You like dragons, I like dragons, it’s fun to play as a dragon and burn some things up. Unfortunately, the Spyro franchise, our best “be a dragon and burn things up” game series, hasn’t exactly been at its best lately. So let’s take a look at some movies that’ll give you the same sort of thrills as playing as that tiny purple dragon.
Here are some movies you might enjoy if you like the Spyro games.
Dragonheart
They’ve kind of, sort of diluted any goodwill most fans had for the original Dragonheart with its myriad of less-than-good sequels, but the first one is still one of the best dragon movies. It follows the last dragon and a cynical knight as they team up to overthrow a king who, well, has part of a dragon’s heart that allows him to survive some terrible injuries.
Dragonslayer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=796gyoCcf70
The largely forgotten Dragonslayer is one of the earliest entries on this list, and did some good work, at the time, bringing a dragon onto the screen. While the effects may not necessarily hold up anymore, it’s important to recognize cinema history and see what was done prior to the CGI we have now. Besides, the movie is interesting and a little darker than you’d expect.
Eragon
Don’t get me wrong here: Eragon is a terrible movie and unless you’re watching it for its unintentional comedy, you shouldn’t watch it. It’s about a boy teaming up with a dragon to rescue a princess, but the dialogue and acting are both so terrible that it’s almost impossible to take seriously.
But if you’re watching it for laughs and you have friends over to make fun of it and maybe you’re a little intoxicated? Oh, yes, Eragon is worthwhile.
Godzilla
Godzilla is basically a dragon, right? Close enough for our purposes, anyway, I feel. There are a whole host of Godzilla movies to pick from. I’d recommend watching the original from the ’50s and staying away from both American attempts, but you do you. Either way, you’re getting to see a giant dragon-like creature destroy things and sometimes fights other giant monsters. So, yeah, have fun watching that.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Basically, you’re watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for one sequence in which its eponymous hero has to battle a dragon. The dragon is really well-rendered, the battle scene is intense and a lot of fun, and while it’s ultimately too short, it’s still well worth seeing because of the dragon. And if you like the Harry Potter movies in general, then I guess the rest is probably worth checking out, too.
How to Train Your Dragon
Both How to Train Your Dragon and its sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2 feature a boy and a cute dragon teaming up to fight evil. Sometimes that evil comes in the form of other dragons. Yeah, you get to see dragon-on-dragon violence. Cartoonish dragon-on-dragon violence – these are animated movies for children, after all – but still. They’re funny and heartwarming and lots of fun.
Mulan
Mulan is about a woman joining the army, becoming one of the greatest warriors within it in the process. She’s also accompanied by a dragon. The dragon is small, granted, but it’s a memorable character voiced by Eddie Murphy who acts as her companion and guide. Does it do a whole lot else? Well, no, not really. But that’s just fine.
Pete’s Dragon
The original Pete’s Dragon is a mess – a combination between live-action and hand-drawn animation that winds up creepier than it probably was intended to be. The remake makes the dragon CGI and is better by default because of it. It’s about an orphaned boy who lives in the woods and befriends a dragon – only to then have the nearby town’s residents try to capture it. The dragon doesn’t get to do a ton – it’s sadly more about the humans than the awesome mythical creature – but it’s a decent family film that has a dragon.
Reign of Fire
Reign of Fire might be the ultimate “watch dragons burn stuff up” movie that we have. It’s a post-apocalyptic movie in which dragons have taken over the planet. A few of the remaining humans try to take back the planet from them. It has a lot of dragons. They shoot fire. It’s awesome.
Well, that part is awesome. The movie overall is a mixed bag. But still. Dragons. Fire. Awesome.
Shrek
One of the antagonists of Shrek is a dragon that guards the castle in which the princess is kept. It tries to murder Shrek and Donkey – the protagonists – while they try to rescue the princess. Things with the dragon get … weird after the first Shrek, but in the first one she’s a fire-breathing danger to others, and that’s just great.
