving. Thewlis here joins the ranks of Alan Rickman, Tim Roth, et al., distinguished British thesps who cut superbly nasty figures in big-budget Hollywood productions.

Postlethwaite's fumbling versifier gets lost in the shuffle, and Christie, in her first bigscreen role in some time, has nothing interesting to do as the conflicted queen mother. Meyer, her enthusiastic athleticism aside, seems like a fish out of water with her flat American intonations and blank emotions.

Along with the excellent dragon effects, production's trappings are handsome but economical-looking. Pic was entirely shot in Slovakia, and Benjamin Fernandez's rustic production design, David Eggby's serviceable widescreen lensing and costumes by Thomas Casterline and Anna Sheppard give it a robust feel.

Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen), David Eggby; editor, Peter Amundson; music, Randy Edelman; production design, Benjamin Fernandez; supervising art director, Maria Teresa Barbasso; art direction, Jano Svoboda; set decoration, Giorgio Desideri; costume design, Thomas Casterline, Anna Sheppard; sound (DTS), Reinhard Stergar; special effects supervisor, Kit West; character animation supervisor, James Straus; visual effects producer, Judith Weaver; dragon designs, Phil Tippett; visual effects supervisor, Scott Squires; special visual effects and animation, Industrial Light & Magic; stunt coordinator, Paul Weston; associate producers, Herbert W. Gains, Kelly Breidenbach; assistant director, Gains; second-unit camera, Buzz Feitshans IV; casting, Margery Simkin, Sheila Trezise (U.K.). Reviewed at Universal Studios, Universal City, May 23, 1996. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 103 min.