Dragon Rider

Based on Cornelia Funke's bestselling children's novel of the same name, Dragon Rider is the debut animation feature from director, Tomer Eshed.

The film opens with a classic storybook and narrator introduction into which all the crucial exposition is packed to get viewers of all ages up to speed with the central dilemma and motivation for the adventure that will undoubtedly follow. This literal storytelling device maybe as old as the Hollywood hills but it serves its function perfectly well here.

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, humans and dragons lived in harmony until the human desire for power broke the bonds between the two and dragons were hunted and killed and those who survived, fled and went into hiding.

Centuries on, Firedrake a naïve, young dragon (Thomas Brodie-Sangster: The Queen’s Gambit, The Maze Runner), is keen to prove his worth to the dragon elders when he discovers humans are encroaching on the forest where they live. Along with his best friend Sorrel (Felicity Jones: Rogue One, The Theory of Everything) Firedrake sets off on a mission to find a mythical place of safety for dragon-kind: the Rim of Heaven. Soon after their adventure begins, they are joined by an orphan called Ben, (Freddie Highmore: Finding Neverland, The Good Doctor), who they mistake for a brave and courageous rider of dragons and the ideal person to assist them in finding the fabled sanctuary. The trio encounter various obstacles during their voyage of discovery, not least the fearsome attention of Nettlebrand (Patrick Stewart: X-Men, Star Trek) a dragon-eating monster made from metal.

Whilst the story follows a traditional fairytale formula of good prevailing over evil, there are lots of neat, well executed modern twists and visuals to keep older children amused too. A slow-motion attack through an ice mountain is genuinely dramatic and is reminiscent of more grown-up stylised fight sequences. Humour is also peppered throughout, from deadpan exchanges between the protagonists, modern-tech jokes to visual nods towards DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

In respect of characterisation, Ben isn’t rascally enough, despite his unhappy backstory and bad behaviour, he doesn’t quite have the mischievousness of an Aladdin or an Artful Dodger, that ultimately endears them to audiences.

The characters that pop on the screen are Sorrel whose aggressive snipes towards Ben gives her a sparky personality that also proves a good foil to Firebrand’s niceness, and of course Nettlebrand, who is the ultimate theatrical villain, portrayed terrifically here by Patrick Stewart. Towards the end of the film, Meera Syal and Sanjeev Baskhar also put in lively performances as Subisha Gulab and Mad Doc.

Rise FX South Studios in Germany, whose credits include Marvel’s Captain America 1-3, Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy, have created a soft-edged animation style that looks appealing to the film’s target audience.

Making the audio believable is also imperative if you want to take young imaginations with you and the Dragon Rider sound creatives have done a good job here, from the leathery stretches and movements of dragon skin through to the metallic scrapes, clinks and clatters of Nettlebrand’s lumbering form.

My pre-tween viewing companion enjoyed the gentle ride and was happily caught up in the dramatic highs and lows throughout, dispensing a solid four stars for this fantasy road trip in which a band of misfits finally find their place in the world.

Dragon Rider is a new Sky Original film for Sky Cinema from 12th February.