It's so refreshing to see a great practical effect in a movie. And even though "Dragonslayer" is over 30 years old, its model dragon is still one of the best ever put to film. Oh sure, there are some rough spots as far as some of the effects go, but wow, the stop motion dragon still looks great! It's still likely surpassed only by the beasts in "Reign of Fire" (2002). It's a good thing too because you really have to wait until the last 20 minutes before you get to see Vermithrax Perjorative in all of its glory. But honestly, it's worth the wait.

Overall, the movie is good but it's slow. There's really no way that most younger viewers would be able to sit through it. This is also a very odd movie. It's rated PG but there is some brief nudity and surprising gore, including a princess who's foot is gnawed off above the ankle. It never ceases to amaze at how much gore was in these older PG-rated films (I'm looking at you "Jaws").

The cast is also unbalanced with the two leads acting in their first roles. Peter MacNicol and Caitlin Clarke are the heroes of the film, but they're not good choices. On the other side of the coin, two of the secondary roles are played by some of the finest actors of all time, Ralph Richardson and Ian McDiarmid. Very strange casting for certain.

Even though "Dragonslayer" is just passable, I will always have a soft spot for it. I saw it on its opening weekend and I've never forgotten its wonderful dragon effects.