#firedrake the silver dragon 2020

[theflixdiaryproject]

"I want to be a proper dragon like the dragons in all the story" - Firedrake

Firedrake, a young silver dragon (voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster), embarks on an adventurous journey to find the fabled Rim of Heaven to save his dragon clan. along the way, he teams up with a boy named Ben (Freddie Highmore) and a quirky forest brownie named Sorrel (Felicity Jones), facing both friends and foes on their quest.

read my review below (may contain spoilers):

watched Feb 11th, 2024 on netflix

I really wanted to love Dragon Rider (a.k.a Firedrake the Silver Dragon). dragons are one of my favourite mythical creatures, so I had high hopes for this movie. unfortunately, it falls short of being memorable. it isn’t bad, but it doesn’t blow me away either. the story is solid and ticks all the right boxes, but at the same time, it feels very basic. I find it predictable, and that makes it less exciting to watch. the animation is fine, but it’s not breathtaking. Firedrake himself looks cool, and I think his design is one of the highlights. however, the villainous dragon feels very disappointing. for something that is supposed to be evil and scary, it looks more funny and comical. I don't think my cat would even care much about it! it’s hard to take the villain seriously when it’s presented this way. the characters are decent, though none of them really stand out. Firedrake is likeable, and I enjoy some of the antics with his companions, Ben and Sorrel. they bring some energy to the movie, which keeps it from being completely boring. however, their personalities are nothing special. I’ve seen characters like them in many other movies, so they don’t leave a lasting impression.

the journey itself follows a very familiar formula. it’s a typical quest story with a beginning, middle, and end that you can predict from the start. I don’t mind if the idea is not fresh, but I wish they added something new or exciting to make it more engaging. my attention slips several times while watching, and honestly, I don’t fully focus until the climax. the movie just doesn’t grab my attention as much as I hoped it would. this movie is light and doesn’t require much brainpower, which is fine if that’s what you’re looking for. it feels more like a movie for kids, and I think they might enjoy it more than I do. if you need something simple to put on for children or while babysitting, this could work. but for older audiences or anyone expecting a deep or emotional story, it will feel lacking. in the end, Dragon Rider is a middle-of-the-road movie. it has its moments, but it’s not something I’ll remember for a long time. it’s not terrible, but it’s not great either.

final verdict: I have mixed feelings about it

maturity rating: 7+ genre: animation, adventure duration: 1h 31m (91 mins) countries of origin: Germany, Belgium, Spain, UK language: English screenplay: Cornelia Funke, Johnny Smith major cast: Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Felicity Jones, Freddie Highmore, Patrick Stewart

[book--brackets]

The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb (1998-2000)

Wizardwood, a sentient wood. The most precious commodity in the world. Like many other legendary wares, it comes only from the Rain River Wilds.

But how can one trade with the Rain Wilders, when only a liveship fashioned from wizardwood can negotiate the perilous waters of the Rain River? Rare and valuable a liveship will quicken only when three members, from successive generations, have died on board. The liveship Vivacia is about to undergo her quickening as Althea Vestrit’s father is carried on deck in his death-throes. Althea waits for the ship that she loves more than anything else in the world to awaken. Only to discover that the Vivacia has been signed away in her father’s will to her brutal brother-in-law, Kyle Haven...

Others plot to win or steal a liveship. The Paragon, known by many as the Pariah, went mad, turned turtle, and drowned his crew. Now he lies blind, lonely, and broken on a deserted beach. But greedy men have designs to restore him, to sail the waters of the Rain Wild River once more.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (1997-2021)

With lonely Ben aboard, brave dragon Firedrake seeks mythical place where silver dragons can live in peace. Over moonlit lands and sparkling seas, they meet fantastic creatures, summon up surprising courage - and cross a ruthless villain with an ancient grudge determined to end their quest. Only a secret destiny can save the dragons and bring them the true meaning of home.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (2020)

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters -- James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna -- join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote -- and perhaps not even to live -- the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (2013-present)

In 2059, Scion has taken over most of the world's cities, promising safety for all the citizens it deems worthy and wiping out clairvoyants wherever it can find them. 

Paige Mahoney, though, is a clairvoyant--and a criminal just for existing. Paige is determined to fight Scion's power, and as part of the Seven Seals, Paige has found a use for her powers: she scouts for information by breaking into others' minds as they dream. 

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly--as soldiers in their army. 

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (2021-present)

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey (2001-2003)

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Beauty by Robin McKinley (1978)

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in appearance, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with a tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must travel to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father insists that he will not let her go, but she responds, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"

The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce (1992-1996)

Thirteen-year-old Daine has always had a special connection with animals, but only when she's forced to leave home does she realize it's more than a knack--it's magic. With this wild magic, not only can Daine speak to animals, but she can also make them obey her. Daine takes a job handling horses for the Queen's Riders, where she meets the master mage Numair and becomes his student. 

Under Numair's guidance, Daine explores the scope of her magic. But she encounters other beings, too, who are not so gentle. These terrifying creatures, called Immortals, have been imprisoned in the Divine Realms for the past four hundred years--but now someone has broken the barrier. And it's up to Daine and her friends to defend their world from an Immortal attack.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (1964-1968)

Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?

Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima (2009-2012)

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can't sell—the thick silver cuffs he's worn since birth. They're clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

One day, Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains—riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her...

The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Hans and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Firedrake the Silver Dragon (2020)

Firedrake the Silver Dragon a.k.a. Dragon Rider may have good intentions and serve as passable entertainment for young children but I can’t recommend it. Any way you look at this film, it’s just an inferior version of How to Train Your Dragon. Even it knows this, which is why it makes direct references to the 2010 DreamWorks production.

