- Actors: Victor Buono, James Gregory, James Earl Jones, Harry Morgan, John Ritter
- Directors: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
- Writers: Gordon R. Dickson, Jeffrey Walker, Peter Dickinson, Romeo Muller
- Producers: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
- Format: Colour, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Warner Archives
- DVD Release Date: 17 Nov 2009
- Run Time: 96 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B002VA5A0C
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 18,649 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I used to have a vhs copy of this and watched it countless times as I was growing up. It is based on the book The Flight of Dragons by Peter Dickinson. It is set in a fantasy realm, ruled by wizards and populated by dragons, elves and other such creatures. Their world is in danger from the evil Red Wizard [voiced by James Earl Jones], who wants to destroy nature and turn people against each other, so the Green Wizard [voiced by Harry Morgan] brings to their world a human being from the 20th century. Peter [voiced by John Ritter] firmly believes in all things magic and with a dragon, an elf and a heroic knight , he sets out on a quest, using modern-day logic to fight evil. The animation is charming and still very impressive, especially as the picture is almost thirty years old. The voice cast are wonderful and the story is actually very in-depth and quite complicated. It probably would'nt be suitable for very young children, but it is a smart and well told story. If yoy enjoy fanatasy films this is well worth checking out.
Format:DVD
I'm not sure why this film isn't more famous, because it is a great animated tale about man's move from a world of magic to one of logic.
Opening with a scene where "green wizard" Carolinus tries to warn men to take care with their machines when a swan is killed in a water wheel, his fading powers fail to magic away the wheel and he is ridiculed by the mill owners. Sensing man's shift away from magic, he calls on his three other brothers, each responsible for a different realm: sea and stars (blue wizard), air and contemplation (yellow) and all that is bad is embodied in the red wizard, Omadon, voiced by James Earl Jones. Whilst the former three wish to create a protected realm for their waning powers, Omadon senses his powers getting stronger and wants to infect the spirit of man with greed and avarice, setting man against himself until he destroys himself in a nuclear armageddon. Pretty stern stuff for a children's film released in the cold war hysteria of the mid-80s!
Having come out with a vision of man's future at odds with the other wizards, a quest is mounted to steal Omadon's crown, the source of his power. Unable to wage war against each other, a quest is undertaken: a neat trick to allow the main character to enter the story. The leader of this quest is the 777th descendant of a legendary dragon master, a bookish (well, nerdy!) man, Peter Dickinson, from late-20th century Boston with an obsession with dragons who has created a dragon board game. Crucially, though, he is the first man of science. Carolinus magics himself into the 20th century to recruit the foppish, unlikely hero to lead the quest.
And so starts an adventure where the forces of magic, superstition and illusion are balanced with those of logic, science and the truth. Peter's discovery of all that is magic, coupled with his background in science, allows him to grow into his new-found role, culminating in a brilliant set-piece at the end of the film that more than makes up for some really cheesy dialogue elsewhere in the film. The old-school animation might not be to everyone's tastes (I think it fits perfectly) but all of the voices are perfectly cast and the overall themes are beautifuly presented without being preachy.
This is a brilliant film that I enjoyed as a kid and with this DVD my children have also enjoyed it. It has lost little of its power, poignancy or charm over the years. In fact, in an increasingly paranoid, polarised, suspicious and superstitious world, this is a great tool with which to show kids how important it is to appreciate the "magic" of belief, inspiration and dreams, but not to be a slave to them.
Opening with a scene where "green wizard" Carolinus tries to warn men to take care with their machines when a swan is killed in a water wheel, his fading powers fail to magic away the wheel and he is ridiculed by the mill owners. Sensing man's shift away from magic, he calls on his three other brothers, each responsible for a different realm: sea and stars (blue wizard), air and contemplation (yellow) and all that is bad is embodied in the red wizard, Omadon, voiced by James Earl Jones. Whilst the former three wish to create a protected realm for their waning powers, Omadon senses his powers getting stronger and wants to infect the spirit of man with greed and avarice, setting man against himself until he destroys himself in a nuclear armageddon. Pretty stern stuff for a children's film released in the cold war hysteria of the mid-80s!
Having come out with a vision of man's future at odds with the other wizards, a quest is mounted to steal Omadon's crown, the source of his power. Unable to wage war against each other, a quest is undertaken: a neat trick to allow the main character to enter the story. The leader of this quest is the 777th descendant of a legendary dragon master, a bookish (well, nerdy!) man, Peter Dickinson, from late-20th century Boston with an obsession with dragons who has created a dragon board game. Crucially, though, he is the first man of science. Carolinus magics himself into the 20th century to recruit the foppish, unlikely hero to lead the quest.
