The Last Dragon [DVD]

We saw this earlier this year on Channel 4, and it kept my documentary-loving , but bouncing off the walls ten year old son, enrapt for the next 2 hours.

At the end he CRIED because dragons didn't exist.

It's presented as a documentary, lacking only David Attenbrough creeping through the Jungle, sitting next to the Koh-lung while it eats a tiger.

It is well-written and coherent, with a considered version of dragon history, using every version of the dragon that has existed in global myth and art for the last 5000 years. It's hard to believe that it's not real.

The making of doc is interesting as these things go, but is really only the sideshow to the main feature. My only gripe is that the CGI, whilst brilliant, isn't as good as Framestore (the BBC Walking with Dinosaurs series, Dinotopia) but hey, when every thing else is this good, that's minor.

Anything else? Yeah, one on unicorns, please!?

You will come away from this feeling that dragons don't exist, but they should. I recommend you get this DVD. My son recommends you get tissues.

My mother was really excited. "There was a documentary on last night!" she informed me. "Scientists have found the bodies of two dragons in the mountains! Dragons really existed!" I didn't have the heart to tell her. The 'documentary' she'd seen was simply speculating on what could have happened had dragons really existed.

I knew how she felt though. Dragons have entralled people for decades. They exist in folklore, myth and in the hearts of people who truly wish that these creatures had lived and breathed. I'm one of those people. I have been fascinated by dragons for as long as I can remember and I collect all things dragon related. This DVD, 'The Last Dragon', plays to the desires of those who adore these creatures. It's filmed in a mock documentary style, following the events that occur after a strange body is found in the mountains. A young scientist is sent to investigate and what he discovers threatens to rewrite the history books! Dragons really existed!

The DVD charts the evolutionary progress of these fascinating creatures - from the earliest four limbed specimens from the Cretaceous, to the six limbed creatures so popular in our myths today. It shows us how these huge creatures were able to fly, how they breathed fire and how they lived and bred. We also find out about the different species of dragon - the marine dragon, the Asian forest dragon and the mountain dragon. And the DVD also shows us how they possibly became extinct - simply not able to compete with the greatest predator of all - man!

The special effects throughout this DVD are truly outstanding. Programmes like 'Walking With Dinosaurs' and 'Prehistoric Park' are now commonplace and we are used to seeing dinosaurs interact with each other - and sometimes with man. But there is something special about seeing 'living, breathing' dragons in all their fire-breathing majesty, and this DVD truly does them justice.

One thing's for sure - if dragons really did exist in our distant past, then our planet is a poorer place for having lost them.

This DVD was absolutely marvellous, it was so real it was hard to believe that dragons did not exist. Would recommend this to anyone who loves dragons