Ages ago, the world’s dragons were forced into hiding. As mankind approaches their home in the wilderness, Firedrake (voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and his friend, a forest brownie named Sorrell (Felicity Jones), decide to go searching for the legendary “Rim of Heaven”, where all winged firebreathers will be safe. Mistaking a common thief named Ben (Freddie Highmore) for the fabled “dragon rider”, they have no idea that Nettlebrand (Patrick Stewart), a mechanical dragon-eating monster, is on their trail.

The creatures in How to Train Your Dragon all looked unique when compared to every dragon we’d seen before and to each other. The ones in Firedrake are completely forgettable. They might as well be stock assets they’re so bland. It’s not necessarily a damnable flaw. In cases like this, I always go back to Hoodwinked, which looks super cheap but made up for it with songs, humor and a clever story. "Firedrake" is a wet noodle of a film not because of the passable-at-best visuals. It's the screenplay that makes it fall out of the sky like a parachute made of cement. The villain, for instance. He sucks. Nettlebrand is never intimidating. He’s an utter buffoon that any protagonist who was worth their weight in bricks would overcome effortlessly. The fact that Firedrake can't makes you angry.

I don’t want this whole review spent comparing this film to How to Train Your Dragon but it can’t be helped. Maybe director Tomer Eshed is a big fan of DreamWorks and they wanted to pay homage. Maybe they knew the comparisons would be made by audiences so they decided to roll with it. Whatever the reason, there is a movie-within-the-movie called Dragon Rider and when you see the billboards for it, they are basically stand-ins for “How to Train Your Dragon”, complete with the same font. It’s been modified since we first saw the "Easter Egg" in the trailer but in the movie itself, it’s still unmistakeable. We get another reference later when we see a bootleg of Scrat from Ice Age frozen in a glacier. These references are so glaring it’s kind of funny in a way but at best, they are temporary distractions from the profound boredom you will feel.

None of the characters have anything resembling depth and the jokes are lame. The gags are so bottom-of-the-barrel that most of them don’t even make sense under scrutiny. Nettlebrand is on a dating app that allows its users the option of enhancing their photos. Wouldn’t that just lead to loads of bad dates? and yes, I know it’s a gag and isn’t meant to be taken seriously, but it isn’t funny so why should I give it a pass?

I guarantee that even if you see Firedrake the Silver Dragon “for free” on a streaming platform and make it all the way to the end credit scene that brings back the most unfunny of all the unfunny characters we encounter on this global adventure, you won’t remember this picture down the line. To me, that makes it worse than if it left audiences angry. Seeing "the worst movie ever" makes for a good story. This? It’s just diet water. (April 15, 2022)

[thepeoplesmovies]

Film Review - Dragon Rider (2020)

Film Review – Dragon Rider (2020)

Based on the novel by Cornelia Funke, Dragon Rider is an animated family adventure which follows the fun-filled exploits of a silver dragon named Firedrake and his friends as they search for a mythical safe haven hidden in the Himalayas. Young silver dragon Firedrake (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) has had enough of constantly having to hide in a wooded valley. He wants to show the older generation that…

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2021.09.10

Friday, September 10th:

(exclusive & streaming): Days of Our Lives (Peacock, "Beyond Salem" finale), "LuLaRich" (amazon, LuLaRoe docuseries, all 4 parts), Pretty Hard Cases (IMDbTV|amazon, buddy-cop series, all 10 eps), Metal Shop Masters (netflix, competition series premiere, all 6 eps), Lucifer (netflix, final season 6 available, all 10 eps, series finale), Pokémon Master Journeys (netflix, animated series premiere, first 12 eps)

(movies, etc.): "The Voyeurs" (amazon, thriller/drama, ~2hrs), "Come From Away" (appleTV+, filmed Broadway musical event), "Malignant" (HMax, horror feature), "Prey" (netflix, German thriller, ~90mins), "Kate" (netflix, action/suspense, ~105mins), "Firedrake the Silver Dragon" (netflix, family animated, ~95mins), "Star-Crossed" (Para+, Kacey Musgraves album companion film, 50mins), Shock Doc: "The Curse of Lizzie Borden" (DSC+, documentary premiere)

(streaming weekly): Mr. Corman (apple+), See (apple+), Ted Lasso (apple+), Truth Be Told (apple+), Explained (netflix, "Hurricanes"), Tooning Out the News (Para+), The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock, primetime)

(specials): "9/11: The Pentagon" (HIST, earlier repeat), "9/11: The Legacy" (HIST, earlier, new), "Race Against Time: The CIA and 9/11" (CBS, 2hrs), "Rise and Fall: The World Trade Center" (HIST, 2hrs+), "102 Minutes that Changed America" (HIST, repeat, 2hrs+), plus more specials in remembrance of 9/11 [see details]

(also new): The Smurfs (NICK, CGI-animated series premiere), "Bury the Past" (LMN original movie, 2hrs), "Return of the Taliban" (SHO, a Vice special report), "Detainee 001" (SHO, John Walker Lindh documentary, 90mins)

(hour 1): Burden of Truth (theCW), Disney's Magic Bake-Off (disney, 45mins), The Casagrandes (NICK) /   / Loud House (NICK, movie preview)

(hour 2): Dynasty (theCW), Cold Case Files (A&E), 20/20 (ABC, "9/11" special edition, first of 2)

(hour 3): Surreal Estate (SyFy), Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), 20/20 (ABC, "9/11" special edition, part 2/2)

(hour 4 - latenight): Ilana Glazer: "Comedy on Earth" (COM, showcase "NYC 2020-2021" special)

[preempted: Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS) returns in two weeks, The Greatest #AtHome Videos (CBS) ]