I watched this movie on a whim, partially because I was bored (and watching relatively under- the-radar animated films is what I do when I'm bored) and partially because the style of the character designs intrigued me. Going in with such shallow intent and such non-existent expectations, I was truly and very pleasantly surprised to discover that "Dragon Hunters" is actually a pretty darn good flick.
Set in a world of floating islands, the film follows protagonists Gwizdo and Lian-Chu, a pair of down-on-their-luck, roguish dragon hunters who find themselves contracted into going after the World-Gobbler, a dragon big and bad enough to swallow entire fortresses whole. Along the way, they are unwillingly saddled with the care of young Zoe, their client's runaway niece and aspiring dragon huntress, who believes that the two are noble knights straight out of a fairy tale. Together, Zoe, Gwizdo, Lian-Chu, and the latter's pet dragon Hector must take arms against the ferocious World-Gobbler, prove their dragon-hunting worth, and, of course, nab the reward money while they're at it.
The movie is based on a French cartoon which was dubbed into English and aired on Cartoon Network around 2004. It only lasted 2 seasons and was kinda cheap (many episodes reuse old scenes, which can get pretty irritating), but it's fun nonetheless. That said, I didn't watch the show until after I saw the movie (and even then I've only seen the first season), and I think the film can stand on its own two legs. It's funny, action-packed, features some very nice CG animation and an excellent score, and is surprisingly heavy on the quiet moments and pathos. Part of this is because of the fact that the characters were already set up by the show, and the filmmakers probably figured that a large part of their audience would be made up of old fans. However, as someone who was a complete newbie coming in, I was very pleased with the characters and their arcs - Gwizdo in particular (voiced by Rob Paulsen in the film) underwent quite a bit of development and, thanks in part to Paulsen's flawless voice acting, oozed personality and charm. Forest Whitaker as Lian-Chu was, I found, a bit bland, which I thought was strange because Whitaker is a great actor. Lian-Chu in the show is quite soft-spoken, but Whitaker says his lines completely deadpan, which can make his character come off as somewhat boring, especially in comparison to the emphatic Gwizdo. Zoe is surprisingly endearing for a chatterbox kid, an archetype which is almost always ungodly irritating, but here works, somehow.
The world the characters inhabit, while not developed too much, is gorgeous and well designed, making the film quite a treat to look at. The various dragons, too, are quite inventive, many of their designs having been taken from the show, which was not shy in stretching the definition of a dragon to its utmost limits. The plot is well-paced, knowing when to take pauses for drama and (often very pregnant) silence, which is especially jarring if you've seen the show (your typical bright, energetic kids' cartoon). However, this dramatic spin never detracts from the humour, which is quick, sort of clever at moments, and often very dry (in a good way). There are a few nods to bodily functions/modern concepts but the film thankfully never goes for the full toilet humour or pop-culture reference angle, nor does it try to cater to children at the expense of the adult viewer.
All in all, a very entertaining ride, and well worth a watch (or a re-watch)! I recommend watching at least a couple of episodes of the show first, though, because it'll give you a better sense of the characters and make their arcs in the film that much more satisfying.
Set in a world of floating islands, the film follows protagonists Gwizdo and Lian-Chu, a pair of down-on-their-luck, roguish dragon hunters who find themselves contracted into going after the World-Gobbler, a dragon big and bad enough to swallow entire fortresses whole. Along the way, they are unwillingly saddled with the care of young Zoe, their client's runaway niece and aspiring dragon huntress, who believes that the two are noble knights straight out of a fairy tale. Together, Zoe, Gwizdo, Lian-Chu, and the latter's pet dragon Hector must take arms against the ferocious World-Gobbler, prove their dragon-hunting worth, and, of course, nab the reward money while they're at it.
The movie is based on a French cartoon which was dubbed into English and aired on Cartoon Network around 2004. It only lasted 2 seasons and was kinda cheap (many episodes reuse old scenes, which can get pretty irritating), but it's fun nonetheless. That said, I didn't watch the show until after I saw the movie (and even then I've only seen the first season), and I think the film can stand on its own two legs. It's funny, action-packed, features some very nice CG animation and an excellent score, and is surprisingly heavy on the quiet moments and pathos. Part of this is because of the fact that the characters were already set up by the show, and the filmmakers probably figured that a large part of their audience would be made up of old fans. However, as someone who was a complete newbie coming in, I was very pleased with the characters and their arcs - Gwizdo in particular (voiced by Rob Paulsen in the film) underwent quite a bit of development and, thanks in part to Paulsen's flawless voice acting, oozed personality and charm. Forest Whitaker as Lian-Chu was, I found, a bit bland, which I thought was strange because Whitaker is a great actor. Lian-Chu in the show is quite soft-spoken, but Whitaker says his lines completely deadpan, which can make his character come off as somewhat boring, especially in comparison to the emphatic Gwizdo. Zoe is surprisingly endearing for a chatterbox kid, an archetype which is almost always ungodly irritating, but here works, somehow.
The world the characters inhabit, while not developed too much, is gorgeous and well designed, making the film quite a treat to look at. The various dragons, too, are quite inventive, many of their designs having been taken from the show, which was not shy in stretching the definition of a dragon to its utmost limits. The plot is well-paced, knowing when to take pauses for drama and (often very pregnant) silence, which is especially jarring if you've seen the show (your typical bright, energetic kids' cartoon). However, this dramatic spin never detracts from the humour, which is quick, sort of clever at moments, and often very dry (in a good way). There are a few nods to bodily functions/modern concepts but the film thankfully never goes for the full toilet humour or pop-culture reference angle, nor does it try to cater to children at the expense of the adult viewer.
All in all, a very entertaining ride, and well worth a watch (or a re-watch)! I recommend watching at least a couple of episodes of the show first, though, because it'll give you a better sense of the characters and make their arcs in the film that much more satisfying.
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