And so starts an adventure where the forces of magic, superstition and illusion are balanced with those of logic, science and the truth. Peter's discovery of all that is magic, coupled with his background in science, allows him to grow into his new-found role, culminating in a brilliant set-piece at the end of the film that more than makes up for some really cheesy dialogue elsewhere in the film. The old-school animation might not be to everyone's tastes (I think it fits perfectly) but all of the voices are perfectly cast and the overall themes are beautifuly presented without being preachy.
This is a brilliant film that I enjoyed as a kid and with this DVD my children have also enjoyed it. It has lost little of its power, poignancy or charm over the years. In fact, in an increasingly paranoid, polarised, suspicious and superstitious world, this is a great tool with which to show kids how important it is to appreciate the "magic" of belief, inspiration and dreams, but not to be a slave to them.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
189 reviews
56 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Finally found it!
14 April 2000
I have loved this movie since I was five and my father first taped it off TV for me. I watched that tape until it broke, sometime around when I was 14. I waited years without seeing it again. Figuring that I would never find such an obscure film online, I half-heartedly searched amazon.com for it, and voila! I was ecstatic! If you are looking for a fantastic movie for your children, I highly recommend this. It has a magical quality that I haven't seen duplicated in more than two or three films since (The Last Unicorn, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, maybe a few others). I can also guarantee that this movie will remain interesting even when you're a 19 year-old college student. :) PS. The cover art for this video is misleading - the real animation is stunning and lovely. If someone you know owns the movie, look at the still shots on the back for a more accurate representation.
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Intelligent and Thoughtful Fantasy
14 July 2002
Flight of Dragons was on my list of favorite movies during my childhood, and it remained so throughout my teenage years. Such an absolutely delightful film, I just had the pleasure of experiencing it again as an adult (with an adult perspective this time). This film contains such fine characterization, intelligent and thoughtful storyline, and beautiful animation that one can't help but be captivated from beginning to end. It appeals to the child within us all without neglecting the adult part as well. It helps us to nurture our love for fantasy while reminding us to never forget the importance of science and reason. It reminds us that our dreams and fantasies have always served to inspire us in the real world. From dreams come reality...
In the film, a modern day man is drawn into a world he could only have imagined in his wildest dreams when he is suddenly spirited away into the service of a kindly Wizard, to help defeat the forces of darkness in a realm of fantasy. Although not exactly a new concept, it has a unique twist, for this is no ordinary man, he is a man of science and reason with a unique connection to this realm....
Visually the film was a feast for the eyes - filled with exquisitely designed characters - fearsome creatures, colorful wizards, dashing heroes, and beautiful ethereal maidens (and best of all, no cutesy Disney-ish characters for comedy relief). Although the animation lacked the type of enhanced visuals, hyperkinetic action, and 3-D realism of later works of animation, I think that was not such a bad thing in this case. Although the animation looked a bit flat, such careful use of elegant simplicity actually enhanced this film - like a beautifully illustrated fairy tale book brought to life. The film featured a fine voice cast of well known Hollywood actors (John Ritter, James Earl Jones, etc.) who really seemed to be enjoying their roles.
It's still a favorite after all these years. It's a shame that it never got the greater recognition it deserved, while lifeless formulaic Disney fluff like Snow White, Cinderella, etc. became classics. But I guess that's the power of big corporation and marketing. I bet things would not have been so if this film was produced and distributed by Disney as opposed to Rankin and Bass.
Although I now own a brand new copy of the latest tape, I must admit the childish and somewhat ugly cover art is a bit deceptive. Artistically it does this film no justice, but I guess from a marketing point of view, if it enhances sales and hence greater recognition, so be it. I guess there is a method to their madness.... Anyway, enjoy!
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
A beautiful story for children from ages 5 to 95
9 Nov 2000
First of all, don't judge this film by its cover. I have no idea why the cover art on this looks so goofy when the animation is nothing like it. The cover might also give the impression that this is a cartoon for kids, but it's much deeper and more meaningful than that.
The story can be enjoyed on many levels. It's certainly entertaining enough to enchant any child who appreciates a good adventure/ fantasy story, but it also has some pretty profound thoughts about the presence and importance of magic and imagination in a world dominated by science and logic. Whoever wrote the dialogue on this is certainly very talented: Watch out for Carolinus' speeches in particular. It can raise goosebumps, it's so beautiful.
Like many other people who've sought out this VHS release, I first saw this years ago, when I was around nine or ten years old. This is my third copy, after wearing out the tape I made off've TV, and later lending out my second copy (a gift to me which I was overjoyed to receive) which never returned to me. I like it enough to purchase yet another copy for my permanent video collection. It has lost none of its appeal over the years.
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