A direct-to-DVD production, Dragon Hunter is at best coherent and at worst lackluster. It showcases only THREE exciting scenes, and those occur on opposite ends of the film. It is set in a fantasy setting, but you'd almost never know it. It looks more like a Ren-Fest expo, without the turkey legs. Hopefully the story premise is better, but not by much.
Our movie opens with a shitload of jump-cuts on a darkened scene, which is supposed to simulate an orc attack on the village of our main characters, baby Kendrick (Maclain Nelson) and his older brother, who would go on to take the name of "Hunter" (Brad Johnson). Growing up without parents and raised by the village for 20 years, they become fine young men in a world of danger, sparsely populated by orcs and the occasional dragon. Dragon? You barely see the dragon when it does come, and attacks the town in which Kendrick and Hunter live. They flee, not only for their lives but to ensure that "the Dragon Hunter" makes it to Castle Ocard--the legendary training grounds of dragon hunters.
On their way they meet with a band of adventurers consisting of mostly forgettable and interchangeable sword-hands, but also containing the berserker Black guy Olick (Isaac Singleton, Jr.) and the hard-bodied ranger girl Raya (Kelly Stables). They get attacked by the dragon, and eventually make it to a town led by the wizard Oswin (David Morgan). He heals them as best he can, but convinces his people that dragons are no match for him. Other heads say otherwise, such as Aaron (Newell Alexander)--mentor to the future dragon hunter. It's a saggin' second act, and only the action of the third act can prop it back up!
Dammit, no, the third act is more sag and shows us a training montage of Kendrick training to become the new dragon hunter. Eventually, the dragon shows up twice--once to kill Oswin and destroy the town he controls, and to finally confront the dragon hunter. Per Hollywood convention, the Black guy is supposed to die for the sake of the White lead, so the berserker holds the dragon's mouth open (!!!) while Kendrick is able to get away far enough to watch the Black guy go down the dragon's gullet in a single gulp. It takes a single breath of dragon fire to show how immune Kendrick is, and the young dragon hunter proceeds to own the scaly scourge.
The film wraps up with good news and bad news. The good news is Raya and Hunter get together. Bad news: more dragons show up. The end...?
I was excited at a couple of points, namely when the Black guy raged and killed a platoon of orcs, and when the music swelled to tell us how awesome Kendrick was supposed to be. And then there was Raya's Legolas-esque actions... Wait.
If you really watch this film, you'll notice that there's only ONE female character with a speaking role--hell, only one female character, period! What exactly forced this fantasy movie script into sausage-fest territory? There are other women in that world that speak...right?
CHOICE CUTS:
- Raya's not only an elf (END SPOILERS), but is also an arcane archer from Dungeons & Dragons. Who'd have thought?
- Raya and Hunter in the woods kissing. Suddenly it starts to rain, and they kiss more passionately. I haven't seen symbolism this pointed since the 1997 Bollywood film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
- Interesting reproduction scheme: infect someone with a parasitic embryo that bursts out of their bodies. Why that's so original, I'm surprised no one thought of that before *cough*ALIEN*cough*...
- Raya pulls a Legolas. You'll know it when you see it.
- There are two roguish characters in the band of adventurers who escort our main characters from points A to B. They steal from other characters, make a racket on stealth missions and generally behave like dicks. I have never wanted anyone to die more in a movie than these two. Thankfully, I got my wish.
"You are my slave!"Oswin, after drinking a concoction that was supposed to grant him control over dragons...just before being eaten by a dragon.
"RAAAAAAAAR"Olick the berserker as his eyes turned black and he opened a can of whoop-ass on orcish hides.
The open ending of the movie is par the course, and leaves room for a sequel. I am torn as to whether a sequel is warranted. I would want one because hopefully they'll put more females with speaking parts in the sequel, but I don't think they should make one because (a) this movie is crap and (b) who would want to watch another one of these movies where the lead is only defined by the monster he fights? Granted, "Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter", and the Peter MacNicol film "Dragonslayer" are vastly different from this direct-to-DVD movie, but they have their own energy. Something that could have been found in this film, that got lost or drowned in the production of this movie.
RATING: 3/10
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